《When I Opened My Eyes I Was a Superstar》 Chapter 1: Life before I opened my eyes Chapter 1: Life before I opened my eyes Name: Kim Bo Myung. Age thirty-three. He was living just outside the edge of mediocrity. He didn¡¯t start off wanting to live like this. He didn¡¯t know anything when he was born, and around the time he became capable of thought, he, as everyone did, began to have big dreams. Wanting to be president, a scientist, or a doctor was tiring, and once he started watching TV, he also considered bing a celebrity. That dream became bigger and he decided to be a singer. His looks were ordinary, but he was pretty good at singing so who knew what could happen in the future? It wasn¡¯t apletely absurd dream. . . But the reality is¡­ Bo Myung is an office worker who barely got the title of Deputy Section Chiefst year. It¡¯s been 5 years since he had been working in Q Entertainment¡¯s PR team. He couldn¡¯t be a singer and the life of taking care of singers was tiring and boring, but at least he was employed. ¡°Mr. Bo Myung, Mr. Bo Myung! What are you doing there?!¡± ¡°Ex¡­excuse me?¡± ¡°Please help me move these boxes. You¡¯re spacing out again.¡± Trending topics frantically passing by. Articles with simr titles and content incessantly filling the monitor. Bo Myung was staring nkly at the monitor. At the beckoning of his coworker Ye Jin, Bo Myung quickly got up and went to Ye Jin¡¯s side. Ye Jin was in the middle of moving promotional materials for one of thepany¡¯s singers she produced a while back. The box full of promotional material wasrger than Ye Jin¡¯s body, but she effortlessly put the boxes that arrived from the printingpany in their rightful ce. This kind of manualbor was nothing for an employee of the agency¡¯s PR team. It just happened to be when the Department Head called the interns and new employees over, so Ye Jin was just annoyed that she had to do the work herself. Bo Myung brought the remaining two boxes to Ye Jin¡¯s seat. ¡°Thank you. What were you staring at so intensely?¡± ¡°Just some inte articles¡­.¡± His daily task was monitoring inte articles. It was nothing new, so Ye Jin nodded her head and started to remove the packaging on the box. Bo Myung was leaning over next to Ye Jin, listening to the sound of tape being torn. Ye Jin was frustrated by Bo Myung hovering next to her, looking like he had something to say. Even within the PR team, Kim Bo Myung was known for being timid and having a passive personality. His personality wasn¡¯t a good fit for a PR job where you frequently had to meet with people, but he was able to stay with thepany because his unique tenacity and diligence was acknowledged. Anyways, an organization needed a person like Bo Myung for it to run. Someone who was perfect for taking care of the dirty work. The PR team unanimously thought that. Honestly, it wasn¡¯t like he was bad at his job. Bo Myung¡¯s silent personality frustrated some people, like Ye Jin, but there were also some people who liked it. ¡°Is there something you want to say to me?¡± ¡°Well¡­it¡¯s about Seo Kang Jun.¡± ¡°Seo Kang Jun?¡± ¡°I heard he¡¯s expanding into Hollywood¡­do you think that¡¯s true?¡± Seo Kang Jun was, iparably, Korea¡¯s top, top, top star. His every move was historical, a miraculous being. He debuted as an idol and became an award winning singer, and released hit solo albums one after another. His attempt at bing an actor was sessful too. These days, ¡°actor¡± was a more urate title for him. Furthermore, there was an article stating ns for his expansion into Hollywood. That was the article Bo Myung was reading. Ye Jin¡¯s eyes got a little bigger, then promptly returned back to her normal indifferent expression. Considering Seo Kang Jun¡¯s recent rise, it wasn¡¯t anything to be surprised about. The reason for all these achievements was, of course, 65% Seo Kang Jun¡¯s talent, and 34% was due to Seo Kang Jun¡¯s agency, the nning skills and tremendous push from the huge Ara Entertainment. It was an open fact in the industry that Seo Kang Jun was the son of Ara Entertainment¡¯s Director. His son had talent and poprity, so there was no reason not to push him more. Word was getting around that Ara Entertainment was expanding its business overseas, and it looked like the rumors were true. ¡°It¡¯s not even our agency so how would I know?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It seemed like you know a lot of people at Ara Entertainment so¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably true since they even released a big article about it. What kind of movie is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a Christopher Non movie.¡± ¡°Wow, they¡¯re determined. I wonder how far he¡¯ll climb.¡± Christopher Non is a well known director even in Hollywood. It wasn¡¯t even important whether he had the main role or a supporting role. His appearance in itself would be a sensation. Ye Jin admired it while letting out a fakeugh as if saying it surpassed her expectations. Bo Myung quietly turned around. Riiip¨D The sound of packages being opened behind his back was deafening. ¡®Seo Kang Jun¡­.he made it all the way to Hollywood.¡¯ It was a life anyone would envy. If it wasn¡¯t for his bad rtionship with Seo Kang Jun, Bo Myung would have been jealous of Seo Kang Jun like everyone else without knowing anything. *** m! Bo Myung¡¯s body hunched even more at the sound of the door closing. Bo Myung was thrown next to the toilet in the corner stall of the bathroom. The bathroom at the end of the hallway on the 5th floor of Gu Jeon Middle School¡¯s main building was closed due to the old age of the building. The unused bathroom became the territory of a group of bullies. The floor was unkempt with piles of scattered cigarette buds here and there. The stench of urine that was sttered everywhere hit his nose, and the blow to his stomach just now made it even harder to breathe. ¡°Hey, Bo Myung~ Pretend that¡¯s your house and rest there~! ¡°So why didn¡¯t you listen? Think about it again while you¡¯re resting there.¡± He could hear them each saying something to him then leaving the bathroom while snickering. After he didn¡¯t listen to the group telling him to harass the female student teacher, the group pulled Bo Myung out during break time and dragged him to the bathroom after beating him up. With the back of his hand, Bo Myung wiped the tears subconsciously dripping from his eyes from the physical and mental anguish. The back of his hand that was mangled by lit cigarettes was trembling. A dark and dirty bathroom. He shuddered at the sensation of insects crawling all over his body. The bullying has already been going on for one year, and Bo Myung was getting sick from the abuse. There was nothing that could save Bo Myung from this darkness. His parents were both busy working, and he couldn¡¯t make his parents, who were struggling so hard to raise him, worry more. The teachers had no interest in Bo Myung, who had nothing special about him. ¡®I wish this was all a dream.¡¯ He hoped he would go home and not wake up tomorrow. His onlyfort was the lyrics from the quiet song that he listens to to fall asleep. It was lyrics about breaking up with a lover but, paradoxically, it fit Bo Myung¡¯s situation too and dug into his mind. *** ¡®I wish this were all a dream.¡¯ Bo Myung was dazed all day and was eventually reprimanded by the team leader. He heard, ¡°Bo Myung, what''s wrong with you?¡± many times. ¡®I know.¡¯ Even Bo Myung couldn¡¯t understand himself. There was nothing surprising about Seo Kang Jun expanding to Hollywood at this point. When Seo Kang Jun¡¯s face first appeared on the screen, when he appeared as a singer on stage like Bo Myung once dreamed of bing. When he saw that, Bo Myung¡¯s misery was indescribable. The sky is falling? It was different from that kind of shock. There was no such thing as ¡®sky ¡® for Kim Bo Myung. It wasn¡¯t there when he was going through that dark and long tunnel of pain that felt never ending, and it wasn¡¯t there today either. First year of middle school, besides being a little good at singing and a little bad at ser, Bo Myung, who was no different from the other kids, happened to catch the eye of Seo Kang Jun, who had transferred in, and was exposed to indiscriminate violence and lost his liveliness during that time. Bo Myung asked the heavens why this happened to him many times, but the heavens did not answer. There was no reason to begin with. Bo Myung just happened to be on the street that Seo Kang Jun was passing by. And Bo Myung just happened to not have the strength nor ability to ovee Seo Kang Jun and his group. ¡°Mr. Bo Myung!!!¡± Huff huff, Ye Jin who had followed him grabbed Bo Myung¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Seriously, why are you like this today? You could have been in big trouble!!!¡± In front of Q Entertainment building, Bo Myung was heading to the bus stop after getting off work. Without thinking, Bo Myung was about to mindlessly move his legs to cross the street when Ye Jin grabbed him. Bo Myung¡¯s life had changed. Bo Myung¡¯s dream was no longer bing a singer. It was to live a normal life. That was Bo Myung¡¯s dream. He just wanted to be like everybody else, living a normal life instead of trembling in fear and looking around scared that a fist mighte flying out of nowhere. Still, he did not me Seo Kang Jun or the bullying for not bing a singer. Just because he dreamed of bing a singer didn¡¯t guarantee that he will 100% be a singer. But, to see Seo Kang Jun again who became a singer¡­it felt like hell had started again. ¡°Excuse me?¡± Ye Jin sighed at the dazed Bo Myung and pointed to the traffic light. ¡°It¡¯s a red light!¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Bo Myung gasped at the signal. It was definitely a green light but the light must have changed while he was lost in thought. ¡°Oh? Be careful, seriously!¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Bo Myung thanked Ye Jin with a bow. Ye Jin, who was previously yelling at him, looked at Bo Myung¡¯splexion with a worried look. ¡°Are you ok? Is something wrong?¡± ¡°Something¡­¡± Seo Kang Jun is expanding to Hollywood. The Seo Kang Jun who threw my life into the gutter. He couldn¡¯t tell her that. Bo Myung smiled awkwardly and shook his head. ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong.¡± He''ll be okay again. He has to be okay. Because he has to live on. While Seo Kang Jun was on the fast track to sess and was regrly on the screen, Bo Myung also pushed on with his life in his own way. He studied very hard, and got epted to a decent university in Seoul. Anyways, he even got a job at a famous agency. Q Entertainment was also the agency for the singer whose song used tofort Bo Myung. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll be going now.¡± ¡°Okay, get home safe!¡± The green light came on again. Bo Myung started crossing the street while reciprocating Ye Jin¡¯s goodbye. Screeeeech¡ª-!!! Bang!!! ¡®Am I trapped again?¡¯ It waspletely dark. ¡®Ah, I wish this were all a dream.¡¯ Bo Myung slowly closed his eyes. 1% is, of course, luck. And that luck came to Bo Myung as well¡­ probably? ¡ª Trantor''s Comments Hello, I¡¯m lilgochujang and I will be tranting Superstar. Doing trantion work is very special to me. I immigrated from Korea at a very young age so I¡¯m happy for an opportunity to feel more connected to my roots. I am incredibly excited to go on this journey with you guys! I¡¯ve been a trantor for conversations but have never tranted a novel before. Thank you for bearing with me and I sincerely hope you enjoy Superstar! Chapter 2: When I opened my eyes (1) Chapter 2: When I opened my eyes (1) Bo Myung used all his might to wake up from the pitch ck consciousness. He didn¡¯t know why he was trying so hard to wake up, or if he even wanted to survive, but he didn¡¯t want to meet his untimely death in a car ident. The past he endured felt unfair. Flinch. He was able to move one finger after much effort. It was shaking, but Bo Myung could feel he was still alive. Then it got a little easier. He opened and closed his sluggish fingers several times. ¡®Weird¡­.! Something¡¯s wrong!¡¯ A strange feeling, an ominous energy swept over Bo Myung. He wanted to open his eyes and check what was going on as soon as possible. It felt like the hand he was moving wasn¡¯t his own. sh! He opened his eyes with difficulty. Bo Myung¡¯s eyes stung from the light suddenly hitting his eyes. Sunlight shone through the curtains. Bo Myung rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. He lifted the hands he was rubbing his eyes with and looked at them. There was no mistake. They were very white and beautiful hands unlike Bo Myung¡¯s original hands, which were rough and stubby. Furthermore, they were small. ¡®What¡­what is this?¡¯ Bo Myung quickly searched his surroundings. Bo Myung thought that he would be in a hospital bed, but he was in a room at someone¡¯s house instead. It seemed most likely a student¡¯s room, as there was a desk across from him, and on the wall was a poster of a girl idol group. ¡®Milky Way? They¡¯re such an old group¡­¡¯ Swing. The door opened as a woman in her early forties entered. ¡°Hey Do Wook! Why are you having such a hard time waking up? I told you to get up! You¡¯re going to bete!¡± Bo Myung slowly turned his head toward the woman as stiff as if he was a newly made but old-fashioned robot. ¡°You were awake? If you¡¯re awake you should respond, geez. Wash up already and get ready for school!¡± The woman thought Bo Myung¡¯s zoned out expression was because he was still half asleep and yelled at him. She then hit his back hard enough to make a sound. The pain shocked Bo Myung back to his senses. ¡°Ugh.¡± ¡°Wake up already ande out!¡± Bo Myung still couldn¡¯t understand what was going on even after the woman left. ¡®What¡­.is this..?!¡¯ The environment was too simr to the real world to have died and gone to the afterworld. ¡®Is this something like the Truman show?¡¯ No, it was most convincing to say it was just a dream. Still, all of his senses felt so vivid. Bo Myung headed towards the mirror hanging on the wall with trembling steps. His height was simr to his real self at around 173 centimeters. But besides the height, everything else was different. The young face, handsome enough to turn heads, the broad shoulders, the firm physique, none of it was Bo Myung¡¯s. ¡®How¡­how could this happen? This is¡­.¡¯ Bo Myung stuck close to the mirror, almost to the point it looked as if he would fall in, and fumbled over his reflection with his finger. It was an unfamiliar face but sort of felt as if he had seen it somewhere. ¡®Where the hell have I seen this face before?!¡¯ That thought was brief. He promptly recalled whose face it was. This was Kang Do Wook¡¯s face. He had been in a state of confusion, but he was pretty sure that he heard the woman refer to this body as Do Wook. Bo Myung frantically looked around the room. He checked the name written in sloppy handwriting on the textbooks strewn around on the desk. Kang Do Wook. It was Kang Do Wook. The name was also on the student ID hanging on the chair. There was an out of date flip phone on the end table next to the bed. He quickly opened the flip phone and checked the time and date. September 13. The date was the same but the year was different. He had gone back exactly 15 years. ¡®How could this be?!¡¯ Bo Myung¡¯s heart began racing. Bo Myung was currently in Kang Do Wook¡¯s 18 year old self. He took another breath in front of the mirror. He whispered to himself to calm down. Kang Do Wook was a member of the idol group KK. They stayed in second ce behind Seo Kang Jun''s group called Man 2 Man, but for a short time they were very popr. Bo Myung had decided to support KK that was active at the same time as M2M. If both groups were nominated for 1st ce he would text his vote for KK. Bo Myung of the past hoped someone would beat Seo Kang Jun that way. Unfortunately, nobody could beat Seo Kang Jun or his group. Furthermore, due to a series of incidents and idents involving its members, KK¡¯s activities came to an end after four years and disappeared. ¡®But why am I in Kang Do Wook¡¯s body?¡­¡¯ Among the seven members that made up KK, Kang Do Wook was an ordinary member who fluctuated between third and fourth ce in poprity. He did draw attention with his handsome face, but his w was he didn¡¯t have enough talent and was too short to gain lots of poprity on looks alone. He also wasn¡¯t good enough to make it as a singer, He was the type of member who didn¡¯t have enough talent to have any other appeal besides his looks. He was at the level of fame that someone might not have recognized him immediately unless they were like Bo Myung, who was interested in this field. Suddenly, the door opened again and the woman came in. ¡°What are you doing in front of the mirror?¡± He had never seen her face before, but considering the circumstances, she must be Kang Do Wook¡¯s mother. Bo Myung hesitantly opened his mouth. He had to make sure. ¡°M¡­.mom?¡± ¡°What is it? Food is ready soe eat. I¡¯m going to work.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes ma''am.¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am? Why are you suddenly using honorifics? Are you still half asleep?¡± ¡°Go¡­go¡­go to work already!¡± ¡°Ok. Make sure to eat before you leave.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± She shot a suspicious gaze at Bo Myung, no, Do Wook, who was squirming, then she hastily left for work. He went to the kitchen and as he ate the food prepared on the table, Bo Myung tried to remember every detail about Kang Do Wook that he could. He had seen a talk show that Kang Do Wook was on. He remembered that Kang Do Wook was an only child, that he grew up rich with two professors as parents, and that he received full support for his idol activities. Watching the broadcast, his tone always seemedid back with not much to say. It was as if there were nothing hecked. Bo Myung washed up and wore the uniform to go to school. Thest time he had worn a uniform was over 10 years ago. This was someone else¡¯s uniform no less. Come to think of it, he didn''t even know where the house was located. He wasn¡¯t sure he could even find Chung Dan High School. ¡°Huu¡­..¡± A deep sigh came out automatically. Even though he wouldter be someone who was only a celebrity in name and barely active, Kang Do Wook had lived a life on a different level than Kim Bo Myung, who had never received the spotlight or love or affection. Even his life before he debuted was different from Bo Myung¡¯s. Take this room and house for instance, Bo Myung had never lived somewhere so spacious andfortable. Maybe space time became twisted from an ident, or maybe the souls got switched. There was nothing he could be certain of, except that he has now be Kang Do Wook. Why did it have to be Kang Do Wook, who was a member of KK that started the same time Seo Kang Jun¡¯s M2M was active? ¡®Yes. Why of all things?¡¯ Bo Myung clenched his teeth. This might be an opportunity. No, this was an opportunity. It might be that the opportunities he was never given in his 33 years of life came pouring all at once. Yes, this was a lucky chance. His lucky chance to live a new life! *** Luckily, there was a bus stop near the house with a bus that goes to Chung Dan High School. It was hard to get rid of the guilty feeling of using someone else¡¯s money when he paid the bus fare with the card in the wallet that was in his pants pocket. Anyways, he made it to school and somehow found his way to the 2nd year ss 8 ssroom. On his way, several students greeted him so he had to appropriately reciprocate their greetings. They may be young students, but it was still awkward to casually greetplete strangers. As soon as he entered the ssroom, a student probably 180cm tall with a bulky frame put their arms around his shoulder. Bo Myung instinctively cringed and barely stopped himself from dodging. ¡°Woah, Kang Do Wook. You came early for once?¡± Bo Myung looked at the clock hanging in the ssroom and couldn¡¯t help but be suspicious. 8 o''clock was cutting it too close to ss time to be considered early. He could deduce Kang Do Wook¡¯s typical school life. ¡°You went hard yesterday so I thought you wouldn¡¯t show up until the end of first period.¡± ¡°¡­went hard?¡± ¡°Are you saying two bottles isn¡¯t going hard? Bastard.¡± ¡®¡­..isn¡¯t he a second year in high school right now?¡¯ He was definitely a high school junior. (TL: High school is 3 years in Korea) To think that he was drinking and partying¡­ It was surprisingpared to Bo Myung¡¯s school days. Although if you think about Seo Kang Jun¡¯s group that used to bully him in middle school, it wasn¡¯t surprising. Could it be that Kang Do Wook was a bully too? Bo Myung felt nauseous for a second. ¡®No, I don¡¯t know yet. It could be possible that I just didn¡¯t know about it, but Kang Do Wook never had a harassment controversy.¡® Bo Myung checked the name tag of the person snickering in front of him. Yoon Jin Sung. He seemed like a close friend of Kang Do Wook. Bo Myung¡¯s elementary friends scattered when they got to middle school, and in middle school he was an outcast, so the concept of a friend was obscure to Bo Myung. Nobody knew Bo Myung at the high school he transferred to after a big bullying incident, but his mind was already too damaged for him to form deep friendships. He made some friends in college, but that was different from a childhood friend. A close friend. Bo Myung never had one, but he wanted it more than anyone so it felt like he knew a lot about it. A yful andfortable mood without reservation. Yoon Jin Sung interlocked their arms and led him so Bo Myung was able to find his desk without difficulty. ¡°Umm. Hey Do Wook, here.¡± A female student approached him and held out a can of soda. Lee Ji Hye. He quickly checked the name, but it was hard to understand the reason for the drink. ¡°¡­What¡¯s this?¡± ¡®Ah, I didn¡¯t mean to say it so rudely.¡¯ Internally, he was Bo Myung but because he was Kang Do Wook on the outside, Kang Do Wook¡¯s uniquely dull yet indifferent tone slipped out. ¡°It¡¯s for you. Just because!¡± Lee Ji Hye blushed and scurried back to her seat. ¡°Bastard, it must be nice to be popr. What¡¯s there to like about a pretty face.¡± Yoon Jin Sung grumbled like it was a regr urrence. ¡°How about Lee Ji Hye? Don¡¯t you think that she¡¯s the prettiest girl in the ss?¡± ¡°¡­Not really.¡± Of course Bo Myung could tell Lee Ji Hye was pretty even after just seeing her briefly. However, he didn¡¯t even know how he came to be in Kang Do Wook¡¯s eighteen year old body, as thirty-three years old Bo Myung inside. He was in no situation to rate a seventeen year old girl. ¡°Whatever, you lucky bastard!¡± Yoon Jin Sung sat down at his desk while beating his chest out of frustration. ¡ª Chapter 3: When I opened my eyes (2) Chapter 3: When I opened my eyes (2) To hide the weirdness as much as possible, Bo Myung just sat quietly at his desk all day. It seemed like it wasn¡¯t much different than Kang Do Wook¡¯s usual behavior. It was a relief. There were several children, including Yoon Jin Sung, who seemed close to Kang Do Wook from what he observed during lunchtime. They were noisy and seemed like punks, but they just liked to y more than other kids did, they weren¡¯tpletely bad. Bo Myung checked the time while learning the mathematical forms he already knew. ¡®Five o¡¯clock. It¡¯s almost time for school to end.¡¯ By this time, Bo Myung got the general idea about Kang Do Wook¡¯s school life. His usual attitude towards ss was such a mess that the teacher asked what he¡¯s doing paying attention in ss for once, simply because he was absentmindedly looking at the ckboard. Yoon Jin Sung also asked if he wasn¡¯t going to sleep, like it was so incredulous. Friends swarmed to him and cackled without him doing anything, and when he passed by in the hallway, you could easily find one or two girls stealing nces of him. Even when Kang Do Wook was silent, most of them tried to make a good impression on him or treated him well. ¡®I¡¯m very envious of his life.¡¯ It didn¡¯t need to be at Seo Kang Jun¡¯s level. If his life were even just to Kang Do Wook¡¯s level, he would have nothing to envy. On appearance alone, Kang Do Wook could definitely have be a more popr star. Hecked the effort to make it happen. The celebrity Kang Do Wook had a lot, but didn¡¯t put in any extra effort and had no desire to climb higher. Bo Myung finally started to understand Kang Do Wook a little. He was enjoying this much poprity without much effort so there was no need to try. As soon as the bell for the end of ss rang, Yoon Jin Sung hurriedly crammed his books into his backpack. School was over after the closing ceremony. ¡°Hey, Yoon Jin Sung.¡± Bo Myung initiated a conversation with Jin Sung for the first time that day. He had no information about Kang Do Wook¡¯s usual routine, so he had to somehow get the information through his friend. ¡°Yeah? What?¡± ¡°What do I do once school¡¯s over?¡± ¡°What, do you want to drink again? I can¡¯t today. I have to go to academy. If I skip today too my mom will kill me-.¡± ¡°¡­Then what do I do?¡± ¡°What? Wow, this lunatic. Are you asking me what you do after school? Even Bo Myung thought it was a strange question. Still, there was no other way to know what Kang Do Wook usually did after school. He might also have an academy he had to go to. ¡°You can go to the PC room. Hyun Chul will probably be there too.¡± ¡°PC room?¡± Everything Yoon Jin Sung mentioned was meeting up with someone to y or eat. There was no mention of attending academy. ¡®Hmmm. When was Kang Do Wook¡¯s debut?¡¯ Bo Myung carefully counted the years. ¡®19! Kang Do Wook debuts at 19!¡¯ From this point in time, KK will debut next June. That means Kang Do Wook debuted at 19. It¡¯s September now, so there was less than a year left until his debut next June. Yet Kang Do Wook¡¯s day didn¡¯t feel like someone about to go into the entertainment industry. ¡®How the hell does he end up debuting?!¡¯ *** On the bus back home, Bo Myung checked Kang Do Wook¡¯s call logs and messages thoroughly. Thanks to that, he was able to find out details about the people around Kang Do Wook and his everyday life. ¡°What the hell ¡­ all he did was y around.¡± His inbox was only about gaming and spending time with his girlfriend. There were messages about his recent break up with a girl from a nearby school that he dated briefly, but not one thing rted to studying. It was obvious that his parents, who are professors, were raising Kang Do Wook extremely carefree. Messages from Kang Do Wook¡¯s mother were just ones telling him to make sure to eat because they will be homete. ¡°How did he get the idea to be an idol?¡± Bo Myung had seen a magazine interview when KK debuted. It was shortly after M2M debuted. In the beginning, they were interviewed a lot with extensive media promotion as a group rivalling M2M who received the Rookie of the Year award. ¡®It probably had an anecdote regarding his debut ¡­. I should have read it more carefully back then.¡¯ Something like regret started to set in, but it was ridiculous story. It didn¡¯t make sense that he would have known back then that he was going to enter the body of a KK member. It still seemed like a fever dream. ¡®If this truly is reality, what happened to my body? Did it die?¡¯ If something got twisted and switched, whether it be time or soul, what happened to the other person? Bo Myung¡¯s mind wasplicated mess whether he needed to look for him first or not. However, it was just a thought. Memories that could help approach this world¡¯s Kim Bo Myung were fragmented, like a paper with one side torn. Whenever he tried to recall personal information to track down this world¡¯s Bo Myung, such as the name of his university or the name of the neighborhood he used to live in, he would feel faint. It was as if to prevent him from finding the ¡®real Bo Myung¡¯. The bus that had stopped at the bus stop was turning on its ignition to go. Bo Myung got up urgently and yelled as he pressed the bell. ¡°Oh, sir! One second. I¡¯m getting off!¡± He barely managed to get off at the bus stop in front of Kang Do Wook¡¯s house as the bus driver red at him. The bus raced towards the next stop and left Bo Myung behind. ¡°What a mess, seriously. Huuu¡­¡± His head was starting to hurt. He shook his head and pulled himself together. He looked at his reflection in the dark bus stop ss. He seemed like he had a nk expression, but he didn¡¯t look stupid anymore. His sharp eyes made him look like he was full of agony. The fact that his appearance changed was enough to make him feel that way. ¡®Right now I am Kang Do Wook. Whether it¡¯s a dream or I¡¯ve been given an opportunity, I am Kang Do Wook right now. ¡® Bo Myung recalled when he was a high school freshman. The aftermath of violence on the mind and body was a truly scary thing. Seo Kang Jun and his group were gone, but Bo Myung had to live with a gloomy face and his body always scrunched up. He straightened his shoulders that were slightly slouched. Once he straightened his shoulders, his upper body, which was firm despite not being fully grown yet, was revealed even more. Bo Myung looked at that figure and braced himself. Maybe it was because he looked like Kang Do Wook, who was far from Kim Bo Myung¡¯s dark past, but his heart didn¡¯t crumble as easily as before. Bo Myung thought himself as weak, but honestly he was not that weak of a person. The fact that he overcame violence and continued to live made him a strong person. He just didn¡¯t know that before. Once he came back home, Bo Myung was able to get a little more information from Do Wook¡¯s room. Although, all he found were Do Wook¡¯s Milky Way albums and snapshot collection in the desk drawer. Nevertheless, for now it was the sole connection between Do Wook and the entertainment world. ¡®Could it be that he became an idol because he likes Milky Way? Maybe he got scouted after going to the broadcast station to see Milky Way? Do I need to go to the broadcast station¡­.huu.¡¯ Bo Myung took out Milky Way¡¯s first album and yed it on the CD yer. The cheerful and bubbly voices of girls began to reverberate throughout the room. Don¡¯t wait for a new miracle. The rough road in front of us is a future we can¡¯t tell and a wall. I won¡¯t change it. I can¡¯t give up. Without realizing it, Bo Myung put his finger on the desk and started tapping to the rhythm. He nodded his head and started humming. He had a sudden thought, ¡°How would singing sound?¡± He opened his mouth. ¡°I love you just as you are¡­.ugh.¡± It was a mess. Kang Do Wook¡¯s singing was eptable after debuting because he received vocal training, although it was only for a short time. Bo Myung shut his mouth tightly and hung his head for a moment. The sloppily spouted singing wasn¡¯t Kim Bo Myung¡¯s singing, which he often used to getplimented on when he was young. ¡°As expected. Since this isn¡¯t my body¡­.¡± He was embarrassed. Even though it was someone else¡¯s body, he was filled with the thought that he could be a singer. Bo Myung just realized that. It felt like he stole someone else¡¯s body, and somewhat felt like he was being shameless. Still, he thought that was even more reason to try his best while he was in Kang Do Wook¡¯s body. It wasn¡¯t simply to live out his unfulfilled dream or for revenge. Buuzzzzz__buzzzz__ That¡¯s when the vibration went off inside his school uniform pants pocket. Seo Hyun. It was Kang Do Wook¡¯s older cousin whose name he had seen in the message inbox. A college student at a nearby college, she often bought Kang Do Wook meals and they were pretty close. She was like a real sister to Kang Do Wook who was an only child. ¡°Is it ok to answer this?¡¯ Bo Myung pondered for a moment. It wasn¡¯t as if he could perfectly imitate Kang Do Wook within a few days. However, even if he wanted to imitate Kang Do Wook perfectly, he had no source to find out what Kang Do Wook¡¯s eighteen years were like. Even if the other person felt something was a little strange, it was better to face it head on. ¡°Hello?¡± -You picked up right away. Where are you? School¡¯s over right? ¡°Yes. I¡¯m home.¡± Bo Myung spoke in short sentences to make it less obvious that he was a different person. He felt like he would break out in a cold sweat. He was getting nervous again like when he was at school. -You¡¯re home? That works out great,e out for a second. I have something to say. ¡°Where?¡± -You haven¡¯t eaten dinner right? I¡¯ll head to the fast food ce in front of your house. Head out in 10 minutes. My treat! ¡°Ok.¡± -Woah! Why are you being obedient for once? I guess you were craving hamburgers? He could hear herughing on the other side of the phone. It was obvious Kang Do Wook was rude to the people around him. ¡°What is it you have to say?¡± -Oh, juste out. I¡¯ll be there in about 30 minutes. Ok? ¡°Ok.¡± Bo Myung deliberately answered bluntly. That was how Kang Do Wook normally was, so she didn¡¯t think anything was strange and hung up. *** ¡°Do you want to be a celebrity?¡± ¡°¡­.a celebrity?¡± Seo Hyun brought up the topic as soon as he sat down with their order of hamburgerbo. ¡®Did he end up debuting because his cousin worked with celebrities? No, it would be impossible to do when she¡¯s still just an ordinary college student.¡¯ She beamed at him, pushing the c to him and even putting the straw in the cup. ¡°It was announced that HIT will have auditions in a month. What do you think about participating in it?¡± ¡ª Chapter 4: ?A prepared talented person (1) Chapter 4: ?A prepared talented person (1) HIT as in HIT Entertainment. It was also the ce that would be KK¡¯s agency. ¡®So he ends up auditioning at the rmendation of his cousin. Did he agree to go without a fuss? Did he already have a desire to be a celebrity?¡¯ He epted it, but on one hand was also doubtful. ¡°An audition at HIT?¡± ¡°That''s right! Let''s go for it! You can enter as a trainee and get closer to the members of Monster.¡± She continued with a speech-like exnation, and Bo Myung was able to grasp the situation. Seo Hyun was a major fan of Monster. She had already been infatuated for two years. In particr, her blind fanship towards one of the members of Monster, Kwon Ji Hyung, was about to turn her into a monster herself. She wanted to meet Kwon Ji Hyung up close, so she came up with this n that other people would jeer at if they heard it. Yet it was sincere in its own way. The n was possible with her cousin Kang Do Wook. ¡°That¡¯s your goal¡­.¡± ¡°No, no! Milky Way is there too!¡± HIT Entertainment was a rising agency in the entertainment industry that emerged in the early 2000¡¯s with its sessful boy idol group ¡®Monster¡¯ and girl idol group ¡®Milky Way¡¯. After that, it became a strong mid-sized agency by making several famous idol groups, including solo singers and KK. ¡®That¡¯s right, Milky Way is with HIT too.¡¯ Worried that her n might go awry, she quickly continued. ¡°You want to see Milky Way too, don''t you? Don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I do want to see them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s not like you had other dreams anyways, so wouldn¡¯t it be nice if you auditioned and got picked?¡± ¡°Audition¡­¡­¡± ¡°These days you can earn a lot of money if you be an idol. You said you don¡¯t n to study hard and go to college anyways. Let''s try it!¡± Seo Hyun went on and on to do whatever she could to persuade Do Wook. If it were the real Kang Do Wook, he might have needed persuasion. However, to Bo Myung who was agonizing over how Kang Do Wook became an idol, her proposal was appreciated. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Sure, what? Just say the word!¡± Seo Hyun looked like she was prepared to do whatever she needed to do if it meant Do Wook could enter HIT Entertainment and get close enough to the members of Monster to introduce her. Mentally, Bo Myun¡¯s age was thirty-three, and since he worked at an agency, he had lots of younger rtives like Seo Hyun who asionally ask him to get autographs from hispany¡¯s celebrities. He understood her actions and found them adorable. ¡°But I¡­¡± ¡°Yes, but?¡± ¡°I¡¯m bad at singing.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°Oh! You don¡¯t need to worry about stuff like that!¡± Seo Hyun, who was expecting some big obstacle, burst intoughter. Relieved that Do Wook was showing some interest in it, she finally took a bite of her hamburger. ¡°You have this, this.¡± She pointed at the center of his face with her index finger as if stabbing it. ¡°This?¡± ¡°That face with that body is enough. You have the looks!¡± Bo Myung was speechless for a moment. Indeed, looks were a talent too in the idol world. Seo Hyun, who liked Monster¡¯s Kwon Ji Hyung and wanted to make a connection by any means necessary, thought of her cousin Kang Do Wook as soon as she saw the audition announcement. Kang Do Wook wasn¡¯t a thug, but he was a delinquent high school student who wasted his time barely attending school. It doesn''t seem like celebrities need any other talent, but for idols, they need looks, the most innate talent. Seo Hyun was confident her cousin Do Wook would easily pass the first round of auditions. ¡°Oh yeah, I¡¯m handsome.¡± Even though he checked his appearance a little while ago, it was still awkward for Bo Myung. It was understandable since he lived a below average life without a presence for many decades. Seo Hyun frowned at Bo Myung who was muttering nkly. ¡°Hey, how irritating, saying that about yourself¡­!¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re right. You¡¯re handsome! The best, you¡¯re the best!¡± ¡°So when is the audition?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Saturday October 15. Pick something between singing, rapping, and dancing, and a special talent if you have one. It should be good enough if you just pick a song and practice it.¡± ¡°Special talent?¡± ¡°Well¡­.they¡¯re probably saying if you have something else that¡¯s appealing, do it. Your face is appealing so it should be fine, shouldn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I wonder.¡± ¡°Maybe impersonation? Or an instrument you can y ¡­ no?¡± Kang Seo Hyun might be right. Kang Do Wook was handsome enough to be picked as a trainee initially. They could probably train him enough to be a visual member as long as he doesn¡¯t botch it. Honestly that¡¯s how Kang Do Wook became a member of KK in the past. ¡®But if I did it that way, it¡¯ll be the same as the Kang Do Wook¡¯s life that I know. ¡® It wasn¡¯t that the life of Kang Do Wook as Bo Myung knew it was bad. Among the numerous people who rise and fall in the entertainment world, he was at least able to make a name for himself. He had heard that since then, Do Wook bought a building bybining his family¡¯s money and the money he earned, and was living a nice life off themercial tax. However, since he was given an opportunity and didn¡¯t know when it might go away, Bo Myung wanted more than that. ¡®Seo Kang Jun¡­..¡¯ In terms of time, Seo Kang Jun¡¯s group M2M will debut early next year in January. M2M¡¯s debut song ¡®You¡¯re Too Pretty¡¯ will rock the idol fandom immediately. And KK debuted in June. There was little over a half a year left. You could say it¡¯s a long time, but it was a ridiculously short time to prepare for a debut. It was barely enough time to scantily learn the songs. ¡°I have to put in effort.¡± ¡°Ah, sorry ¡­ what?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll put in effort.¡± The big eyes that run in the Kang family opened even wider. Seo Hyun''s expression looked as if she never dreamed she would hear the word ¡°effort¡± from her cousin Do Wook¡¯s mouth. Furthermore, he wasn¡¯t someone who was interested in bing a celebrity so it was even more surprising that he quickly agreed to put in effort. Regardless, it was favorable for Seo Hyun. ¡°Good, good. If you put in effort on top of looking that good, the audition will be a piece of cake!¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°So, what kind of effort are you going to put in?¡± *** Late at night after his parents came home, he called them into the living room and Bo Myung, no, Do Wook, told them about the audition he heard about from Seo Hyun at dinner. He also told them that he wants to attend an academy to prepare for the audition. Just like in the past interview that said he had active parental support, his parents listened to the story with delight. They were educated and talked to a lot of young people, so they looked at the career of a celebrity with an open mind. He thought they would be conservative but on the contrary, they even had their own insight that it would be an even better job in the future. From Kang Do Wook¡¯s parents'' perspective, it was touching that he was doing something towards his future. This was because previously, besides ying, Kang Do Wook was living a lethargic and unmotivated life. ¡®They are very good parents.¡¯ Kang Do Wook¡¯s mother encouraged him, taking out a credit card from her wallet and giving it to him to enroll in whatever academy he wanted. Bo Myung was jealous of Kang Do Wook again. He also thought of his own parents. If it were that he had died in a car ident and that¡¯s why his soul came into this body, around now his parents must be lost in despair from losing him. His heart ached thinking about it. However, there was currently no way for him to do anything differently. Bo Myung¡¯s parents were good parents too. Although they weren¡¯t wealthy, they tried their best for him. ¡®They were hurt a lot because I wascking.¡¯ The quiet principal¡¯s office. He remembered his parents bowing their heads when he was the victim. Bo Myung took the card into his room andid down on the bed. He bit his lips tightly and, just like his soul changed, he vowed to make a change. *** Bo Myung left Yoon Jin Sung behind, who wanted to go y games, and went off on his own. ording to what he looked up on the inte, it was near the Shin Sa Station exit . Once he came out of the exit, he took a few turns and entered an alleyway before he found the academy bulletin. The ends of the sheets, crudely attached to each window, were tattered. ¡®Kim Woo Yeon. The person who will soon be the best vocalist in Korea is here!¡¯ He was a singer that currently has one album released. However, it was released by a small agency, so he couldn¡¯t even promote it properly. That album was quietly buried within a month of its release. ¡®However, after he moved agencies, as he made his songs known through entertainment appearances, his first album was re-evaluated as a masterpiece that willst a long time.¡¯ The agency Kim Woo Yeon moved to was Q Entertainment that Bo Myung used to work for. He was also the singer of the song ¡®If It Were a Dream¡¯ that used tofort Bo Myung. Because of that, Bo Myung was aware of Kim Woo Yeon¡¯s background. But he won¡¯t be sessful until 2 yearster. After his first album failed, Kim Woo Yeon couldn''t ovee financial difficulties so he put aside his pride as a singer and became a vocal trainer. Preparation for his next album was also uncertain for now. ¡°What brings you here?¡± Inside the academy there were about 5 practice rooms. In one of the practice rooms, probably in use, the sound of drums could be heard through the poorly soundproofed walls. The woman sitting at the desk asked Bo Myung, who was hesitating in front of the door. ¡°I would like to get vocal lessons¡­!¡± The woman had her yellow-dyed hair braided in pigtails. Bo Myung was about to ask about lessons but saw the woman¡¯s face and was surprised. The woman with the memorable mole next to her eye was Kim Soom, the keyboardist of the indie band ¡®Rainbow¡¯. ¡®What is Kim Soom doing here?¡¯ The band Kim Soom was in was not a famous band. It was a band that was only well received among music buffs. Kim Soom wasn¡¯t famous for being a band member, but as aposer. Kim Soom exhibited outstanding talent inposing bads. ¡®The title song for Kim Woo Yeon¡¯s third album was alsoposed by Kim Soom. They had ties going back to here.¡¯ Bo Myung admired this unexpected fate. ¡°Vocal lessons? Aye, how unfortunate. Are you interested in keyboard lessons?¡± Initially he wasn¡¯t interested. However, the opportunity to learn anything from someone like Kim Soom was as rare as getting vocal lessons from Kim Woo Yeon. The fact that the world had been turned upside down when he opened his eyes was definitely an opportunity given to Bo Myung by the heavens no matter how you looked at it. ¡°The Director isn¡¯t here this week, and the vocal instructor hasn¡¯te to work yet. You¡¯ll have to wait about 30 minutes, is that ok? If you talk to the vocal instructor there won¡¯t be any problems registering you.¡± Kim Soom used a polite and gentle tone, different from her yellow hair or carefree outfit. ¡°I¡¯ll wait.¡± ¡°How did you hear about us? I¡¯m curious since most people thate heard through word of mouth.¡± ¡°¡­I was passing by and saw the bulletin.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Kim Soom pointed and sat at the table in front of the desk. ¡°Excuse me.¡± Kim Soom, who was concentrating on theputer on the desk, turned her neck towards Bo Myung. ¡°Instead of the keyboard, do you do musicposition lessons by any chance?¡± ¡ª Trantor¡¯s Comments Hello everyone! We have an exciting announcement to share! We are looking for someone to proofread the chapters for Superstar. If you are interested, you can find EAP on discord. Thank you! Chapter 5: ?A prepared talented person (2) Chapter 5: ?A prepared talented person (2) ¡°Composition?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Kim Soom yed with her braids out of habit. She was giving keyboard lessons to earn money for the band¡¯s album. She was also in charge ofposing for the band, so she could teach him if she wanted to, but determined for herself that she wasn¡¯t good enough to do that yet. ¡°You want to learnposition too? I don¡¯t have the skills to teach anybody. There¡¯s a lot of other good teachers if you look around.¡± ¡°But I want to learn from you, teacher.¡± It was a voice with a firm will. Kim Soom slightly averted her eyes. Kim Soom was dubious. She wasn¡¯t famous forposing, so it was natural to be taken aback that a student who came in after seeing the bulletin was asking her to teach himposition, which she wasn¡¯t even in charge of. Bo Myung also noticed Kim Soom was flustered. He quickly racked his brain. ¡°You¡¯re the keyboardist for the band Rainbow .. aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Oh my goodness, you know Rainbow?¡± ¡°Yes. I like Rainbow. To think that I¡¯d meet you here! To my understanding, you also write the songs for Rainbow.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Immediately Kim Soom¡¯s embarrassment changed into delight and she blushed. ¡°I like all of Rainbow¡¯s songs. Is there any way I can learn from you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fascinating that a young student would know our songs. You must really have a lot of interest in music!¡± What Bo Myung actually liked were Kim Soom¡¯s bads, not the tracks on the indie band Rainbow¡¯s album. He never even listened to it properly. However, the bads Kim Soomposed were not released to the world yet. He decided it was more convincing to say he likes Rainbow¡¯s songs. It was the right decision. Rainbow was starting to grow a fan base, and Kim Soom was excited that a high school student liked Rainbow¡¯s songs. ¡°Yes, please.¡± He had an extremely likable appearance and was even polite, unlike high school students these days. His tone was like he just came out of a business meeting. Although she was worried whether she would be able to teach him well, Kim Soom started to get excited about giving it a try. ¡°Have you learned the piano before?¡± ¡°Yes. But it was when I was little so my fingers are stiff.¡± He attended piano academy until his first year of middle school. It was the only academy he attended for his dream due to financial hardship. He could probably still y the piano if it were Bo Myung¡¯s body, but his current body was Kang Do Wook. He remembers in his head, but he wasn¡¯t used to it in this body. ¡®Would I be able to y the piano with Kang Do Wook¡¯s hands?¡¯ Kim Soom nodded her head. ¡°Then you must know how to read sheet music. How well do you know chords? If you want topose you need to at least know chords. ¡°Yes, I know all the chords.¡± ¡°That''s a relief!¡± At that moment a man in his early 30¡¯s entered. A man with unkempt hair, looking drab with his shirt cor popped. ¡®It¡¯s Kim Woo Yeon!¡¯ Bo Myung quickly got up from his seat. It was Kim Woo Yeon, who he had run into a couple times in the hallway while working at Q Entertainment. He never imagined he¡¯d meet Kim Woo Yeon¡¯s past self like this. ¡®Then again, I couldn''t have imagined any of the things that have happened since yesterday.¡¯ Once Kim Woo Yeon came in, Kim Soom quickly introduced Bo Myung to him. ¡°Here, he¡¯s a student who wants vocal lessons.¡± ¡°Ah, is that so?¡± Kim Woo Yeon looked at Bo Myung up and down with an uninterested expression. ¡°You¡¯re handsome. Why do you want to learn singing? To attract girls?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Or to be a singer?¡± ¡°To be a singer.¡± ¡°Ok, People who want to be singers are a dime a dozen, being young doesn''t mean you can¡¯t give it a shot.¡± If this were the first impression, Kim Woo Yeon would be a cynical and irritating person. Bo Myung was speechless for a second. He knew that he was filled with disappointment since his first album, but he didn¡¯t know it was this bad. It was even more shocking since whenever he had met him in the hallway, he would politely reciprocate Bo Myung¡¯s greetings even though he was just a low level employee. ¡°Oh, take a seat first. Please sit down and talk.¡± Kim Soom nervously pulled up a chair between Bo Myung and Kim Woo Yeon. ¡°I have an audition at an agency in a month.¡± Bo Myung told him frankly as soon as Kim Woo Yeon sat down. ¡°What? In one month? You don¡¯t expect me to be able to do anything within a month do you?¡± Understandably, Kim Woo Yeon had a bewildered reaction. ¡°No, I don¡¯t. I want to learn properly, starting with the basics. Even if I pass the audition, I want to continue learning from you until the end, teacher, regardless of the agency.¡± Kim Woo Yeon nkly looked at Bo Myung, who was looking at him without wavering. He thought he was just someone handsome who was told to be a celebrity and thought bing a singer would be easy. But that didn¡¯t necessarily seem to be the case either. He had seen countless kids like that when he was a singer and as a vocal trainer. There was something different about this boy in front of himpared to the riffraff he had seen. ¡°I never even met you before, who are you calling teacher? Who said I¡¯ll be your teacher?¡± The Director would have been appalled at the tone he was taking to a student that came on his own ord. It was as if Kim Woo Yeon was saying, ¡°Are you still going to learn from me even though my tone is like this?¡± Bo Myung was testing something too. Of course that was true. Regardless of his personality, Kim Woo Yeon was worthy of the title Korea¡¯s best vocalist. In Bo Myung¡¯s opinion, a better vocal coach than Kim Woo Yeon didn¡¯t exist. ¡°Isn¡¯t this an academy? A ce where you teach people. And you¡¯re an instructor employed at the academy.¡± Kim Woo Yeon snickered at Bo Myung¡¯s straightforward tone. He wasn''t backing down no matter what he said. You could already tell from his appearance, but he was no ordinary kid. ¡°Ok. Then sing.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°I need to know how skilled you are if I''m going to teach you. Go ahead and sing!¡± Bo Myung hesitated, unlike the confident tone he had just a second ago. The drum lesson must have ended, because the drum instructor and student wereing out of the practice room. Kim Woo Yeon paid no attention to them and pressed Bo Myung. It was logical to check basic skills, but it was before even registering for sses. Furthermore, it wasn¡¯t in a practice room but the academy hallway. Including Kim Soom, that was already two pairs of eyes. Bo Myung could feel the cold sweat running down his back. He had sung in this body before so he knew what a mess his singing skills were. He was definitely going to get ridiculed. Bo Myung had an extreme dread of getting ridiculed, more than most people, because of his past. That''s how he ended up with a timid and passive personality. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to sing? Are you a barley sack?¡± ¡°¡­.Here I go.¡± Bo Myung closed his eyes tightly then opened them, and he began to sing. It was Kim Woo Yeon¡¯s first album title song ¡®If It Were a Dream¡¯. . . ¡°Ok. Enough.¡± Kim Woo Yeon made him stop singing when he was 3 verses in. Bo Myung shut his mouth. ¡°Mmmm.¡± Kim Woo Yeon let out something like an agonized groan. ¡°This song¡­.¡± Kim Woo Yeon muttered to himself. Rather than being surprised that he knew his song, his tone had a hint of frustration, like ¡°How can you sing this song so poorly.¡± Bo Myung was frozen solid, waiting for Kim Woo Yeon¡¯s harsh criticism. Bo Myung¡¯s insides were frozen solid, but Kang Do Wook¡¯s exterior had his unique indifferent expression. ¡°Lessons start tomorrow. Twice a week, one hour at a time. That¡¯s usually my curriculum. You shoulde at least three times. If you don¡¯t do the tasks I assign, it¡¯ll take you ten years to get to the level where you won¡¯t harm someone¡¯s eardrum. Even if you do them diligently, maybe a year?¡± Bo Myung quickly came to his senses and nodded at Kim Woo Yeon who was spouting on and on. He thought he would say give up if he was going to sing like that, but that wasn¡¯t the case. Bo Myung looked at the people around him one by one. Nobody wasughing at him or grinning at his ridiculous singing skills. Even if it were sugar coated, Bo Myung¡¯s singing couldn¡¯t be called good. Still, it had sincerity in it. It had a real passion to be a singer. Everyone there, including Kim Woo Yeon, were passionate enough about music to recognize that passion. Also, everybody knew that nobody was good from the start. That¡¯s why it was called ¡®learning¡¯. ¡°Are you going to be rude and just nod your head?¡± ¡°N¡­no! I look forward to working with you!¡± Bo Myung eximed with a loud voice. Kim Woo Yeon let out a chuckle without realizing it and stood up from his chair. It seemed like Kim Woo Yeon had already approved of Bo Myung from the moment he started singing despite suddenly being forced to sing in front of people. Listening to Bo Myung¡¯s sincere singing reinvigorated his own passion for singing. Additionally, the pitch and tempocked innate sense, but the tone was good. It was a baritone voice that anyone would like regardless of one¡¯s preference. He also had a hidden distinct characteristic that could shine like a jewel if it were polished. It¡¯s not easy to strengthen basic skills and develop a sense, but it also wasn¡¯t impossible. Afterwards, Kim Soom also informed him about the schedule forposition lessons. Kim Soom asked if it wouldn¡¯t be too much to do both at the same time, but Bo Myung shook his head. He had to do it even if it was hard, and he was going to get through it. ¡°I didn¡¯t even properly get your name. Your name is ¡­ Kang Do Wook?¡± Kim Soom looked at the name tag around his neck and asked. Bo Myung nodded his head. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s Kang Do Wook. Once again, I look forward to working with you.¡± He bowed. He said goodbye to Kim Soom and Kim Woo Yeon. Now, for real, his life as Kang Do Wook began. *** ¡°Hey, Do Wook! Wake up!¡± Do Wook, who was lying down and sleeping, sluggishly opened his eyes. It was Yoon Jin Sung who shook Do Wook¡¯s shoulders and woke him up. ¡°It¡¯s lunch time, man. You usually sleep all the time anyway, but isn¡¯t it too severetely?¡± ¡°Yaaaawn¡­¡± Do Wook stretched and yawnedzily. Normally it should look ugly since he didn¡¯t even try to cover his mouth and yawnedzily, but the way he stretched his long arms looked like a scene out of a drama. It wasn¡¯t for nothing that the girls were fawning over Kang Do Wook. He was his close friend, but at times like this he was irritating so Yoon Jin Sung clicked his tongue louder. ¡°Hurry~! The cafeteria line will get longer.¡± ¡°Ok. Uh¡­ugh.¡± Do Wook, who was getting up from his seat, grasped his stomach and crouched over. ¡°Ow, my stomach hurts.¡± It was because he had a rough vocal lesson with Kim Woo Yeon yesterday too. Kim Woo Yeon said you have to properly learn how to make a sound first and oversaw every little thing, from how he breathes to his posture when standing and sitting. Kim Woo Yeon said you have to sing from your stomach and every time Do Wook tried to sing from his neck, he ruthlessly applied pressure to Do Wook¡¯s stomach. His stomach tugged and ached after lessons because he was using abdominal muscles he hadn¡¯t used before. It was a relief that Kim Soom told him it¡¯ll be natural and won¡¯t hurt with time. He wasn¡¯t only practicing on days he had lessons. Do Wook set aside time every day and did his best to improve his vocal skills and build up hisposing skills. His progress was slow at first, but they were gradually getting faster. Yoon Jin Sung asked as they went down the hallway stairs towards the infirmary. ¡°What are you doing that you¡¯ve been disappearing as soon as school¡¯s over?¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yeah. You don¡¯t want toe when we invite you to drink, and you won¡¯t y games either. Did you get a girl?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no girl.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll feel betrayed if you got a girl and didn¡¯t tell me, seriously.¡± ¡°I told you that¡¯s not it.¡± Do Wook looked at Jin Sung and wondered if telling him that he was preparing for an audition was the right thing to do. He looks carefree but he was truly Kang Do Wook¡¯s good friend. ¡°Your vibe changedtely. It feels like you¡¯re being serious.¡± Jin Sung wasn¡¯t overreacting, Do Wook¡¯s vibe really did change a lot. The original Do Wook seemed unmotivated and carelessly did the bare-minimum for everything. His good looks made it look cool, but you didn¡¯t have to talk to him long to know Do Wook was a delinquent who only cared about ying. However, these days, he was still sleeping during ss like usual, but something was different. Once in a while, the things he said were so serious to the point it was shocking. The sincere and mature vibe made Do Wook even cooler. The girls who already liked Do Wook went even crazier. Adult-like. Jin Sung contemted what those words meant while looking at Do Wook recently. ¡°Yoon Jin Sung, actually tomorrow I audition¡­¡± At that moment, one of the 3rd year upperssmen headed towards Do Wook from the end of the hallway with a scowl. ¡°Hey, you two over there.¡± ¡ª Chapter 6: ?A prepared talented person (3) Chapter 6: ?A prepared talented person (3) ¡°What is it?¡± Do Wook and his friends were popr at school but weren¡¯t bullies. Because of that, bullies sought them out and picked a fight with them once in a while. Yoon Jin Sung made a face like something annoying had happened and responded with a hint of frustration in his voice. However, Do Wook couldn¡¯t help but flinch momentarily. It was, of course, because of the trauma that Bo Myung, who was inside, carried. ¡°Meet me upstairs for a second.¡± He only flinched for a moment; Do Wook faced the upperssman straight on. What if Kim Bo Myung had stared directly at Seo Kang Jun like this? A fist would have immediatelye flying towards him, probably. On the contrary, the upperssman couldn''t hide the fact that Do Wook¡¯s indifferent gaze was making him nervous. Do Wook let out a short sigh and replied. ¡°We can talk here.¡± *** The upperssman that came to see them was nothing special. ¡°You¡­.are you interested in Lee Ji Hye by any chance?¡± ¡°Who?¡± Do Wook remembered a secondter that it was the girl in his ss that gave him the soda. The upperssman, embarrassed by Do Wook¡¯s reaction, continued. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Nevermind if you don¡¯t.¡± Yoon Jin Sung immediately realized the upperssman seeked out Do Wook because he likes Lee Ji Hye. He acted like he was going to start some big fight, but it was just a woman problem. Yoon Jin Sung thought the upperssman was pathetic and that Do Wook was fascinating for not being interested in Lee Ji Hye, who was very popr. ¡°Tomorrow? What did you say? Audition?¡± ¡°Yes. To be honest I have an audition tomorrow.¡± Do Wook told Yoon Jin Sung everything about the audition. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you wanted to be a celebrity. Was that why you were so out of ittely?¡± Yoon Jin Sung was a little disappointed but promptly wished Do Wook luck on the audition. *** Today was the day of the audition. Do Wook headed out for the audition. Do Wook was a little nervous even until yesterday, but today his mind was surprisingly at ease. It might be because he suddenly realized that since he became Do Wook, even if he ran into the upperssman bully it wouldn¡¯t phase him, or it might be because his friend was rooting for him. The HIT Entertainment office building wasn¡¯t far from Do Wook¡¯s house but it was a little far from the center of Gangnam. The agency ends up expanding and moving to a slightly bigger and better buildingter on but in the present, the agency building was one of the old, six floor buildings. There were offices up to the third floor, and various rehearsal halls and recording studios from the 4th floor on. In front of the agency, there were groups of female students who looked like frantic Monster fans. They were crowding around to do whatever they could to see members of Monster as they came and went from the rehearsal hall. It was a sight he often saw at the entrance of Q Entertainment too whenmuting to and from work. There were more fans camping out than usual because it was the weekend. Do Wook had a hard time trying to dissuade Kang Seo Hyun froming with him. It was too obvious what her intentions were. It would get in the way of the audition if she came with him, happened to run into members of Monster, and caused a ruckus. Do Wook looked for the audition location alone after promising Kang Seo Hyun that if he became a trainee, the first thing he would do was get Monster¡¯s autograph for her. The audition was being held at the 4th floor main rehearsal hall. Instead of a waiting room, folding chairs were lined up in the hallway in front of the main rehearsal hall. There were about twenty people waiting in the hallway. 10:45 AM Do Wook was assigned to the morning slot which was in 15 minute increments. Five people went in at a time. It meant judges could spend 3 minutes per person. ¡°Next team,e on in please~!¡± 5 participants, including Do Wook, got up from their chairs and headed towards the rehearsal hall. The wide open space that was over 20 pyeong* had mirrors on all sides. There was a long table but only three judges were watching the participantse through the door. (TL note: 1 pyeong is about 35.58 square feet) The judges were HIT Entertainment¡¯s Rookie Development Team. Starting from the right was the Rookie Development Team Manager, Assistant Manager, and Team Leader. ¡°Then Number 55, please step up first.¡± The RDT Assistant Manager was leading the auditions. Number 55, who was standing next to Do Wook, took one step forward. Do Wook nced at Number 55 from behind, then the three male students standing next to him. There probably were people who came light-heartedly thinking they want to try to be a celebrity, like the past Kang Do Wook did. There must also be participants who came because they earnestly wanted to be a singer. No matter what heart you came with, you couldn¡¯t help but get nervous if three people were staring at you like they¡¯re going to eat you. As Number 55 caught his breath to start singing, Do Wook also nervously swallowed his dry saliva for no reason. The Assistant Manager stopped Number 55 when he got to the third verse of the song he prepared. Next was the camera test. The five people standing here might all pass, or they might all fail. Do Wook braced himself as he waited for his turn that was just ahead. What he was certain of was that he would pass. ¡®Kang Do Wook will pass! He passed when he couldn¡¯t sing at all. As long as nothing goes wrong¡­No. So far there hasn¡¯t been anything that went wrong due to our souls changing, he¡¯ll probably pass.'' Bo Myung clenched his fist tightly. ¡®This is confidence that I never had living as Kim Bo Myung.¡¯ He was also a lot less nervous because he had confidence. It would have been nice if Kim Bo Myung also had a little more self confidence. Though, there was nothing he could do about it since he was trampled on before he could get self confidence. ¡°Next, Number 56.¡± ¡°Here.¡± Number 55 came back and Do Wook stepped forward. He stood on the spot marked with tape in the dead center, facing the judges. Was it because it wasn¡¯t his real self? Bo Myung, who had be Do Wook, could rather objectively sense the gaze pouring onto Do Wook. He could see the judges¡¯ eyes shining. The RDT Team Leader¡¯s eyes were especially sparkly. The Team Leader was inwardly admiring Do Wook¡¯s handsome face from the moment he entered. The Assistant Manager was mostly the one leading, but the Team Leader asked directly. ¡°Dancing? Singing?¡± ¡°I will be singing.¡± ¡°Ok. Show us what you¡¯ve prepared.¡± The song Do Wook practiced for his audition was Kim Byung Soo¡¯s ¡®I Miss You¡¯. What Do Wook originally wanted to sing was his vocal teacher Kim Woo Yeon¡¯s song. However, Kim Woo Yeon immediately shot down Do Wook¡¯s choice. There were two reasons. The first reason is it wasn¡¯t a famous song so it was highly likely that the judges wouldn¡¯t know the song, making it a bad choice for the audition. The second reason was it is a song that needs finesse, and Bo Myungcked the necessary skills. Kim Byung Soo¡¯s ¡®I Miss You¡¯ was a song that relied on emotion more than technique. That meant it¡¯s a song you can master with a somber tone and expressing emotions. Of course, the reason it was able to be a popr song was due to Kim Byung Soo¡¯s crazy singing ability. Those kinds of skills are not required at an idol trainee audition anyways. You could pass the audition as long as you had even one unique characteristic. If that were the case, Kim Woo Yeon thought it would be good enough as long as Kang Do Wook¡¯s strengths were emphasized. If he picks ¡®I Miss You¡¯ and can reasonably match the pitch and tempo, Do Wook¡¯s strength, which is hisfortable yet appealing voice, will be revealed. ¡°I- miss- you- I- miss- you-¡± Kim Woo Yeon was half right. ¡°To the point- I start- hating myself- for being like this-¡± After a month of intense training, Do Wook was able to match the pitch and tempo almost perfectly. Not only was he feelingpetent, he also felt that it was a good song. As Kim Woo Yeon predicted, the judges were listening attentively and getting drawn in by Do Wook¡¯s low voice. However, it was not solely due to Do Wook¡¯s tone. The sincere gaze expressed on his face; the profoundly impressive gaze had caught their attention, making them feel as if they had no choice but to pick Do Wook here and now. ¡°Thank you. Next is the camera.¡± There was a simple camera test after he finished the song. The camera illuminated Do Wook. Front views and side views of him were taken. When an ordinary person sees their face on a monitor, they tend to look more in than they really are. ¡°Your bangs! Can you lift your bangs?¡± The Assistant Manager, whose eyes had been fixated on the monitor, pointed to Do Wook¡¯s bangs with a reminiscent tone. Do Wook raised the bangs that were covering his forehead with his hands. Swoosh-, His impression changed as soon as he put his bangs up. The Do Wook in the monitor didn¡¯t look expressionless. Rather, he looked intense, like he was going to rip through the monitor. ¡°He passed.¡± It wasn¡¯t just Do Wook and the judges, but the other participants as well. Everyone in the main rehearsal hall predicted that Kang Do Wook passed. *** The final audition was held the following Monday. The audition wasn¡¯t with just the RDT, but also two additional production directors. After some personal questions and asking about their mindset, the interviews were finished. It was a 98:1 sess rate. There were only 3 people who passed. Do Wook was one of those three. ¡°Do Wook! Kang Do Wook! My one and only cousin!¡± ¡°You have one other cousin.¡± ¡°In my heart. In my heart I only have one. So, have you seen Monster? Even just one member?¡± The person who was the happiest about him passing the audition was his cousin, Kang Seo Hyun. She was even happier than Do Wook¡¯s parents were. Seo Hyun said she¡¯ll treat Do Wook to a meal to celebrate and brought him to a family restaurant. He wasn¡¯tpletely happy since it was because she wanted something in return, but it was still nice to have someone that was happy for him. ¡°How would I have seen them? I haven¡¯t seen them yet.¡± ¡°Are you going there every day now? When does practice start?¡± ¡°It starts tomorrow.¡± Kang Seo Hyun stopped in the middle of cutting the steak and took out notes from her backpack one by one. ¡°Here, take this.¡± ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°The first mission is easy. Get all the members¡¯ autographs on here by next week. TO: Seo Hyun, understand?¡± ¡°What? Why would I¡­¡± ¡°Then spit that out!¡± Seo Hyun held out her hand as if to say spit out the food he¡¯s eaten so far. Do Wook shook his head at his immature cousin. A part of him thought she was expecting a lot in return after buying him just one meal. Still, it wasn¡¯t that he disliked his cousin whose joy in life was liking idols without any other worries. There were many lives that were bright and positive without doing harm to others, different from Kim Bo Myung¡¯s life. It was easy to find them while living as Kang Do Wook. He was envious, but at the same time he had be one of those lives. ¡°I¡¯ll do it if I''m able to.¡± Do Wook replied as he put a piece of steak in his mouth. Do Wook had a calm expression on the outside but inside, his mind was all over the ce. ¡®Everything has been going smoothly so far. The problem is from here on out.¡¯ ¡ª Trantor''sments: Hello! I hope everyone is enjoying the story! We are very excited to announce that Watson has joined our team as the proofreader for Superstar. They have worked on this chapter for your viewing pleasure. Thank you for your support and wee to the team Watson! Chapter 7: Official debut, An unexpected change (1) Chapter 7: Official debut, An unexpected change (1) KK will debut soon. If things go how they went originally, the debut will work out without any problems. However, it would be pointless to change bodies and live a new life if things were going to be the same as the ¡®original¡¯. Two months have already passed. The days got colder and winter wasing. It will be M2M¡¯s debut soon. He couldn¡¯t help but feel impatient as time went on. ¡®What should I change first?¡¯ ¡®And how¡­..? Putting in more effort to be a singer than the past Kang Do Wook did isn¡¯t enough¡¯ ¡®What can I do so KK and Kang Do Wook can beat Seo Kang Jun?¡¯ Do Wook entered the rehearsal room as he organized his floating thoughts. Groups had been formed to practice cover dances so they mostly gathered together in groups during dance ss these days. There was more excitement in the air than usual because of the routine evaluation to be held tomorrow. ¡°H..Hey¡­you''re here.¡± Park Tae Hyung, who was also in Group A, greeted Do Wook. They passed the audition together and Park Tae Hyung couldn¡¯t hide his admiration for Do Wook every time he saw him. Do Wook had the handsome face that he longed to have¡­He might at least be jealous if he was just a reasonable amount of good looking, but the difference in level was so great that he could only be envious. ¡°You came early.¡± ¡°Y¡­Yes.¡± HIT Entertainment was now putting together debut groups. With a rough outline made, most people knew that the members in Group A would be the ones debuting. The average skills of Group A members were outstanding, and it had many members who had been trainees for a long time. Group A had a total of 8 members. Among them, Kang Do Wook and Park Tae Hyung were the only newbie trainees who passed thest audition 2 months ago. Although they were colleagues who practiced together, the rtionship between the trainees was ultimately one of rivals because of their goal to debut. There was quite a bit of shing among the trainees because of it, and newbie trainees became the target of that. It was ok if you were like Do Wook, who people could immediately tell is on a different level, but you were easy prey if you were someone like Park Tae Hyung. Park Tae Hyung looked meek and tended to be awkward when speaking, making him the perfect target for harassment. On top of that, people got jealous of him once he was ced into Group A. Thanks to that, the only person who would properly ept Park Tae Hyung¡¯s greeting was Do Wook. The discord among the trainees was getting worse day by day. They were all trainees who were about to make their debut in the entertainment industry so it didn¡¯t go as far as violence, but mental violence is also undeniably violence. ¡°Park Tae Hyung! Don¡¯t just sit on your ass you stupid bastard, go and bring some water!¡± Tae Hyung nervously got up and headed toward the water dispenser. Do Wook looked at Tae Hyung, then looked at Jo Jung Min who ordered him to get the water, and sighed. Tae Hyung quickly brought the water in a paper cup. Jo Jung Min took one sip of the water and scowled. ¡°Fuck, the water is too warm. Go back and get me cold water.¡± It was the same water,ing from the same water dispenser anyways. Tae Hyung headed back to the water dispenser without being able to say a word. ¡°Stupid bastard, he¡¯s a fucking idiot.¡± Jo Jung Min taunted for Tae Hyung to hear while his back was turned. While other trainees yed it safe and discreetly bullied others, Jo Jung Min tantly harassed people. Do Wook felt a sense of deja vu when he looked at Tae Hyung, like he was looking at Kim Bo Myung, his past self. The severity and circumstances were different, but if Park Tae Hyung was Kim Bo Myung, Jo Jung Min could be considered as Seo Kang Jun. Do Wook became bitter that those kinds of rtionships exist any time and anywhere. Jo Jung Min had been a trainee for a long time. Just with HIT Entertainment alone he¡¯s been training for about 4 years and was also the oldest at 21 years old. He even had a sturdy physique so he was the leader among the trainees. He was also the person who wouldter be a member of KK. When Bo Myung was previously working at the agency, he often heard bad rumors about Jo Jung Min. ¡®There¡¯s no way his personality would be good just because it¡¯s before he debuts.¡¯ Jo Jung Min was one of the reasons why KK, a rising idol group, fell from their teau. During his hiatus after the 3rd album, Jo Jung Min got involved in drunk driving and assault cases which greatly tarnished KK¡¯s image. ¡®As expected, for KK to beat M2M and be the best, the member organization has to change first. I need to deal with Jo Jung Min first.¡¯ He was confident it was the right decision for everyone, whether it was for Kim Bo Myung himself or for the members of KKter on. He was even more confident after he saw Park Tae Hyunging back with the cold water. ¡°Debuting is practically guaranteed after we get evaluated tomorrow, right hyung*?¡± (Trantor note: Hyung is how males refer to older males) When the atmosphere started to get ugly, Ahn Hyung Seo, the trainee that was sitting next to Jo Jung Min and trying not to get on his bad side, mumbled. It was a voice mixed with half anticipation and half concern. Jo Jung Min bragged. ¡°Of course. Monster is now a has-been. The higher-ups have been in an uproar saying they need to debut a new group quickly. If they debut a group, who do you think it¡¯d be? Obviously it¡¯d be us.¡± It was practically taboo to shoot one¡¯s mouth off about a senior group in the same agency, but Jo Jung Min was not shy. Do Wook who had been silently listening spoke up. ¡°Who said that? That Monster is a has-been?¡± ¡°What? Kang Do Wook, your tone is disrespectful.¡± ¡°Still, they at least debuted while the people here haven''t.¡± The lively atmosphere of the rehearsal room became cold within seconds. Debut was definitely the word that easily excited trainees. It was more critical the longer you¡¯ve been a trainee, especially if you¡¯ve been a trainee as long as Jo Jung Min has been. ¡°Are you a Monster fanboy or something? You¡¯re getting full of yourself because I''ve been nice to you.¡± Jo Jung Min went off in a fit of rage. ¡°And didn¡¯t you hear what I just said? Why wouldn¡¯t we be able to debut? We¡¯ll debut in two days.¡± Jo Jung Min was definitely engulfed in his vanity that he would absolutely debut. It was understandable. Separate from his personality, he was skilled enough to debut originally so Jo Jung Min was right too. From HIT Entertainment¡¯s scarce trainee pool, if they were to put together a debut group right now Jo Jung Min and a few others would be the best choice. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re confident about debuting?¡± ¡°What? This bastard, seriously.¡± At Do Wook¡¯s provocation, Jo Jung Min immediately raised his arms. ¡®That assault case actually took a while to happen. If he¡¯s already like this, it¡¯s obvious there must have been numerous records of assault.¡¯ Actually, Jo Jung Min was often on the verge of suspension during his school days for his violent behavior. Do Wook¡¯s eyes met with Park Tae Hyung¡¯s who was standing behind Jo Jung Min holding the cup of water. Park Tae Hyung, who was discouraged, was looking at Do Wook with a worried expression. ¡®He should worry about himself¡­.¡¯ Do Wook could again see Kim Bo Myung from Park Tae Hyung, who never once properly rebelled and was only kind, and felt frustrated. Originally, Park Tae Hyung wasn¡¯t in KK. It¡¯s possible he just might not have known, but there was no one by the name of Park Tae Hyung that debuted even up to the day Bo Myung got in the ident. ¡°I understand why Park Tae Hyung couldn¡¯t debut.¡¯ You could tell Park Tae Hyung was timid just by looking at him. The world of trainees is also like the jungle, and it¡¯s even more so when you officially enter the entertainment world. He would have easily gotten burnt out and left. ¡®Still it¡¯d be a waste for him to leave like that¡­.he¡¯s the type whose talents would flourish with a little bit of praise and help.¡¯ On the day of the audition, Park Tae Hyung was thest member in Do Wook¡¯s group. Thanks to that, Do Wook was able to see Park Tae Hyung¡¯s audition performance. Even though there was no way he could know, he was certain that Park Tae Hyung was going to pass. It was also Kim Bo Myung¡¯s intuition as an employee who had personally spent time in the agency¡¯s PR team. What Park Tae Hyung had prepared wasn¡¯t a song but a dance. He demonstrated a short one minute dance to go along with the music he prepared. Unlike the way he anxiously stepped forward, Park Tae Hyung suddenly changed once the music started. The body movements were extraordinary, and you could feel the groove with each and every gesture. After taking dance lessons as a trainee, Do Wook was able to recognize again that Park Tae Hyung was really good. Park Tae Hyung entrusted his body to the music and performed the dance, more remarkably than idols who had been training much longer than him. Also, it was none other than his dancing skills that got Park Tae Hyung into Group A. ¡°I¡¯m asking you. Are you confident?¡± Do Wook could pick up on what Jo Jung Min was going to say from his re. ¡°If you¡¯re confident, then beat Park Tae Hyung.¡± Park Tae Hyung¡¯s eyes got bigger as he stood there. From his point of view, he couldn¡¯t even begin to fathom what Kang Do Wook was saying by suddenly getting him involved like that. ¡°Are you confident that you can get a better score than Park Tae Hyung at the evaluation tomorrow?¡± ¡°What are you ¡­..!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going on about debuting and whatnot when you can¡¯t even beat Tae Hyung who¡¯s only been a trainee for two months now, are you? It was in front of everybody. Jo Jun Min¡¯s pride couldn¡¯t allow him to answer no. Just then, the rehearsal room door opened and the dance instructor came in. The gazes that had gathered started to scatter. The trainees got up one by one and formed a line as they gave their greetings. ¡°What¡¯s all themotion about?¡± The instructor frowned and asked as if something was off but got no reply. The instructor promptly organized the area and prepared for ss. ¡°You wait and see, Kang Do Wook.¡± ¡°Why are you saying that to me? It¡¯s Park Tae Hyung you have to beat.¡± Jo Jung Min was saying ¡°this bastard¡± mixed with some swear words but Do Wook went and stood in the back without even pretending to hear it. Through the mirror, he could see Park Tae Hyung fidgeting nervously. *** ¡°Hey¡­Do.Do Wook.¡± After dance ss was over, Jo Jung Min dragged his group and left after kicking the door. He had a scowl on his face even during practice so everyone had to be careful around him. Tae Hyung approached Do Wook, who was wiping his sweat with the towel he brought and was packing his bag. Do Wook looked at Tae Hyung without saying a word. ¡°Earlier, wi¡­with¡­.Jung Min hyung¡­.¡± Park Tae Hyung shut his mouth, unable to speak anymore. Do Wook threw him under the bus, so to Park Tae Hyung, it was like a bolt of lightning on a clear day. ¡°Good luck tomorrow. You¡¯re good at dancing.¡± ¡°I..I¡­.can¡¯t¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think that you can¡¯t do it. You won¡¯t be able to debut that way.¡± ¡°O¡­ok?¡± ¡°I know what you¡¯re worried about. Don¡¯t be like that. Just do it like you normally do. If you do that, you¡¯ll do great.¡± It was written all over Park Tae Hyung¡¯s face that he was worried about getting harmed by Jo Jung Min regardless of whether he wins or loses. If he hides or withdraws because of that fear, he would have no choice but to live like that forever. Do Wook assured Park Tae Hyung. ¡°That''s how you¡¯ll get to debut. Not Jo Jung Min, you.¡± If he could just debut, he had the talent to be one of the top 5 dancers among the many idols. Using this opportunity, Do Wook nned to kill two birds with one stone. Stop Jo Jung Min¡¯s debut, and increase Park Tae Hyung¡¯s confidence so he can debut. ¡ª Trantor''sments: Enjoy the new chapter! Thank you to Watson for doing the PR Chapter 8: Official debut, An unexpected change (2) Chapter 8: Official debut, An unexpected change (2) Monday, the start of a new week. Team Leader for HIT Entertainment¡¯s Rookie Development Team, Im Sung Ahn. She was well known as a workaholic who came to work earlier than the new hires despite being the team leader. She was also a key figure in discovering Monster and Milky Way¡¯s major members. Her abilities were acknowledged and 3 years after starting at thepany, she became a team leader. Sung Ahn was the first to arrive at the RDT office today as well and got situated at her desk. As soon as she sat down, she turned on theputer and opened the box that was on the desk. The box was full of individually wrapped fortune cookies. ¡°Let¡¯s see. Today¡­..¡± Every Monday morning, she would open a fortune cookie, calm her mind with what was written, and make predictions for that week. She had been doing this since her days as a new hire. It wasn¡¯t to the point that she blindly believed what was written in the fortunes, but it was true that it influenced her decision making since it got things right so often. She grabbed the middlemost fortune cookie and opened the wrapping. [A new rtionship will find you. Leap into a higher ce with a new mindset!] Im Sung Ahn brooded over the words written on the paper. ¡®Is it talking about an ex? It¡¯s been over a year since we broke up so that¡¯s probably not it.¡¯ She wouldn¡¯t know what the fortune means until the day is over anyways. Sung Ahn straightened out the fortune, ced it on the desk, and put the cookie in her mouth. *** The HIT Entertainment trainee dance evaluation started at 5 p.m. Since it¡¯s impossible to have a normal school life as a trainee, Do Wook also had to submit a formal document to the school. With the school¡¯s cooperation, he was attending just enough regr sses to fulfill the attendance requirement and was excused from the rest. Yoon Jin Sun was extremely jealous of Do Wook, who left school around 3 o¡¯clock. It looked like he was more jealous of Do Wook not attending sses than he was of Do Wook bing a celebrity. ¡®Simple-minded punk.¡¯ The initial awkwardness had disappeared a long time ago. He didn¡¯t feel awkward at all being friends with Yoon Jin Sung. Although, there were often times when Yoon Jin Sung told Do Wook not to act like an old man. He had the body of an 18 year old but the mind of a 33 year old, so it was understandable to be called an old man. ¡®I tried to speak as little as possible so it wouldn¡¯t be obvious but¡­.¡¯ Do Wook, who was in the middle of that thought, turned his neck and looked around. All the trainees who were to be evaluated were present. Jo Jung Min stretched for no reason next to Park Tae Hyung and moved his body like he was going to hit him. Park Tae Hyung was crushed under Jo Jung Min¡¯s spirit and had his head down. ¡®The more I see it, the more unbelievable his actions are.¡¯ As Do Wook approached with a frown, Jo Jung Min looked like he wouldn¡¯t back down either. Whether Jo Jung Min fell for Do Wook¡¯s provocation or not, it had been said in front of everybody. Jo Jung Min and Park Tae Hyung¡¯s individual scores were the hottest topic of interest besides one¡¯s own scores. The three evaluators were sitting on the sofa prepared in the rehearsal room. The atmosphere was simr to the one during auditions. During today¡¯s evaluations, a total of five groups, from Group A to Group E, will be evaluated in reverse order. Since the evaluation was to find debut members, the evaluation included not only the dance instructor, but also the RDT Assistant Manager and Team Leader. The production director will have the final confirmation over the debut members, but what was most important before that was to catch the eye of the RDT Team Leader. Im Sung Ahn¡¯s position within thepany was more solid than anyone else¡¯s. For those who want to debut, she was a straw they had to grasp. The dance instructor yelled. ¡°Group E,e on out first!¡± Their cover songs for the evaluation were Monster¡¯s ¡®TOP¡¯ and ¡®WILD FACE¡¯. ¡®TOP¡¯ was a song where flow and flexible movement is important, and ¡®WILD FACE¡¯ was a song with a fast tempo where you have to express power and unpolished beauty well. It¡¯s good if you can perform either one of those songs outstandingly, but it is also important to perform both these songs better than average. That way, you can take on anything no matter what the song or concept in the idol world that is constantly pursuing change. The music started flowing out, and Group E started to dance in a line. ¡®It¡¯s a mess.¡¯ They were barely imitating the choreography sequence they were given. It looked like a mess even to Do Wook, and it looked even worse to the evaluators. However, maybe it was because they didn¡¯t have much expectation, but the three evaluators recorded each person¡¯s score with a calm expression. Anybody not in Team A was not ready to debut right away anyways. They were talents to be nurtured with time. ¡®Currently, Group A has a total of 7 members. KK had 6 members. What most likely happened in the past is Park Tae Hyung gets cut from here on.¡¯ Do Wook looked at Park Tae Hyung who was still just looking at the floor. ¡®If he just does like he normally does, Park Tae Hyung¡¯s individual score will be much higher. Jo Jung Min is also a good dancer, but he¡¯s not on the same level as Park Tae Hyung. Park Tae Hyung definitely put in a lot of effort on top of being naturally talented.¡¯ What he was worried about was Park Tae Hyung messing up the dance because he¡¯s scared of Jo Jung Min. ¡®You have to ovee this amount of fear yourself to be able to debut, and to deal with things well even after debuting.¡¯ While he was worrying, it became Group A¡¯s turn. They filed into a line. In the center was Ahn Hyung Seo, who had a lot of talent, followed by Jo Jung Min and Park Tae Hyung on either side. ¡°Park Tae Hyung. Let''s debut together.¡± Do Wook, who was standing behind Park Tae Hyung, whispered to him right before the music started. He did not get a reply back from Park Tae Hyung. Once the dance started, the people watching the evaluation¡¯s eyes became big. Everyone was in a state of shock, as if they had been deceived. ¡°Who is he?¡± ¡°Oh, he¡¯s Park Tae Hyung who passed the recent audition ma¡¯am.¡¯ ¡°Ah! Now I remember. But was he that¡­..!¡± She heard the Assistant Manager''s response but looked like she still couldn¡¯t believe it and mumbled. ¡°Was he always that good?¡± Team Leader Im Sung Ahn¡¯s eyes sparked as she looked at Park Tae Hyung. *** End of Month Dance Evaluation Results Group A . . Kang Do Wook 81 Jo Jung Min 87 Park Tae Hyung 94 . . A few hours after the dance evaluations, the trainees swarmed up against the wall to check their scores as soon as the results were posted. Contrary to Do Wook¡¯s concerns, Park Tae Hyung danced well with passion as he normally does. No, he moved his body with even more astounding focus than usual. Sure he had been practicing, but his dancing was beyond what had caught Do Wook¡¯s eyes during the audition. It might be that he had braced himself, or that his body moved on its own once the music and dancing started despite his dispirited state. Park Tae Hyung received the highest score in the evaluation. On the contrary, Jo Jung Min¡¯s score fell below 90. It was still a high score, but it was a low score for Jo Jung Min whose main weapon was dancing. ¡°Shit!¡± Jo Jung Min started to cuss after checking his score. The trainees zed at him. Everyone was scared to speak freely in case they got caught in the crossfire. ¡°You lost. To Park Tae Hyung, the very person you disregarded.¡± The atmosphere became more hostile at Do Wook¡¯s words. He only spoke the truth. Do Wook paid no attention to it and left the rehearsal room. Crash! The sound of something breaking mixed with Jo Jung Min cussing could be heard from inside the rehearsal room. It was the sound of Jo Jung Min, unable to keep his anger in check, tossing the phone he was holding. Although Do Wook¡¯s dance score was also high considering he had just started dancing, Do Wook was disappointed about his score. For vocals andposition, he was practicing on his own, but for dance he only practiced through the agency so it wasn¡¯t enough. ¡°It¡¯d be nice if there were more time until the debut¡­..¡¯ Park Tae Hyung followed Do Wook out, who was walking while lost in thought. ¡°D..Do Wook.¡± Park Tae Hyung was scared of Jo Jung Min but was also happy that he beat him on his own with his dancing. It wasn¡¯t quite a full-on confrontation, but regardless, his fear and pressure towards Jo Jung Min lessened after beating him. This was a ce where talent was important anyways. ¡°The dance evaluation¡­..you worked hard.¡± ¡°Based on the scores, it''s you who worked hard.¡± Park Tae Hyung smiled shyly at Do Wook¡¯s words. It might be because he always had his head down but his shy expression was very cute. He was the type to bring out material love in women. *** Members of the RDT, including Im Sung Ahn, sat around the table and continued with the meeting. KK, the ambitiously nned new boy idol group. The general framework was all nned out. Now they had to decide on the members and focus on the details of how to highlight each member¡¯s unique characteristics. Of course they had a general picture of the memberposition. They just didn¡¯t have a suitable visual member, so they held an audition and the exact picture-like face they wanted came in. ¡°It wasn¡¯t perfect, but I thought it was close to perfect¡­..¡¯ Riddled with anxiety, Im Sung Ahn sighed deeply. She thought it was all finished, but one of the selected members, Jo Jung Min, was on her mind. Jo Jung Min scored 84 points on thest dance evaluation. It wasn¡¯t first ce, but it wasn¡¯t a huge problem to him debuting. Additionally, since she became aware that someone like Park Tae Hyung exists, the evaluation was worthwhile. However, Jo Jung Min was a troublemaker. He had pride in his dancing and it might be that his pride was hurt after the dance evaluations. He regrly created hostile atmospheres with other trainees, and there were even rumors that he harassed one of the trainees. To a certain degree it could be said that boys will be boys, but bad rumors constantly came up and it was hard to make a decision on whether it would be ok to let him debut. In the meantime, Jo Jung Min was habituallyte to practice or had a bad attitude. ¡°Have you talked to Jo Jung Min? Doesn¡¯t he want to debut? Or does he think he¡¯s already guaranteed to debut?¡± Im Sung Ahn raised her voice. The youngest person in the Development Team, who was in charge of working with the trainees one-on-one, was hesitant. ¡°Well, I tried talking to him but¡­.¡± ¡°I was always concerned because he¡¯d often be rowdy.¡± The Assistant Manager interjected without missing a beat. Honestly, the Assistant Manager disapproved of Jo Jung Min¡¯s personality. He was just hanging on to Jo Jung Min because there was no trainee that danced better than him and didn¡¯t cause big problems. However, it¡¯d be a different story if problems hade to surface. Also, currently there was a trainee who danced better than Jo Jung Min. This meeting was actually no different than an open meeting since an alternate option called Park Tae Hyung appeared. If there were no alternative to Jo Jung Min, he probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to think of any other solution except trying to fix his attitude and debuting him after a proper education. Im Sung Ahn looked at her team members. ¡°It¡¯s a group that needs to lead ourpany for at least 5 years. We have to decide carefully. Jo Jung Min¡¯s debut, are you ok with it?¡± It was a serious problem. They couldn¡¯t approach it rashly and everyone kept their mouth closed. ¡°Park Tae Hyung¡­.¡± Eventually Im Sung Ahn said Park Tae Hyung¡¯s name. The Assistant Manager carefully opened up the discussion. ¡ª Trantor''s Comments: They called 33 years old an old man¡­¡­..I''m in my 30''s, does that mean I''m old too T.T Chapter 9: Official debut, An unexpected change (3) Chapter 9: Official debut, An unexpected change (3) ¡°It hasn¡¯t been that long since he joined, but it seems like he can dance as well as Jo Jung Min. No, on the contrary, he¡¯s an even better dancer. I would say he¡¯s a truly outstanding dancer. He¡¯s also sincere and kind. He¡¯s young so he also has more potential.¡± ¡°Potential? Potential is important but debuts are done by pros.¡± There was silence again. Outside of dancing, Park Tae Hyung definitely had areas he wascking in to be able to debut right away. In terms ofpetency, Jo Jung Min was superior. At the same time, Park Tae Hyung had a natural vibe that you can¡¯t find in Jo Jung Min. ¡°He definitely had a freshness that was eye-catching. However, isn¡¯t it a rash decision to change a member with the debut so close? Im Sung Ahn¡¯s worries grew deeper. It would be a different story if they were bringing him in to fill a vacant position, like in Kang Do Wook¡¯s situation. Bringing in a new trainee as a debut member instead of someone who had been training for years is definitely risky. Im Sung Ahn tapped the desk with her fingers multiple times. About 10 minutes passed like that. The team members were in endless agony over whether to continue with Jo Jung Min or to substitute with this new person Park Tae Hyung. Im Sung Ahn looked around at the team members¡¯ expressions and was leaning towards a decision. ¡®Regardless, the fact that there are no team members saying we should go with Jo Jung Min is a problem. The team members are people too, which means Jo Jung Min wasn¡¯t able to win over people¡¯s hearts in 4 years.¡¯ It meant that Jo Jung Min¡¯s skills and personality he built up over thest few years woulde to an end here. ¡°What would it be like if we went with Park Tae Hyung in terms of memberposition, synergy within the group, and various other aspects?¡± ¡°I think we¡¯d have a younger team if we put in Tae Hyung.¡± ¡°He¡¯s the same age as Kang Do Wook so it might be a good idea to promote the same age pair.¡± The Assistant Manager added his opinion. Im Sung Ahn nodded her head. Suddenly, Im Sung Ahn recalled the words from the fortune she read on Monday. ¡®A new rtionship¡­! Yes, I¡¯ll bet my sess on the new road instead of the road that¡¯s too familiar.¡¯ *** Inside HIT Entertainment¡¯s building, a new announcement was posted on the bulletin in the 4th floor hallway where the rehearsal hall was located. It was a schedule for the interview the trainees asionally have. Interestingly, this was not a one-to-one interview but a multi-to-one interview. On top of that, the people in charge were the RDT Team Leader Im Sung Ahn and the Production Director Kwon Heung Jo. Anyone could tell just by looking at the names of the people in charge, unless you were stupid, that the people whose names were on the interview schedule were in the debut group. The trainees gathered in front of the wall and were abuzz. Among the 6 names on the list were Park Tae Hyung and Kang Do Wook¡¯s names. *** Team Leader Im Sung Ahn and Production Director Kwon Heung Jo confirmed the debut members through the final interview. Team Leader Im Sung Ahn spoke to the six people sitting in front of her. ¡°You will be preparing a group with the goal of debuting next year. The group¡¯s name is KK.¡± ¡°KK¡­" ¡°Woah, debut!¡± The people sitting down squirmed at her words. With a flushed expression, everyone thought about their debut and muttered to themselves. They expected it to a certain degree but now that it¡¯s been confirmed, it was hard to hide their happiness. As soon as they heard the group name KK, they could picture it so clearly as if their debut was tomorrow. Among them, Park Tae Hyung looked especially puzzled. On the other hand, Kang Do Wook maintained hisposure. Just, the look in his eyes got a little darker. ¡®It really starts from here on out.¡¯ The Team Leader¡¯s eyes met Do Wook¡¯s, who had a sincere look on his face. She thought as she looked at Do Wook¡¯s face. ¡®He¡¯s definitely a find. There¡¯s a serious aura unlike that of an 18 year old.¡¯ Im Sung Ahn wasn¡¯t the only one who felt that way. Director Kwon Heung Jo, who had seen Kang Do Wook at the final audition, couldn¡¯t help but nod his head when he saw him while looking for people who could be the future of HIT Entertainment. Kang Do Wook was a very good fit to be the face of HIT Entertainment. ¡°Thepany will do everything it can to make KK¡¯s debut a sess. You all became debut members because you worked hard but from here on out yourpetitors will be pros, not other trainees. You¡¯ll face things a hundred times, a thousand times harder than what you¡¯ve encountered so far. Do you all think you can do it?¡± Director Kwon Hung Jo asked for their resolve. ¡°I¡¯ll work hard! I look forward to working with you.¡± Do Wook answered without wavering. He even added a mature response like ¡°I look forward to working with you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll work hard!¡± ¡°I will too¡­!¡± The other trainees followed suit and yelled, as if they were making a promise to themselves. Im Sung Ahn and Kwon Heung Jo smiled proudly. After they received the general debut schedule, the six trainees gave a deep bow and left the conference room. Inside the conference room after the trainees and Director left, RDT Team Leader Im Sung Ahn had the following memo written on her paper. Ahn Hyung Seo (19) ¨C Vocals, unique voice, lots of talent¡­variety show? Jung Yoon Ki (21) ¨C Rap, previously auditioned for ¡­ Kim Won (20) ¨C Rap/Dance, studied abroad in Canada, genius with 138 IQ! For media promotion¡­? Suk Ji Hoon (17) ¨C Vocal, child actor experience in children''s drama, aspiring actor¡­ Kang Do Wook (18) ¨C Vocal, to be ced as a leading member Park Tae Hyung (18) ¨C Vocal/Dance, to be used for image, observe further and follow up *** Less than a week after the members were confirmed, the 6 members started their dormitory life. After telling his parents, Do Wook packed his bags and left the house. He also arranged tomute to school from the dorm. If his original school were far from the dorm, they nned to transfer him to a nearby art high school. The dorm was a 2 bedroom 18 pyeong* newly built vi near thepany. (TL note: 18 pyeong is about 640.5 square feet) It was cramped for 6 guys to live in, but they¡¯ll spend most of their time at thepany rehearsal hall anyways. The dormitory was just for rxing for a bit at night or for sleeping. Also,pared to the dormitory their senior groups like Monster or Milky Way stayed in before their debut, the newly constructed vi was a step up. ¡°The CEO said he¡¯ll move you guys to a better ce if your first album is sessful¡­¡± RDT¡¯s youngest employee Ahn Young Mi told them the day the members moved in. She said that because she thought the members might be disappointed with the small dormitory. However, the members were excitedly looking around their small dormitory, thrilled that they got to leave their house and live on their own. ¡°Geez. This is heavenpared to the goshiwon* I used to live in.¡± (TL note: A goshiwon is a very small room that students live in while studying for an important test, or if their normal home is far from their school) Jung Yoon Ki, who grew up in the countryside and endured living in a goshiwon alone, eximed to her. Once they moved all the luggage, the six of them sat in the living room and figured out room assignments with Ahn Young Mi. Each of the two rooms had a bunk bed and a single bed. Contrary to Ahn Young Mi¡¯s concern that an argument might break out over the sleeping arrangements, figuring out the arrangements went smoothly. It was thanks to Ahn Hyung Seo, who volunteered to take the top bunk even though it¡¯s definitely the most ufortable, saying it was his dream to sleep on a top bunk. Kang Do Wook also said he didn¡¯t care which bed he gets and let the other members choose. Afterwards the younger members let the older members have the single bed and the room arrangements got sorted out naturally. It wasn¡¯t a big deal but they were off to a good start. Ahn Young Mi had been watching the trainees the closest. They were skilled, but she was content that it seemed like only people without personality ws were gathered. On one hand, she was relieved that Jo Jung Min was left out of the group. She felt bad for saying it, but if Jo Jung Min were here it would have been hard to create a warm atmosphere like this. ¡°Then good luck getting settled in¡­There will be ady thates once a week to clean and make you food but¡­You guys take turns cleaning too so it won¡¯t get too piled up.¡± ¡°Ok!¡± ¡°Yoon Ki, you¡¯re the oldest so¡­¡± ¡°Yes! I understand~!¡± He was not only the oldest, but also the most energetic. Under his leadership, the six of them divided the chores. ¡°Let¡¯s all try our best, together.¡± Jung Yoon Ki said yfully before they went their own ways after dividing the chores. The tone was yful, but everyone knew the sincerity in it. Do Wook nodded his head without a word. It felt like some sort of camaraderie had formed among the six of them just because they were tied into ¡®one team¡¯. It was interesting. ¡°Also, Park Tae Hyung¡­!¡± Everyone was surprised when Jung Yoon Ki suddenly singled out Park Tae Hyung. Park Tae Hyung, who was shy and had been silently following along all day, was the most surprised and looked at Jung Yoon Ki. ¡°It¡¯ste but I¡¯m sorry. About Jung Min. At least I should have stopped it. I just watched it happen." Jung Yoon Ki wasn¡¯t part of Jo Jung Min¡¯s group, but he had maintained a good rtionship with them. He wasn¡¯t involved in harassing Park Tae Hyung, but he didn¡¯t step up to stop them either. He always felt bad because of it, and he felt sorry towards Park Tae Hyung. During that time Kang Do Wook stepped up and said something harsh to Jo Jung Min. And Park Tae Hyung beat Jo Jung Min with his skills. After the debut members were confirmed, Jung Yoon Ki seeked out Kang Do Wook, who had acted more mature than himself, who was an adult. When he told Do Wook he was ashamed to see Park Tae Hyung, Do Wook replied. ¡°Apologize to him. All it will take is one word; sorry. It¡¯s Park Tae Hyung.¡± He wondered if that would really be enough but Kang Do Wook was certain. And while looking for the opportunity to do so, Jung Yoon Ki decided to apologize today. Following Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s words, the other members also apologized. Because just watching it happen wasn¡¯t the right thing to do either. Kang Do Wook quietly observed the scene. ¡°It.it.it¡¯s ok. Really.¡± Park Tae Hyung¡¯s face was drenched with embarrassment then promptly turned into a tearful face. Not one of the members was directly involved in harassing him, but since they apologized he was both embarrassed and thankful. It felt like even the pain he felt from everything Jo Jung Min put him through was getting washed away. With that, the first night of their dormitory life wasing to an end. While everyone was heading to their respective rooms, Ahn Hyung Seo approached Do Wook and quietly asked. ¡°Hey Do Wook. Have you heard any news about Jung Min?¡± Ah Hyung Seo seemed concerned about what happened to Jo Jung Min after he left the agency. *** December was busy with award ceremonies in the entertainment world. Aftering back from practice, the KK members were gathered in the dorm watching the music award ceremony on cable TV. ¡°Wow, when will we get to go to that kind of event.¡± Ahn Hyung Seo watched Milky Way on stage with his mouth open. He was actually a fan of Milky Way. Do Wook would have normally watched Milky Way with his mouth open too, but he was preupied with a different thought. ¡®Is it today¡­?!¡¯ Ara Entertainment was a big agency that produced lots of outstanding stars. Thanks to that, M2M¡¯s debut, the group Seo Kang Jun was in, was on a different scale than anyone else. They had their debut stage at the end of the year award ceremony after a singer from Ara Entertainment¡¯s performance. There was a huge reaction since it was a stage even established groups had a hard time getting to but ¡®woosh¡¯ a rookie group was having their debut performance here. Fans of medium sized groups that didn¡¯t get to perform at the award ceremony or were only able to sing one verse even if they got to perform stood up, saying it was tyranny from arge agency. They got anti fans the same time they debuted. However,pared to the positive effect of the explosive interest they drew in, some negative voices were easy to deal with. From the day of their debut, they dominated trending topics and M2M started to take their ce as an enormous star. That incredible debut was scheduled to happen today. As one performance ended, the actress that was MCing the award ceremony came out wearing a red off-the-shoulder dress and grabbed the mike. As expected, the actress was a part of Ara Entertainment. ¡°The heat on stage is very hot! Continuing this heat, a hot new group is waiting to take the stage next. Man.To.Man!¡± At the actress¡¯s words, the stage became dark again, and an intro started to y. ¡ª Chapter 10: KKs Beginning (1) Chapter 10: KKs Beginning (1) ¡°Man to Man? Who is Man to Man?¡± ¡°There was a lot ofmotion that a rookie group was performing at the award ceremony. It must be that group.¡± Jung Yoon Ki responded to Ahn Hyung Seo''s question. Boom, boom, p! Boom, boom, p! The members of M2M started dancing to the cheerful rhythm. In the middle, there was Seo Kang Jun. The camera did a close up on Seo Kang Jun¡¯s face. ¡®Seo Kang Joon¡­!!!¡¯ Do Wook¡¯s vision became blurry. ¡°Wow, how is he that good looking?¡± Admiration came out of Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s mouth. Even as a fellow guy, Seo Kang Jun¡¯s features were impressive. He looked even more handsome with the spotlight on him. ¡°Oh hyung*~ That¡¯s not good looking~! Do Wook is much better!¡± (TL note* hyung is what males call older males) Ahn Hyung Seo rebuked Jung Yoon Ki and unnecessarily fueled a sense of rivalry. ¡°That¡¯s true, Do Wook is also the greatest of all time. Someone who¡¯s unfairly good at everything.¡± Jung Yoon Ki praised Do Wook excessively in case he hurt the visual member¡¯s pride. Do Wook didn¡¯t care because he was preupied watching M2M¡¯s performance. He was watching Seo Kang Jun¡¯s performance after bing Kang Do Wook. ¡°I watched this performance back then too¡­..¡¯ It was when he just stopped getting ostracized. He never wanted to see even his shadow ever again and the misery he felt when he saw him on the TV was indescribable. Maybe it was because 10 years had passed for Bo Myung, or maybe it was because it was his second time watching the performance, but it wasn¡¯t as shocking as the first time. It felt very strange that he borrowed someone else¡¯s body to defeat Seo Kang Jun. ¡°Hey!!! That person¡­?!¡± Ahn Hyung Seo suddenly yelled and pointed his finger at the screen. Everyone¡¯s gaze turned towards one of the backup dancers behind the M2M members. There was a face that everyone knew. It was Jo Jung Min. ¡°Wow. He quit being a trainee¡­why is he there¡­¡± Ahn Hyung Seo muttered in surprise. After the dance evaluation, Jo Jung Min couldn¡¯t ept the fact that the person he looked down on was better than him. It would have been a good opportunity to grow if his thinking were a little different, but it was because his abilities and personality werecking in the first ce. Because of that, heter took his anger out with a bad attitude. Eventually, his behavior issues got worse and he was kicked off as a debut member. Jo Jung Min couldn¡¯t repair his damaged ego after the KK members were confirmed and quit being a trainee. Ahn Hyung Seo told Do Wook once he heard the news. Do Wook did not feel sorry for him. It was all Jo Jung Min¡¯s own choice to throw away his years as a trainee just because he couldn¡¯t control his temper. So when Jo Jung Min seeked him out to pick a fight with him, Do Wook told him to realize this was all his own fault for bullying someone else and being prideful. Everyone was surprised except Do Wook, who alone was calm. Yoon Ki noticed Do Wook¡¯s expression and asked him. ¡°¡­did you know? That he became a backup dancer?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t know.¡± Even Do Wook didn¡¯t know what made him change his mind, but Jo Jung Min seemed to have decided to start as a backup dancer. He was definitely a good dancer so it probably wasn¡¯t a bad choice. It¡¯s just that he felt it was ironic that he became the backup dancer for M2M of all things. ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± Jung Yoon Ki sighed, like he was contemting Jo Jun Min¡¯s actions as someone who was the same age as him. The same was true for Park Tae Hyung, who was watching the performance. M2M, who had given aposed and sophisticated performance for 3 minutes, was saying goodbye and leaving the stage. They were apanied by loud shouts that weren¡¯t there in the beginning of the performance. ¡°Anyways, the song is very good.¡± ¡°Wow. It¡¯s really sophisticated. It could hold its own against pop.¡± ¡°All five of them are good looking, and they¡¯re tall¡­¡± The members took turns expressing their opinion on M2M¡¯s performance. If this continues, M2M will definitely be a major star sweeping up all the Rookie awards next year, and Seo Kang Jun will gain a lot of poprity. ¡®I can¡¯t just do nothing. I can¡¯t put it off any more.¡¯ Do Wook didn¡¯t watch the rest of the award show performances. He got up from his seat, changed clothes, and got ready to leave. ¡°Huh? Do Wook, where are you going?¡± ¡°¡­Oh, I want to visit my house today.¡± Do Wook answered Park Tae Hyung¡¯s question while he had his cap on. The members¡¯ outings and overnight stays were under thorough management by thepany while they lived in the dorms. Since the members were young, they were allowed to go back home for at least one day on weekends they didn¡¯t have practice. Since starting the dorm life, Do Wook didn¡¯t go home often but he had gone asionally so it was not odd for Do Wook to say he¡¯s going home. The members went back to focusing on the award ceremony performance. Do Wook was full of determination as he headed out the door. Soon KK will be deciding their debut song, a stronger song than M2M¡¯s debut song. ¡®The debut song has to be ¡®that song¡¯. Absolutely. I have to get that song!'' The ce Do Wook headed to after leaving the dorm was not his house. Do Wook opened his phone and checked his texts. It was a text he got from the vocal instructor Kim Woo Yeon before he left the dorm. -Yes, hello? ¡°I¡¯m sorry to bother you sote at night.¡± -You don¡¯t have to be sorry, forget about it. Anyways, Yong Soo Chul? I did find out where that DJ works but I don¡¯t know his contact info. Recently, Do Wook asked Kim Woo Yeon for help. He asked him to find a person who was working as a DJ ¨C most likely a nightclub DJ. A high school student asking to find a nightclub DJ could seem as a preposterous demand but Kim Woo Yeon just grumbled a word or two and readily agreed to the request. He knew Do Wook¡¯s typical serious personality too well to dismiss it as unnecessary favor. He had no choice but to ask Kim Woo Yeon even though he knew he¡¯d think it¡¯s suspicious. He thought it would be faster for Kim Woo Yeon to ask around than himself who was still a trainee and a minor. He may currently be working as an academy instructor, but Kim Woo Yeon was still a skilled singer who even debuted. He knew quite a few people in broadcasting and entertainment agencies. He had close connections in the nightclub scene and the entertainment world. Just as Do Wook predicted, within 3 days Kim Woo Yeon found the workce of the DJ Do Wook asked him to find through a hubae* who usually runs nightclub events. The fact that the DJ had a unique name was also one reason he was able to find him quickly. (TL note: hubae is a junior, a person with less experience at work or a lower grade in school). ¡°That¡¯s ok. Thank you for looking into it. So where does he work now?¡± -I don¡¯t know during the weekdays, but during the weekend Emperor Night Club in Gangnam Station? ¡°Emperor Night Club¡­Ok, thank you teacher.¡± ¨C But why are you looking for that DJ? Kim Woo Yeon nagged Do Wook over the phone as though he was asking Do Wook to tell him already. Kim Woo Yeon was curious from the moment Do Wook initially asked him but it was hard for Do Wook to answer him. It was because he couldn¡¯t exin truthfully how he knew Yong Soo Chul. ¡®It¡¯s not like I can say I know the future.¡¯ Do Wook went out to the street and gged down a taxi that was heading towards him from the opposite side. ¡°Well¡­I saw him at Ssasam World!¡± -What? Ssasam World? You saw him there? Of course he didn¡¯t see him. It was something all young people these days did so he just blurted it out, guessing that Yong Soo Chul probably also did Ssasam World. -You¡¯re not going to go look for him are you? ¡°Later, I¡¯ll exin the detailster. Thank you!¡± Yong Soo Chul¡¯s workce was a nightclub. Bo Myung couldn¡¯t confidently say he¡¯s going to go look for him so he hurriedly ended the call. Do Wook only said thank you repeatedly so Kim Woo Yeon didn¡¯t ask any more questions and hung up the phone. Do Wook nned on giving Kim Woo Yeon an understandable exnation when they meet in personter. It was urgent that he find DJ Yong Soo Chul. ¡°Mister, to Gangnam please.¡± *** KK¡¯s debut song in the past was ¡®You¡¯. KK¡¯s debut song got lukewarm reactions saying it was ¡®Ok considering they¡¯re rookies¡¯. They were recognized as rising rookies making a name for themselves in the idol world but they were no match for M2M. KK was able to get their name known and gain significant poprity thanks to the single album they released the following year ¡®Sorry, but I love you¡¯. They topped the charts for 4 consecutive weeks with this song, establishing KK as a popr group instead of rising rookies. However, by then M2M had already consumed more than half the idol fandom. KK had to draw the public¡¯s attention and secure a share of the fandom before M2M took all the poprity. To do that, the point that KK became popr had to happen sooner. ¡®We have to clearly make a name for ourselves starting with the debut song and gain poprity.¡¯ It is meaningful to gain poprity little by little, as if you¡¯re stepping on stairs, but he knew a shortcut so there was no need to go back. That¡¯s what Do Wook thought. It would be better to run to the top than to walk, and if he couldn¡¯t walk he had to at least catch a taxi. ¡°Here, please drop me off here.¡± ¡°Here? That¡¯ll be 6800won*.¡± (TL note: about $5.25 USD) At Do Wook¡¯s request, the driver nced at the rear view mirror and parked the car. Do Wook took out a 10,000won* bill from his wallet and paid the taxi fare. (TL note: about $7.72 USD) Gangnam Station Crossroad It was close to midnight but the street was still packed with people. It was an even more chaotic scene because it was the holidays. As soon as he turned into the alleyway, it was full of all kinds of flyers and bulletins with shing neon signs. Do Wook wore his cap lower and looked around for the Emperor Nightclub. Loud music echoed ¡®Boom! Boom!¡¯ like it would fill the streets of Gangnam. Do Wook immediately spotted the Emperor Nightclub without wandering around. The words ¡®Emperor/Night/Club¡¯ was engraved on a high sky dance sign. Next to the sky dance sign, big men in ck suits were on both sides of the sign guarding the customers who were entering. ¡®It¡¯s probably impossible to get in.¡¯ Since he was a minor, there were limitations on what he could do. He could have probably pretended to be 20 years old and gotten in if he tried, but there was no need to push it when he was a trainee getting ready to debut. ¡®It¡¯s always better to be cautious.¡¯ Do Wook entered the convenience store located opposite of the night club. He just picked a pack of gum. After additionally buying blue tape from the misceneous aisle, he stood close to the windows. Next to him was a slightly drunk man eating cup noodles. ¡®I might have to wait longer than I expected¡­'' He was d that he could clearly see the nightclub entrance through the window. If it wasn¡¯t for that, he would have had to wait for Yong Soo Chul outside in the cold air. He bought another can of soda just to avoid the gaze of the convenience store part-time worker then waited a long time by the window. Once it passed 2am, Do Wook¡¯s blinking started to get slower, tired from having practiced all day. Even the part time worker changed shifts to another part time worker. Was it ok to wait aimlessly like this? That doubt was brief. ¡®It''s Yong Soo Chul!¡¯ ¡ª Trantor''s Comments: Sorry guys, I tried looking it up but I have no idea what Ssasam World is. Chapter 11: KKs Beginning (2) Chapter 11: KKs Beginning (2) It was almost 3 am, and Do Wook¡¯s eyes opened wide when he spotted Yong Soo Chul. He had been waiting for him for three hours. A tall man wasing out of Emperor Nightclub. He was over 190cm tall; tall enough to believe that he¡¯s a basketball yer. Even though it was the middle of winter, he only had on a ck rider jacket embedded with spikes. ¡®I guess I didn¡¯t have to worry about not being able to recognize him.¡¯ DJ Yong Soo Chul. He was theposer of the song ¡®Sorry but I love you¡¯ that made KK a popr group. He was also the album producer. He didn¡¯t like revealing his real name so he went by the stage name ¡®Brave Only Child¡¯ for each song. Because of that, the public all knew him as ¡®Brave Only Child¡¯. His real name and past resume naturally became known as he made hit song after hit song like a machine and rose to poprity. Yong Soo Chul didn¡¯t receive formalposition training like otherposers. He had an unique enough resume to say he came from the streets. Yong Soo Chul was originally a nightclub waiter. He learned how to DJ after bing fascinated with music while working as a waiter. He even wrote songs in his spare time as he worked as a nightclub DJ. His educational background or past upations wasn¡¯t a problem because of his outstanding talent. The public would rave about his songs for many years. One such song was ¡®Sorry, but I love you¡¯. It was said that he wrote the song before KK even debuted, so Yong Soo Chul would definitely have the song. Do Wook nned on getting the song from Yong Soo Chul and have KK debut with ¡°Sorry, but I love you¡¯ instead of the original debut song ¡®You¡¯. ¡®If it¡¯s that song, we could definitely debut with as much buzz as M2M! No, possibly even more than that.¡¯ Do Wook was finally able to let go of the can he was holding. After putting the can in the trash can, Do Wook smiled and left the convenience store. The female part timer, who was looking at Do Wook suspiciously until now for having his hat on and loitering at the convenience store, blushed. ¡°Wow, he looks like a celebrity¡­¡± The part-timer muttered to herself without even realizing it. Do Wook had no idea of what was going on at the convenience store and focused solely on following Yong Soo Chul. Yong Soo Chul was getting off work after DJing the evening stage during the weekend prime time. To someone who didn¡¯t know him, he might look like he was on his way to scold someone, but in reality Yong Soo Chul was so happy that he was humming. ¡°Today¡¯s response was good too, huu huu¡­¡± He said as he admired himself for his DJ skills, which were getting better day by day. There were lots of invitations to go drinking since it was the weekend, but Yong Soo Chul declined all of them. Yong Soo Chul thought of melodies easily these days so he was putting all his attention into song writing. After putting together a good song, he was going to refine it and enter aposerpetition next year. Yong Soo Chul was preupied thinking about the song he was working on that he didn¡¯t realize there was a boy following him a few steps behind. *** Yong Soo Chul¡¯s living quarters/workshop was 20 minutes away by foot from Emperor Night Club. The ce where he ate, slept, and lived as he endlessly worked on songs. After making sure Yong Soo-cheol entered the door of the residential area, Do Wook turned around and left the alley. If Yong Soo-cheol were an ordinaryposer, it would have been easy to find out his contact information or email and get the song. However, there was no one in the world who knew Yong Soo Chul wasposing yet. Even his acquaintances only knew that he started DJing. They didn¡¯t know that he had ambitions forposing and producing. ¡®It would be suspicious if I recklessly approached him and asked for the song. It¡¯s too weird to know a song that¡¯s only stored on his homeputer.¡¯ Because of that, Do Wook had to think of another way to get the song from Yong Soo Chul. ¡°Wee~!¡± Do Wook left the alley and headed towards the PC room he saw at the crossroad on the way. The stench of cigarettes stung his nostrils as soon as he stepped inside. He could hear the sound effects from popr games all around him. Do Wook asked the guy in shabby clothes, who was ying games while watching over the counter. ¡°Can I use the printer here?¡± ¡°¡­printer? Yes, you can. ck and white copies are 100won* per page, and color is 500won* per page. Please use the Computer 10 over there~!¡± (TL note: 100 won is ~$0.08, 500 won is ~$0.36) The part-timer was engrossed in his game and replied to Do Wook without even looking at him. Do Wook took a seat at Computer 10 which was not far from the counter. ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± After booting up theputer, Do Wook casually opened up Word. He put an image he had downloaded and emailed earlier as the background and started typing. Come to think of it, it''s been a long time since he¡¯s sat in front of aputer and worked on a document. Since he changed bodies, he hasn''t used theputer for anything besides surfing the inte. ck, ck ck, ck. However, once he started tapping on the keyboard, his fingers moved without a problem. He had worked as a PR employee for many years. Plus, he wasn¡¯t writing a new proposal, he just had to fill in the content in the right style so it was easy for Do Wook. ¡­Title song announcement for agency singer¡­ ck ck, ck! Thest thing he included was an email address he had written down. As soon as he clicked the ¡°print¡± button, the printer by the counter made noise and started working. *** Do Wook printed about 30 pages of the notice in color and headed towards Yong Soo Chul¡¯s ce that he had just found out earlier. Do Wook took out from his pocket the blue tape he bought at the convenience store and, focusing on Yong Soo Chul¡¯splex, posted the notice on every wall. The sun was rising by the time he was almost done posting notices in the dark under the streetlight. It happened as he was posting thest notice right next to the door. Screech¨D The sound of the metal door opening was boisterous in the quiet dawn alley. Coming out the door was arge man, none other than Yong Soo Chul. Do Wook and Yong Soo Chul¡¯s eyes met as he was posting the notice. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡± Even though they only made eye contact, for a moment Do Wook felt an unexinable sense of danger. Yong Soo Chul¡¯s impression was that threatening. On top of that, his face looked worse because he was tired from working on songs all night. Yong Soo Chul was leaving his house to clear his head in the morning air. He stared at Do Wook as he rubbed his bloodshot eyes. Looking around, he saw flyers all around that weren¡¯t there when he got home. ¡°What are you putting up in front of someone else¡¯s house? It looks messy.¡± ¡°Ah¡­the thing is.¡± Do Wook hesitated because he had not counted on meeting Yong Soo Chul. As Yong Soo Chul approached Do Wook little by little, a shadow was cast over Do Wook. ¡°What is this?¡± Yong Soo Chul was actually just asking normally, but to anyone else it would sound like he was mad. Yong Soo Chul took the paper Do Wook was holding, practically snatching it. -Title song announcement for HIT Entertainment affiliated singer- No restriction on educational background, age, or experience Looking for a newposer talented in Hip Hop, Electronic, Dance Pop Immediate release of agency singer¡¯s album title song upon selection . . He could see Yong Soo Chul holding onto the paper tightly. Do Wook was screaming with joy inside. He made the flyers and posted them around his house so only Yong Soo Chul would see it. He was going to post it over the weekend only when Yong Soo Chul was active, and was going to take them down afterward. He had nned on camping in front of there every day, but Yong Soo Chul came out and happened to see it immediately. HIT Entertainment also posted an announcement online for KK¡¯s debut. However, it was just a pop up on the official homepage so it was hard to know unless you were actively engaged in theposingmunity. The announcement was only a formality; internally, they were putting their efforts into getting a song through famousposer contacts. Because of that, the content of the formal announcement by HIT Entertainment and the content of the announcement Do Wook made were a little different. The part about no education or experience needed and that it happened to say electronic/dance pop genres were all targeted at Yong Soo Chul. It was said that Yong Soo Chul had entered several contests before he became a poprposer. Therefore, Do Wook believed that Yong Soo Chul would enter if he saw an announcement that was perfect for him. ¡°Why are you posting these here? And so early in the morning at that.¡± Even after he was done reading the contents of the notice, Yong Soo Chul looked Do Wook up and down suspiciously like he was doubtful. It was too quiet of a residential area to put up a notice for publicity. ¡°I wanted as many people as possible to see it¡­¡± ¡°Then wouldn¡¯t it be faster if you post it on that side of the street or post it on the inte? Is this really legit?¡± ¡°It¡¯s already posted on the inte. If you look on the homepage you should see it. And¡­¡± Do Wook took off the hat he was wearing. As soon as he took the hat off, his bright features were immediately visible. Yong Soo Chul, who thought he was pretty handsome just by looking at his eyes under the hat, was a little surprised. He thought he had seen pretty much all the good looking faces while working at the nightclub, but it was more than that. Even his hair that was slightly ttened from the hat was natural, and it looked even more stylish for no reason. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m posting these all over on my own will¡­I don¡¯t know where to post these, and during the day or evening I have work so I only have time in the early morning. I know that you might be upset about putting these in front of your house, but please find it in your heart to understand.¡± ¡°Well, you don¡¯t have to go that far¡­¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, I¡¯ll take it all down right now!¡± Yong Soo Chul fiercely scratched his thick eyebrows that were ascending towards his forehead. He was sure that he was at least 10 years younger than him but he exined the situation in a very polite tone and apologized, so he was dumbfounded. He wasn¡¯t that mad anyways. Assuming that the announcement was true, it was an opportunity that literally came ¡®knocking on the door¡¯ for Yong Soo Chul. ¡°No! Leave it. You¡¯re making me feel bad¡­ But why are you posting these when you weren¡¯t even told to? Are you an employee there?¡± Do Wook looked at Yong Soo Chul with sincere and eager eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not an employee. I¡¯m actually a singer preparing to debut at HIT Entertainment.¡± ¡°What?! I knew it, the way you look¡­! Wait but, it¡¯s even weirder if that¡¯s the case. Why is the singer doing stuff like this?¡± ¡°I really need a song in order to debut but¡­. A song¡­.There is no song for me to debut with¡­ I thought it might help even a little if I did this.¡± A little bit of lies were mixed in there, but it was sincere. If you debut without a good song, be a so-so singer and get forgotten, that can¡¯t even be considered debuting. Looking at Do Wook dripping with sincerity, Yong Soo Chul subconsciously made a pitiful expression. Do Wook¡¯s hands that he briefly saw were red and frozen. ¡°You¡¯re naive. Do you think you¡¯ll get a song if you post in a ce like this? If you¡¯re going to post them, ce them where a lot ofposers live, maybe around Shin Sa? Post them there. No, if yourpany is HIT, that¡¯s not even a smallpany. Tell them to spend more money ¡­.¡± ¡°Do you know much about this kind of stuff by any chance?¡± Yong Soo Chul was subconsciously muttering as if he were giving advice, perhaps because of the sincerity he felt from Do Wook. Yong Soo Chul cleared his throat a couple times at Do Wook¡¯s question. Yong Soo Chul thought that he wasn¡¯t prepared enough yet. That was also the reason he aimed for the contest next year. However, the powerful pull of the handsome young man in front of him was amazing. To be honest, thinking about how this young man, who might be tone deaf for all he knows, might sing his songs was vaguely raising his expectations. Suddenly, Do Wook grabbed the edge of Yong Soo Chul¡¯s sleeves. It was more of a desperate gesture than a rude one. ¡°If you know anyone, could you please pass the word along? That we¡¯re waiting for a song.¡± Yong Soo Chul nodded his head before he knew it. It felt almost as if he were waiting for him even though he probably knew nothing about him. ¡ª Chapter 12: KKs Beginning (3) Chapter 12: KKs Beginning (3) A few dayster, the conference room on the 3rd floor of HIT Entertainment office building. There were over 10 people seated around in the conference room. Everyone was there to prepare for KK¡¯s debut album. The album production team had Shim Jun, who was the most experienced, and two of his team members participate in the KK project. The three of them and key RDT members participated in the meeting. Additionally, for this meeting, the 6 KK members also participated. Today was the day they listen to the title song candidates for the debut album. Since it was a song the members would have to sing and perform to, thepany internal protocol was the more input the members had on the album, the better. Do Wook was a little stunned because choosing the title song happened sooner than he expected. ¡®I did imply to Yong Soo Chul that there were only a few days left, but would he have already sent it? It wasn¡¯t enough time to prepare a song and send it.¡¯ Unlike theplicated mess in his mind, Do Wook was sitting calmly on one side of the conference room. ¡®Huuu¡­.should I have made my move earlier? No, around now is the most appropriate. With nobody aware of Do Wook¡¯s situation, the Team Leader Im Sung Ahn started the meeting by exining once again KK¡¯s proposed n. ¡°As it was exinedst time, KK is a boy hip hop dance group that will lead the top charts in the future. To stand out from other idols, we n to emphasize the member¡¯s individual remarkable talents. Please prepare the debut album together with that in mind.¡± ¡°The debut album will be a mini-album. Once the title is decided, we n to develop the entire album to fit that concept.¡± It was a familiar situation for the staff, but it was new for the members. Until now they just passively followed the practice schedule put together by thepany. Now that the opportunity came for them to be directly involved in the album, it really felt like ¡°their album¡± wasing out and their resolve got stronger. Team leader Lim looked at the expressions of the members and nodded to Team Leader Shim Jun, who was sitting across from them. ¡°Then let''s get straight to the point. There are two candidates for the title song for now.¡± Team Leader Shim Jun controlled a small remote. The conference room had speakers installed to be able to listen to music. ¡°To start off, number 1. It¡¯s a song we received through connections to a famous producer.¡± Song number 1 started to y. The song had a melody that was easily familiar to the ears to the point that one couldfortably sing along even if it was their first time hearing the song. ¡°Next is number 2. It¡¯s a song from a newposer who is up-anding abroad.¡± Compared to song number 1, the beat was much faster and cheerful. Perhaps it was because it¡¯s an overseas producer, but it was a little peculiar. Peculiar wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing. To rephrase, it could also mean fresh. Once both songs were finished, silence went around the room for a moment. As expected, Yong Soo Chul¡¯s song was not among the two songs. ¡®No matter how you look at it, it¡¯ll be hard for either of the songs to be the title song¡­¡¯ Do Wook had a sudden thought and was engulfed in doubt. ¡®But number 1 and number 2, neither of them are You, KK¡¯s original debut song.¡¯ Even if they did some editingter, neither of the two songs were the original for ¡®You¡¯. ¡®What happened? Did something already change before my body changed?¡¯ Anyways, Do Wook decided to believe in the song Yong Soo Chul will send him. He thought it might work out if he just bought some more time. It was possible to buy some time because both songs fell short of Do Wook¡¯s standards for KK¡¯s album. Compared to these two songs, ¡®You¡¯ was a truly remarkable debut song. It was also clear that it wasn¡¯t to Im Sung Ahn¡¯s expectations either. Team Leader Im Sung Ahn¡¯s hard expression showed as such. ¡°Are you saying we only have those two songs?¡± ¡°¡­..Yes. You¡¯ve also heard some of the other songs so you already know but even these two songs are already after the production team vetted the candidates.¡± They had been preparing for KK well in advance but it was understandable why KK barely debuted in June. The answer was easy once he organized his thoughts. He probably didn¡¯t even need to put in extra effort to buy time for Yong Soo Chul¡¯s song. ¡®It was probably dyed because they were trying to find a song on the same level as You.¡¯ As expected, Team Leader Shim Joon was also not 100% satisfied. However, this was the best they could do even when theymissioned aposer to match the concept. They weren¡¯t getting a song that waspletely to their liking. All they got were two songs. They can¡¯t keep postponing it either. Shim Joon nned to first decide on a song, then invest in the editing, choreography, and music video to increase the song¡¯s quality. ¡°Let''s take turns saying which one we like more.¡± Im Sung Ahn asked. While everyone was hesitant, Jung Yoon Ki, one of the members, spoke up. ¡°I think number 1 would be better. The melody is familiar, and it¡¯s a good song to add rap to¡­¡± Kim Won, who was sitting next to him, chimed in. ¡°Isn¡¯t number 2 better? It¡¯s much trendier.¡± They were both rappers but their responses were different. It showed that Kim Won came from abroad. The opinions were divided among the members too. The same went for the staff. The two songs got simr decisions. Do Wook, who had been just sitting still, spoke up. ¡°Number 1 is too easy. It doesn¡¯t have freshness for rookies to do, it¡¯s suitable as a sequel orst track. On the other hand, number 2 is fresh but the variations are too frequent. It doesn''t feel like one song and there¡¯s parts that stand out.¡± The two songs¡¯ shorings were sharply dug up by Do Wook. The two team leaders couldn¡¯t help but be surprised that Do Wook urately understood the songs and caught the shorings in such a short time. At the same time, they agreed with the following: ¡®We can¡¯t go with these two songs. We need to look for more songs even if it takes time!¡¯ It was determined that if it was enough to be noticed by a member in such a short time, it would definitely be difficult to appeal to the public as expected. ¡°Do Wook is right. I think it¡¯ll be better if our production team looks for more songs¡­ And request edits too. Team Leader Im, will the schedule be ok?¡± "We have to tolerate dys to a certain extent since the song is extremely important. We¡¯ll decide after epting submissions for one or two more weeks." Like that, deciding on the title song was pushed back. *** Deciding on the title song was postponed, but the practices had to continue. In order to develop each of the KK members¡¯ individual skills and to get everyone in sync, thepany selected a song and were practicing the styles of their respective roles, just like during the dance evaluations. If they worked on synchronizing like this on multiple songs, it would be a big help when they are on shows or performing after their debut. The song they were currently practicing was a pop song by M-sync. When it came to pop songs, Kim Won, who had studied abroad, ended up ying the biggest role. Park Tae Hyung, who also had a part since he was the main dancer, was asking Kim Won about English pronunciations as soon as practice was over. Do Wook was relieved that Park Tae Hyung was adjusting to team life better than he expected. ¡®Teamwork is a virtue to idols.¡¯ For that reason, Do wook was also observing closely from the inside to mediate the rtionship between the team members as well as RDT¡¯s Young Mi Ahn did. Park Tae Hyung raised his head like he felt Do Wook¡¯s gaze. ¡°Oh¡­Do Wook, are you heading off to lessons again?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­ It must be tiring.¡± Park Tae Hyung said as if it were a pity even though he himself was also practicing again after practice was over. Kim Won, who was standing next to him, did his unique gesture of shrugging his shoulders. ¡°You¡¯re a tough one, punk.¡± Jung Yoon Ki patted Do Wook on the shoulder in a way that he wouldn¡¯t feel bad and passed by. Everyone now knew that Do Wook was getting additional lessons at an academy during self-practice time. Everyone was clicking their tongues that Do Wook was extreme for going to an additional academy when it was tiring enough going to and from the rehearsal hall. Do Wook even went jogging or did other exercises every morning to stay in shape. When all the members have to get checked by a professional trainer, Do Wook easilypletes missions like 50 pull ups in one minute by himself. These efforts were of course followed by dazzling rewards. *** In front of Star Academy. As soon as he entered the now-familiar ss door of the academy, he saw Kim Woo Yeon and Kim Soom, who were sitting around the table in front of the desk. Do Wook¡¯s lesson today was Kim Soom¡¯sposition lesson. Kim Woo Yeon came 30 minutes earlier than his time and was chatting with Kim Soom. Actually, Kim Woo Yeon came early so he could talk to Do Wook for a bit. Do Wook recently asked him to look into DJ Yong Soo Chul, then he just took the information without giving a proper exnation. He was a little offended by it. ¡°Do Wook, you¡¯re here?!¡± Kim Soom greeted Do Wook very warmly. Do Wook bowed and greeted them. Due to Rainbow¡¯s end of year performance, Kim Soom had taken leave of her students and was gone from the academy for 2 weeks. Kim Soom was even more excited to see him since it had been a while and she stood up from her seat with a surprised expression. ¡°Something about you has changed during the time I haven¡¯t seen you.¡± ¡°What do you mean? Nothing¡¯s changed.¡± Kim Woo Yeon answered with a more astringent tone for no reason. ¡°No, it¡¯s true¡­Ah! Did you get taller?¡± Do Wook went ¡°ah¡± at Kim Soom¡¯s exmation and gave a small nod. Do Wook grew almost 5 cm in one month. He was getting all the other members¡¯ envy because he would be taller every week when they measured their height and weight. Ahn Hyung Seo, who was the shortest, thought it was the morning exercises that was causing it and even tried jogging like Do Wook a few times. Of course, he couldn¡¯t wake up because he would be gaming untilte at night so he gave up after 3 tries. He had been growing little by little but they didn¡¯t notice. Now that it had been a while since they had seen him, apparently it was very obvious. ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right! You got taller. No, did you get more handsome too?¡± Kim Soom praised him with a high voice. Even when Do Wook announced that he was going to debut as an idol group, Kim Soon was the one who was happy like it was happening to her. He thought she was a kind person by nature. On the other hand, Kim Woo Yeon walked a different path. He seemed fairly annoyed that he wouldn¡¯t give him a proper answer regarding Yong Soo Chul. ¡°What¡¯s the use of getting taller? Your singing skills need to grow!¡± ¡°Oh teacher, why are you saying that when you know Do Wook¡¯s singing skills? I saw you with a satisfied smile on your facest time~!¡± ¡°Instructor Kim Soom, were you dreaming? He has a long way to go to catch up to me!¡± Do Wook smiled shyly between the two of them. His words were cold but Do Wook knew well that Kim Woo Yeon now considered him his full-fledged pupil, no, his star pupil. Do Wook¡¯s speed of improvement was unlike any other because of all the effort he was putting in. Now, his singing skills were to the point that anyone who hears him will automatically think ¡°Wow he sings well! He has a nice voice!¡± If you listened to Kim Woo Yeon¡¯s words ¡®He has a long way to go before he catches up to me¡¯ again, it meant he had ambitions to raise Do Wook into a person as talented as he is. Kim Woo Yeon was past trying to emphasize Do Wook¡¯s signature mid-to-low tone and was now working hard to help Do Wook master high notes. Kim Soom, who knew that, also smiled and shook her head. Kim Woo Yeon pointed to the seat in front of him. Do Wook understood what that meant and quickly sat down. As soon as he was properly seated, Kim Woo Yeon¡¯s questions started pouring out. ¡°Oh, are you not going to tell me what was going on with that DJ?¡± ¡ª Chapter 13: KKs Beginning (4) Chapter 13: KKs Beginning (4) ¡°I was nning on telling you anyway.¡± ¡°DJ? What DJ?¡± Kim Soom, who didn¡¯t know the situation, asked. ¡°I asked teacher to find a DJ for me. He found the DJ and thanks to him, I was able to meet with him. Thank you.¡± ¡°You already said thank you to me over the phone incessantly. You met up with him? You didn¡¯t go inside the nightclub, did you?¡± ¡°Not at all! I¡¯ve never even been to a nightclub.¡± ¡°Of course you shouldn¡¯t have ever been to a nightclub~!¡± Kim Woo Yeon said it matter-of-factly, but in reality, Do Wook¡¯s mental age was 33. Back in the day, he was called a dunce a lot and constantly rebuked for being 33 and never having been to a nightclub. ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t meet him. My older cousin met him. She fell in love after hearing Yong Soo Chul DJ, but had absolutely no idea where he was working ¡­I barely found out about SSasam World¡­¡± His speech became muffled at the end because of the guilt he felt towards his cousin. Kim Woo Yeon started panting after he heard the reason. ¡°What? You used my connection for such a vain reason? You asked so seriously that I thought it was a special situation!¡± He knew what Kim Woo Yeon would say, but he had no other choice. An absurd reason like this was less absurd than the ¡®real reason¡¯. Also, he had to give a ridiculous reason like this so Kim Woo Yeon will quickly erase his suspicions and lose interest. ¡°Geez! Unbelievable. If you can¡¯t reach the high notes by the next lesson it¡¯s over. Over!¡±. As expected, Kim Woo Yeon was speechless after giving his threat and got up from his seat. Kim Soom also smiled lightly and continued with the conversation. ¡°That¡¯s unexpected, Do Wook. You even know how toy bridges.¡± ¡°No¡­ That¡¯s not true.¡± ¡°Then, shall we go into the practice hall? You did the assignment I gave youst time, right?¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Do Wook was about to go into the practice hall with Kim Soom when the phone he put in his pocket began to vibrate. Do Wook quickly checked the text after checking who the sender was. It was a text from Ahn Young Mi. [Tomorrow 10 am, conference room. Calling an emergency meeting! All members participate! Let''s make sure not to bete!] *** Lunch time at HIT Entertainment. Returning after eating at a nearby restaurant, buying coffee at the caf¨¦ on the first floor of thepany building, then going to the roof to smoke was a lunchtime routine. However, for thest few days, Team Leader Shim Jun returned to his seat immediately after finishing lunch. After the KK title song selection meeting, Team Leader Shim Jun had a heavy heart as the album production team leader that they couldn¡¯t find a suitable song. He gave up his coffee break and smoke break to work feverishly almost every day on casting the song. [2 new emails] Team Leader Shim discovered new emails when he sat down in front of theputer and opened his inbox. There were two new emails in total. One was an email from Kei whom Team Leader Shim Jun contacted yesterday morning. Team Leader Shim clicked on Kei¡¯s email and his expression brightened. Kei was a female jaeil dongpo*poser active in Japan that Team Leader Shim found while scouring different channels. As soon as he heard Kei¡¯s song, Team Leader Shim sent Kei an inquiry email. It was a relief that he got a response sooner than he expected. (TL note: jaeil dongpo is a Korean person residing in Japan) Kei_you.mp3 The email said that she happened to have one song that matches the vibe of what Team Leader Shim requested and is sending a sample file. ¡°Good, good¡­!¡± Team Leader Shim checked the other email he hadn¡¯t opened yet as he downloaded the attached file. [Sender | Brave Only Child] [Title | Announcement for song¡­] It sounded like aposer based on the title but it was a name he hadn¡¯t heard of before. ¡®Brave Only Child? Who the heck is that?¡¯ The email written on the song announcement was the album production team official email. The email Team Leader Shim was checking was his personal email. If the announcement Do Wook posted on Yong Soo chul¡¯s house had one other difference from the content on the home page, it was the email address. Do Wook wrote down Team Leader Shim Jun¡¯s personal email so that he will absolutely hear Yong Soo Chul¡¯s song Team Leader Shim didn¡¯t think much about the fact that it came to his personal email. He distributed so many business cards on a regr basis that his email wasn¡¯t a secret to people in the industry. asionally, newposers would get his email from acquaintances and send him songs. ¡®But the name is so strange¡­ It¡¯s not quite that it¡¯s strange, it¡¯s funny?¡¯ Team Leader Shimughed uncontrobly as he clicked on the email from ¡®Brave Only Child¡¯. Sorry(Working title)_sample.mp3 There was only one attachment and the body of the email waspletely nk. Part of him felt it might be a prank but he also felt there was no harm in listening to it. Team Leader Shim scanned for a virus, and then downloaded the file. The two songs were both added to the ylist. Team leader Shim put the earphones in his ears and pressed y. He soon jumped up out of his seat. The stack of files that were on his desk made a sound as they fell over. The album production team employees, who happened to enter the office at that time, looked at Team Leader Shim with puzzled expressions. ¡°Right away, I need to call for a meeting right away! There¡¯s no need to wait!¡± The employees grasped the situation one step toote and immediately started moving at Team Leader Shim¡¯s exmation. Songs from twoposers had arrived in each of their inbox forwarded from Shim Jun. Team Leader Shim picked up the phone and contacted RDT¡¯s Im Sung Ahn. Through Team leader Im, a meeting was immediately scheduled for the next morning to discuss the title song candidates. *** Like that, a second round of the meeting was abruptly held. Nobody was able to hide their bewilderment that the next meeting was being held earlier than they expected. The team leaders had their own worries that thepany¡¯s entire n would fall apart, and the members had their own worries that their debut would be postponed so this was a meeting everyone was looking forward to. With a slightly flushed expression, Team Leader Shim Jun yed the song. This meeting progressed with a noticeably different atmosphere than thest meeting. The problemst time was that both songs were not good, but this time it was a problem that both songs were too good. However, there was a song that was clearly everyone¡¯s favorite. Everyone felt like an exmation mark popped above their head as soon as they heard it. Team Leader Shim Jun, who was observing everyone¡¯s expressions, was pleased they had the reaction he expected. ¡°Amazing! It¡¯s amazing¡­I felt that this would definitely be a sess as soon as I heard it.¡± Im Sung Ahn mumbled as if she were possessed. It was a catchy melody that had a beat light and fast enough to make your shoulders move on their own. It was a song sofortable that you¡¯d question if you¡¯ve ever heard it before, but it also had a freshness of something you¡¯ve never heard before. This song will definitely be a sess. The album production team employees¡¯ opinion was that it might not be a hit since they were rookies, but they would definitely hit more than medium-level sess. The members also couldn¡¯t hide their excitement that they would be singing such a good song. ¡°Who is theposer? Where did you find a song like this, Team Leader Shim?¡± ¡°I think he¡¯s a rookie but he emailed me a song himself. It¡¯s a sign that KK is a team that will be sessful.¡± Team Leader Shim spoke excitedly. Do Wook smiled faintly at the excited atmosphere of the meeting room. ¡°But the song by thatposer Kei was also very good¡­¡± The song ¡®You¡¯ that Kei sent was a medium-tempo song with a melody that flows like water as its strongpoint. It might be because she was active in Japan, but it had a different feel than Korea. It was as sophisticated as ¡°You¡¯re Too Pretty¡± by M2M who recently debuted. Team Leader Shim expressed his opinions in response to Im Sung Ahn¡¯s mumbling. ¡°I think that it¡¯ll be good to have ¡®You¡¯ as a coupling song, Team Leader. Both songs are fresh so they¡¯re not that different. If you write both songs¡¯ lyrics to match KK¡¯s concept, the album will beplete.¡± ¡°As a coupling song¡­That¡¯s good. Honestly, it was good enough to be a title song so it would have felt like a waste. If the response is good and they¡¯re active for longer, ¡®You¡¯ can be used as a follow up song. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it. If you include both songs that have the vibe of a title song, it¡¯ll be an absolute masterpiece as a rookie group album.¡± Team Leader Shim spoke with confidence. ¡°Great. Of course I will follow all of your decisions Team Leader Shim.¡± ¡°Yes. Then we will notify this person and we¡¯ll progress even faster. Let''s move quickly!¡± Team Leader Shim¡¯s determination to make a good album was burning intensely aftering across a good song. His intuition about a jackpot was alive and breathing. ¡°Yes, understood!!¡± The production team members replied in unison. The members hummed Brave Only Child¡¯s melody as they left the conference room. ¡°I think it¡¯ll be great if we add rap.¡± ¡°Right, totally perfect!¡± Jung Yoon Ki, who was in charge of rap, and Kim Won also seemed excited. The same was true for the other members as well. Do Wook looked like a weight was lifted off his shoulders. It was a relief that Yong Soo Chul sent the song he was expecting right on time. ¡®Sorry but I love you¡¯ was definitely an incredible song. It was a song that can¡¯t help but be a hit in this generation, as Team Leader Im Sung Ahn said. However, maybe it was because Do Wook lived a few years after ¡®Sorry but I love you'' was released? Do Wook was looking into many songs that were poprter. Because of that, Do Wook was just a little bit less sure than everyone else that it was very good. ¡®Little more, little more¡­I think it can be better!¡¯ Do Wook stopped in his tracks. The members started at Do Wook, who suddenly stopped, but Do Wook was so preupied in his thoughts that he didn¡¯t even feel their gaze. ¡®Ah! That¡¯s it!¡¯ 8 Word¡¯s melody shined in Do Wook¡¯s mind. ¡ª Trantor''sments: Do Wook is too OP with all this future knowledge haha Chapter 14: Sonata: Ring Out (1) Chapter 14: Sonata: Ring Out (1) Team Leader Shim Jun sent a reply to Brave Only Child, who had sent the ¡®Sorry(Working Title)_sample.mp3¡¯ file, and personally contacted him. He met up with Yong Soo Chul that very week regarding the contract and was overwhelmed by Yong Soo Chul¡¯srge build and rough vibe. On top of that, he internally rebuked himself for almost having bias when he heard that Yong Soo Chul was working as a nightclub DJ. What was important here was the song. Along with the contract, Yong Soo Chul also received the first part of the songwriter fee in advance. Also, he was granted ess to HIT Entertainment¡¯s studio, which was equipped with state-of-the-art equipment. Preparations for the debut song were progressing rapidly. At the same time, members of KK were assigned a manager. ¡°Hey guys, how have you been?¡± ¡°Hey, nuna*!¡± (TL note: nuna is how younger males refer to older females) After checking through the inte screen that it was RDT¡¯s Ahn Young Mi, Ahn Hyung Seo opened the door and greeted her. Ahn Young Mi, who was in charge of the members, managed their rehearsal schedule. This was the second time Ahn Young Mi personally visited the dormitory since move-in day. Jung Yoon Ki, who got the call ahead of time, also greeted her. The KK members heard her and all gathered in the living room. ¡°Let¡¯s see how the state of the dormitory is, shall we? Oh ho, it¡¯s cleaner than I expected.¡± Considering that it was 6 men living together, it was in fairly good order. Ahn Young Mi, who had nced around from the living room to the kitchen, proimed as if she were surprised. Ahn Hyung Seo, who had good social skills, stood next to her and answered diligently. ¡°To be honest, the cleaningdy came by yesterday.¡± ¡°I figured as much¡­¡± ¡°Also, you know Ji Hoon is a clean freak. He cleans the bathroom everyday.¡± Suk Ji Hoon, who had his start as a child actor and now became an idol trainee, had a few unique habits, perhaps because he lived an unordinary life since he was young. Suk Ji Hoon smiled slightly embarrassed. Do Wook, who was sitting next to him, had his signature stiff expression on his face. Two good looking guys sitting side by side like that looked like a work of art. ¡®They¡¯ll be doing a shoot for the jacket soon. If they do, those two will for sure be the main.¡¯ Ahn Young Mi thought to herself. She was still the youngest in the RDT so she wascking experience, but she was still able to predict that much. ¡°The reason I came here today is because ¡­ You guys need a manager now.¡± ¡°Hurrr! Are we getting a manager?¡± ¡°Oh, my gosh! A manager! It¡¯s like we¡¯re real celebrities~!¡± Ahn Hyung Seo and Kim Won made a fuss over Ahn Young Mi''s news. On the other hand, Jung Yoon Ki looked a little tired. If they got a full-fledged manager, there would be more restrictions on his lifestyle than there was now. Right when she finished talking, the doorbell rang. Ahn Hyung Seo ran to the door again and opened it. The person that came in was a man in his mid-30s with his hair slicked back. He was a little less than 180 cm tall, simr to Do Wook¡¯s current height, and was holdingrge luggage bags in both hands. ¡°This is General Manager Oh Baek Ho, who will be in charge of you guys starting today.¡± He had a fierce expression, much like his tough physique and name, and his eyes were big and bright. It was an expression that had probably scared a lot of people. The members hesitantly greeted him. Oh Baek Ho was originally the manager for Monster. Not only has he been in charge of wild adolescent boys who won¡¯t listen, he also immactely took care of aggressive fans. As Monster started to make a name for themselves, he got the position of section chief. You could tell how seriously HIT Entertainment was focusing on KK by the fact that they sent Oh Baek Ho as KK¡¯s manager. ¡°I¡¯m Oh Baek Ho. I¡¯ll be living with you guys from now on, and I¡¯d like for you guys to listen to me well.¡± He definitely left out that he¡¯ll punish them if they don¡¯t listen. The members became frozen solid by this unfamiliar vibe, while Do Wook calmly looked at Oh Baek Ho. ¡®General Manager Oh¡­¡¯ Oh Baek Ho. By the time Do Wook was working at thepany, he had be ¡®Department Head Oh¡¯. Of course he was thorough in taking care of the schedule but also, although it¡¯s hard to imagine looking at how he is now, he was great at making the celebrities he¡¯s in charge of appealing to the people at the broadcast studio. He waspetent and seemed to have gotten more and more recognition for it. There was a time when Ara Entertainment was also trying to scout him so Do Wook had also heard stories about him. However, the scouting attempt failed because he was getting ready to leave thepany and be a Director. Anyways, he was a verypetent person. From Do Wook¡¯s perspective, he was satisfied that someone on Oh Baek Ho¡¯s level became KK¡¯s manager. ¡®I can use this connection with Manager Oh to aplish a lot of things from now on.¡¯ Do Wook''s eyes glistened as he looked to the future. Oh Baek Ho, who had no way of knowing what Do Wook was thinking, looked around at the members and was forming his own assessment. He couldn¡¯t know everything right away, but at least none of them looked immature and rebellious. ¡®I heard that the RDT put in a lot of effort but did they really pick the right people¡­?¡¯ Oh Baek Ho nodded his head, feeling that it will be easier than when he was in charge of Monster. Of course he couldn¡¯t imagine thatter it would be difficult for other reasons. Like that, Oh Baek Ho entered the KK dormitory. *** The meeting betweenposer Brave Only Child (Yong Soo Chul) and the KK members happened on Christmas Eve. Oh Baek Ho and the KK members gathered inside the studio that HIT Entertainment provided for Yong Soo Chul inside the office building. Yong Soo Chul was wearing a ck rider jacket today as well with lots of spikes embedded around the chest. Oh Baek Ho was unaffected by Yong Soo Chul¡¯s rough vibe, but the members subconsciously hunched their shoulders. Team Leader Shim introduced Yong Soo Chul and the members to each other. He included what part each member is doing, such as rap or vocals. ¡°Hey¡­!¡± Yong Soo Chul eximed when he got a look at Do Wook¡¯s face as they were being introduced. ¡°Is there a problem? Sir?¡± ¡°This is the person! The person that I met and heard about the song announcement from¡­!¡± ¡°What?¡± Team Leader Shim was also surprised and looked at Do Wook. He had heard about it before when he was signing the contract with Yong Soo Chul. He sent an email because someone who said they¡¯re a singer with HIT Entertainment said they¡¯re looking for a song. He nned to look for him at thepany after finishing the contract, but he had been swamped with work. He wondered what kind of agency singer would run around doing that kind of thing. It was trainee Kang Do Wook. ¡®I knew he was no ordinary bet but¡­¡¯ Team Leader Shim Joon got a deep impression from Do Wook since the meeting for the title song candidates. He immediately caught Team Leader Im Sung Ahn¡¯s heart at the audition, so he wasn¡¯t just a pretty face. He seemed like he had basic music sense to evaluate songs, and he spoke his opinion clearly while looking straight ahead, unlike normal 19-year-olds. Do Wook replied to Yong Soo Chul, who was staring at him intensely. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re the person from back then!¡± Do Wook knew that he would meet Yong Soo Chul, but he had to pretend he didn¡¯t know that theposer of that song was him. ¡°You must have known a lot about this stuff because you¡¯re aposer!¡± ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t say I know a lot¡­Anyways, thanks to you, I found a great opportunity and got to debut as aposer. I guess I should thank you?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need! The song is very good. Thank you very much for sending such a good song.¡± Do Wook bowed his head. Yong Soo Chul got shy, which didn¡¯t fit hisrge build, and tapped Do Wook¡¯s shoulders. He was saying let''s do their best. Neither the other members nor Oh Baek Ho had an idea of what was going on. Team Leader Shim stepped up and briefly exined their connection. Hearing that, the members and Oh Baek Ho looked at the two alternately in amazement. ¡°You did something like that by yourself without saying anything?¡± ¡°I was just frustrated¡­ I didn¡¯t know any other way.¡± Do Wook answered bluntly to Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s question. Do Wook debuted not too long after he became a trainee, so they thought he would be less eager to debutpared to the other trainees, but they were wrong. When they heard that Do Wook personally went out to find a song so he could debut quickly, the other members couldn¡¯t help but admit they didn¡¯t know him that well. It was even more so because he didn¡¯t talk about himself. The members realized again that Do Wook really wants to debut. ¡°Since we sessfully got aposer that way, maybe we should also scout for the production team too.¡± Team Leader Shim Jun made idol remarks, which made everyoneugh lightly. That was as far as the light atmosphere went. The members immediately started to get nervous at Yong Soo Chul¡¯s words. ¡°Then first of all, I¡¯d like to see how skilled you guys are.¡± It was an important step to check the skills and characteristics of the members before properly making an arrangement and assigning the parts. The song can be edited little by little ordingly. At Yoon Soo Chul¡¯s words, Team Leader Shim put together the order. Jung Yoon Ki and Kim Won, who are the rappers, would start, then Park Tae Hyung, Suk Ji Hoon, Kang Do Wook, and Ahn Hyung Seo, who are the vocalists, would go in turn into the recording booth. They each will sing one song from their repertoire that they were most confident in. An odd sense of tension started to fill the studio. They said it was just something light to get a sense of their skills, but today¡¯s evaluation could serve as a baseline. The parts were not going to be distributed evenly by dividing a 3 minute song into a few seconds each. They were deciding who would be the main rapper and main vocalist. The closer your skills are, the more fierce the fighting will be. Excluding Park Tae Hyung, who has the main dance role and a little weak on the vocals, and Suk Ji Hoon, who had bigger dreams to be an actor, it was a very important moment for the remaining four members. First, Jung Yoon Ki entered the recording booth as the first batter up. The rest of the people sat on the stand-by sofa and waited their turn. Yong Soo Chul and Team Leader Shim sat in front of the controls in front of the booth. ¡°Man, I¡¯m really nervous.¡± He had used a recording studio before for practice after the debut was confirmed, but even Jung Yoon Ki was a little nervous standing in front of aposer whom he met for the first time. People outside could hear Jung Yoon Ki talking to himself in front of the recording booth microphone. Before bing a trainee, Jung Yoon Ki was a talented person who advanced to the final four in the auditions for . He had experience in broadcasting and performing. Seeing Jung Yoon Ki be nervous despite all that made the rest of the people more nervous. ¡°Test test. One, two, one, two.¡± ¡°Yoon Ki, are you ready?¡± ¡°Yup! y the song please!¡± The song Jung Yoon Ki prepared was a song by hip-hop group, Dynamic Triple. Once the song started ying over the headphones, Jung Yoon Ki started rapping as if he was never nervous to begin with. Jung Yoon Ki pursued a light and fast rapping style. His quick but urate diction was excellent. He had progressed much further than when he was on Student Rapper. On the other hand, Kim Won''s rap that followed was heavy. Unlike Kim Won''s usual image, which was cheerful and lively, he started rapping with a low voice as he performed the foreign rapper Rendrick''s rap. Do Wook was thinking that he needed to do well on his turn, but also wanted to use this opportunity to grasp the members¡¯ skills more urately and objectively. Do Wook looked at the members in the booth with sharp eyes. ¡°¡­.Everyone''s talent is substantial.¡± Yong Soo Chul couldn¡¯t help but be a little surprised. He knew that the kids training to be idols these days were amazingly talented, but it was true he thought of it confined to the frame of ¡®idol¡¯. ¡°These kids, they¡¯re very eager.¡± Team Leader Shim muttered, unable to hide his overwhelming pride. After that was Park Tae Hyung and Suk Ji Hoon. It didn''t feel outstanding, but it had somewhat of a vibe. Park Tae Hyung sounded clean because he was beautiful for a man, and Suk Ji Hoon had a unique nasal sound. If it was tuned a little more it could give a point to the song. Then it was Do Wook¡¯s turn. As soon as Do Wook entered the recording booth, Yong Soo Chul sat up more properly. Even when Yong Soo Chul looked again with the ss wall between them, Do Wook was handsome to the point it looked like light was shining from his face. With that kind of face, he felt like he would have to bow down to Do Wook even if he only sang somewhat adequately. Nevertheless, Yong Soo Chul was expecting a little more. All the members were talented, and he was hoping that Do Wook would be too. If he can perform his song well, it''s clear that a fantastic performance will happen that will capture your eyes and ears. The song Do Wook chose was Kim Gun Bu''s "Snow Is Falling On A Sleepless Night." He considered demonstrating his singing skills with a sincere bad, but the title song was a song with a tempo anyways. He wanted to show his singing ability as well as his excellent rhythm at the same time. Do Wook tapped his fingers to the rhythm and started to sing. ¡ª Chapter 15: Sonata: Ring Out (2) Chapter 15: Sonata: Ring Out (2) ¡°What the¡­?¡± Outside the recording booth, Team Leader Shim eximed to himself without realizing it. He was initially surprised by Do Wook¡¯s improved voice that stuck in his ear and his precise tone, and his sense of tempo continued to surprise him. Shim Jun looked around his surroundings and observed the members sitting in the back. They were also thinking ¡®Has he always sung like this?¡¯ Of course, Shim Jun had a general idea about the members¡¯ skills. That much was a given in order to produce an album. Based on that understanding, this team¡¯s lead vocalist was going to be Ahn Hyung Seo. Skill-wise Ahn Hyung Seo was the most impressive. After that, Kang Do Wook and Suk Ji Hoon were neck and neck. His overall conclusion was that pretty soon Kang Do Wook will blow past him and get ahead. Therefore, he had regarded Do Wook as a subvocalist. However, Do Wook¡¯s song he was listening to now was not a voice that can be used as a subvocalist. ¡°He¡¯s full of surprises.¡± Yong Soo Chul murmured. Shim Jun also strongly expressed his agreement. Do Wook¡¯s singing reached its highlight. Yong Soo Chul even felt a little sorry that until just now, out of prejudice based on his looks, he was thinking he would be happy if he just sang even ¡®somewhat¡¯ well. The members were the ones who observed Do Wook''s development the closest. Still, now that they¡¯ve properly heard Do Wook¡¯s singing, they were surprised once again. Among them, Ahn Hyung Seo was the most surprised. ¡®Do Wook¡­He¡¯s really amazing.¡¯ Ahn Hyung Seo lowered his shoulders and was lost in his own thoughts, unlike his usual self. Sense of crisis. Yes, this was a sense of crisis. Ahn Hyung Seo developed a sense of crisis that he might have to give up the position of lead vocalist to Do Wook. When Do Wook came out of the booth, the atmosphere in the recording studio was heightened. The ends of Do Wook¡¯s mouth seemed to go up a little when Team Leader Shim specifically told him that he did a good job. There was still Ahn Hyung Seo¡¯s turn left and there was no certainty on how the part distribution would go, but if heplimented him any more than that, then Do Wook might get excited. In other words, Team Leader Shim only lightlyplimented him on purpose. To be honest, Do Wook knew better than anyone that the team had to be sessful for him to be sessful. If it meant the team could do well, it didn¡¯t matter who became the lead vocalist. Then, Ahn Hyung Seo entered the booth. Ahn Hyung Seo sang the song he was most confident in, Kim Byung Soo¡¯s ¡®I Miss You¡¯, to the best of his abilities. It was also Do Wook¡¯s song during his audition. Ahn Hyung Seo showed off a cool high note that stretched out through "I Miss You." It was a high note that made one feel relieved. His skills had definitely improved greatly from the early days of the trainee, when could only sing slightly high notes with his unique voice. ¡®As expected, Hyung Seo¡¯s skills are also no joke. He already has a lot of talents, and he¡¯s even good at singing¡­¡¯ Team leader Shim Jun nodded his head with satisfaction. Yong Soo Chul was, of course, feeling satisfied at the members¡¯ amazing skills and couldn''t ask for more. ¡®I¡¯m giving my song to a team like this. It was worth it!¡¯ They cleaned up the area after they were done checking all the members¡¯ skills. Oh Baek Ho stepped up and cleaned up. The members stood in a line and said goodbye to Team Leader Shim and Yong Soo Chul with a deep bow. ¡°I look forward to working with you!¡± Yong Soo Chul smiled brightly at the energetic voices. Of course to others his smile looked like a frown, but Yong Soo Chul was genuinely smiling. They decided to talk about the song in more detail tomorrow since they¡¯re tired today and after Team Leader Shim left, Yong Soo Chul was alone in the recording studio. They decided to talk tomorrow, but he had to organize his thoughts first before they talked. ¡®Hmmm, they told me the two rappers can make the rap and write lyrics themselves so I just need to have them add to the lyrics I thought of¡­Looking at the two of their rap styles, I think it¡¯ll be ok to increase the rap part a little.¡¯ Yong Soo Chul developed his thoughts by ying the song he had prepared several times. ¡®That Ahn Hyung Seo person has a cool high note, so I think I can raise the note higher in this part¡­¡¯ Then Yong Soo Chul remembered Do Wook. He had natural talent, and he was clearly an extremely hard worker considering what he saw that day when he was putting up the posters. He hade across all sorts of people while working at the nightclub, and someone like Do Wook was a sturdy tree*. No, more like the beanstalk from Jack and the Beanstalk. (TL note: this is referring to the Korean saying that a promising tree can be recognized even as a sapling, meaning genius disys itself even in childhood or that people who grow up to be fine adults show signs even in childhood.) ¡®Is this what they mean when they say you work hard in the early part of your life and you have lots of luck in the middle part of your life?¡¯ It was when Yong Soo Chul was pondering this happy thought. Knock knock. He heard a knock. ¡°Come on in!¡± After answering, Yong Soo Chul started to wonder. ¡®Does Team Leader Shim Jun have more things to discuss with me?¡¯ That was what Yong So Chul thought, but the person who came in was not Team Leader Shim. The person who came into the studio was Do Wook. "Oh? Hey Do Wook. What''s going on?" The rest of the schedule for Do Wook and the members was individual practice. While they went down to the rehearsal hall and started to warm up, Do Wook got permission from Manager Oh Baek Ho, who was on the other side of the rehearsal hall and was looking at work on his phone. He asked if he could go back to the studio and talk to Yong Soo Chul for a little bit. It was within the office building anyways, and he just heard about the rtionship between them so it wasn¡¯t strange that Do Wook would meet with Yong Soo Chul separately. Oh Baek Ho nodded his head, thinking that they had more things to talk about. So about an hour after leaving the studio, Do Wook met with Yong Soo Chul again. A lot of time had passed since he came into the studio and turned on the heater so the room was hotter. Yong Soo Chul had taken off the rider jacket he was wearing, and a thick gold ne was shining on top of his knit shirt. ¡®It looks like his taste really never changes.¡¯ After being briefly distracted by the gold ne, Do Wook came to his senses and asked Yong Soo Chul, "Um¡­ I have something to tell you. If it''s not too much trouble, do you have a moment?¡± Yong Soo Chul moved toward where the sofa was while thinking to himself that, if nothing else, his manners were impable. Do Wook quietly sat down once Yong Soo Chul gestured for Do Wook to have a seat. Once he was sitting face to face with Do Wook, he muttered with admiration. ¡°I greeted you earlier, but it¡¯s interesting to see you again like this. Seriously.¡± "Me too. Thank you again for sending the song." "No need to keep thanking me like that.¡± The conversation between Do Wook, who was handsome like a sculpture but his nonchnt expression made him look stiff, and Yong Soo Chul, who could make someone feel threatened even when he¡¯s just standing still, would look serious to outside eyes. However, the two of them were creating a friendly atmosphere. ¡°So, what is it you wanted to tell me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that, after hearing the song in its entirety, there was a part that I recalled.¡± ¡°A part you recalled¡­.?¡± There¡¯s noposer who isn¡¯t, but Yong Soo Chul was someone who had pride in his work. He was also a very proud person. He also didn¡¯t tell too many people that he was studyingposition because didn¡¯t like getting other people¡¯s advice and arguing with them over a song he worked on. Additionally, it was true that Yong Soo Chul worked on songs alone in an isted matter because of the differentplexes he had. At first, Yong Soo Chul went to aposition academy too and tried to be the pupil of a famousposer. However,position, like other arts, depended on your personal connections, such as academic or otherworking. He was looked down on because of his educational background and for being older than most other students. He came to the conclusion that he cannot learn properly if he¡¯s being ostracized. Yong Soo Chul started to develop hisposition skill through self study, just like how he learned to DJ. ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­I actually had an idea after hearing the song in its entirety.¡± ¡°An idea?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Do Wook continued to observe Yong Soo Chul¡¯s bodynguage. Do Wook picked his words carefully so he wouldn''t hurt Yong Soo Chul¡¯s feelings, who had a lot of pride. ¡°What is it? I haven¡¯t started working on the arrangement yet, but I¡¯ll hear you out.¡± ¡°I truly just happened to think of it as soon as I heard the song¡­You, theposer, would know better than I do so if you hear me out and don¡¯t agree, please just forget about it.¡± When he heard that it was an idea for the song, Yong Soo Chul seemed to pause momentarily, but he promptly stated he¡¯d dly hear the idea. He was pretty fond of Do Wook, and he was not so closed minded to refuse his idea without hearing it. ¡°Of course. It¡¯s my song, so of course I¡¯ll make that decision myself. However¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the opinion of the person who will be actually singing the song, so I want to hear it. I hope it¡¯ll be a helpful opinion.¡± Along with pride in his work, he had aspirations to make a great song. ¡®He definitely didn¡¯t be a famousposer for no reason. He has clear direction and openness to ept other people¡¯s input.¡¯ As he thought that, Do Wook exined how he thought about 8 Words after listening to the song. It was after finishing the title song selection as he came out of the meeting room and was walking down the hallway. The ringtone of one the employee¡¯s walking past in the hall echoed in Do Wook¡¯s head, who had been lost in thought. The ringtone was nothing special. It is one of the basic ringtones that can be heard anywhere; one of the ssic songs that people all over the world might not know the name of but knew the melody to. ¡°That sonata melody in this song¡­?¡± "Yes. I was thinking about starting off the first half with piano sampling like 8 Words. With a little more variation." Yong Soo Chul pulled his chair a little more. He decided to listen to his idea without much expectation, but it was a more detailed idea than he expected. ¡°Hmmm¡­I don¡¯t need to tell you that a sonata melody is nice to listen to and famous but would it go well with my song? He was saying if that was really necessary. ¡ª Chapter 16: Sonata: Ring Out (3) Chapter 16: Sonata: Ring Out (3) Yong Soo Chul¡¯s song was good, of course. It would have been close to perfect for other people. However, to Do Wook who has heard the song that would be releasedter on, it kind of felt like it wasn¡¯tplete. Furthermore, as someone who lived in the future and came back to the past, Do Wook became ambitious. He had an ambition to create a song that would be sessful regardless of generation or time period. ¡®A ssic isn¡¯t a ssic for no reason.¡¯ Do Wook figured that if you vary the melody in the beginning well, you would be able to grab more of the audience than starting with a fast beat right away. Even in reality, around the time KK debuted, there were songs that became very popr using ssic song sampling. Thanks to that, a few songs a year would use ssic song sampling eventer on and was consistently popr. Among that, the most explosively popr song was a song that had a simr beat as Yong Soo Chul and used musical sampling in the intro. That song became a tremendous hit and was more popr than ¡®Sorry but I love you¡¯. It was because it evenpensated for the shorings of Yong Soo Chul''s style beats that have simple repetition. Therefore, Do Wook thought of Yong Soo Chul¡¯s song as soon as he heard the sonata ringtone. ¡®We¡¯ll make the song feel moreplete by giving it a beginning, middle, and an end. If Yong Soo Chul listens to it, he will also know immediately that it¡¯ll be a way to supplement his song.¡¯ Yong Soo Chul, who had been preupied for a moment, stood up from his seat and headed toward the equipment. Once he manipted the buttons, a strong bass beat soon started to flow out. Various melodies were ced on top of that beat and formed the current ¡®Sorry (working title)¡¯. They only turned on the beat but their heads subconsciously started nodding. Yong Soo Chul manipted a few more buttons and programmed the keyboard next to him to ¡®basic piano''. Yong Soo Chul lightly yed with his fingers. "The original sound is this¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤." "Yes. I think it¡¯d be good to use the melody from that part.¡± Yong Soo Chul simply yed the melody as it was in the original song, but he got a feeling that made him go ¡®huh?¡¯. Yong Soo Chul briefly stopped his fingers, then started ying again. This time he changed it from about 60 BPM to 80, ying it faster and faster. The only thing they changed was making it faster, but it felt like something was building. Yong So Chul couldn¡¯t help but be surprised. It was a way of arrangement he hadn¡¯t even thought of, and he questioned it even after listening to Do Wook. But once he tried ying it, he immediately got a feel for it. ¡®Like Do Wook said, if we put a little more variation and start the intro with piano¡­And organize the song to gradually lead into the beat and next sound¡­It¡¯ll be amazing!¡¯ Yong Soo Chul dove into working on the arrangement. He changed the sound little by little, and it started to harmonize with the melody towards the end. ¡°If I do this¡­hmm¡­what do you think?¡± "It¡¯s good!" Do Wook eximed. Yong Soo Chul got more excited by Do Wook¡¯s exmation. Since he only worked on songs alone, it wasn¡¯t bad for Yong Soo Chul to discuss his song with someone else. On the contrary, he was having fun. *** Yong Soo Chul nned on contacting Team Leader Shim once the arrangement was about half done and doing the arrangement in two different versions. One version with Do Wook¡¯s suggestion in the intro, and one version without. If he sent both versions there can be a clearerparison between the two. After discussing that with Yong Soo Chul, Do Wook returned to the rehearsal hall. In the rehearsal hall, they had ordered dinner and were just about to eat. The members were gathered, sitting on newspapersid out on the floor. Today, as usual, there was kimchi fried rice and spicy stir-fried pork with rice delivered from Worldwide Kimbap next to the office. ¡°Do Wook, what are you so busy with? Hurry up ande eat~!¡± Jung Yoon Ki yelled. Do Wook started to feel hungry once he smelled the food. He was about to go where the members were gathered, but he saw Ahn Hyung Seo, who was sitting alone with his back against the wall pir. Seeing Do Wook looking at Ahn Hyung Seo, Park Tae Hyung quietly whispered to Do Wook. ¡°Hyung Seo¡­.Said he¡¯s not going to eat¡­¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. He¡¯s been saying he has no energy since earlier¡­¡± Park Tae Hyung muttered, concerned. The other members were also concerned about Ahn Hyung Seo, who was crouched over. Do Wook scowled. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± He could see Ahn Hyung Seo let out a sigh. Ahn Hyung Seo, who was still not that old, had be a trainee around the time he started middle school. His mother was the reason he became a trainee from a young age. Ahn Hyung Seo¡¯s mother was one of the typical aggressive parentsmonly seen in the entertainment world. As soon as she recognized her only son¡¯s potential, she went to the agency that same day and made him audition. Ahn Hyung Seo, who was a natural born talent and had shown talent in dancing and singing since his kindergarten talent show, was able to pass the audition easily. It was a field Ahn Hyung Seo himself was interested in, and people around him praising him that he¡¯s good fueled the ambition he already had. It wasn¡¯t a bad ambition. He had optimistic ambitions of wanting to sing even better and debuting as an idol and bing the best. But, perhaps solely focusing on debuting from such a young age was the problem? He even suffered from depression at 16 years old when his debut with his previous agency was canceled. Then he got another chance with HIT Entertainment. Ahn Hyung Seo was extremely anxious as he faced a situation where he might not be the best singer in the group. Even his im as a self-appointed mood maker was gone. Do Wook looked like a rival, and he was a little frustrated. ¡®There¡¯s such a huge difference in how long we¡¯ve been training¡­Plus, he¡¯s one year younger. What the hell have I been doing until now?¡¯ It was entirely the agency¡¯s fault that his previous debut was canceled, but Ahn Hyung Seo¡¯s mentality, which had been broken down once before, was easily shaken. ¡®If I lose to Do Wook, who has only been training for a few months now¡­Can I even survive in the music industry¡­?¡¯ Those self-destructive thoughts were destroying Ahn Hyung Seo. A ck stormcloud seemed to rise by the pir. The other members couldn¡¯t focus on their meal because of Ahn Hyung Seo, who suddenly became depressed. If it were another team, someone would have been angry at the member acting out, but there were no members like that in KK. Everyone was just worried. Everyone had a general idea of the reason Ahn Hyung Seo was depressed. ¡°I¡¯ll try talking to himter.¡± Seeing how concerned everyone was, Suk Ji Hoon, who didn¡¯t talk much because he was blunt, spoke up. Suk Ji Hoon was the youngest in the team, but he was one of the people who understood Ahn Hyung Seo¡¯s perspective the best. It was because he was a child actor. Suk Ji Hoon¡¯s mother was the same as Ahn Hyung Seo¡¯s mother, if not worse. Even before entering elementary school, Suk Ji Hoon went around the broadcast station and experienced society early. Therefore, he couldn¡¯t help but be a deliberately precocious child. ¡®Someone who had only looked toward one thing from an early age doesn''t look at anything else, like a racehorse, and just looks at the finish line and keeps running. There¡¯s a constant fear that if it¡¯s not this path, they won¡¯t be able to do anything as an adult.¡¯ Suk Ji Hoon, who learned early on that it doesn¡¯t help to say unnecessary words, always kept his thoughts to himself rather than say them out loud. Jung Yoon Ki felt relieved that Suk Ji Hoon, who was mentally very mature despite being the youngest, said he¡¯ll talk to him and turned his focus to taking care of the other members. ¡°Oh, anyways, we shouldn¡¯t spend Christmas Eve in the rehearsal hall like this!¡± Kim Won replied to Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s attempt to lighten the mood. ¡°Christmasss¡­It was fun in Canada because it snowed a lot. White~ Christmas~!¡± ¡°It can be fun in Korea too. It¡¯s not fun because we¡¯ve been stuck in the rehearsal hall.¡± ¡°Then should we get out of the rehearsal hall? I¡¯ll drive. I can drive! Let''s go! Go Go~ Go~¡± Kim Won raised both hands like he was going to jump up any minute and yelled ¡®Let¡¯s Go¡¯ like it was a song. ¡°With what car?¡± ¡°Ummm¡­Rental?¡± ¡°With what money?¡± ¡°Wow, in brother Yoon Ki¡¯s pocket?¡± ¡°Just eat your food.¡± ¡°Cold blooded¡­¡± The members finished their meals as they shared stories about how gloomy Christmas as trainees is. After putting their dishes away and letting the food digest, the evening practice resumed. Right before evening practice started, Suk Ji Hoon and Ahn Hyung Suh briefly went up to the roof of the building together and talked. Their faces were frozen from the winter wind. Even though Suk Ji Hoon would have undoubtedly done a good job talking to him, Ahn Hyung Seo¡¯s expression was still not bright. Even when they had practice on the actual stage, where Ahn Hyung Seo stood out the most, he got critiques from the instructor a few times. ¡°Cheer up Hyung Seo hyung*. Things won¡¯t get better by you being like this.¡± (TL note: hyung is how males refer to older males. It happens to be written the same as the first character of Hyung Seo¡¯s name.) It sounds cold initially, but it was Suk Ji Hoon¡¯s sincere advice. Ahn Hyung Seo weakly nodded his head. *** Christmas went by without anything happening in particr. There was no practice on the day of, but for the most part, the members went to the rehearsal room voluntarily and did some light individual practice. Kim Won went to his rtive¡¯s house, and Jung Yoon Ki relieved his exhaustion at the dormitory. KK members thankfully didn¡¯t think about anything else and worked hard on preparing for the debut during the hustle and bustle of the end of the year. Of course, Manager Oh Baek Ho had a big part in making that possible. He was on high alert, monitoring in case the members went out to drink. If there was a problem, it was of course Ahn Hyung Seo. He dug himself into a hole and he absolutely had no ns toe out of it. Oh Baek Ho had not grasped all the details of the members yet. It was obvious that things would get out of hand if he acted hastily. ¡°Hyung Seo¡­We can¡¯t leave him like that.¡± So he called Jung Yoon Ki, who was acting like the leader. He will probably get nominated as the leader soon, and Jung Yoon Ki also agreed with it. "He''s usually bright, but Hyung Seo is a very sensitive kid¡­¡± Jung Yoon Ki didn¡¯t exactly have the answers either. He stood by him and was boosting his confidence, but this was Ahn Hyung Seo¡¯s own problem. At the same time, they couldn¡¯t tell Do Wook not to sing well because that¡¯s the only way Hyung Seo will get the lead vocal position and feel secure. Do Wook witnessed Oh Baek Ho calling Jung Yoon Ki out of the rehearsal hall and talking privately. ¡°¡­Ahn Hyung Seo¡­¡± Do Wook had also been silently observing him. ¡°Something needs to be done.¡± Do Wook let out a sigh then messaged Ahn Hyung Suh. ¡ª Chapter 17: Sonata: Ring Out (4) Chapter 17: Sonata: Ring Out (4) ¡°Have this.¡± Do Wook, who privately called Ahn Hyung Seo to one of the empty rehearsal halls, handed him a bag with a handful of custard filled bread. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°I ran into one of your fans in front of the office, and they asked me to give this to you. This is the type of bread you like, right?¡± KK hadn¡¯t debuted yet, but there were situations where some members had fans. Female students who were Monster fans or specifically liked trainees who haven¡¯t gotten popr yet would wait for KK members in front of the office building and give them presents. Ahn Hyung Seo, who had been a trainee for a long time, and Jung Yoon Ki, a former student rapper, had a couple of fans who were regr to the point their faces became familiar. ¡°Really? Oh, it is. Th¡­Thanks.¡± Ahn Hyung Seo, who irrationally became awkward with Do Wook in his own head, took the bag of bread with a stiff movement. Still, his expression lightened up when he heard it was from a fan. Of course, Ahn Hyung Seo typically would have been more excited, running around saying it¡¯s delicious bread. There were plenty of times where fans really gave them gifts, but actually, Do Wook asked to buy this bread. Ahn Hyung Seo¡¯s face was sunken because he wasn¡¯t eating well these days, so Do Wook got concerned and asked Oh Baek Ho to buy him some bread. ¡°Why were you looking for me?¡± ¡°Hyung*. It looks like you have a lot on your mindtely¡­¡± (TL Note: hyung is how males refer to older males) ¡°N¡­No. Just¡­It¡¯s all in my head. Don¡¯t worry about it!¡± Ahn Hyung Seo had his own pride as the older person. He didn¡¯t want to put his burdens onto Do Wook. Do Wook could understand how Ahn Hyung Seo was feeling. ¡°I also have some worries these days too.¡± ¡°You? What kind of worries?¡± Ahn Hyung Seo looked puzzled when Do Wook, who seemed perfect in every way, said he had worries. ¡°I can¡¯t sing as well as I would like.¡± ¡°What?! If you say that, what does that make me?!¡± Ahn Hyung Seo yelled as he burst into tears. ¡°What does that make you? What are you talking about? When I first became a KK member, I was so relieved that I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about singing since you were there.¡± ¡°That¡¯s how you felt?¡± ¡°Of course. You¡¯re not only good at singing, but you also have lots of outstanding talents as an idol. Of course, to be honest, I did think that you¡¯d be a difficult opponent if I wanted to fight for the lead vocal positionter¡­But for now it¡¯s not an internalpetition¡­¡± Do Wook''s serious vibe overwhelmed Ahn Hyung Seo. He knew he was sincere and had a lot of thoughts, but he didn¡¯t know he would have these kinds of thoughts, or that he would be honest and open like this. ¡°The team is what¡¯s important. The future of our team once we debut.¡± Ahn Hyung Seo was stunned. Everything Do Wook said was right. He was thinking only about himself too much. However, at the same time, he was still angry. He knew that Do Wook is a hard worker, but Ahn Hyung Seo also put in a lot of effort. Still, it felt like all the blood, sweat, and tears he poured into it was for nothingpared to Do Wook¡¯s natural and effortless talent. ¡°Hyung. I believe in you.¡± Ahn Hyung Seo simply watched nkly as Do Wook left the rehearsal hall. Then that day, early in the morning. Ahn Hyung Seo tossed and turned all night as he dwelled on what Do Wook said. After tossing and turning for a long time, he finally fell asleep. Click Ahn Hyung Seo opened his eyes to the sound of the front door opening. Out of habit he checked his cell phone that was by his pillow and saw it was 5:30 am. The other people were fast asleep without a care. ¡®Who could that be¡­?¡¯ Ahn Hyung Seo didn¡¯t think he could go back to sleep anyways, so he got out of bed and climbed down thedder. He carefully opened the door and left the room and caught a glimpse of someone going into the bathroom. It was Do Wook. ¡®That¡¯s right, Do Wook goes to work out in the morning.¡¯ He was aware of it, but he didn¡¯t know that he would still be keeping up with it without missing a day. When Do Wook first said he was going to start doing morning workouts, Hyung Seo also joined him a few times. However, there was too big of a gap between them for him to keep up with Do Wook¡¯s course. He tried to keep up with even just half of it, but Hyung Seo promptly ended up giving up. Of course, exercise wasn¡¯t mandatory for KK members who were already rehearsing. However, Do Wook was keeping up with additional morning workouts day in and day out on top of the rehearsals. In the pitch dark living room, Ahn Hyung Seo sat on the sofa silently. When Do Wook came out of the bathroom after washing up, Do Wook, not noticing Ahn Hyung Seo, headed to the dining table, turned on the light, and booted up his notebookputer. He put on his headphones and watched the screen intently. ¡®I wonder what he''s doing?¡¯ Ahn Hyung Seo headed toward the dining table. On the notebook screen was aposition program with a video lecture on the program ying. ¡®¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡¯ Ahn Hyung Seo tiptoed back into the room so as to not disturb Do Wook, who was focused. Ahn Hyung Seo, who was lying down on his bed again, blinked. He felt stupid for his actions the past few days. Do Wook had been trying significantly harder thest few months than he has for the past few years. It wasn¡¯t a matter of how long. He was starting to feel a sense of defeat, that there¡¯s nothing he could do even if he gets overshadowed by Kang Do Wook. ¡®And what Do Wook said is right. Now is not the time for infighting between the members.¡¯ Once his heart was a little more at ease, all the sleep he¡¯d been deprived of the past few days hit him all at once. ¡®I should be thankful that a member like that is in the same group as me¡­Instead I¡¯d been acting like an idiot. I should be working even harder¡­¡¯ Ahn Hyung Seo fell into a deep sleep as he made a new pledge to try as hard as Do Wook does. *** Right before the new year, December 31. Major figures of HIT Entertainment were gathered in the Director¡¯s office to decide on the arrangement for the title song as well as the overall organization of KK¡¯s 1st album. Team Leader Im Sung Ahn from RDT, who nned KK, Team Leader Shim Jun from the Album Production Team, Kwon Heung Jo, the Production Director, and Yong Soo Chul, theposer. When the four of them sat around the conference table prepared on one side of the Director¡¯s office, they certainly felt the force. The team leaders had each gathered their team members¡¯ opinions for this meeting, and Director Kwon got the President and Vice President¡¯s orders. ¡°First, Composer Yong Soo Chul, thank you for your hard work in doing the arrangement.¡± ¡°Not at all. It¡¯s not evenpletely finished yet¡­¡± "Both versions were outstanding, but you had added a sonata piano sampling to one of them. It was a really great idea! It''s harmonious too. Anyways, I''m surprised. I kept saying that I was surprised. All the other team members too!" Team Leader eximed as he brought up the topic of the arranged ¡®Sorry(Working Title)¡¯. Yong Soo Chul scratched the back of his head as if embarrassed, which did not fit hisrge physique. Production Director Kwon Heung Jo also chimed in. "The President and Vice President, the higher ups, both responded to it extremely well. As soon as they heard the introduction, they were saying it¡¯s a masterpiece for the ages before the first verse was even over. It¡¯s to the point that they¡¯re already praising Team Leader Shim for bringing in such a goodposer.¡± ¡°Haha, really? To be honest, the person who brought in Composer Yong wasn''t me but one of the KK members.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Team Leader Shim exined the rtionship between Yong Soo Chul and Kang Do Wook. Director Kwon thought about Do Wook and thought, ¡®As expected¡¯. Then Yong Soo Chul started to speak. ¡°He¡¯s also the one who had the idea for the intro arrangement.¡± Not only Director Kwon, but also the team leaders all looked at Yong Soo Chul in surprise. They couldn¡¯t help but be surprised. Everyone was astonished by Yong Soo Chul¡¯s exnation. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Do Wook was interested in that field too.¡± Team Leader Im murmured in pure admiration. It felt like picking Do Wook at the audition will be something memorable for the rest of her life. Although, to be honest, Do Wook probably would have been chosen anyways even if it were anyone else instead of her. After thinking it over for a bit, Director Kwon suggested, "That''s truly surprising. The higher the member participation in the album, the more publicity and talk there will be¡­I think it¡¯d be good to teach him moreposition professionally so he can participate more.¡± ¡°Oh, yes. I¡¯ll look into it.¡± Team leader Shim Joon eagerly replied. Yong Soo Chul also nodded his head because he thought what Director Kwon said made sense. "I briefly spoke with Team Leader Shimst time, but I¡¯m even more certain after listening to the arrangement. Mr. Yong Soo Chul, what do you think about producing this entire debut album for KK?¡± ¡°What? You mean me?¡± Yong Soo Chul, who expected to only produce his song, asked out of surprise over the unexpected suggestion. Director Kwon asked Yong Soo Chul again to produce the entire album. It¡¯s a single album, so they only nned on having Yong Soo Chul¡¯s song ¡®Sorry (Working Title)¡¯ and ¡®You¡¯ in it anyways. The overall theme would have to match ¡®Sorry(Working Title)¡¯ so it was an obvious choice. Yong Soo Chul mulled it over briefly and epted the offer. He had no reason to refuse the offer. ¡°Thank you for the offer, Director. I was scrambling on the streets and now look at me¡­¡± Yong Soo Chul quit his job as a nightclub DJ not too long ago to start on his new path as aposer. ¡°Look at that, you¡¯re a PD now! I look forward to working with you, PD Yong Soo Chul.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not Yong Soo Chul, it¡¯s PD ¡®Brave Only Child¡¯.¡± ¡°Haha. Ok, ok, PD Yong!*¡± (TL Note: Yong is hisst name but also the first character of ¡®brave¡¯ in Korean) Team Leader Shim Jun smiled and replied to Yong Soo Chul, who had a half serious, half joking expression. Everyone burst out inughter over Yong Soo Chul¡¯s serious expression. The meeting continued with the slightly lightened atmosphere. The only serious part was the topic. They established the direction and concept for the entire album. Going off that, they decided to hire a new designer who was the most popr street fashion stylist. *** Once it became the new year, Yong Soo Chul immediately gathered all the KK members. It was the day they will distribute the title song parts. ¡°PD Yong, it¡¯s nice to see you again. Happy New Year.¡± ¡°Happy New Year~!!!¡± Oh Baek Ho said New Year¡¯s greetings to Yong Soo Chul first. The members also wished him a happy new year as they entered the studio. ¡°Thank you. Happy New Year to you too.¡± It was an ordinary greeting, but when Yong Soo-chul, who was wearing a gold chain ne, said it became a somehow meaningful greeting. He looked like the bravest person in the world and his name was also ¡®Brave¡¯ Only Child. That was the thought people unanimously had when they heard Yong Soo Chul¡¯s PD name. Ahn Hyung Seo and Park Tae Hyung, who had the weaker spirits among the members, quietly walked behind Oh Baek Ho so they wouldn¡¯t be noticed. So far, they just barely said hello and couldn¡¯t make proper eye contact with Yong Soo Chul. It seemed like it would take some time to adjust. ¡°So we¡¯ll be listening to the arranged song today?¡± ¡°Yes. I also n to do some of the part distribution too.¡± He was answering Oh Baek Ho, but all the members were listening with their eyes shining. The song was already good so they looked forward to how the arranged version would be. ¡°Let¡¯s listen to the song first before we begin.¡± Yong Soo Chul settled into the chair in front of the booth and operated the buttons. They all sat on the sofa with their hands neatly on their knees to listen attentively. The piano started to y without any beats. ¡ª Chapter 18: Sonata: Ring Out (5) Chapter 18: Sonata: Ring Out (5) ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?!¡± Then the beat was oveid on top of it. Question marks and exmation marks appeared on the members¡¯ faces at the same time. Soon, their jaws dropped with admiration. He was the one who came up with the idea, but Do Wook was in awe of Yong Soo Chul¡¯s sense. ¡°-Sorry but I love you~ I love you~ Sorry~ Truly~ But love you~¡± When they heard the chorus pre-recorded by one of the vocal instructors on repeat, the members knew for sure despite not having debuted yet, to the point they wanted to yell, ¡®This will be sessful!¡¯. ¡°It''s¡­It¡¯s so¡­Good.¡± Jung Yoon Ki, after listening to the song until the end, expressed his opinion while stammering a little. Everyone nodded their heads in unison. It already got good reactions from the Team Leaders, the Director, and the others but it never gets tiring to hear apliment. Yong Soo Chul shrugged his shoulders and got straight to the point. ¡°We will put rap in the parts where there¡¯s only beats, and the lyrics for the rap will be written by you two yourselves before we record.¡± ¡°Ah, okay!¡± ¡°Ok~!¡± Jung Yoon Ki and Kim Won responded immediately with military discipline as soon as Yong Soo Chul said that to them. Yong Soo Chul exined exactly who should write which part of the rap. The two of them took out their phones and jotted down notes like crazy. The first part of Verse 1 and Verse 2 would be Jung Yoon Ki, and Kim Won would be in charge of theter part of the chorus. Jung Yoon Ki ended up being in charge of the important intro part. "Ji Hoon will start off the vocals with Verse 1, and Tae Hyung will sing vocals for Verse 2." The problem was the chorus, which is the most important part. ¡°For the chorus¡­¡± Do Wook nced at Ahn Hyung Seo who was sitting next to him. Ahn Hyung Seo¡¯s expression looked normal. He was a little nervous, but he didn¡¯t look overly depressed or anything. He was definitely back to the old Ahn Hyung Seotely. ¡®It¡¯s a relief that it seems like he pulled himself together as I¡¯d expected.¡¯ They say you never know what can happen in life, but Ahn Hyung Seo was innately kind. Do Wook determined that he was the type to not mess something up out of jealousy or envy if he was given just a little bit of encouragement. Additionally, he had depression because his debut fell through in the past, but seeing how he got back up, he doesn¡¯t have a weak spirit either. ¡®It¡¯s hard for someone who got back up one time, but they can get up a second or third time.¡¯ Just as he had done in the past. What Do Wook saw was right. Ahn Hyung Seo was calm in his own way. He was a little anxious though. It was because the song he and his group is going to sing was so good. He nned to give it his all with whatever role he was given. Regardless of if it¡¯s 4 bars or 16 bars. ¡°Hyung Seo will do the first verse of the chorus. Do Wook will follow immediately after that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Wh¡­What?¡± Ahn Hyung Seo thought that the chorus would obviously go to Do Wook. He stuttered as he tried to respond. ¡°Do Wook will do the second verse of the chorus and we¡¯ll raise the key of the chord towards the back here and have Hyung Seo sing the higher part.¡± Ahn Hyung Seo looked at Yong Soo Chul with a puzzled expression. Then he looked at Do Wook. Do Wook was checking his part,pletely unfazed. Of course Do Wook will also sing verse 2 of the chorus. There wasn¡¯t much difference in the time distributed either. However, with the way the part was distributed, it was clear Ahn Hyung Seo was the lead vocalist. The thought that something was wrong invaded Ahn Hyung Seo¡¯s mind. When they were forming the KK members, most people, including himself, thought the lead vocalist position was his. However, as it stood now, it was right that Do Wook was KK¡¯s lead vocalist. Despite his fear of Yong Soo Chul, he stepped forward. ¡°Excuse me¡­PD nim*¡± (TL note: -nim is a respectful way to refer to someone) ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Rather than me, I think Do Wook would¡­!¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯d like to advise you to think twice about what you¡¯re going to say before you give your opinion. Part distribution is one responsibility of a PD and I assigned them after a lot of deliberation.¡± ¡°S¡­Sorry.¡± ¡°So what is it you want to say¡­?¡± ¡°Nevermind.¡± Ahn Hyung Seo shook his head. As Yong Soo Chul said, it was a decision the PD made after giving it a lot of thought. It wasn¡¯t something he could carelessly argue. However, Ahn Hyung Seo still felt uneasy that Do Wook was not the lead vocalist. It was even more so because it was after he had admitted Do Wook¡¯s talent. Do Wook was a truly amazing vocalist and member. They decided to practice on their own, and the members left the studio. The first recording was set for one weekter. They scheduled plenty of time for the members who had to write the lyrics. After leaving the studio, Ahn Hyung Seo, who had been walking a half step behind Do Wook, stood next to him. It looked like he had something he wanted to say. He wanted to say something to Do Wook, but he didn¡¯t have anything to say in particr. Do Wook read Ahn Hyung Seo¡¯s mind and started talking first. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to hear you sing the highlight.¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t expect too much.¡± Ahn Hyung Seo scratched his cheek. Actually, Yong Soo Chul and Do Wook had met privately yesterday. Yong Soo Chul had contacted Do Wook, who gave him the idea for the intro. He asked if Do Wook¡¯s name should be included in the arrangement part since he was a big help for it, but Do Wook immediately declined. It¡¯s true that he gave him the idea but Yong Soo Chul is the one who did the actual work. It was also Yong Soo Chul who created the perfect harmony by changing sound and speed. ¡°What I did isn¡¯t enough to put my name on it. Later¡­¡± ¡°Later?¡± ¡°If we end up officially working on a projectter, please put my name next to yours then.¡± Yong Soo Chul burst intoughter at Do Wook¡¯s words. He could see Do Wook¡¯s ambitions inposing. Yong Soo Chul said he¡¯s looking forward to it and lightly asked about the part distribution. Do Wook replied that Ahn Hyung Seo¡¯s unique voice is definitely better suited for the song this time. It wasn¡¯t that he was giving up the position to Ahn Hyung Seo. His voice was truly more suited this time. Yong Soo Chul had been worried about whether he should give the lead vocalist part to Do Wook or Ahn Hyung Seo. ¡®Is that really the case?¡¯ Once he heard Do Wook¡¯s reply, Yong Soo Chul gained confidence as a producer. ¡°Your voice is perfect for the song this time.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°So please don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°Ah¡­Thank you.¡± Ahn Hyung Seo was once again deeply impressed by Do Wook¡¯s thoughtfulness. He also felt like he had a general idea about what Do Wook meant by ¡°perfect¡±, as well as the reason PD Brave Only Child gave him the lead vocalist part. ¡°I¡¯ll work hard and give it my all!¡± Ahn Hyung Seo eximed with a bright voice. *** They practically lived in the rehearsal hall, each of them practicing day after day. The members¡¯ appearances were bing more and more ¡®unsightly¡¯. Among them, the person in the most serious situation was Jung Yoon Ki, who had to make the rap himself on top of being in charge of a bigger portion of it than Kim Won. Jung Yoon Ki was writing rap lyrics in the living room with the lights on until the time Do Wook went on his early morning exercise. He only replied in a sunken zombie-like state when Do Wook, who finished getting ready, asked if he wasn''t going to sleep. ¡°Ahh¡­Stress¡­¡± ¡°Are you having writer¡¯s block?¡± ¡°Yes. I can¡¯t write even one line.¡± ¡°What?¡± Jung Yoon Ki slid a messy notebook filled with lines that were all crossed out without a single useful sentence left in front of Do Wook. There were less than three days left until the recording. Do Wook sent Yoon Ki to his room, saying he should sleep first. There was a lot of pressure being a part of writing the lyrics for the first debut title song. Thinking to himself that he should look for a way, Do Wook left to exercise. Is this what they mean by when it rains it pours? That morning, their manager Oh Baek Ho was urgently looking for Jung Yoon Ki. *** Lunch time. The KK members were eating bulgogi at a restaurant near the dormitory. Perhaps it was because they had been busy since morning, but everyone was hurriedly stuffing their mouths with food. The other members and their manager, Oh Baek Ho were there, but Jung Yoon Ki was not with them. ¡°I hope Yoon Ki is eating.¡± Ahn Hyung Seo muttered out of concern just before finishing the entire bowl of rice, only remembering Jung Yoon Ki when he had one bite left. ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯s eating properly.¡± Oh Baek Ho replied to Ahn Hyung Seo to reassure him. . The news that Oh Baek Ho delivered early in the morning was regarding the special broadcast for . nned on having a performance during the preliminary round to create buzz for the Season 2 preliminary roundsing up soon. The rapper who appeared as a judge and cast member in Season 1 and ced in the top 3 was scheduled to perform during the preliminary round performance. However, a problem came up. The third-ranked cast member was hospitalized for acute appendicitis. The vacancy was too big for the hour-long performance they nned on having with minimal cast. By natural order, the fourth ce, Jung Yoon Ki, was asked to participate. The performance was in two days. It was definitely an overwhelming schedule. However, from thepany¡¯s point of view, a chance for Jung Yoon Ki, who was about to debut, to be on a show again was an opportunity he couldn¡¯t pass up. From HIT Entertainment¡¯s perspective, the more famous Jung Yoon Ki became, the better. HIT Entertainment agreed to have Jung Yoon Ki on the show under the condition that one or two KK members would be allowed to have guest appearances on the show to cheer for him, and for those members to also get some air time. It wasn¡¯t a difficult request, and from the broadcastpany¡¯s perspective, it would be difficult for them to recruit someone better in such a short time, so they epted HIT Entertainment¡¯s conditions right away. So Jung Yoon Ki ended up preparing two songs, one group song he sang on the show and one song of his choosing. It was Jung Yoon Ki who was overloaded by the sudden schedule. With only two hours of sleep, he hurriedly got ready and headed to the rehearsal hall where the cast were preparing for the performance. Oh Baek Ho had just brought Jung Yoon Ki back and was now having lunch with the members. As a director, he only had to manage them, but Oh Baek Ho was also acting as a road manager to observe the members more closely. It would also be helpful in the future if he had a good rtionship with them. He nned on taking on the roadie role for a little while. ¡°I think Yoon Ki hasn¡¯t finished the lyrics yet¡­Will that part be ok?¡± Do Wook asked about an urgent problem. Oh Baek Ho looked at Do Wook. After he was appointed KK¡¯s manager, RDT¡¯s Ahn Young Mi gave him a simple briefing about the members. For Do Wook, there was just one line; ¡®He¡¯s good at everything¡¯. The additional exnation said ¡®there¡¯s nothing to worry about¡¯. It was exactly as it said. From what he observed, he was extremely reliable, and he truly was good at everything. On top of that, he wasn¡¯t just working hard by himself. He was genuinely helping out the other members so that they could do well too. He thought he had seen it all during his experience as a manager, but he¡¯d never seen a trainee like this before. It was the skills and personality that you wouldn¡¯t see even in idols who had debuted and went through various hardships for 5 years. ¡°Now that you mention it, it looks like your recording will be pushed back because of the performance. Maybe 3 days?¡± The other members let out a sigh of relief at Oh Baek Ho¡¯s response. From the other members¡¯ perspective, they bought three extra days. It wasn¡¯t certain extending it barely three days would make a difference to Jung Yoon Ki. Do Wook put down his spoon and racked his brain. ¡®Hmmm¡­Jung Yoon Ki is someone who can finish it in one go once he starts writing the lyrics. He¡¯s not slow in finishing his work, but the problem is his mental slump¡­Can he ovee the slump on top of doing the performance?¡¯ ¡ª Chapter 19: Prelude (1) Chapter 19: Prelude (1) Do Wook could have helped Jung Yoon Ki with the lyrics of the original ¡®Sorry but I Love You¡¯. However, the current song was arranged a bit differently than the original. Also, the group memberposition was changed, and the situation changed slightly because everyone got new motivation thanks to Do Wook. Ahn Hyung Seo, for example, was motivated by how hard Do Wook tried and was fired up to try even harder. It was the same for the other members too. Things will continue to change little by little because of Do Wook. For the future Do Wook was trying to create, where KK beats M2M and bes the number one group in this generation, development within the individual members was crucial. ¡®If possible, it¡¯d be nice if Jung Yoon Ki overcame this slump by himself and became an even better rapper¡­¡¯ Do Wook mentally nned out what would be the best thing to do in case that didn¡¯t happen. Oh Baek Ho, who was exining the recording schedule, added, ¡°Also, it sounded like the choreography will be out as well in about 2 weeks.¡± ¡°Will¡­will our¡­dance instructor¡­ be making the choreography?¡± Park Tae Hyung, who had been eating in the seat right across from Oh Baek Ho, hesitantly asked. Oh Baek Ho put in extra effort to build a close rtionship with Park Tae Hyung, whom he immediately determined to be extremely shy. Rather than having a stern look, he tried to approach Park Tae Hyung with as much of a rxed expression as possible. Thanks to that, Park Tae Hyung really took to Oh Baek Ho. He spoke to him asfortably as he would with the other members. ¡°They said that the instructor will be coborating with a famous choreographer from outside.¡± ¡°Manager Oh, what about the stylist?¡± Suk Ji Hoon, who was next to him, asked the question. Oh Baek Ho used to flinch and be surprised whenever 17 years old, no 18 years old now, Suk Ji Hoon called him ¡®Manager Oh¡¯. Even the members who were older called Oh Baek Ho ¡®hyung¡¯* but Suk Ji Hoon alone consistently called him ¡®Manager Oh¡¯. (TL note: Hyung is what males call older males) Oh Baek Ho thought it was because, as a child actor, he had been active in dramas from a young age, which had a strict hierarchy. Obviously, he had more interest in getting dolled up than other members because he had been in broadcasting for a long time. Naturally, it was the same when it came to fashion as well. Even now, Suk Ji Hoon was wearing American brand knitwear that he went through a lot of trouble to obtain because it hasn¡¯t been released in Korea yet. Oh Baek Ho tried to remember what the report he was given said. ¡°He¡¯s a well known new designer¡­ What was his name? It sounded like a baptismal name.¡± ¡°Lucas?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Lucas. Do you know him?¡± ¡°I know of him. I¡¯ve seen him in a magazine before. I think thepany is really putting a lot of thought into our group.¡± Oh Baek Ho replied ¡®That¡¯s right¡¯ even as he internally clicked his tongue at how Suk Ji Hoon was not very child-like. There was no one as precocious as he was. ¡®Lucas¡­¡¯ Do Wook knew of Lucas too. Even originally, Lucas was a promising new designer who briefly worked as a stylist during KK¡¯s debut. After that, he became a huge enough designer to sessfullyunch his own brand, ¡®Kiss, Lucas'' which he based off his own name. Back then, he often heard a lot of female employees in the PR department talking about how they wanted to have even just one clothing from that brand. ¡®I should take this opportunity to establish a more firm rtionship with Lucas too.¡¯ All sorts of ns, including regarding Jung Yoon Ki, came to Do Wook¡¯s mind. There was still a long way to go and he had to try even harder. Once they were done eating lunch and talking about the album preparation process, the members headed towards the rehearsal hall again. *** Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s performance preparations went ording to n. The group song was something they practiced a lot during the broadcast so he only had to practice a little with the other rappers. For the song of his choosing, since, as a trainee, he had a repertoire of songs, he nned on doing a song from there. It was true that he was a little nervous since it¡¯s been a while since he performed or was on a show, but it wasn¡¯t as much as when he had topete to be a cast member on the audition program. Jung Yoon Ki was more worried about the lyrics he couldn¡¯t write than the more immediate performance that will take ce in a few hours. ¡°Yo, bro! Are you nervous?!¡± Inside the 6 passenger vehicle heading towards the concert hall, Kim Won asked while looking at Jung Yoon Ki, who was a little stiff in the passenger seat. In the car that Oh Baek Ho was driving, there was Jung Yoon Ki, Kim Won, Kang Do Wook, and RDT Ahn Young Mi. The three of them had just stopped by a hair shop and had a simple hairstyle that ¡®looks like they put in a little effort but at the same time looked normal¡¯. The shop employees were a little flustered by Ahn Young Mi¡¯s request. Then, like professionals, they promptly worked on their hair. Thanks to that, the three members looked much more neat than usual. Jung Yoon Ki, who was going to perform, was also scheduled to get some make up done on site. There was a reason that Kang Do Wook and Kim Won also got their hair done instead of just Jung Yoon Ki, who was performing. The two of them became the members that were sent as part of the ¡°broadcast exposure¡± condition thepany requested. The two of them were scheduled to watch the performance in the auditorium as ordinary audience members, but in reality, they were assigned to a spot that was easily visible from the camera and were expected toe on the screen from time to time when the camera would show the audience. Sendingpany trainees to be on broadcast shows, such as as part of the audience on a popr program ect., was already one of the more well known methods in the broadcasting industry to increase screen time exposure. Thepany figured that Do Wook could visually draw in people¡¯s attention, and that it¡¯d be beneficial if the image of Kim Won enjoying the performance with overwhelming enthusiasm was broadcasted. Even in mentality, the two of them were the most fitting members. ¡°Nervous? I don''t get nervous, dude!¡± Kim Wonughed as he jeered at Jung Yoon Ki pretending to be strong. Jung Yoon Ki sent a sign saying ¡®Are youughing when your hyung is talking? Don¡¯t be cheeky¡¯ at Kim Won¡¯s jeering. Seeing the two of them bickering, Do Wook looked out the window. The car was crossing over the Han River. ¡®KK will be more famous even faster with this broadcast. I have to make it so!¡¯ Do Wook looked at the reflection of his face, which he has now gotten used to, on the car window and made up his mind. *** When he was first delivering the message that Jung Yoon Ki will be appearing on , Oh Baek Ho purposely didn¡¯t tell them that some of the members would appear on the show. Even considering it was before their debut, no, since it¡¯s before their debut, there was no clear poprity ranking set which meant poprity ranking within the members was an even more sensitive topic. For this appearance, the camera was only going to quickly brush past them so you couldn¡¯t even really call it an appearance. Still, it was an opportunity to increase their recognition and poprity. Oh Baek Ho didn¡¯t tell them in advance because he didn¡¯t want the members to have trivial thoughts over who will get to be on the show Thanks to that, Do Wook also learned that he will appear on the day of the performance. KK members made appearances as audience members in in the past as well, but they weren¡¯t able to draw a lot of attention so even Do Wook wasn¡¯t aware of appearing on the show. ¡®But there was no need for other preparations to be made either.¡¯ Do Wook looked like he was in a drama set as he was getting his hair done at the hair shop. He was simply blinking his eyes with an indifferent expression, but the hair shop staff was excited by his appearance. "I haven''t seen him before. Who is he?" The hair shop director asked when she saw Do Wook reflected in the mirror as she was greeting Oh Baek Ho. The Director, who built a three-story shop on Cheongdam-Dong Chungnd, was in charge of many leading actresses in Korea. A Director liked that* picked out Do Wook right away. (TL note: To rify, an aplished Director who¡¯s worked with many celebrities knew right away Do Wook had what it takes to make it) ¡°Manager Oh, you found a good one this time.¡± Hearing the Director¡¯s exmation, Do Wook was even more certain of his n. ¡®I can make it with his face! Also¡­.there¡¯s one other thing that¡¯s for certain!¡¯ *** The concert hall outside of Seoul, which can amodate about 500 people, had a sea of young students. Participants who came to see the preliminary round of were sitting in ground seats with their name tags on, and the audience that came to cheer them on were sitting in the audience seats on the 2nd and 3rd floors. Since the judges were such famous rappers, most of the people present at today¡¯s performance came to see the judges¡¯ andst season¡¯s winner¡¯s performance. After the performance rehearsal was finished, Do Wook and Kim Won left the waiting room once the audience started to enter and sat where the staff had reserved for them. It was a location where, if the camera shines on the preliminary participants in the group seat from the front most seats on the second floor, showing up on the screen was inevitable. ¡°Wow, there¡¯s so many people~!¡± ¡°You said it.¡± ¡°KK will eventually perform at a ce like this, right?¡± The noise of lots of people talking mixed together and sounded like a hum. Do Wook nodded and smiled at Kim Won next to him, who had asked excitedly. ¡°We need to perform at ces bigger than here too.¡± ¡°Than here? Oh my gosh, it¡¯s unbelievable man!*¡± (TL note: He was saying this part in English so the sentence was kept verbatim) Kim Won, flustered as if he had actually performed at a ce bigger than here, mumbled ¡®unbelievable¡¯. Do Wook understood how Kim Won felt and how flustered you can get just by imagining it. That was because Do Wook has also yet to actually be on stage either. Do Wook¡¯s heart also trembled when he thought about the stage in front of him, and imagining the day he¡¯ll stand on an ever bigger stage than that. He felt like his heart would burst when he thought about how that future isn¡¯t a vague future. It¡¯s already determined, and a future that he has to grow even more. ¡®Because it was a very old dream¡¯ A dream he never imagined he could achieve. Do Wook promptly clenched his fist and got a hold of himself. It was a phase he had to climb step by step. The future wasn¡¯t going toe faster because he imagined it a lot. The preliminary performance started while Do Wook was talking with Kim Won. Once the MC appeared on the stage,ughter along with shouts burst out. The MC was ¡®MC Hukkae¡¯, who was active as a hip hop duo but gradually expanded into entertainment and was more active in entertainment these days. "Hello, I''m Hukkae who wanted to be the best rapper in Korea~!" The audience burst intoughter when Hukkae made a ridiculous expression while doing an over-the-top gesture, as if asking them to apud him. After Hukkae gave his greeting while enjoying the audience''s apuse to his content, he immediately gave a quick exnation of the audition program Season 2. First off, all participants perform in school uniforms as middle and high school students. Also, the participants already auditioned in the studio and were vetted by the judges down to 30 participants . The method for picking the winner for Season 2 was simple. Starting from today¡¯s first preliminary round, if the 30 participants cannot get enough points, they will be immediately eliminated. The score was 70% judges¡¯ score and 30% onsite and online voting. Live text voting was scheduled to be added for the finals only. The number of cutlines for each round was as follows. Round 1 ¨C 20 people Round 2 ¨C 15 people Round 3 ¨C 8 people Round 4 ¨C 4 people Round 5 Finals ¨C Winner Selection Today was the first round of the preliminaries which will result in a total of 10 eliminations. After exining the method through the concert hall VCR screen, Hukkae introduced the four judges. Every time he introduced them one by one, shouts poured out iparable to when Hukkae came on to the stage. Towards the end, a male student with a thick voice even confessed his love to the rapper Dool Lo saying, ¡®Take me, Dool Lo hyung!¡¯. Without missing a beat, the cameras installed throughout the concert hall focused on the male student who yelled out. The crowd was in an uproar as soon as the male student¡¯s face, who looked like someone you should immediately kneel down to and call ¡®hyung¡¯, came on the VCR. ¡°Dool Lo hyung! I love you! Take me!¡± However, the male student paid no attention to them and confessed his love. Dool Lo¡¯s flustered face was captured on the screen. Since Dool Lo¡¯s physique was on the smaller side, the two of them looked even more contradictory, making people burst intoughter. Hukkae calmed the male student down and moved on with the program. "Today''s performance is a freestyle rappetition where each contestant gets 30 seconds! I¡¯m curious which rapper will capture more of the judges¡¯ and all of your ears in the short time of 30 seconds~! Also, don¡¯t forget that there¡¯s a special performance today~!¡± The stage lighting became dark and the first contestant was asked toe up. Trudging up along with the pin lights was a contestant wearing a bright blue school uniform. It was the uniform of an art high school that was so famous, you could recognize it just by looking at the uniform As soon as the contestant¡¯s face came up on the VCR screen, the female students burst into shouts first. The male students were also in an uproar after. Right off the bat, the first contestant was good at rapping, and he was a famous contestant who was very popr with women for having so-called ¡®swag¡¯. The beat and rap started along with the rm signaling the start of the performance. ¡°They¡¯re really good! Wow~!¡± Even though the beat was divided into small segments, the contestant demonstrated a rap that could hold its own against a veteran rapper technique-wise with precise pronunciation. Kim Won waved his hands to the rhythm as he cheered. Within a short time of 30 seconds, the atmosphere of the concert hall was heated up simr to an audition atmosphere. ¡®Season 1 was popr too, but Season 2 was incredibly popr because it has numerous talented people like this participant.¡¯ Do Wook thought as he apuded the participant who said goodbye and headed off stage. ¡®What I asked Baek Ho won¡¯t be too burdensome right?¡¯ Do Wook thought of a definite way to make his mark on a popr program, and his eyes were shining as he pped. The camera discovered that scene and zoomed in on Do Wook. Soon, a painting that only Do Wook can draw, although not great, was going to unfold. ¡ª Chapter 20: Prelude (2) Chapter 20: Prelude (2) The 30 contestants¡¯ performances passed by quickly. Before the end of each performance, the audience gave the contestants a score using the remote they were given. The judges¡¯ critiques were added in between like gamcho*, and interviews of unique participants were also conducted. (TL note: gamcho is an herb verymonly used in herbal medicine) After the 30 performances were done, MC Hukkae got the audience fired up as he introduced the special performance. Finally, three of the Season 1 candidates came on to the stage. When the camera captured the three people¡¯s faces one by one, everyone screamed at the top of their lungs. Most of the audience were fans of , so they had a lot of affection for the three people. Last season¡¯s winner¡¯s poprity was especially obvious. In the previous season¡¯s winner¡¯s situation, he recently debuted with a release of a solo single album. With the full support of people in their teens and 20s, thest season¡¯s winner was having sess to the point that his song was ying on every street. ¡°Yoon Ki hyung! Hey, bro~!¡± Kim Won got excited and called to Jung Yoon Ki who came onto the stage. Just before the intro started to y, with unbelievable timing, Kim Won calling to Jung Yoon Ki could be clearly heard resonating throughout the concert hall. Jung Yoon Ki, who was standing and looking at the stage floor, heard Kim Won¡¯s voice and looked towards where he and Do Wook were. He said he doesn¡¯t know the meaning of nervous, but it was clear that he was trembling now that he¡¯s actually standing on the stage. Jung Yoon Ki''s stiff expression at least loosened after seeing Kim Won, and they could see him smile brightly. Jung Yoon Ki, whoughed at Kim Won, made eye contact with Do Wook who was standing next to him. When Do Wook nodded his head in support, he nodded back in understanding. Soon, the lights turned on and the joint performance started. The performance was missing one of the people they originally expected, but Jung Yoon Ki easily filled that empty spot. It was a song they had performed together before, so there was no awkwardness either. The audience was one that had given a ¡°thumbs up¡± to the preliminary performances'' outstanding participants. However, after the audience saw the performance, they could definitely feel how much better the three of them, who made it to Top 4 inst season¡¯spetition and has been putting effort since then, were. (TL note: For some rification, "Thumbs up" meaning they already knew and liked the participant. Also, we used "candidates" for people in the current season and "participants" for this performance because they were in thest season and aren''t part of Season 2. Lastly, it''s saying that the three people performing currently were significantly better than the candidates who had been performing so far.) The performance following immediately after was Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s solo performance. While the two people went off stage to prepare for their own performances, they had to have Jung Yoon Ki continue directly to his performance. Jung Yoon Ki was ranked lower than the other two so he had nothing to say about the sequence. Jung Yoon Ki started his rap, keeping the heat of the previous performance going. He picked a song that had an emotional melody and lyrics. It was also a song by one of the judges, and a song he decided on after discussing it with Manager Oh because it¡¯s filled with worries of youth that would fit well with . Of course, they also came to the conclusion together because it has a technique-wise incredibly fast rapping part mixed in the middle. Performing it would also be a good way to show how his skills have dramatically improved since the broadcast. Jung Yoon Ki adjusted the microphone. It felt like sweat was leaking out of his palm. He also knew very clearly that this was an opportunity to properly show them what he¡¯s made of just before the debut. ¡°Awesome! Freaking awesome!¡± ¡°Who is that person?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s Jung Yoon Ki fromst season!¡± ¡°Was Jung Yoon Ki that good? It¡¯s crazy!¡± ¡°With that kind of talent, he could do well even on Show You The Money.¡± When Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s performance was over, the hall was in an uproar. They knew that Jung Yoon Ki was also talented enough to get in the final 4, but he was not at this level at the time. When the performance started, it was to the point that everyone couldn¡¯t help but focus on him. Listening to the apaniment finishing, Jung Yoon Ki closed his eyes and felt the cheers pouring onto him for first time since thest performance on . ¡®Yes, this is how it feels! The gaze on me, the cheers for me! To feel this, to stand on a bigger stage, is why I started as a trainee.¡¯ Jung Yoon Ki caught his breath to savor this feeling for as long as possible. After the apaniment waspletely finished, he went off the stage as the audience apuded. Shouting praises to Jung Yoon Ki, Kim Won and Do Wook were filled with pride as if it were happening to them. ¡°Wow¡­!¡± Kim Won eximed with his mouth open. Jung Yoon Ki was a colleague who practiced with him every day, but he was impressed all over again. ¡°Yoon Ki hyung, good job~ Totally!¡± ¡°Haha. I agree.¡± ¡°I want to be on the stage soon too. You too, right?!¡± ¡°¡­..Of course.¡± Do Wook observed what kind of resolve Kim Won, who watched Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s performance, would make. Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s performance seemed to be a good motivator for Kim Won, whopleted trainee life without much difficulty and was about to debut. ¡®Good. Jung Yoon Ki is definitely a trustworthy person. He¡¯ll probably continue to advance to be the top rapper. It¡¯d be good if we could only solve the immediate lyrics problem¡­¡¯ While Do Wook was pondering those thoughts, all the scheduled performances ended. The two of them got up from their seats as they listened to MC Hukkae¡¯s endingments and left the concert hall. Do Wook¡¯s concerns were unfounded. There was no need to worry about Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s lyrics anymore. Jung Yoon Ki, who came down from the stage, ran straight to the waiting room and, before even wiping the sweat dripping down his forehead, took out the notebook and pen he carries in his backpack. ¡°You did great, Yoon Ki¡­¡± Oh Baek Ho, who was approaching Jung Yoon Ki to praise him, promptly closed his mouth. Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s hands were moving furiously. He was pouring the energy and inspiration he received on the stage onto the notebook. His hand couldn¡¯t keep up with his thoughts. As he furiously dragged his pen across the paper, heughed at the thrill. Oh Baek Ho politely turned away the staff who came to check Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s microphone and clothes so he could concentrate. The quiet waiting room was filled only with the sound of Jung Yoon Ki writing lyrics as he matched the rhythm with his feet. *** After leaving the concert hall, Do Wook and Kim Won headed towards the parking lot where the 6 passenger vehicle they came in was parked. There was a substantial crowd of people rushing out at once after the performance ended. Among the crowd were about 3 VJs*, each holding cameras and were interviewing audience members that caught their eye about the preliminary round and the performances. (TL note: VJ is video jockey) Among them was the student with the bulky build who confessed his love to rapper Dool Lo. ¡°Was there anyone who was the most memorable among the contestants today?¡± ¡°Dool Lo! Dool Lo! Rap God Rap King!¡± The students who came crowding around when they saw the camera burst intoughter. However, the male student who yelled ¡®Dool Lo hyung¡¯ was incredibly serious. ¡°Uh¡­Tell me which candidate you think will get the most points today. Candidate. Among the candidates.¡± The female VJ emphasized multiple times to pick from ¡®among the candidates¡¯. The VJs had about three questions. A review of today''s performance, the most memorable candidate, and the candidate they think will get the most points. Since is on a score system, there was of course interest in the score which will decide who passes and who fails, but there was also a lot of interest in who is expected to get the most points out of all the performances. ¡°Dool Lo hyung is¡­ Number one in my heart, but among the candidates, Candidate 1 is¡­¡± The candidate the male student chose was, as expected, Candidate 1. Most of the other students interviewed also voted Candidate 1 will get the most points because he was the most memorable. The next most mentioned was Candidate 20. If Candidate 1 excelled in rap that almost everyone would like, Candidate 20 gave off a slightly depressing vibe. His bangs almost covered his eyes so just looking at him had a depressing vibe and his rap had a simr tone. However, in contrast, the lyrics he had written himself had incredibly beautiful content. A story about outer space and stars; it fell short in appeal but artistically, it was close to being the best. For top scorer, almost everyone picked Candidate 1 in unison. Those who were about to mention Candidate 20 promptly worried, ¡®is my choice too unpopr?¡¯ and ultimately chose Candidate 1. ¡°Baek Ho hyung, Yoon Ki hyung~ they¡¯rete.¡± Kim Won, who had gone past the people being interviewed and was waiting for the two of them at the parking lot entrance, checked the time and muttered. They werete because Jung Yoon Ki was writing lyrics in the waiting room. ¡°It¡¯s probably because they have things to take care of.¡± Do Wook consoled Kim Won, who was squirming out of boredom. At that moment, the female VJ who had been interviewing the male student wasing towards Kim Won and Do Wook. ¡°Excuse me! By any chance, would you like to do an interview?¡± The female VJ who had approached them with the camera asked with a cheerful tone. Kim Won¡¯s ears perked up, reacting to the interesting situation. At the same time, the female students were brazenly stealing nces at Do Wook as they passed by in the parking lot. ¡°¡­an interview?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯d like to get an interview. It¡¯s just a few simple questions, so there¡¯s no need to be nervous. I¡¯d really like to interview you. You have a really good face.¡± Without giving him a chance to decline, the VJ quickly picked up the camera and caught Do Wook¡¯s face on the screen. The VJ felt that her instincts definitely weren¡¯t wrong when she looked at the screen. Kim Won, who was standing next to him, wasn''t bad either. He wasn¡¯t good looking enough to draw in attention, but he had passably attractive features. ¡®There was no need for me to ask Baek Ho hyung separately. Still, it¡¯s better to be certain¡­Either way, it worked out!¡¯ This interview was actually what Do Wook had requested of his manager Oh Baek Ho. It could be edited after the interview anyways, but he asked to record an audience reaction interview. Oh Baek Ho said okay after briefly thinking about it. It wasn¡¯t a very difficult request, and the purpose of the broadcast was to get exposure anyways so it seemed like they could make an even better opportunity. Part of the reason he said okay so willingly was because he knew very well that Do Wook wasn¡¯t the type to say something wrong during an interview. On the contrary, Oh Baek Ho was amazed that Do Wook seemed to be able to paint a bigger picture than even he could. However, the real thing wasn¡¯t the interview appearance itself. It included the content of it too. *** ¡°First, what is your name?¡± Actually, they didn¡¯t have to ask his name, but it was a question that had the VJ¡¯s selfishness mixed in. She wanted to at least know his name. ¡°I¡¯m Kang Do Wook.¡± ¡°Even your name is cool.¡± The VJ spoke honestly like she was talking to herself, then asked the next question. ¡°Among today¡¯s candidates, is there someone who was memorable?¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­Number 20 and Number 26 were memorable.¡± Do Wook purposely didn¡¯t mention Candidate 1, whom everyone mentioned. Everyone who saw the performance today could already tell anyways that Candidate 1 was the favorite to win. The VJ couldn¡¯t hide her surprise when he said Candidate 26. Even though she had researched the candidates ahead of time to prepare for the interview, it was a candidate she couldn¡¯t clearly remember. He wasn¡¯t bad at rapping, but he was so ordinary that he wasn¡¯t very memorable. ¡°Candidate 26 seemed to have very strong fundamentals. He seemed like a talented rapper and I expect him to have good results on the stage in the future.¡± When Do Wook added that, the students who were observing the interview nodded their heads as they recalled their memories. It was such a confident tone that when Do Wook said it¡¯s so, everyone was thinking it feels like it might be true. Among the people who were spectating, there was a female student filming Do Wook with her phone. Some of them took pictures. ¡°He looks like a celebrity. He¡¯s so handsome.¡± ¡°Who is it? It¡¯s even weirder that he¡¯s not a contestant.¡± Even Do Wook heard the whispers. ¡°Then among today¡¯s performances, who do you think will get the highest score?¡± Do Wook paused on purpose. Do Wook knew the content for Season 2 for the most part. It was such a popr program at the time that once the broadcast was over, articles about it would pour out almost daily. ¡°Candidate 20.¡± ¡°Why do you think that?¡± ¡°Even if he doesn¡¯t necessarily get the highest score, to me, he¡¯s already the best. It was a fantastic performance, like seeing apleted art piece. Candidate 20, I saw you for the first time today, but I want to keep cheering you on.¡± Once Do Wook was done talking, the female VJ put down the camera she was holding on her shoulder. He wasn¡¯t just good looking; he was also good at talking. It was also very useful for the broadcast because it was a slightly different answer than the other interviews. ¡°Thank you for doing the interview.¡± ¡°Not at all. I¡¯m the one who¡¯s grateful.¡± The VJ who received a thank you insteadughed happily. Kim Won was also happy like a child saying he was also captured on camera since he was standing next to Do Wook. There were quite a few traineesing as audience members so the VJ was about to ask if he was a trainee. Right at that time, Oh Baek Ho and Jung Yoon Ki came to the parking lot. Oh Baek Ho made a surprised expression as he looked at the VJ. ¡°Oh? How?¡± ¡°Ah, ah~! By any chance, is this the person you¡¯ve been talking about, Manager Oh?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°We already finished the interview. He¡¯s a face you couldn''t just ignore.¡± ¡°Ah, is that so? Haha.¡± Oh Baek Houghed at thepliment of Do Wook. The nearby people who recognized Jung Yoon Ki grabbed their camera and started getting restless. Jung Yoon Ki, it¡¯s Jung Yoon Ki, The voices looking for Jung Yoon Ki were unbelievable. He was already well known among teenagers, but Oh Baek Ho and Do Wook could already tell. ¡®Once the broadcast goes out, getting his name out to more people is only a matter of time!¡¯ Even people who were on their way to the subway station turned around when they saw the crowd gathered around Jung Yoon Ki and Do Wook, drawn in by curiosity. Oh Baek Ho quickly wrapped things up with the VJ and got the members into the car. Like that, after the broadcast, not only Jung Yoon Ki but also Do Wook¡¯s interview caused a big sensation on the inte. Do Wook quickly became well known on the inte. ¡ª Trantor''s Comments: Hello, it''s been a while since I put ament! Thank you all for reading the series, I sincerely appreciate the support! I hope I didn''t go overboard with the rifications in this chapter. Thank you for bearing with it! Chapter 21: Prelude (3) Chapter 21: Prelude (3) Jung Yoon Ki finally submitted the lyrics and got confirmation from Yong PD, allowing the recording of the title song to go smoothly. The title song name and album name was decided, and after that, they moved on to recording ¡®You¡¯ that will be included in the album. There was also a change in theposition of the album. It was obvious that Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s recognizability will rise once starts to air. Thepany wanted to use that in whatever way they could. The idea Do Wook suggested at that moment was to produce and pre-release the intro of the song. "Pre-release the intro?" When he tossed that idea to Yong Soo Chul, who was worried about that part as the album¡¯s sole producer, he reacted immediately. Perhaps because of his peculiar background and his natural disposition, Yong Soo Chul was more open minded than otherposers. He immediately reacted to Do Wook¡¯s idea, which was about a half step faster than others of his time, and thought he could interpret it ording to the trend. Pre-releasing the intro was not a standardized method for idol group album promotion yet. However, if the intro is well made, it definitely has the power to make people listen to the entire KK album. It was his intuition as someone who was a PR employee. This n was also possible because they believed the intro woulde out with outstanding quality. That belief came from their belief in rapper Jung Yoon Ki and PD Yong Soo Chul. ¡°Yes. I think it¡¯d be good if we can showcase Yoon Ki¡¯s rap in a short but strong way.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­ I¡¯ll have to think about it a little more, but it¡¯s good. That¡¯s the direction of what thepany wants too.¡± Yong Soo Chul said he¡¯ll have to think about it, but that very day he started to look for beats to use in the album intro among the beats he had created. He felt around 50 seconds would be enough for the song length. Additionally, he instructed Jung Yoon Ki to write a rap that will go well with the lyrics of ¡®Sorry but I love you¡¯. Thanks to that, KK¡¯s debut album was bing an album that waspleted with a precise storyline. *** Learning the choreography for the title song, the jacket photoshoot, the music video shoot, etc., were done sequentially yet simultaneously. The schedule raged on nonstop. Every waking moment starting from when they opened their eyes, the members moved under Oh Baek Ho¡¯s instructions all day without any free will. Even blinking was determined by the schedule. Although they were yawning and rubbing their sleepy eyes all day, not one of the membersined. It was because they were feeling the debut day getting closer and closer every day. During that time, the broadcast started. In the first episode, Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s performance was aired right away. Sites where hip hop fans gather were a given, but all sorts ofmunities were restless. They were all united in praise of Jung Yoon Ki. Even Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s past season performance was a hot topic, with many opinions stating it¡¯s a shame he only made it to Top 4. On top of that, Do Wook¡¯s interview aired right before they revealed the results of the 1st ce winner of the preliminaries. The candidates Do Wook mentioned were Cadiate 20 and Candidate 26. The candidate he predicted to get the highest score in the first round of performances was Candidate 20. It was an urate prediction. For Do Wook, it wasn¡¯t a prediction since he was just stating a fact he already knew, but he still became a person who made an urate prediction. The person who got the highest score in the first round of performances, breaking everyone¡¯s expectations, was not Candidate 1, but Candidate 20. Everyone expected Candidate 1 because of his poprity, but when judging or scoring them, they had given Candidate 20 the high scores as if they were possessed. urate analysis on top of good looks. Do Wook didn¡¯t just attract people¡¯s attention, he exuded it. There were hundreds, thousands of pictures captured of Do Wook standing in the audience listening to the performances and scenes from his interview that were circting on the inte. The two of them were getting attention at the same time and the inte even found out that Jung Yoon Ki and Do Wook were both trainees at the same agency. HIT Entertainment thought the timing was right and released an article stating they were preparing a group called KK and that it will debut from the end of this month to the beginning of next month. Once it became known that Do Wook was debuting, the minor constraint of going around as a civilian disappeared and even the video of Do Wook¡¯s interview was uploaded. At inte cafes where lots of women go, there were up to a thousandments and posts about the video with a substantial amount of people saying they¡¯d be his fan no matter what if he debuts. [I left ament saying your personality is the best too!!!] Do Wook had been stuck in the rehearsal hall so he hadn¡¯t had much opportunity to enjoy his poprity. Do Wook finally felt like his hard work was paying off after reading the message from his older cousin, Kang Seo Hyun. He received messages from all his friends that they saw him on the inte, even ones that attend different schools. Later, as continued to air, aside from being known for his good looks, Do Wook started to be revered as ¡®Idol of Nostrada¡¯. This was because Candidate 26, whom nobody was paying attention to at the time of the first round performances, gradually showed his skills and became a favorite to win. Do Wook¡¯s interview was a hot topic on the inte so even Candidate 26 mentioned him in an interview, making a half-jokingment that he was thankful that the Idol of Nostrada noticed him. After both Candidate 20 and Candidate 26 advanced to the Top 4, there were rumors saying it was rigged by Do Wook¡¯s agency and the broadcastpany, but when someone gains poprity, it was inevitable to get some bacsh. ¡°Dude, how did you know that Candidate 26 will do well?¡± ¡°Do Wook¡­ I¡¯m getting goosebumps.¡± The members who came down to the conference room where the TV was after receiving instructions to gather were huddled up and watching reruns of , which was the only hobby they enjoyed these days. Do Wookughed at Jung Yoon Ki and Ahn Hyung Seo, who were clicking their tongues while watching the broadcast. ¡°I just said that because I thought Candidate 26 did really well.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, his basic skills were outstanding. Still, he was kind of average that day¡­Dude, your good looks are enough, but you even have a good ear.¡± When Jung Yoon Ki muttered sadly, all the other members nodded in agreement. Just then, RDT Team Leader Im Sung Ahn and Manager Oh Baek Ho came into the conference room. The members immediately tensed up their previously loosened bodies and greeted the two of them. As Team Leader Im Sung Ahn epted the greeting and sat down in the middle of the conference room, Manager Oh Baek Ho changed the channel with the remote and turned on the SVS channel, one of the public broadcasts. It was perfect timing. The performance was ending, and the camera turned back to the MC. ¡°Mr. Lae Im! I heard that you have a very sad story to tell?¡± ¡°Yes, one moment! Let me wipe my tears first. Next week, M2M will be wrapping up its activity for this album. Next week¡¯s goodbye performance¡­Please prepare your hearts and watch the show!¡± ¡°Still, we¡¯ll return very soon so don¡¯t be too sad. I have happy news too! Next week we have a scary rookie¡¯s debut performance prepared.¡± ¡°Yes! KK¡¯s debut performance! Please look forward to it~!¡± ¡°Ok, then the 1st ce nominees¡­¡± Click¨D Oh Baek Ho turned off the TV power. The members¡¯ faces who were watching the TV turned white. Even Do Wook, who usually kept his indifferent face no matter what situation, could not hide his nervousness. They all knew that next week was the debut performance, but it was different hearing their group name being called by famous MCs on air like this. For Do Wook, it wasn¡¯t just a debut performance. He was also preupied over the fact that he might run into M2M. ¡°I¡¯m sure you were all informed, but the debut is next week on SVS''s ¡®Life Song¡¯. Let¡¯s work hard until the very end to prepare for it.¡± ¡°Ok!¡± The members replied to Team Leader Im Sung Ahn¡¯s remarks. Im Sung Ahn then announced the nned schedule. ¡°We¡¯ll release one member¡¯s jacket photo a day, and the music video and online music file will both be released at midnight on the day of the show. The album will be released in stores nationwide on Monday the very next day.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡± Everyone oddly felt like they couldn¡¯t breathe. ¡°Also we¡¯ll start the intro pre-release at midnight today." It started immediately from today. *** KK¡¯s debut became a much bigger event than the original. What Do Wook initially nned for was the debut song to be popr. However, as he prepared for the debut, there was a way to get more poprity more quickly, and it was because it was managed well. The intro started about 80th ce on the music chart. However, because the song was good, people who had heard the intro were all looking forward to the albuming out. Also, with good promotion as Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s official debut first song, there were several articles released and one of them became a portal popr news. Thanks to that, everyone interested in the entertainment industry found out about the jacket photos being released at midnight daily. They had Jung Yoon Ki and Do Wook to draw interest, but KK also had Suk Ji Hoon as a secret card as an interest grabber. As expected, when Suk Ji Hoon was announced, rted articles were overflowing withments asking if it really is the Suk Ji Hoon from Dongui Bogam*, saying he¡¯s all grown up and crying congrattory tears as if he was their own child. (TL note: Dongui Bogam is a medical encyclopedia and means ¡®Mirror of Eastern Medicine.'') The jacket photos were all released, and the entire album sound file and music video was released immediately after. After midnight, the members anxiously observed the public''s reaction while practicing for their debut performance that will take ce on the music broadcast that afternoon. Jung Yoon Ki left a notebookputer connected to one side of the rehearsal hall. Smartphones had been invented a little while back, so it was possible to go on the inte on your phone, but not one of the members owned a smartphone. It was because per policy, cell phone ess had been prohibited for a the time being right before the debut. They could only use phones freely when they left the rehearsal hall and went home, but they barely had enough time to sleeptely and weren¡¯t able to go home from time to time as they used to. Anyways, thanks to being a little behind in thetest product, everyone was huddled around in front of a 17 inch notebookputer. ¡°Hurr, 22nd ce!¡± ¡°22nd ce?¡± Jung Yoon Ki shouted as he refreshed the live music chart. Ranked 22nd on the biggest music chart entity in the nation. It was undoubtedly a good grade for rookies who haven¡¯t even been on stage once yet. Suk Ji Hoon, who had been calmed, asked back, surprised. ¡°That¡¯s crazy! Ugh, my heart!¡± Ahn Hyung Seo rolled around the rehearsal hall floor, causing a ruckus. ¡®It¡¯s a good grade. The song is good so as time passes it¡¯s bound to go up in ranking. It¡¯d be nice if we can get first ce during this promotion¡­¡¯ Do Wook thought once again that he should put his heart and soul into song promot. ¡°Music¡­Let¡¯s watch the music video too¡­¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. Let¡¯s watch the music video.¡± At Park Tae Hyung¡¯s words, Jung Yoon Ki moved his mouse and opened one more inte Starting with the jacket photo release, KK got an official homepage. As expected, the music video was pinned on the home page of the official website right on time. "Oh, my gosh, such a weird feeling! Goosebumps~!¡± The members had already seen the final version of the music video with the CEO, but Kim Won shouted that it felt different watching it as a video that was released to the world. Just then, Oh Baek Ho came into the rehearsal hall holding bags of snacks in both hands. The members were preupied watching the music video even though it was snacks they had been waiting on for so long. Oh Baek Ho had also checked the ranking and music video reactions on his phone before he came. He looked at the members with pride and was also looking forward to the debut performance as much as the members were. ¡ª Chapter 22: Rising Sun (2) Chapter 22: Rising Sun (2) Life Song was a live broadcast. The members, who had stopped by the shop early in the morning to get their hair done and finished two rehearsals wearing the wardrobe they received from the stylist team of Lucas and his assistants, fell into a little bit of a state of panic. Of course, they were fantastic in the rehearsal. Everyone who had seen KK¡¯s performance, from the Life Song PD to the staff in charge of setting up the stage, predicted that it was the birth of a ¡®monster rookie¡¯. Nevertheless, the members were in a state of panic for no other reason than they were extremely nervous. Even Do Wook was no exception. Despite his mental age being over 30 years old, despite having lived this day before, it was the first time in Kang Do Wook¡¯s life. Performing, that is. ¡°How about deciding on a chant?¡± They were rookies that were gaining a lot of attention, but a rookie was still a rookie. KK was sharing a waiting room with an unknown band and a rookie idol girl group. Due to the room being closed off by partitions, the six members andpany staff had no choice but to use the cramped space. Thanks to that, everyone heard the suggestion Do Wook gave in a small voice and perked up their ears. ¡°A chant?¡± Jung Yoon Ki, who took on the role of leader, asked back. The chant yelled to pump themselves up before getting on the stage was determined based on that group¡¯s unique characteristics. Not every team had a chant from the beginning. If an idol group went around loudly yelling a unique slogan during broadcasts, that slogan would be famous along with the group and be one of the identities that showed the characteristics of the group. Shouting a chant before a broadcast was also a good way to have the group¡¯s name stuck in the staff¡¯s head. It was an idea Do Wook thought of while thinking of a way to ease the tension. ¡°I like it, sure!¡± Ahn Hyung Seo got excited, saying ¡®Let¡¯s decide on a chant¡¯ and urging people to give their opinions. He even asked Lucas, who was putting away the outfits, for suggestions. At the end, they decided on one of Kim Won¡¯s ideas as the chant. *** The live broadcast began. KK¡¯s performance was around the end of the show. The tension reached its peak. When the staff called them, the members followed Oh Baek Ho and entered the hallway that connected to the stage. While the members were doing microphone checks etc., and leaving their bodies under the staffs¡¯ care, the new idol girl group, who just finished their performance on the same stage, wereing out one at a time wearing identical outfits. ¡°Wow.¡± Kim Won let out a small exmation after seeing a pretty female member. Then, fearing Oh Baek Ho¡¯s scary vibe, he gasped and closed his mouth. The KK members were wearing free-spirited hip hop style outfits. The clothes were from existing luxury brands, but it looked new because it was reinterpreted using Lucas¡¯s styling. ¡°Just do it like you do in rehearsal, guys.¡± Right before they went up to the stage with Oh Baek Ho¡¯s words in mind, the six of them put their hands together and yelled, ¡°I Kei, you Kei! Let''s go, KK!¡± Then the six of them, who stood on the stage, opened their mouths and couldn¡¯t help but be surprised. KK¡¯s emergence was met with tremendous roars ringing in their eardrums. It was on a different level than experiencing the reactions through the inte. The members almost lost their mind over the fact that there truly was an audience that was waiting for their performance. The outpouring of cheers and attention, and within that the intro for ¡®Sorry but I Love you¡¯ started to flow out. The quiet sonata¡¯s melody split the top of the stage and even a kind of wonder seeped in. ¡®One, Two, Three¡¯, Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s rap matched the beat and the song started in earnest. It was a performance that didn¡¯t have even a single w. Everyone gave it their all. At the part where Ahn Hyung Seo sang the high notes, he could feel the audiences¡¯ eyes and ears gathering on him. Additionally, when it was Do Wook¡¯s part, the early audience who had already heard ¡®Sorry but I Love You¡¯ on the music file were singing along. ¡®Ah¡­!¡¯ At that moment, Do Wook got goosebumps. Do Wook barely fought back his tears. He still very often thought that this very moment might possibly just be a very long dream. He felt like he would be ok with it even if it were a dream. It was a good dream. A dream where what he felt would never achieve came true. Instead of shedding tears, Do Wook sang even harder. A sess. It was a debut performance that could only be described as a sess. Oh Baek Ho was monitoring from below the stage. He was searching through the real time response on the live broadcast page on the inte. It was full ofpliments. He could see that the reactions became hotter every time Do Wook was captured on screen. He checked the article on the portal site. The performance wasn¡¯t even over, but an inte article was already posted using the data that was previously distributed. The reactions in thements were also very good. Lastly, he checked the music chart site once again. ¡®Rank 15?¡¯ The impact of the broadcast wasn¡¯t in effect yet. They rose to Rank 15 since midnight solely from promoting the music video and the power of the song. As Oh Baek Ho was feeling the energy of the unbelievable music chart, he saw the KK membersing down after finishing their performance. The members, who had given it their all, were all drenched in sweat. ¡°You worked hard. Good job. Let¡¯s hurry to the waiting room.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± The members thanked the staff like they had been taught while they received Oh Baek Ho¡¯s encouragement and went into the waiting room. It was at that time. Do Wook¡¯s footsteps stopped. M2M members, who were preparing for their final performance, and Seo Kang Jun were in front of Do Wook¡¯s eyes. Seo Kang Jun. Seo Kang Jun was using the stage name ¡°Seo Jun¡± ever since he debuted with M2M. Even in the past, he only used his real name, ¡°Seo Kang Jun¡±, as-is when he started to debut as an actor. Because of that, the name ¡°Seo Kang Jun¡± was more familiar to the publicter. Even as he was preparing for the debut, Do Wook thought that he would run into him one day, and the MC¡¯sment on Life Song justst week was enough to predict today¡¯s meeting. Beneath the dark stage, Do Wook and Seo Kang Jun¡¯s eyes met. ¡®I ended up meeting him here like this.¡¯ There was shouting exploding from the audience in anticipation of M2M performing next that was on a different level than when KK was on stage. It was only by a few months, but KK was a junior to M2M in the music industry. Even in terms of calendar year, it came out a year after. ¡°Hello. Thank you!¡± Greeting other staff and senior singers, KK members bowed their heads towards the M2M members and staff as they passed by. Do Wook also lowered his head. ¡®Right now I¡¯m just passing by like this, but we¡¯ll run into each other a lot in the future.¡¯ The desire to do something to Seo Kang Jun immediately boiled up. He was no longer the ¡®Kim Bo Myung¡¯ who was sitting on the bathroom floor, crying. ¡®I have to wait until the right time.¡¯ Do Wook quickened his steps, his fist clenched tight. M2M was a typical mystery-centered group. Each member moved within a strictly set concept. It was a group that had the nning power of a big agency called Ara Entertainment, and it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to call it an ideal group that idol fans wanted. Thanks to that, M2M was a rookie but they were growing such a big fandom that it would be embarrassing to call them a rookie. Seo Kang Jun, who was at the center of it, had the image of an untouchable celestial celebrity, seeming even more mystical with a cold yet urban appearance. Because they used stage names on top of being immersed in the mystical concept, personal information like Seo Kang Jun¡¯s school or family situation had not yet spread. However, there must be students who went to the same school, so it was a matter of time until it became known. ¡®Once I find out Seo Kang Jun¡¯s school, it¡¯ll be easier to find this world¡¯s Kim Bo Myung even if my memory has been torn apart.¡¯ Do Wook felt his heart tremble as he thought about it. A sense of fear also arose at the same time. ¡®Even back then, Seo Kang Jun was surrounded by a school violence controversy since I wasn¡¯t the only victim¡­Still, it ended up getting covered up easily. Seo Kang Jun¡¯s father''s power, the agency¡¯s power, and people who already liked Seo Kang Jun and didn¡¯t believe he¡¯s like that¡­¡¯ Instead, the author who posted it on the inte was almost sued for nder and defamation. At that time, Do Wook couldn¡¯t help but feel helpless once again. Do Wook also had to gain strength to never feel such helplessness again. He nned on doing so even if it takes time. He also nned to leave Seo Kang Jun alone to a certain degree so he could rise even higher. ¡®That way, you''ll be punished more properly.¡¯ The KK members entered the waiting room, with Do Wook at the end. Seo Kang Jun, who had been watching them, frowned and cursed quietly when he saw them. ¡°What¡¯s with that bastard¡­?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Jun?¡± The manager who had been standing in front of Seo Kang Jun asked, surprised. The manager was anxious every day trying to make sure Seo Kang Jun was careful of what he said. On Director Seo¡¯s special orders, the M2M manager was managing Seo Kang Jun almost exclusively. ¡°There¡¯s an asshole giving me the stink eye.¡± ¡°D¡­ Don¡¯t pay attention to it! You have to go on stage!¡± It happened to be time to go on stage. The manager urgently pushed Seo Kang Jun. *** "Ahhh, that''s awesome!" If it were any other time, Jung Yoon Ki would have told Ahn Hyung Seo to be quiet and berated him about his overly excited shout, but Jung Yoon Ki was feeling happy too. The members couldn¡¯t stop smiling. The members, who had arrived at the office, were congratted by the RDT and Album Production Team staff who hade out even on a Sunday to celebrate KK¡¯s debut. PD Yong Soo Chul was also present. The people who had gathered watched the performance together first. ¡°Wow, I¡¯ve seen him before!¡± Kim Won shouted when the camera showed a fan holding a banner cheering at KK¡¯s performance. It was because it was a fan he had seen in front of the agency. Ahn Hyung Seo shrugged his shoulders and was filled with joy, saying it was his fan. After watching the performance, they took the time to point out what areas were awkward due to being nervous and other shorings, but that was brief and they focused on spreading today¡¯s joy. They cut the simple cake they bought from the bakery all together. As they were eating the cake, they felt like the hardship they went through together was worth it. ¡°Hyung, hyung! Now the real-time ranking!¡± Midnight had passed and it was time for the music chart ranking to change. At Ahn Hyung Seo¡¯s urging, Manger Oh took out his phone from his pocket. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡± ¡°What is it, what rank are we?¡± ¡°Seriously. What rank are we?¡± Even RDT Ahn Young Mi urged Oh Baek Ho to answer. ¡ª Chapter 23: Rising Sun (3) Chapter 23: Rising Sun (3) ¡°10th ce.¡± The music ranking rose to 10th ce over the span of a day. They were speechless for a brief moment, then everyone apuded Yong Soo Chul. ¡°Don¡¯t get too excited, everyone. This is just the beginning.¡± RDT Team Leader Im Sung Ahn said as she cleaned up the area. Her words were out of concern and encouragement rather than with the intention of breaking the upbeat vibe. Everyone knew that¡¯s what she meant and genuinely took her words to heart. Do Wook assessed the path going forward. ¡®10th ce. I¡¯m looking forward to sales of the album that will be released tomorrow.¡¯ As MP3 yers were trending and music file sites started to appear, CD sales didn¡¯t have the same prestige as before. It was even safe to say that there were barely any people who actually listened to albums these days now that there were smartphones. Nevertheless, CD sales were meaningful because it was practical in demonstrating the size of the fandom. Also, CD sale revenues, unlike music files where the distributor got most of the profits, were financially meaningful because it was the system that had thergest investment returns for copyright holders. ¡°First of all, we¡¯ll be going around to all the music shows in the broadcastpany this week¡­We have to distribute autographed CDs, so be ready to sign tomorrow.¡± The members¡¯ jaws dropped when he mentioned autographs. Park Tae Hyung was visibly flustered. ¡°Is it because you don¡¯t have a signature?¡± Do Wook asked Park Tae Hyung, who was frozen. When he responded ¡®yes¡¯, Ahn Hyung Seo confidently said that making a signature was quick and to leave it to him. Other members had already made signatures while they were living the trainee life. Come to think of it, Do Wook also didn¡¯t have a signature yet. When he thought of making a signature, he somewhat started to feel like he became a celebrity. ¡°You all familiarized yourselves with the lines for the team introduction and album introduction that we distributed, right?¡± The members flinched and nodded their heads to Team Leader Im¡¯s question, who was being mindful of future appearances in radio and entertainment programs, etc. ¡°KK is an abbreviation for King¡¯s Key¡­ A boy hip-hop group that is leading the generation¡­They are also an artist group that actively participates in the album production¡­¡± Jung Yoon Ki, who was in charge of lines regarding introducing the overall team vibe and team name etc, mutteredpulsively. ¡°Producer Brave Only Childposed¡­¡± Ahn Hyung Seo, who was in charge of introducing the title song, also recited the lines he memorized like a vending machine. The two of them were only able to stop memorizing the lines once the team leaders and Manager Oh were satisfied. It was time to clean up the area and leave the rehearsal hall. Team Leader Shim Jun called Do Wook privately. ¡°Do Wook, can I talk to you for a second?¡± ¡°You mean me?¡± ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s go up to PD Yong¡¯s studio together and talk.¡± As Do Wook looked around, Manager Oh was already leaving with the other members as if he already knew the situation. The other members, who didn¡¯t know the reason, looked curious. ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ There was nothing that particrly happened recently so it couldn¡¯t be something bad, but he was still curious what was going on. As they watched Do Wook follow Team Leader Shim to somewhere else, the members felt curious as well as anxious. *** Three people entered what was originally a public studio for thepany, but was now Yong Soo Chul¡¯s personal studio. And in the room was Kwon Ji Hyung, a member of Monster. Kwon Ji Hyung was wearing a yellow hoodie with the hood over his head, sitting cross legs on the studio sofa. When he saw the three peoplee in, he stood up from his seat. ¡®Why is Kwon Ji Hyung here?¡¯ Do Wook politely greeted his sunbae* Kwon Ji Hyung out of reflex. Despite being in the same agency, Monster finished their album events and was on break, so it was their first time meeting in the office face to face. (TL note: sunbae is the tern used for someone more senior/experienced) ¡°It¡¯s the first time you guys are meeting, right? As you know, this is Ji Hyung, a member of Monster.¡± At Team Leader Shim¡¯s introduction, Do Wook properly greeted Kwon Ji Hyung again. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Are you that famous rookie? You¡¯re handsome, as I¡¯ve heard.¡± ¡°What?¡± Kwon Ji Hyung said and smirked. Team Leader Shimughed as he introduced Do Wook. ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯ve been bragging about you so much. This is KK¡¯s Do Wook.¡± Monster was mid-aged* in the idol world and had already released four albums. Kwon Ji Hyung: age 25. He was young, but for an idol, it wasn¡¯t a particrly young age. (TL note: Not "middle aged", as in old. Mid-aged as in the age of the members were in the middle range among idols) Do Wook grabbed the hand that Kwon Ji Hyung yfully held out. Team Leader Shim led the two of them, who were shaking hands, to the seat. Kwon Ji Hyung and Do Wook sat side by side, while Yong Soo Chul and Team Leader Shim Jun sat across from them. ¡°PD Yong has been preparing Monster''s 5th album recently.¡± Do Wook finally knew why Kwon Ji Hyung came to Yong Soo Chul¡¯s studio after Team Leader Shim¡¯s exnation. Actually, as Monster¡¯s leader, Kwon Ji Hyung was the one member of Monster who was talented inposing. ¡°The song Ji Hyung wrote will be a track in the album. Although, the PD will probably do the arrangement. ¡°Ahh¡­Is that so? That¡¯s impressive.¡± Do Wook sincerelyplimented Kwon Ji Hyung. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I heard you know how topose too. PD Yongplimented you.¡± Kwon Ji Hyung said, his eyes shining like he was intrigued. He knew Do Wook¡¯s age. He was barely 19 now. He thought about when he was 19. Back then, he was busy preparing for his debut, and when he was active, he was busy with events. He only got interested inposing after finishing the events for the 3rd album. It¡¯s easy to be distracted by shy things at 19. Ultimately, as a musician, there was no field that only doesposition. Kwon Ji Hyung felt it was interesting and amazing that Do Wook was interested inposition, a field that¡¯s not in the public eye. ¡°It¡¯s embarrassing to say I know how to do it. I¡¯m barely a novice that¡¯s still learning.¡± ¡°Beginner? you¡¯ve already written a song. You have great sense, Do Wook, so you¡¯ll learn it even faster.¡± Yong Soo Chul stepped up and encouraged Do Wook in response to his humble reply. There was a practice song he had written as he was learning from Kim Soom. When he yed it for her, she was extremely surprised and said that it¡¯s better than most newposers'' songs. However, Do Wook thought it still fell short. Therefore, to get some advice, he emailed Yong Soo Chul the song heposed even though he was busy. He did not get any significant feedback on that email so he thought Yong Soo Chul was either too busy or it wasn¡¯t good enough to reallyment on. He didn¡¯t know Yong Soo Chul would bring it up like this. Do Wook tried to shake his head, but Team Leader Shim Jun interjected, ¡°Yes. That¡¯s why I called you, Do Wook. Won¡¯t it be hard for you to learnposition outside now that you¡¯ll be busy with events?¡± ¡°Ahh¡­That¡¯s definitely true.¡± Do Wook had been concerned about that anyways. It would be hard to take time out of his schedule to take separate lessons while he¡¯s active. ¡°What do you think about working on a project together with PD Yong? You can also learn moreposing at the same time.¡± Do Wook alternated between looking at Team Leader Shim and PD Yong Soo Chul, not knowing how to respond. Kwon Ji Hyung whistled. ¡°Won¡¯t I get in the way?¡± ¡°Well¡­I never formally learned either so I won¡¯t be able to teach you. I don¡¯t think it¡¯d be bad to just try it together as we talk¡­¡± Yong Soo Chul muttered, somehow looking embarrassed. It was a hesitant tone that didn¡¯t match hisrge figure. Yong Soo Chul, who had only worked alone so far, truly enjoyed talking about how Do Wook gave him the idea for the song and sharing their inspirations regarding the song. Because of that, he eagerly came forward first when he heard that Team Leader Shim was thinking of assigning aposition teacher to Do Wook. Additionally, Yong Soo Chul was the person who told Team Leader Shim that Do Wook was not simply interested inposing, but also had the talent to actuallypose songs. ¡°I¡¯m honored.¡± Like that, Do Wook ended upposing songs together with PD Yong Soo Chul when he had free time during his activities. Yong Soo Chul and Kwon Ji Hyung decided to work on the rest of the project, and Do Wook left the studio with Team Leader Shim. Only after getting in the elevator did Do Wook sigh at the bted realization. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Team Leader Shim Jun wondered and Do Wook politely replied that it¡¯s nothing. It really was nothing serious. ¡®I should have gotten Kwon Ji Hyung¡¯s autograph.¡¯ It was because he remembered his cousin Kang Seo Hyun toote. However, they will probably asionally meet at PD Yong Soo Chul¡¯s studio anyways. Do Wook felt he was someone he¡¯d run into for various reasons. ¡°Ah, Team Leader Shim. I have something I want to ask you.¡± Do Wook stopped Team Leader Shim Jun as they got off the elevator. Team Leader Shim Jun willingly replied that he could ask anything. ¡°I was wondering if it¡¯d be possible to make cheering tools or something.¡± "¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Cheering tools?" ¡°Yes.¡± It was a thought he had after seeing the fans supporting KK during the debut performance today. Until now, the individual fans only held different colored balloons corresponding to their team or waved disposable glow sticks as cheering tools. Personally-made cards and banners were also used during a performance a lot, but they weren¡¯t cheering tools that gave a sense of unity since they were all different. ¡®If you make cheering tools that are exclusive to KK, fans who like KK will be special. It¡¯ll feel like a privilege¡­¡¯ If they manufactured and distributed premium cheering tools directly made by thepany, the fans could feel like they owned a special item different from the other fandoms within the fandom world instead of a balloon or disposable glow sticks that could only be used once. ¡®That will have a positive impact on improving KK¡¯s image¡­¡¯ That¡¯s not all. When he was in the PR department, one of the big businesses in the department was, in fact, the ¡°goods¡± business. Manufacturing cheering tools would be the start of that business. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. That¡¯s up to Fan-Marketing. The color of the balloon isn¡¯t even decided yet. You¡¯re already thinking about cheering tools on your first day of debuting? Good, good. Futuristic ideas like that!¡± Team Leader Shim Jun, who already only had positive interpretations when it came to Do Wook, tapped his shoulder. ¡°On that topic, I had an idea. If it¡¯s okay with you, I¡¯d like to tell you about itter.¡± ¡°Well, we''re opening a fan caf¨¦ and I¡¯ll have to meet with that team¡¯s manager during that process anyways. I¡¯ll tell the team leader of the Fan-Marketing Team ahead of time as well.¡± ¡°Ah, If you could do that, I¡¯d appreciate it.¡± ¡°No need to thank me.¡± Team Leader Shim Jun smiled at Do Wook, surprised once again by his unimaginably deep thoughts. ¡ª Trantor''sments: Hello! We''re almost at the end of Volume 1! I hope you''re all excited! Quick announcement that Daylight Savings Time ends in the US this weekend. This means that the upload schedule will be changed from 10:00pm PDT to 10:00pm PST. For those not affected by Daylight Savings time change, the uploads will be one hour LATER. Thank you~ Chapter 24: Rising Sun (4) Chapter 24: Rising Sun (4) The other members, who who had been waiting for Do Wook at the dormitory, were in a hurry to ask him what had happened as soon as he got back. They could have asked Oh Baek Ho about it, but hadn¡¯t been able to work up the courage to ask him because they were afraid. When they heard he would be working onposing a song with PD Yong Soo Chul, the members¡¯ jaws dropped in surprise. There was nothing to envy. The members simply shook their heads at what a different level Do Wook was at. Afterwards, the KK members and the staff in charge of them were all busy day in and day out as they continued doing music broadcast appearances. If you put together the 3 public broadcastworks, including the cablework¡¯s music broadcast, there were music broadcasts every day except Monday. Their schedule continued to be: wake up at dawn every day to get their hair done at the shop, rehearse all morning and afternoon while they were on standby, and then do the broadcast in the evening. Meanwhile, the ranking for ¡®Sorry but I Love You¡¯ was rising one step every day. ¡®Sorry but I Love You¡¯ was frequently ying on the streets, but for the members who traveled strictly to only the office, dormitory, and broadcast studio everyday, it was hard to feel the extent of the reactions. The only thing the members themselves could verify was the music chart ranking. Sunday came around again. It was the day of their second performance on ¡®Life Song¡¯ after finishing their debut performances at all the broadcast studios. KK shared the waiting room with other singers this time as well while they waited for their turn to perform. Still, since it was their second time there, none of the members were as nervous as they were the first time. Kim Won was even dozing off on a chair in the corner. ¡°What ce are we now?¡± After he saw the clock hanging on the wall, Ahn Hyung Seo grabbed Cody and asked. Cody shouted to Ahn Hyung Seo, annoyed by him asking every hour. ¡°4th ce, 4th ce! I said 4th ce!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you happy about it nuna*? Why are you getting angry?¡± (TL note: nuna is what younger males call older females. Cody is a female) When Ahn Hyung Seo started grumbling, Park Tae Hyung, who was sitting quietly next to them and listening to the conversation, smiled lightly. ¡°Ahn Hyung Seo. Kang Do Wook!!!¡± Oh Baek Ho, who had gone to meet with the PD in charge of Life Song, came in and called Ahn Hyung Seo and Do Wook. Ahn Hyung Seo jumped out of his seat when Oh Baek Ho called them with the overflowing-with-ki, shout-of-concentration type of voice that he often used when he¡¯s angry or had an important message to deliver. "Yes! Yes?" Do Wook, who was sitting on one side of the room thinking about the project he¡¯s working on with Yong Soo Chul, also looked at Oh Baek Ho. "You two need to get ready!" And behind Oh Baek Ho, Sul Lae Im, who was known as the nation¡¯s sweetheart and one of the MCs for Life Song, poked her head in and came inside. The members'' eyes opened wide at the sudden visit from a star whose poprity was iparable to the current KK. *** SVS Broadcast Station Life Song Meeting Room. Once it was confirmed that the male MC who normally worked with Sul Lae Im would be absent for next week¡¯s recording due to a sudden overseas assignment, the Life Song production team held an urgent conference. Next week. It was like their heels were set on fire. ¡°If only M2M was active right now¡­ Seo Kang Jun would have been perfect! Don¡¯t you think it¡¯d be perfect if we put him next to our Lae Im? Perfect!¡± Life Song¡¯s PD said, almostmenting. Right now, it was off-season for idols and any idols worth their salt were taking a break from their activities. It would be hard to find a suitable person. One of the writers, who had been looking through list of cast members and new male actors for the past few weeks, hesitantly asked the producer about having KK as a special MC. The response to KK¡¯s broadcasts and how quickly their rank was rising on the music chart was surprising. ¡°KK? Aren¡¯t they total noobs?¡± ¡°They arepletely new, but the public response has been exceptionally good these past few days. I think they¡¯ll make it big. I also think it¡¯d be good to show a fresh face and get ahead of the story rather than using someone mediocre who¡¯s not popr.¡± ¡°Hmmmm¡­¡± Life Song¡¯s producer had been observing KK¡¯s debut performance since their rehearsal and thought they were a group whose pace and skills were good. However, blindly putting an idol member who just debuted and whose skills as an MC hadn¡¯t been verified at all was unheard of. ¡°Speaking-wise, the only thing I¡¯ve heard them say is ¡®hello, thank you¡¯. Do you think it¡¯d be ok to put people like that on a live broadcast? Writer Kim, this is a live broadcast, live.¡± ¡°Oh? Producer-nim*, you haven¡¯t seen the Student Rapper video?¡± (TL note: nim is used to show respect) Another one of the writers asked the PD. She was already halfway to bing KK¡¯s fan because of Student Rapper. ¡°Student Rapper? Was there someone who appeared on Student Rapper in that team?¡± ¡°Yes, they have someone who was on Student Rapper. Also, please look at the video of that interview. That person, Kang Do Wook, was very good at speaking to the point that he would be good as a regr MCter on once he gets really popr.¡± Since the writers were praising them, the PD was showing a rather positive response too. One of the writers quickly found the full version video of Do Wook¡¯s interview on the inte and showed it to the PD. The PD, who finished watching the video, asked right away. ¡°Which entertainmentpany are they with?¡± ¡°HIT Entertainment.¡± ¡°Ah, Manager Oh¡¯s kids? Then they¡¯re trustworthy. They will also be hereter right? Let¡¯s call Manager Oh as soon as he gets here and coordinate with him. Still, it''s nerve-wracking to just put one of them up there so let''s add one more talented kid as the MC too and have 3 MCs.¡± "Yes, sir!" ¡°You guys call them and have them rehearse too, so there won''t be any idents.¡± "Yes!" And so, members of KK were chosen to be the special MC for next week¡¯s Life Song. *** When Oh Baek Ho heard this, he went with a happy heart straight to KK¡¯s waiting room where the members were. He met Sul Lae Im in front of the waiting room. And then¡­ ¡°Su¡­ Sul Lae Im?¡± When Sul Lae Im appeared, Ahn Hyung Seo muttered her name without realizing it. ¡°Hello~ Nice to meet you! I enjoyed your performancest week~!¡± ¡°Ah¡­! Hello.¡± At Sul Lae Im¡¯s lively greeting, which felt like theughing emoji was attached to the end of every sentence, Ahn Hyung Seo greeted her back with a puzzled expression. Park Tae Hyung, who was shy around strangers, simply smiled. The members, who had been scattered around, gathered and awkwardly greeted Sul Lae Im. It was their first time greeting a celebrity not part of the same agency who reciprocated their greeting instead of it being one-sided. And it was Sul Lae Im, the nation''s sweetheart, no less. Sul Lae Im was now neen years old. She debutedst year as the female lead in the drama, with a role about school days. Even though she only appeared up to the fourth episode, she caught the attention of the viewers with her excellent tear-jerking performance. She had a friendly image like a little sister* next door, but at the same time, she was someone whose beauty was something you could never find in your neighborhood. With a cheerful personality in real life on top of that, it was not an exaggeration to say that half of everyone in the nation, regardless of age or gender, was a fan of Sul Lae Im. From teenage school boys to men and women of all ages. (TL note: brother/sister is not only used for blood rted rtives in Korea) ¡®Right now, she¡¯s the nation¡¯s cute little sister loved by everyone, but 10 yearster, she¡¯ll sessfully have a shocking change in her acting and will even get into Cannes.¡¯ (TL note: Referring to the film festival held in Cannes, France founded in 1946.) Do Wook was looking at Sul Lae Im¡¯s future. For now, she¡¯s an MC on an entertainment show, but in just a few years, it¡¯ll be hard to see her unless it¡¯s a masterpiece drama or ChungMuRo*. (TL note: Referring to ChungMuRo International Musical Film Festival.) Oh Baek Ho exined to the members, who were bewildered by the sudden appearance of Sul Lae Im, ¡°Do Wook, Hyung Seo, you guys will be the special MCs for next week. You¡¯ll be working with Ms. Lae Im here, so say hello. Lae Im, over here is Ahn Hyung Seo and this is Kang Do Wook.¡± ¡°Hello.¡± Do Wook politely bowed his head at Sul Lae Im. Do Wook normally wore his bangs down, but he currently had his hair back for the performance. When he greeted her with a perfect body, including his straight forehead and bridge of his nose that were both exposed and even the line that the shape of his mouth made, Sul Lae Im blushed a little. She had seen plenty of good looking people in the broadcast station, but something was different. Do Wook had a deep vibe that was unique to him. In fact, evenst time when she was observing KK¡¯s performance from the MC seat, Sul Lae Im thought Do Wook really stood out. ¡°¡­By the way, a special MC?¡± Do Wook asked Oh Baek Ho. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s next week, so there won¡¯t be much time to rehearse. Still, we thought it¡¯d be good for you guys to get familiar with each other ahead of time so you can be in sync¡­ Honestly, the proper thing would be for us to have gone to Ms. Lae Im¡¯s waiting room.¡± Oh Baek Ho said while walking on eggshells around Sul Lae Im. Oh Baek Ho, who heard about the special MC from the Life Song PD, immediately consulted with thepany and chose the other member to be sent as MC along with Kang Do Wook, the member the Life Song PD had chosen. Without needing a long discussion, Ahn Hyung Seo, who had a lot of talents, was the member chosen to be the MC based on Oh Baek Ho¡¯s opinion. Oh Baek Ho was about to take the two of them to introduce them to Sul Lae Im but ran into her in front of the waiting room. Sul Lae Imughed at Oh Baek Ho¡¯s words and added, ¡°I had a feeling you were going toe say hi~! Rather than multiple people moving, it¡¯s morefortable if I move since it¡¯s just one of me.¡± Looks were one thing, but she was a truly good-natured girl. A calm smile came on everyone¡¯s face. ¡°Then I look forward to working with you next week~!¡± The sentiment should have been given the other way around. When Oh Baek Ho waved his hand and was about to respond, the waiting room door opened again and a man who looked tough enough to put Oh Baek Ho or Yong Soo Chul to shame entered. It was Sul Lae Im¡¯s manager, who hade to bring her back. ¡°Ms. Sul Lae Im, I¡¯m a fan! I¡¯ll give it my all!¡± Ahn Hyung Seo yelled to Sul Lae Im, who was returning with her manager and had her back turned. Jung Yoon Ki stopped Ahn Hyung Seo, saying it was embarrassing. ¡°Wow, angel, she¡¯s an angel~!¡± Ahn Hyung Seo was not the only one that had to be stopped. Kim Won was jumping excitedly while praising Sul Lae Im. "Am I dreaming? I''m a huge fan of Sul Lae Im!¡± ¡°She¡¯s prettier up close.¡± Suk Ji Hoon also agreed with what Ahn Hyung Seo said. It was something even Jung Yoon Ki had no choice but to admit. Oh Baek Ho immediately put down the excited members. ¡°You guys!¡± It was obvious what he was going to say next. Oh Baek Ho would always say, almost like breathing, that while you¡¯re active as an idol you had to be careful about cell phones, women, and alcohol at all times. It was a rule that was strictly applied, especially for rookie idols in particr. The members shut their mouths as soon as they heard ¡®you guys!¡¯ because they¡¯ve heard the rest of it already. ¡ª Trantor''sments: Next week''s chapter marks the end of Volume 1! Hope you are all excited~ Chapter 25: Rising Sun (5) Chapter 25: Rising Sun (5) Monday morning. RDT Team Leader Im Sung Ahn was the first to arrive at the office again and opened the fortune cookie lid. [Autumn is the season for harvest.] Second week of March. It was definitely spring right now. There were absurd fortunes like these in the cookies once in a while. ¡®Either way, it must mean it''ll bear fruit.¡¯ Interpreting it however she wanted, Team Leader Im decided to start the day in a good mood. More than anything, today was one week since KK¡¯s album was released in offline shops. It was the day the album¡¯s sales record since its releasest week and the popr national chart, ¡®Cho Dong¡¯, was totaled. It was a good indicator to see where KK¡¯s starting line was. Checking and analyzing this chart was RDT¡¯sst official KK-rted task. From here on out, designated people from the Album Production Team and Fan Marketing Team would be responsible for growing KK and the RDT would go back to focusing on finding and developing trainees. "What is this?!¡± Team Leader Im, who had gone to the national chart site and clicked on the menu, frowned. After the album was released, Team Leader Im Sung Ahn sometimes looked at the daily chart and felt that the response was good, but she didn¡¯t know it was to this extent. She repeatedly checked the monitor and recounted the numbers several times. ¡®40,000 albums when they¡¯d been going on only music broadcasts for a week?¡¯ It would have been impossible to do so without gaining enough concrete fans to be called a ¡®fandom¡¯. Team Leader Im Sung Ahn¡¯s thought was correct. It¡¯s now been a week since KK debuted, but they already had rtively set fans. There were already lots of people who became fans of two of KK¡¯s members, Jung Yoon Ki and Kang Do Wook, through Student Rapper. There had not been any outstanding idol groups since M2M, so idol fans who had been wandering took an interest in KK, which also yed a huge role. The fans quickly attached to them because when they opened the lid of KK, the rookie they had high hopes for, they were better than expected. At that moment, RDT¡¯s youngest member Ahn Young Mi entered the office and greeted Team Leader Im. ¡°Young Mi, have you seen KK¡¯s sales numbers?!¡± ¡°Did you check, Team leader? When I looked on Friday, it was around 20,000 copies¡­¡± Considering that the music market was dead these days, 20,000 was already an amazing number. However, they had sold 10,000 copies a day over the span of the weekend for a total of 20,000 extra copies. ¡°It¡¯s 40,000.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ahn Young Mi also couldn¡¯t help but be surprised. The music chart ranking as of today was 2nd ce. ¡°If it¡¯s to this extent¡­¡± With a cautious tone, Ahn Young Mi started to speak. Team Leader Im caught on right away what Ahn Young Mi was going to say. "That¡¯s right, at this rate 1st ce is just around the corner.¡± *** Before the members could say anything about the surprising initial numbers they received, Oh Baek Ho also told them a new piece of information. ¡°I also have one more piece of news.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°What is it?! Wow, now when you say you have something to tell us, I¡¯m not worried at all; I get excited!¡± Jung Yoon Ki and Ahn Hyung Seo asked. The members were sitting around in an empty conference room personally signing the CDs they would be distributing at the radio recording scheduled for next week. ¡®I knew it would go well, but this is going beyond what I imagined.¡¯ Do Wook thought as he waited for what Oh Baek Ho had to say. ¡°You guys are this week¡¯s special MC for Life Song¡­¡± ¡°We already know that! Do Wook and I are practicing every night while watching old Life Song episodes so don¡¯t worry!¡± Ahn Hyung Seo exined in an excited voice, thinking of working together with Sul Lae Im. Oh Baek Oh grinned. ¡°You¡¯re also a nominee for 1st ce!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡­I can¡¯t believe it¡­¡± ¡°What did you say, Manger Oh?¡± They all reacted like they couldn¡¯t believe it. When Suk Ji Hoon asked Oh Baek Ho one more time, Oh Baek Ho told them the happy news once again. KK was a nominee for first ce. Currently, music broadcast programs were in the middle of a change. At first, with the emergence of music file sites, people weren¡¯t buying records anymore unless they were a fan and there were criticisms that the importance of ranking based on records numbers was outdated. Therefore, broadcastworks took action. They decreased the weight album sales had on the ranking calction and added music files to the calction. However, as usual, they received usations that they were being more generous with the rankings for idols from big agencies. On top of that, the viewer ratings were dropping more and more and crawled on the floor. Broadcastworks, who were struggling to put together a format that would regain their viewers¡¯ trust, ultimately decided to repeal the ranking system. ¡®It¡¯ll be revived before long because of problems with broadcastworks¡¯ rights etc., but currently, Life Song is the one who gives out rankings during a public music broadcast. The one and only ce!¡¯ Do Wook stopped his hand, which was working hard to do the autograph and dwelled on this happiness. ¡®Nominee for 1st ce. It¡¯s already a big aplishment for a rookie to be a nominee within 2 weeks.¡¯ KK was growing gradually as Do Wook wanted. No, faster than that, taking big strides. Do Wook grabbed the pen he was holding even tighter in his hand and resolved once again to beat M2M. *** Day of the Life Song broadcast. Do Wook and Ahn Hyung Seo had to work twice as much as they did for other music broadcast schedules. Even for rehearsals, they did performance rehearsal and MC rehearsal at the same time and had to constantly change outfits. ¡°You two don¡¯t seem like it¡¯s your first time~! You¡¯re doing really well.¡± ¡°Oh, really? Thank you, Lae Im.¡± Sul Lae Im said to Do Wook and Ahn Hyung Seo after they finished rehearsing up to the MC¡¯s ending remarks. Oh Baek Ho and Sul Lae Im¡¯s manager were each monitoring the screen from the audience seat in front of the stage, which was empty for now. The KK members were also sitting in the corner of the audience seat and watched their fellow members rehearse. Ahn Hyung Seo squirmed as he answered. Sul Lae Im covered her mouth with the cue cards andughed. It wasn¡¯t a lie that he was good, but honestly, Ahn Hyung Seo was a little awkward because he was nervous. Sul Lae Im alsoplimented him to put him at ease. Hyun Joo Hyuk, the PD for Life Song, came onto the stage and looked at the final directing before the live broadcast. ¡°Ok. Everyone is doing well considering it¡¯s the first time. When you¡¯re doing the ending, we have to get all of you in the middle monitor so get very close to each other. When Lae Im stands here where it¡¯s marked with tape, you two stand on either side of her. Make sure you remember that.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± It captivated PD Hyun Joo Hyuk¡¯s heart that Do Wook didn¡¯t hesitate and immediately replied politely. He really wanted Do Wook as the MC next season because he didn¡¯t ignore any remarks and his pronunciation was very clear. ¡°Since you guys are nominees for first ce, you can stand here next to the MC. Understand?¡± Hyun PD, who happened to see the KK members in the audience, eximed. After the first ce nominees were announced on Life Song, the members borrowed the staffs¡¯ phones and their entire family¡¯s names and were participating in the Life Song online voting. The members, who were in the middle of voting, got startled, shot up from their seats, and replied. ¡°Yes!¡± The sound of the KK members¡¯ boisterous response reverberated in the studio. ¡°Ah, Manager Oh. Why did you discipline these kids so much?¡± Hyun PD, who seemed to be in a good mood, asked as he snickered. Oh Baek Ho jokingly answered that he lightly disciplined them. KK entered the broadcast, still bewildered that they were the first ce nominees. Do Wook was anxious that everything was working out so well. The broadcast started with Sul Lae Im¡¯s opening remark that she¡¯d be working with a special MC. ¡°Ok~! Today I¡¯ll tell you the song nominated for first ce. What kind of song is it, Do Wook?¡± ¡°First is by Gae Na Ri, which has been causing a spring rain by being first ce for 2 consecutive weeks.¡± Do Wook said the remark with a voice that was one tone higher, different than his normal voice. Hyun PD, who had been checking the broadcast on his phone, smiled contentedly over the cheerful voice that wasn¡¯t too excessive or subdued. Do Wook thought as he introduced Gae Na Ri, ¡®Gae Na Ri? Spring Rain was very popr, but after that, she didn¡¯t release any other popr songs. The first ce nominees have changed, so there¡¯s no way for me to know who will be first ce¡­ But I think there was something involving Gae Na Ri.¡¯ It was a sudden thought, and he couldn¡¯t think about it too deeply during a live broadcast. Sul Lae Im continued the remark. ¡°It¡¯s a truly heart warming song!~ Andpeting against her are the people next to me, who are also nominees for first ce. It¡¯s super rookie KK¡¯s !¡± ¡°Please look forward to who will be named first ce, everyone! Here¡¯s the first performance!¡± Ahn Hyung Seo winked and responded to Sul Lae Im¡¯s remark. He was showcasing his talents on a live broadcast. Comments asking who the person winking is quickly came up on the inte. Once KK and even Gae Na Ri safely finished their performances, that was the end of all the singers¡¯ performances. Ahn Hyung Seo stammered in the middle, but today¡¯s special MC was received as an amazing MC without any big mistakes. Now all that was left was to announce the first ce nominee. All the cast members wereing onto the stage to watch the first ce nominee announcement. Like a pro, Sul Lae Im stood urately on the location that was marked with tape during rehearsal. Ahn Hyung Seo and Do Wook also stood close on either side of her. The KK members stood next to Ahn Hyung Seo, and Gae Na Ri stood next to Do Wook. Do Wook looked at Camera 1 that was in the center and waited for next week¡¯s preview VCR to finish. ¡®Ah, that ident!¡¯ Like a sh, an article he had read a while back came to mind then disappeared. There was an aspect he hadn¡¯t noticed because the situation changed little by little due to KK¡¯s progress. However, based on what he¡¯d encountered so far, big events did not change. ¡®On the second week of March, an ident happens on Life Song! That¡¯s now!¡¯ ¡ª Trantor''sments: DUN DUN DUNNNNNNNNNNNNN Chapter 26: Rising Sun (6) Chapter 26: Rising Sun (6) The summary of the headline of the article Do Wook had seen was something along those lines. Sul Lae Im injured her leg badly enough to be hospitalized for 4 weeks, and Gae Na Ri ended up getting injured too as she tried to avoid Sul Lae Im, who was falling. That was the whole story of the ident from this broadcast. The situation was aired to the entire nation because it was a live broadcast, and it became an even more widespread major broadcast ident as rted videos were uploaded and spread online. Even Do Wook remembered being very surprised when he saw the videoter. Do Wook looked at Sul Lae Im who was standing next to him as he recalled the content. Sul Lae Im, who was looking at the camera unaware of anything, and the stage floor she was standing on. At that moment, the tile-shaped plywood that was glued to the floor caved into the ground and Sul Lae Im¡¯s body leaned. It happened in an instant. Sul Lae Im was about to fall forward before she could even let out a shriek. ¡°Be careful¨D!!!¡± As he yelled, Do Wook snached Sul Lae Im¡¯s wrist and pulled her. Sul Lae Im said ¡°ow¡± and let out a quiet yelp. She was pulled by Do Wook and fell into his bosom. The floor that she had just been standing on hadpletely copsed. If she had stayed in that spot, if Do Wook was just one secondte in pulling her out, she would have dropped directly to the ground under the stage. Sul Lae Im looked at the floor, and her body started to tremble when she understood the situation. The cast that were on the stage were also surprised and didn¡¯t know what to do. It was also true for Ahn Hyung Seo, who had moved out of the way to the left just in the nick of time. The audience who had been watching the whole situation were in a big uproar. It was a relief that they didn¡¯t all get scared and scream. The staff were in a state of confusion and waited for orders from PD Hyun Joo Hyuk, who was in charge of the whole set. PD Hyun Joo Hyuk, who had been watching the stage from the situation room, dizzily covered his head. Thankfully, when Do Wook yelled to be careful, the microphone was turned off so the sound wasn¡¯t broadcasted. However, Sul Lae Im¡¯s short yelp was already broadcasted. Next week¡¯s preview finished ying on the monitor and had not been able to move on to the next screen. It had been broadcasting a freeze frame for about 15 seconds. ¡­It was a major broadcast ident. Nevertheless, PD Hyun Joo Hyuk had to be grateful that today¡¯s broadcast ident was only to this extent. If the floor had copsed and Sul Lae Im got hurt¡­It was too much to even think about it. On PD Hyun Joo Hyuk¡¯s orders, next week¡¯s preview was yed again. While next week¡¯s preview was aired on TV, the stage staff moved quickly and used left over different colored plywood as a temporary measure to fill in the copsed stage. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Ah.¡± Do Wook, who checked that the microphone was turned off again, grabbed Sul Lae Im¡¯s shoulder and gently asked her as he helped her up. Sul Lae Im couldn¡¯t respond properly and her hand that was holding the microphone was shaking. It looked like continuing on with the broadcast would be impossible like this. ¡®I should send her off the stage.¡¯ However, the staff went off the stage quicker than Do Wook expected and the video that started ying again was almost finished. ¡°It¡¯s ok so catch your breath and I¡¯ll do the next remark. You can just stand there.¡± Sul Lae Im barely managed to nod her head at Do Wook¡¯s words. There was no trace of her bright and pleasant self. From what Do Wook could tell, Sul Lae Im was barely neen. She was over ten years younger than him. As he looked at Sul Lae Im, who was very shaken, he felt pity for her. A red light came on in Camera 1 in the center. ¡°We ask for your understanding for the brief disruption due to an ident on the scene.¡± Do Wook slightly bowed his head and said hello. Following his lead, Sul Lae Im and Ahn Hyung Seo also bowed their heads. The singers who were on stage weren¡¯t able to hide their bewilderment, but they still had calmed down a lot. ¡°Then we¡¯ll announce today¡¯s first ce!¡± When Do Wook said the remark in Sul Lae Im¡¯s ce, the screen divided into two screens showing KK and Gae Na Ri, thefirst ce nominees. Ahn Hyung Seo made a remark every time the graph on the screen moved. ¡°Music ranking score¡­Album sales score¡­! After totaling the inte vote and live vote by text¡­ Today¡¯s first ce is¡­!¡± The scores appeared on the screen one by one. Unrted to the stage ident that just happened, the KK members felt nervous enough for their palms to get sweaty. It was the first ce position. Arguably, they practically took over first ce at the same time they debuted. It was unprecedented for an idol that came from a mid-sized agency who didn¡¯t debut with the so-called Top 3rge agencies like Ara. He felt like his mind was going nk. However, Gae Na Ri was also a strong solo artist. The release of the song, Spring Rain, was timed incredibly well with the season. ¡®Getting nominated for first ce is already meaningful. KK will have an opportunity next week too¡­Let¡¯s focus on the broadcast progression for now.¡¯ Do Wook thought as he looked at the screen. Announcing the first ce winner was originally Sul Lae Im¡¯s part. Do Wook nced to see how she was doing. Sul Lae Im, who made eye contact with him, nodded that she would be able to do it. She grabbed the microphone again and started to speak. ¡°Frist ce is¡­!¡± Sul Lae Im¡¯s clear voice rang out from the stage. *** ¡°Ah¡­ I¡¯m dead¡­¡± Kim Won muttered, exhausted. As soon as they got back to the dormitory, Kim Won rested on the sofa. Typically, Oh Baek Ho would have scolded him to change out of his clothes and organize the luggage, but he let him be. Oh Baek Ho praised Ahn Hyung Seo and Do Wook. ¡°You guys worked hard.¡± ¡°It was all Do Wook. I didn¡¯t do much¡­¡± Ahn Hyung Seo looked up at Do Wook. It seemed like he grew a little taller since thest time they measured their height. Do Wook worked hard to take care of his body by still going on his morning exercise when possible even while doing events and resting as much as he could during off times. Thanks to that, he grew 1cm as Ahn Hyung Seo saw. ¡°That¡¯s not true. You worked hard too¡­ Everyone did.¡± Do Wook said as he carefully looked at Oh Baek Ho and the members. Jung Yoon Ki, who was sitting down on the living room floor, said to Do Wook, ¡°Huuu¡­ It could have been really bad if it weren¡¯t for you.¡± Everyone shuddered as they recalled the moment the first ce nominee was announced. Jung Yoon Ki then turned on hisptop that he had left in the living room and started rewatching their performance on Life Song from today. The members huddled in front of it. On the other side, Ahn Hyung Seo muttered as he turned on themunalputer in the living room. ¡°I should put a post on the fan cafe¡­¡± Ahn Hyung Seo, who was muttering, had bloodshot eyes. Oh Baek Ho was about to tell them to write a post on the fan cafe anyways, and he was satisfied with Ahn Hyung Seo¡¯s initiative. All the members were subscribed to KK¡¯s public fan cafe. Currently, there were only introductions posted under the ¡®From KK¡¯ menu. [Hello~~~! Our loving KK fans.] It was when Ahn Hyung Seo had written that much and was about to press enter. ¡°Sniffle¡­Sniffle sniffle¡­¡± Ahn Hyung Seo heard the weird noise and turned around. Suk Ji Hoon, one of the members who had gathered around theptop, was moaning. ¡°First ce¡­! KK!!! Congrattions KK~!¡± The scene of Sul Lae Im announcing the first ce was reying on theptop. Fireworks, along with roars of "wooooooooooo" exploded. ¡°KK, your thoughts please~!¡± Sul Lae Im moved out of the way and the KK members gathered in the middle. Jung Yoon Ki, who was caught off guard, took the microphone from her and started to give an eptance speech while stammering. ¡°First of all, I didn¡¯t know we¡¯d get first ce but¡­ Thank you¡­ Thank you to thepany employees who work so hard for us, the KK members, my parents who gave birth to me¡­ And more than anything, thank you to all the fans. KK will work even harder going forward.¡± It was a remark Jung Yoon Ki had prepared when he learned that they were first ce nominees. However, he himself had no idea he would actually get to say the remark he had prepared. Do Wook, who was the second to give a remark, was filled with emotions but suppressed it and spoke calmly. It was a sincere voice different from when he was MC-ing. ¡°Thank you¡­Truly.¡± As Do Wook gave this thank you speech, he got emotional and he briefly raised his gaze and looked at the ceiling. Lights that were bright enough to blind you were above Do Wook¡¯s head. ¡®Sorry but I Love you¡¯ started to y along with the piano apaniment. By that time, Ahn Hyung Seo was already bawling his eyes out. Jung Yoon Ki, who had been consoling Ahn Hyung Seo, also burst into tears. Park Tae Hyung, who had been tapping his feet to the beat, had tear-filled eyes. Kim Won wasn¡¯t crying, but he was filled with emotion and was running around the stage. Only Suk Ji Hoon was indifferent, singing Ahn Hyung Seo¡¯s part in his ce. ¡°Moooom¡­ Sniffle sniffle¡­¡± That same Suk Ji Hoon was now bawling in the dormitory, crying out for his mom. In the car on the way back, Oh Baek Ho had praised Suk Ji Hoon that he was the most mature, but to the other members¡¯ surprise, hepletely looked like a child now. It was to the point that Oh Baek Ho would have been embarrassed. Even though he seemed mature, at 18 years old, Suk Ji Hoon was definitely a young child. As they looked at him, who burst into tears after the fact, the other members could feel their emotions swelling up too. All the hardship he had been forced to go through since a young age was making Suk Ji Hoon sad. The only thing that happened was they got first ce, but it felt like everything he had bottled up inside until now was being washed away with the tears. ¡°I guess he really is the youngest. Yo, quit yur cryin¡¯.¡± Suk Ji Hoon did not stop crying even at Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s words. The members each tried tofort him and patted his back. They shared the joy of being first ce while theyforted each other. That was how the night they got first ce went. *** After waking up early and doing his morning exercise as usual, Do Wook sat in front of theputer and searched for articles rted to yesterday¡¯s Life Song episode. Searching for articles every morning was his main task when he worked as a PR employee. He still periodically searched for articles out of habit. It was easy to grasp the public¡¯s reaction by how many articles the press wrote about the main article, and by looking at the number of views, rmendations, and number ofments etc. of each article. Of course, no matter what article was written, there were people who posted negativements and overallments on articles that were overrun by inte trolls like that were not good. However, Do Wook was able to easily differentiate between troll articles like that and actually negative articles. The main article in the Portal Entertainment News category was the major news that happened yesterday. One of the five main articles was about KK¡¯s first ce in Life Song. Below that, there were KK rted articles referencing the press release given by HIT Entertainment¡¯s Marketing Team. Do Wook clicked on the article that had the most views among them and read the full article. . The article stated that they were as extraordinary rookies as the title said, getting first ce within 3 weeks of debuting, along with lots of praises of them as the special MCs. Do Wook thought, ¡®Thements are pretty positive too.¡¯ He also skimmed over the rted articles that popped up below. It was rted to the Life Song ident. The article was about the VCR video stopping due to a stage device problem that urred in the MC area while waiting for the first ce announcement and the same being yed again. -That day, the cast panicked because the stage floor caved in¡­- Honestly, the flooring issue that could have led to a more serious ident was a bigger issue than the screen freezing, but the article didn¡¯t cover it much. ¡®Then again, nothing big happened anyways¡­¡¯ After the broadcast was over, the people from Life Song apologized to Sul Lae Im and gave their thanks to Do Wook. Besides getting very startled, neither Sul Lae Im nor the cast were badly injured so it was a matter that could be wrapped up with that. However, Do Wook frowned when he clicked the rted article underneath. ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ ¡ª Trantor''sments: Happy Thanksgiving from the U.S.! Wee to Volume 2!Bookmark (0) Username or Email Address Password Remember Me No ount yet? Register Chapter 27: Rising Sun (7) Chapter 27: Rising Sun (7) The image attached to the article he clicked showed Gae Na Ri with a pale, stiff expression next to Do Wook, who was giving his eptance speech for first ce. ¡®Ah¡­ It¡¯s probably because she hadn¡¯t gotten over the shock at the time.¡¯ Honestly, there were a few people among the singers in the back who also had a dark expression. It¡¯s just that with the joy of getting first ce, KK forgot about the ident that happened right before. Most of the people who were in the middle were trying to calm themselves down from the shock of the ident that just happened. It was also true for Gae Na Ri. She wasn¡¯t particrly upset that she wasn¡¯t able to get first ce because she had been losing to KK since the album scores. ¡®However, people who didn''t know the situation wouldn¡¯t connect the stage ident to Gae Na Ri¡¯s expression and will undoubtedly misunderstand her since she was a first ce nominee¡­¡¯ Most of the articles regarding Gae Na Ri were like that. A rebuttal article was released from Gae Na Ri¡¯s side stating it¡¯s a misunderstanding, but nobody believed it. Most of the people posting negativements about Gae Na Ri were also KK fans. ¡®Hmmmm¡­'' After looking at the article a little longer, Do Wook went into the fan cafe. Fans on the KK fan page were still in a celebratory mood from yesterday¡¯s first ce. The post Ahn Hyung Seo uploadedst night under the ¡®From KK¡¯ section already had about 600ments. There was also a post Jung Yoon Ki posted at dawn that was written rhythmically like rap lyrics. Do Wook clicked the ¡®new post¡¯ button. [Title: Our Beloved Fans] . . I was very nervous MCing yesterday. Thank you Sul Lae Im sunbae* for all your help. (TL note: Sunbae is a term used for someone who is a senior in your field, school, etc.) I feel like I was able to sessfullyplete the broadcast because you supported me until the end. During the first ce announcement, the situation on scene was very chaotic. We¡¯re sincerely thankful to Gae Na Ri sunbae, who still genuinely congratted us on being first ce in the midst of everything that was going on. Most of all, we¡¯re always grateful to you, our fans. . . A few minutes after he uploaded the post, the fans started to postments. Most of it were confessions of love towards Do Wook. asionally, there were alsoments like ¡°It looks like Gae Na Ri congratted them?¡±. Do Wook checked thements, and then got up from the seat. Right then, Oh Baek Ho wasing to wake up the members. ¡°Oh? Do Wook, you¡¯re already up?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re definitely diligent. Go wake up the rest of the people in your room. I¡¯ll wake up the people in the other room.¡± ¡°Ok. Everyone sleptter than usual, so it¡¯ll be even harder to wake them up.¡± ¡°Haha, I suppose so.¡± They were not scheduled for a music broadcast today, but they had a radio appearance. *** KK appeared on the 2 p.m. radio program for about 30 minutes. They introduced each member and talked about getting first ce yesterday, which was bing a hot topic. The 30 minutes passed in the blink of an eye as they listened to the two songs on the KK album and yed some advertisements. Right before doing the final greetings on the radio, KK was informed by the DJ that they were number one in the real time music chart as well. With the sessfulpletion of their radio appearance, on top of the news that they were number one on the real time music chart, the KK members had no way to contain their excitement. ¡°Wow, crazy~!!!¡± Kim Won, who came out of the radio booth, yelled. The radio program staff outside the booth burst intoughter. Oh Baek Ho then stopped Kim Won. While two songs yed in a row, the DJ also came out of the booth to see KK off. He said to them that it¡¯s their first time meeting, but he was excited to meet them and that he hoped they¡¯de on his program often. The writer who was next to him also stepped up and praised KK. ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate our time was so short. Next time, I¡¯ll make it a full time corner so pleasee again.¡± Oh Baek Ho gave his business smile and said all he had to do was invite them. The members also bowed their heads and thanked him. ¡°By the way, Do Wook. The inte seems to be a mess right now. I was shocked after seeing the video too.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Huh? You didn¡¯t know yet? It was uploaded earlier around lunch time.¡± The writer asked back when both Oh Baek Ho and the members had a surprised expression. They were preparing like crazy and moving around so they even had to eat their meal in the car. It was obvious that they didn¡¯t have time to go on the inte. It was when the writer searched on his phone and was about to show them the video. Oh Baek Ho¡¯s phone rang. It was Sul Lae Im''s manager. There was no reason to call each other since the special MC was over. Oh Baek Ho wondered what was going on, excused himself, and answered the phone right away. While he briefly went out to the hallway to take his call, the radio writer showed them on his phone the video of Do Wook that was making headlines on the Inte. It was a video of yesterday¡¯s on site ident during the Life Song live broadcast. The image quality wasn¡¯t very clear since it was a video taken on a basic cell phone camera. The shaking was also very severe, probably because it was secretly taken in an area where personal filming was not allowed. It wasn¡¯t quite right to call it ¡®Do Wook¡¯s video¡¯. The person who filmed and uploaded the video was Gae Na Ri¡¯s fan. Because of that, the camera¡¯s focus was on Gae Na Ri. Do Wook and Sul Lae Im just happened to be caught to the left of it. However, it still captured everything perfectly: the moment the stage copsed, the scene of Do Wook grabbing Sul Lae Im¡¯s hand and pulling her out, Sul Lae Im avoiding falling under the stage thanks to his help and barely calming down, and the surprised expressions of the other singers who were nearby, including Gae Na Ri. Gae Na Ri, who until right before was smiling happily and greeting her fans that were below the stage, was pale and her expression was hardened. ¡°It almost became a much bigger ident.¡± ¡°Ah¡­Kind of.¡± Do Wookughed awkwardly at the writer¡¯sment and replied. The DJ, who was next to them, said he wanted to get a better look. He then took the phone and reyed the video. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s true? That you saved Sul Lae Im? It¡¯s like you¡¯re the main character of that movie, Love and War?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably Love and Soul. Also, I think you¡¯re thinking of a bodyguard¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Bodyguard!¡± When the DJ, who was famous for showing his ignorance by saying the wrong thing, began to speak, the writer corrected the story while thinking he was ridiculous. The KK members were about to burst out inughter, but they had to contain it as they couldn''tugh at the DJ, who was a veteran. Thankfully, Oh Baek Ho came back after finishing his call. The KK members then said goodbye to the DJ and the staff and left the studio. Once they returned to the car, Oh Baek Ho asked what the video that the writer had mentioned earlier was. Jung Yoon Ki, who was sitting in the passenger seat, exined about the video. Oh Baek Ho then checked the content on his phone. Among the messages Oh Baek Ho wasn¡¯t able to check, there was a link that RDT Ahn Young Mi had sent him. When he clicked the link, themunity pagement, which was the original source of the video, came up. [Title : Life Song ident Do Wook Saves Sul Lae Im (I am Gae Na Ri¡¯s fan and am posting this because it¡¯s unfair)] I secretly filmed it because I wanted to keep it, but I¡¯m posting it because it¡¯s unfair. Anyone who was on site that day would know. The stage floor copsed and something bad almost happened. Kang Do Wook saved Sul Lae Im. Sul Lae Im fans should bow down to Kang Do Wook. The reason I¡¯m posting this video is because, as you know, Na Ri nuna* was getting criticized. (TL Note: nuna is used by guys when referring to an older female) Does she have a gloomy expression because she didn¡¯t get first ce or is it because she was shocked? Please decide after watching the video. +Life Song stop messing around and apologize. Thement on the post had over a thousand replies. Gae Na Ri fans were a given, but it became a ce where Sul Lae Im and KK fans and also fans of the various cast that appeared on Life Song gathered. Criticism towards Life Song poured out for not equipping the stage properly. There were even people saying, ¡°Isn¡¯t this ignoring safety?¡±. The biggestints were from Sul Lae Im¡¯s fans saying what if she had really fallen¡­.. There were also manyments that said Gae Na Ri was misunderstood for no reason. It was worth it for the person to make the post. There were also praises pouring out towards Do Wook for handling it well and quickly. Among thements, there were even screen shots of the post Do Wook uploaded to the fan cafe in the morning. There were also posts pouring out with Do Wook¡¯s name as the title on themunity post. Among the post, a GIF was made of only the part where Do Wook pulled Sul Lae Im with his hands. The post it was attached to was very popr, second only to the video post. Comments like, ¡®Your body movement doesn¡¯t seem ordinary¡±, ¡°I feel bad saying this about a scene of an ident but you¡¯re too nervous", "Sul Lae Im must have been nervous", "You¡¯re such a man!¡±. It was a heated response in various ways. ¡°Gentleman baby~!¡± Kim Won, who was reading the post with them from the back, eximed. When they went into the portal site and checked the articles, there were massive amounts of articles about Life Song¡¯s apology and Do Wook. Furthermore, there was a lot of positive talk about KK. ¡®I didn¡¯t intend for it to go this far, but the issue was handled well currently and even our image is good. It¡¯d be nice if it continued to be this way¡­¡¯ Do Wook thought as he read the article. Life Song¡¯s side saw it already and distributed a press release that they¡¯d take responsibility for their carelessness and apologized to Sul Lae Im and the former cast once again. The Life Song production team was trying hard to make the issue of the ident go away quickly in any way possible. Therefore, they didn¡¯t cause problems for the person who uploaded the video. They didn¡¯t want to make any unnecessary scandal. It was a relief. ¡°Everyone uses the inte on their phones these days so they all find out immediately. We¡¯re the only ones who found out toote¡­¡± Ahn Hyung Seo muttered, wanting Oh Baek Ho to hear, but Oh Baek Ho started the car without even pretending to listen. ¡°Hyung! Are you listening?! I said are you listening~?¡± ¡°Ahn Hyung Seo, are you messing with me?¡± Ahn Hyung Seo, who was being loud, closed his mouth at Oh Baek Ho¡¯s words. He had gottenfortable and would joke around, but he still quickly became disheartened if Oh Baek Ho frowned. ¡°Oh, Do Wook. While you have the phone out, find Sul Lae Im¡¯s manager from the call history and give him a call.¡± ¡°A call?¡± ¡°Yes. Ms. Sul Lae Im felt that she wasn¡¯t able to properly thank you because she was too shocked at the time. She says she wants to give you a proper thank you.¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t have to¡­¡± ¡°You have to consider the thankful person¡¯s feelings too. Give her a call.¡± Do Wook nodded his head and pressed the call button. ¡°You¡¯re calling her?!¡± Ahn Hyung Seo¡¯s face got bright red out of embarrassment when he wasn¡¯t even the one talking with Sul Lae Im. ¡°What to do? Put me on the phone too. Let me ask how she¡¯s doing.¡± Oh Baek Ho warned Ahn Hyung Seo again, who was making a fuss. ¡°Hyung Seo, you¡¯re being cheeky.¡± ¡°Ah¡­I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s on the phone with Sul Lae Im one on one¡­¡± However, contrary to Ahn Hyung Seo¡¯s uproar or expectations, the call finished ndly after just two sentences were exchanged; ¡®Thank you'' and ¡®It¡¯s ok''. *** The members, who had returned to the HIT Entertainment building, started rehearsal again. They had a cable music broadcast tomorrow, and they were the first ce nominees again on Life Song. Being first ce on the real time music chart, the album sales were increasing day after day. The fan cafe subscribers were increasing by the thousands as well. It meant there were no problems for inte voting or live broadcast text voting. If it stayed this way, they were sure to get first ce for 2 consecutive weeks. However, it didn¡¯t mean that they could bezy about rehearsing. It was true that there were no major singers that could be first ce this week. Even so, next week was the week when a mid-level female singer known as a powerhouse in music was making aeback. Winning first ce two weeks in a row was already a big dream for rookies who just debuted, but they couldn¡¯t settle there. Oh Baek Ho gathered the members, who were drenched in sweat, rehearsing even afterpleting their radio appearance. ¡ªBookmark (0) Username or Email Address Password Remember Me No ount yet? Register Chapter 28: Overhead Casting (1) Chapter 28: Overhead Casting (1) As he distributed the healthy drinks that he bought as a snack, Oh Baek Ho notified the members of their scheduled events. ¡°Mmmmm¡­.After the music broadcast is over tomorrow, one more interview with the magazine is scheduled. It¡¯s a simple interview, so there¡¯s nothing to particrly prepare for. But everyone, be mindful of what you say.¡± When they heard the news that they had another schedule after the music broadcast, the members let out a sigh weak enough for Oh Baek Ho to not notice. Before they debuted, they couldn¡¯t understand why members of Monster, their singer sunbaes in the agency, were so exhausted after doing just one music broadcast. You¡¯re on the broadcast for 3 minutes- 4 minutes at the most. They even naively thought, ¡®Are they having that hard of a time after doing just one performance a day?¡¯ However, they woke up at 4am to prepare for those 3 minutes and worked hard until the evening. They weren¡¯t strenuously dancing and singing on stage each time, but the multiple rehearsals, long wait time etc., were enough to make you exhausted. ¡°They¡¯ll decide depending on the situation, but if you fall from first ce, you¡¯ll immediately start preparing a follow up song, and you¡¯ll be going on music broadcasts again within 2 weeks." Before they could even open the bottle cap, the members lost strength in their hands because of the schedule they received. They were thinking that tomorrow will be a packed day too, and it seemed like it¡¯ll continue to be packed. ¡°You guys will work hard, right?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± However, Jung Won said ¡®Yes¡¯ in a loud voice to Oh Baek Ho¡¯s question soon after. Everyone knew that the busy schedule was only the beginning. It was because local performances and festivals hadn¡¯t even started yet. At the same time, they were well aware that the fact that they were busy was a measure of their poprity. ¡°Then go back and practice.¡± It was when they went to their individual spots and were practicing. The rehearsal hall door opened wide. A woman dressed in a two-piece suit and 7 cm tall red high heels was entering the rehearsal hall as the ¡°ck ck¡± sounds from her heels rang out. The members, who were busy practicing in sync with loud music, saw the woman¡¯s reflection in the mirror and immediately ceased their movements. ¡°¡­.Team Leader Jo?!¡± The only person that recognized the woman was Manager Oh Baek Ho. Oh Baek Ho rushed to the woman¡¯s side, lowered his head, and greeted her. Oh Baek Ho was polite to RDT Team Leader Im Sung Ahn and Album Production Team Team Leader Suk Joon, but it wasn¡¯t to this degree. The vibe was different. He was nervously walking on eggshells and was, in turn, making the KK members even more anxious. Honestly, even if Oh Baek Ho didn¡¯t do that, the members were already frozen solid by the force radiating from her appearance. Everyone started greeting her without even knowing who she was since Oh Baek Ho called her Team Leader. ¡°What brings you here, Team Leader Jo¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think I¡¯m here because I have business with the members?¡± Team Leader Jo was the team leader of the Fan Marketing Team. Originally, she worked as the Team Leader of the Strategic nning Team, which could be called the core of thepany. While doing that, she felt that the most crucial part for an entertainmentpany that managed actors and singers was Fan Marketing, so she personally applied for transfer and moved teams. It went without saying that Team Leader Jo Anna was incredibly good at her job and was someone who had amazing force. Of course, many people thought the enormous force could be thanks to being born with a golden spoon in her mouth. Team Leader Jo was the only daughter of one of HIT Entertainment¡¯s major shareholders. ¡°Did our members do something wrong?¡± ¡°Please introduce us first.¡± ¡°Ah, ok. I forgot to introduce you. Guys, this is the Team Leader of the Marketing Team¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m Jo Anna. Jo of the Poongyang Jo*. Anna is English. Don¡¯t get it confused.¡± (TL Note: In Korean culture, the origin of your family name and which generation of it you are is often referenced.) Team Leader Jo interrupted Oh Baek Ho¡¯s introduction and started talking. Everyone nodded nkly, their mouths wide open. Jo Anna. It was a strong introduction. In the meantime, Kim Won, who was a little slow in gauging the vibe of the Koreannguage because he had lived abroad and whose curiosity was second to none, asked, ¡°What about your Korean name?¡± Jo Anna blinked her long falseshes. ¡°That¡¯ll beter.¡± Ahn Hyung Seo nudged Kim Won¡¯s side, who was about to say more things. ck ck. Jo Anna moved towards the end and stood in front of Do Wook. Everyone gulped out of nervousness. ¡°You¡¯re Kang Do Wook?¡± She was already taller than most women and with wearing high heels on top of that, Jo Anna was simr in height with Do Wook. She squinted her eyes and observed him thoroughly. ¡®Jo Anna¡­ This is where she must have been originally.¡¯ Do Wook did not back down despite Jo Anna¡¯s sharp gaze and kept eye contact. Around the time Oh Baek Ho became Department Head, Jo Anna was the CEO of HIT Entertainment. The current vice president inherited the president position and HIT Entertainment faced at least one big crisis within a few years. Theck of ie due to KK¡¯s sluggishness was one of the crises. It was Jo Anna who brought HIT Entertainment back up during that time. ¡®Not everyone can get the title of ¡®First Female CEO¡¯ in the entertainment industry. It¡¯s true that she came from a good household, but she is amazingly talented to bring struggling HIT Entertainment back on its feet.¡¯ She was someone who often appeared as an example of a sessful CEO. ¡®To think I¡¯m meeting that very Jo Anna like this. The future CEO¡­ If a rtionship with Manager Oh is important in the next year or so, a rtionship with Jo Anna is for decades.¡¯ Jo Anna, who met Do Wook¡¯s gaze, smiled with only one corner of her mouth raised. ¡°You have fire in your eyes.¡± Do Wook did not respond. Ferocity. It was something he had never had and words he never heard when living as Kim Bo Myung, who was born naturally innocent and was victimized all his life. He wasn¡¯t wicked to the point that he was going to hurt someone, but it was true that every moment was overrun by determination to get ahead of someone or be the best. It deserved to be called fierce. The members were just taken aback, and Oh Baek Ho tried hard to grasp the true meaning of the Team Leader¡¯s words. It was partly because they had bonded while living together in the dorm, but Oh Baek Ho sincerely hoped for Do Wook¡¯s sess. It was because he thought of him as a talented person with both sincerity and star quality. Honestly, Oh Baek Ho could guess what Jo Anna meant by ¡°fierce¡±. Do Wook¡¯s sincerity, which Oh Baek Ho regarded highly, also stemmed from it. Determination and desire to seed. What was important was if Jo Anna, who was immediately able to tell that Do Wook was like that, took a liking to him. Nothing good woulde out of being disliked by someone like Team Leader Jo Anna. Team Leader Jo¡¯s background aside, the content produced and distributed by the Fan Marketing Team was to control KK¡¯s external and internal poprity. She was the Team Leader of such a team. Team Leader Jo practically determined who would be the focus for gathering fans moving forward. ¡°Well, you said there¡¯s something you want to say to me?¡± ¡°Sorry? Oh, yes. Through Team Leader Shim.¡± Do Wook understood right away why Fan Marketing Team Leader Jo Anna came to see them. ¡°Ok. Go ahead.¡± Team Leader Jo Anna recently heard from Team Leader Shim Jun that Do Wook, one of the KK members, had something to tell her regarding personal cheering tools for fans to use. She thought that he should just perform well instead of worrying about useless things, but honestly, it wasn¡¯tmon for an idol member to worry about ¡°useless¡± things, so she actually became curious about him. Therefore, while trying to send one of the Fan Marketing employees, Team Leader Jo Anna came all the way here instead to hear about it directly. ¡°What I wanted to speak to you about was¡­I¡¯d like to manufacture special cheering tools for the fans.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve heard that part. Specifically?¡± ¡°Not something that¡¯s the same as the other groups aside from the color. Glow sticks in the shape of a K, or based on our logo. There has to be something specific to KK.¡± The members, who were standing next to him, were impressed by Do Wook again for not getting discouraged even under Jo Anna¡¯s spirit and saying what¡¯s on his mind. They were also surprised by him, wondering when he had time to think about that. ¡°¡­..And I think the more luxurious the better.¡± ¡°Are you going to pay for it? The production cost?¡± Do Wook briefly chose his words. It was to determine to what extent of aggressive appeal was appropriate towards Jo Anna. ¡®If it¡¯s something you think is right, you can¡¯t back down at all.¡¯ That was his personal know-how that Do Wook learned from interacting with different situations and colleagues while working at apany. ¡°I simply suggested an idea. I¡¯ll have to think about how it¡¯ll make a profit.¡± ¡°Impressive, when you¡¯re still so young.¡± ¡°Could I give you another suggestion?¡± The members and Manager Oh¡¯s faces hardened at Do Wook¡¯s words, as if they heard thunder in a clear sky. It was even more so because Team Leader Jo Anna¡¯s expression was not particrly good either. It was a good idea, but from Oh Baek Ho¡¯s perspective, he was hoping that Do Wook wouldn''t get on the Team Leader¡¯s nerves. ¡°Do you want to be an employee instead of a singer? What is it, tell me.¡± ¡°It would be nice if¡­ There were other means besides the fan caf¨¦. Formunicating with fans.¡± ¡°Communicate? Easier said than done.¡± Jo Anna replied as if she didn¡¯t like the idea. However, Do Wook had a clear reason; they had to be the type of group that was friendlier with their fans. M2M was currently going with a ¡°mysterious¡± concept. It would be hard to beat M2M, who debuted first from a major agency, with the same ¡°mysterious¡± concept. Do Wook came to the conclusion that KK needed to emphasize KK¡¯s strengths. Currently, all the members had no weakness in their personality, and they each had their own talents. Broadcasts were too limited to demonstrate all that. Aside from that, Do Wook¡¯s interview was bing viral on the inte since its public release. Do Wook quickly became well known on the inte. If there¡¯s an opportunity, it could definitely help increase KK¡¯s poprity. ¡°Kang Do Wook, your thoughts?¡± Team Leader Jo Anna extended her hand to Do Wook. At that moment the rehearsal hall door opened again and two men came in. This time, it was Album Production Team Leader Shim Jun and the dance instructor. ¡°I came here because I heard everyone was gathered here. Team Leader Anna, it¡¯s been a while!¡± Shim Jun made a loud entrance with aptop on his side. Most of the people in the rehearsal hall breathed a sigh of relief that they didn¡¯t hear the rest of what Team Leader Jo Anna was going to say. It was because anyone could tell that she was just about to go off on Do Wook. ¡°The choreography for the follow up song is ready, so I came to show you!¡­But the vibe is strangely heavy?¡± ¡°Not at all, Team Leader Shim. I¡¯m very curious about the choreography for the follow up song!¡± When Team Leader Shim Joon started to get weary, Oh Baek Ho quickly epted theptop and answered. He thought it would be better to quickly check the choreography and change the atmosphere. Theptop was turned on, and everyone gathered to watch the choreography for the follow up song that the dance team recorded. While everyone was focused on the choreography video, Jo Anna said in a low voice from behind Do Wook. ¡°Kang Do Wook,e to my office aler.¡± ¡ªBookmark (0) Username or Email Address Password Remember Me No ount yet? Register Chapter 29: Overhead Casting (2) Chapter 29: Overhead Casting (2) KK Debut Album Title Song, ¡®Sorry but I Love You¡¯. The follow up song was ¡®You¡¯. Originally, it should have been the title song. Therefore, it¡¯s currently being used as the follow up song but ¡®You¡¯ was a very good song. It¡¯s true that, realistically, it was difficult for a rookie to get first ce with the already announced follow up song ¡®You'' or to draw in a lot of attention. Therefore, it was inevitable that they''d have to prepare for it with less effort having gone into it than the title song. On top of that, decisions on KK¡¯s follow up song events were made hastily because the title song was received better than they expected. From thepany¡¯s perspective, they wanted to make it as sessful as possible since the song was exceptionally good. ¡°As expected, it¡¯s good.¡± Jung Yoon Ki, who finished watching the choreography video, said. It was a choreography that went well with the vibe of ¡®You¡¯. Noh Yoon Tae, the choreographer in charge of HIT Entertainment¡¯s dance lessons, was a nationally renowned choreographer. Being someone of that caliber, he was able toplete an eptable choreography within a short amount of time without much trouble. Considering the tight schedule, it was less difficult than the title song¡¯s choreography. ¡®It¡¯s true that it¡¯s clearly good¡­ It¡¯s not a song that focuses on the choreography anyways. However, it also feels too weak¡­¡¯ Overall, it received a positive reaction, but truthfully, it wasn¡¯t a choreography that could receive high praise. Do Wook became lost in thought. It was a practical problem, but he couldn¡¯t carelessly give his suggestion to increase the quality. Considering the current schedule, situation, etc., performing with this level of quality was impressive. Both Team Leader Shim and Manager Oh Baek Ho took that part into consideration and determined that it was ok. Team Leader Jo Anna did not make any otherments. It was because that aspect wasn¡¯t something Jo Anna, Team Leader of Fan Marketing Team, touched on. ¡°First, get familiar with the choreography in the video. We¡¯ll start rehearsal this weekend at thetest.¡± At Team Leader Shim Joon¡¯s words, the members enthusiastically replied, ¡°OK!¡±. Continuing on, Team Leader Shim said to Noh Yoon Tae, ¡°Instructor Noh, I think you can create a schedule and give it to Manager Oh.¡± ¡°Yes. Then Manager Oh, I¡¯ll send you the rehearsal schedule by tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yes, please.¡± Like that, preparation for the follow up song performance was quickly progressing. *** Small meeting room inside the Fan Marketing Team Office Do Wook was sitting on one side of arge table. Team Leader Jo took out a vitamin drink from a personal mini fridge she kept in the conference room. After taking one out for herself, she turned around and asked Do Wook, who was sitting down, "Do you want some?" ¡°I¡¯m ok.¡± After politely declining, Do Wook straightened his posture. Team Leader Jo Anna sat across from Do Wook. ¡°Did you say you¡¯re neen?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I came on strong so you¡¯d get discouraged, but you didn¡¯t back down one bit.¡± Do Wook didn¡¯t respond and waited for her to continue. Team Leader Jo was someone whocked nothing. Even when it came to work, she was only working because she wanted to. She was someone born into a good enough background to stop and live a free life whenever she wanted. Do Wook didn¡¯t think for a second that someone like that would be simr to other employees. ¡°Fine. What tenacity. I can¡¯t stand seeing a singer under my supervision be looked down upon by others. I don¡¯t think that¡¯d be the case with you.¡± ¡°¡­..Thank you.¡± It would be a stretch to call it apliment. Rather, Jo Anna squinted at Do Wook, who thanked her over something that could make him feel bad. Just as the rumors said, he was definitely not a typical bet. Team Leader Jo Anna¡¯s mentality was closer to that of a CEO rather than a Team Leader. The agency and its affiliated entertainers. Prior to debuting, the agency was the gop and the trainees were the eul*. Once they get to the peak of their activities, it¡¯s a symbiotic rtionship running towards mutual sess. However, at a certain point, the rtionship could be flipped. (TL note: Gop/Eul are words used to express the power dynamic between two people or groups. Gap represents the person with more power, and eul is the subjugated.) Therefore, the power struggle between the agency and their affiliated entertainers only gets worse the more sessful thetter gets. They monitored the broadcast, but today was the first time they met in person. Nevertheless, Team Leader Jo was able to gauge Do Wook¡¯s value right away. On a personal level, she quite liked Do Wook, who maintained eye contact, but Team Leader Jo Anna was not nning to ept Do Wookpletely. Additionally, Do Wook was a central member of a rookie idol group that got first ce not long after debuting. It was the perfect situation to be conceited. ¡°You said you¡¯d like a different method tomunicate with fans?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Did you have something in mind?¡± ¡°As I¡¯ve mentioned, there¡¯s a limit on what you can show through broadcasts alone. It can be pictures the members took themselves¡­.I thought of uploading videos of the dormitory or waiting room and such. So we can approach the fans in a friendly way¡­¡± ¡°Somewhere else besides the fan caf¨¦?¡± ¡°Yes. Since only fans visit the fan caf¨¦. I think it¡¯d be good to edit and post videos somewhere, like that recently created video site.¡± ¡°I-tube?¡± ¡°Something simr to that.¡± Team Leader Jo Anna took a sip of her vitamin drink and put it down hard enough to make a sound. It aligned with the direction the Fan Marketing Team was thinking of going with KK¡¯s marketing recently. Since they were not arge agency that can inherit the interest of existing fandoms, Team Leader Jo also thought KK should give off a friendly vibe rather than a mysterious concept. ¡°The more you meet and encounter each other, you can¡¯t help but get closer.¡± Do Wook added. He was right. ¡®Making a channel through the inte since you can¡¯t get exposure by just pushing multiple broadcasts? Needless to say, it¡¯s creative. Even the suggested content topic is perfect!¡¯ Jo Anna¡¯s eyes shone. Ways to manage agency entertainers are one thing and work rted things are another. Even though she tried not to ept himpletely, it was impossible to reject Do Wook¡¯s idea. It was to the point that she wanted to scout him into the Fan Marketing Team. Of course, his star power was too great to use as an employee. ¡°Kang Do Wook? ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Your opinions. They¡¯re useful.¡± Team Leader Jo Anna stood up from her seat first. Do Wook got up after her and bowed. ¡°Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to listen to me.¡± ¡°Ha!¡± Team Leader Jo Anna was stunned by Do Wook¡¯s polite greeting. Now, he really had plenty of reasons to be offended, but Do Wook remained firm until the end. On the contrary, Team Leader Jo Anna became embarrassed of herself after seeing Do Wook¡¯s attitude. Team Leader Jo Anna thought to herself that it might be possible Do Wook wasn¡¯t someone she had to fight with over power, but someone who would be with her in the entertainment world until the end. However, the person in front of her was barely 19. Before she made a rash decision, she had to observe him further. ¡°I should be the one thanking you, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Not at all, Team Leader.¡± ¡°Then that¡¯ll be all. I¡¯ll see you again soon.¡± Team Leader Jo Anna left the conference room first, her heels making noise as she walked. It was still an arrogant attitude, but Do Wook could feel the subtle change in tone. *** In the rehearsal hall, the members were divided into two categories. Jung Yoon Ki, Kim Won, and Ahn Hyung Seo were going over the ¡®Sorry but I Love You¡¯ performance for tomorrow, and Park Tae Hyung and Suk Ji Hoon were checking the choreography of ¡®You¡¯ as they watched the video on theptop. Before they started the full-scale choreography rehearsals, it was definitely a big help for the members who were good at dancing to get familiar with the choreography first. It was because that way, it would be easier for them to lead the inexperienced members. The performance for the title song was quite familiar now so the members had some leeway. Ahn Hyung Seo, who had a lot of talent, even ad-libbed some poses here and there. ¡°Do Wook, did you get in trouble?¡± Ahn Hyung Seo ran over to Do Wook when he noticed him and asked. ¡°No. She was receptive to my opinions and said she¡¯ll reflect on it.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s a relief.¡± Everyone let out a sigh of relief. He didn¡¯t show it much but Park Tae Hyung, who worried about Do Wook the most and had been very anxious, was also at ease. It was when Do Wook took a breath and headed towards the water dispenser to get a drink. Park Tae Hyung came and stood next to Do Wook. ¡°¡­¡­Umm, Do Wook.¡± ¡°Yes, Tae Hyung? What?¡± The gap between Park Tae Hyung on stage and Park Tae Hyung off stage was still very substantial. Do Wook could directly feel the power of the song when he looked at Park Tae Hyung. Now, when the song was ying on stage, he could feel the charisma of Park Tae Hyung. However, regr Park Tae Hyung was still a timid and fragile person. Park Tae Hyung took a second then said to Do Wook, ¡°Um¡­Actually, I have a favor I want to ask of you.¡± ¡°A favor?¡± A ¡®favor¡¯ from Park Tae Hyung. It was difficult to imagine. ¡°I almost learned the entire ¡®You¡¯ choreography earlier¡­¡± ¡°Already?¡± Do Wook left the rehearsal hall to meet with Team Leader Jo Anna for about an hour. Park Tae Hyung surprisingly memorized the entire choreography within an hour. Even considering that it wasn¡¯t a highly difficult choreography, it was still a surprising speed. ¡®Talent is definitely incredible.¡¯ When Do Wook looked at him with admiration, Park Tae Hyung scratched his head out of embarrassment. Do Wook patiently waited for him, who was internally preparing what to say. ¡°It feels a littlecking.¡± ¡°As expected, you felt that way too.¡± ¡°Ah, you too?¡± Park Tae Hyung asked back out of surprise at Do Wook¡¯s response. Do Wook nodded his head. The choreography Noh Yoon Tae made wasn¡¯t bad, but it was an undeniable fact that there were parts that werecking. "In the chorus, the part that goes ¡®Yes, I like you. You. I like you-¡¯¡± ¡°Yes, that part.¡± ¡°¡­.Do you think it¡¯d be possible to change it?¡± Honestly, if it was the original Park Tae Hyung, he wouldn¡¯t be able to even think about changing the choreography made by the dance instructor and choreographer of the song. However, Park Tae Hyung had just seen Do Wook give his opinion to Team Leader Jo Anna without getting discouraged one bit. That image was subconsciously ingrained into Park Tae Hyung¡¯s heart. Whenever the team needed anything, Do Wook gave his opinion right away without reservation regardless if it¡¯s to Manager Oh, theposer, or the Team Leader. He was doing it for the team, and there were a lot of things that worked out because of Do Wook¡¯s opinions. When it came to dancing, it was Park Tae Hyung who had instinct-like knowledge. The more he watched the choreography, the more Park Tae Hyung couldn¡¯t get the idea out of his head that it was too ordinary. While Do Wook was meeting with Team Leader Jo Anna, Park Tae Hyung was watching the choreography intensely. ¡°How do you want to change it?¡± ¡°Ah¡­That¡¯s¡­¡± Park Tae Hyung briefly stopped talking when Do Wook asked that. He didn¡¯t have a specific idea yet. It was because it was already very daring for him to consider if it¡¯d be ok to change it. Do Wook smiled as gently as possible as he looked at Park Tae Hyung. ¡°If you happen to have better choreography, you can tell the instructor to put that in.¡± ¡°You¡­You think so?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Uhh¡­If I n it out, I think I can do it quickly¡­¡± ¡°You can take your time. The full-on rehearsal doesn¡¯t start until the weekend anyways.¡± Park Tae Hyung nodded his head. ¡ªBookmark (0) Username or Email Address Password Remember Me No ount yet? Register Chapter 30: Overhead Casting (3) Chapter 30: Overhead Casting (3) He couldn¡¯t tell what level of choreography Park Tae Hyung would bring yet, but Do Wook thought he was doing more than his share at this point. He practices quietly and shows surprising passion on stage. He was already doing his part with that alone, but he was even thinking of contributing something to the team. ¡®It might not be immediate, but I¡¯m certain that his determination will be a huge help to the team¡¯s development as time goes on.¡¯ Do Wook was proud as he looked at Park Tae Hyung, who returned to his area and started practicing again. ¡®As I thought, it was a good decision to pick him as a fellow member.¡¯ At the same time, he also felt that he* should try harder so that he could exhibit his abilities in singing andposing as well as dancing. (TL note: I felt I should rify Do Wook is talking about himself here. Seeing how hard Tae Hyung is working, he was inspired to work even harder.) *** The KK ship was really cruising. First ce on Life Song two weeks in a row. Theughter on the members¡¯ faces after they finished their performance and got back in the car would not disappear. ¡°At this rate you might be able to win first ce next week too¡­¡± ¡°Amazing~!¡± Kim Won cheered at the prospect Oh Baek Ho carefully put out. The other members were also full of expectation. Even though a singer who is strong in music made aeback, it was hard to get first ce the same week as theireback, and currently KK¡¯s reception by the public was too good. They continued to top the music chart as well. The album sale was not as good as they were initially, but they were consistently selling well. M2M, the super rookie who debuted at the award ceremony, held the record of being first ce for four consecutive weeks. Even if they got close with three weeks, they wouldn¡¯t feel like they were losing to M2M. ¡®It¡¯d be nice if we could do 4 consecutive weeks¡­¡¯ Do Wook tried to remember. Honestly, it was a fight worth trying. To Do Wook¡¯s recollection, the album of the mid level female singer making hereback next week was in the middle* among her albums. It was first ce on the music charts at the time, but it wasn''t up against KK¡¯s ¡®Sorry But I Love You¡¯ so it was hard to urately guess which was better. (TL note: It means it wasn¡¯t her most popr album but it wasn¡¯t her least popr album either. It was somewhere in the middle). ¡°Wow, is all of that our fans?¡± Kim Won asked as he looked out the car window. At the entrance of the broadcast studio parking lot, there was a huge crowd of female students. Fans, who had already memorized the license te of the car KK drove around in, started crowding closer and closer as soon as they saw the car. The broadcast station security guards were blocking them but that had its limits. A couple of them got through and stood right next to the car. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s starting again.¡± It was a situation he had experienced a lot during his days as the manager for Monster. Manager Oh Baek Ho frowned as he held on tightly to the steering wheel. It¡¯s the perfect scenario for an ident if you¡¯re not careful. Fans were running after the car as it left the broadcast station. The members opened their mouths in shock as they looked at the fans following them despite being in a car that blended in with other cars and they couldn''t even see a single hair of KK since it was so heavily tinted. ¡°Should we have at least opened the window?¡± Ahn Hyung Seo, who was a softie, muttered. Oh Baek ho, who heard him, reprimanded him with a stern voice. ¡°Are you going to take responsibility if we get in an ident in the street while doing that?!¡± ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t really going to open the window¡­¡± The members had not properly experienced their poprity yet. All they¡¯ve encountered was seeing the fans that were in the fan section at the public broadcasts. It was natural that they¡¯d want to interact directly with the fans. Do Wook felt the same too. ¡°If we get first ce next week, what do you think about doing a fan meeting after the broadcast is over? The fans are what¡¯s important.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s the fans who got us first ce! You¡¯d know if you saw the votes today. It was straight fire.¡± Ahn Hyung Seo got excited over Do Wook¡¯s suggestion and agreed. ¡°You told us to treat our fans well, Manager Oh!¡± When even Suk Ji Hoon, who had been minding his own business, chimed in, Manager Oh¡¯s forehead wrinkles got even deeper. ¡°Okay, okay. I¡¯ll talk with Fan Marketing.¡± ¡°Oh yes~!¡± The car Oh Baek Ho was driving sped excitedly on the road and soon arrived at the agency. It was time for rehearsal again. *** The members changed into their rehearsal clothes and came back to the rehearsal hall. It was when they were waiting for Noh Yoon Tae, who would be instructing them on the choreography for the follow up song. Park Tae Hyung came towards Do Wook. ¡®You¡¯ve thought of something!¡¯ Do Wook¡¯s face brightened. ¡°It¡¯s nothing impressive¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll know when I see it. Please show me already, Tae Hyung.¡± At Do Wook¡¯s encouragement, he got into position. Ahn Hyung Seo headed towards them asking what they¡¯re talking about, and the members who were spread out started to gather one by one. Park Tae Hyung, who suddenly found himself showing all the members the choreography he made himself, hesitated. ¡°It¡¯s better if everyone sees it. Don¡¯t worry and continue.¡± Do Wook genuinely believed in him. Park Tae Hyung could feel that trust. Park Tae Hyung set it on rey and turned on the music. He counted the beats and started the choreography. Yes, I like you. You. I like you- Yes, I like you. You. I like you- The first two times was the original choreography. It was a four-step movement while nodding your head. It was very simple because it only had slight movements back and forth and side to side. The next two times, Park Tae Hyung demonstrated the choreography he made. The movements involved stretching the arms and legs at the same time and crouching. Posing as if shooting a gun while turning was also added to thest ¡°You, I like you¡± part. ¡°Ohhhh, what¡¯s that choreography at the end? I haven¡¯t seen it before.¡± Ahn Hyung Seo asked Park Tae Hyung when he turned off the music. It was because it was much better than the original choreography they knew. When Park Tae Hyung, stuttering, replied that it¡¯s choreography he made himself, everyone was surprised and praised him. They each added that he was definitely a dance genius. While all the members were praising Tae Hyung, Do Wook had not given anyments. Park Tae Hyung looked at Do Wook, waitingst but not least for Do Wook¡¯s opinion. ¡°Mmmm¡­Tae Hyung. It¡¯s good but¡­I think¡­¡± Park Tae Hyung swallowed hard. Other people¡¯s opinions were important too, but for Park Tae Hyung Do Wook¡¯s opinion was more important than anyone else¡¯s. It was when Park Tae Hyung was anxiously waiting for his response. ¡°Hey guys! Look at this!¡± Oh Baek Ho, who entered the rehearsal hall with No Yoon Tae, was holding a shopping bag in his hand. Oh Baek Ho let out a small sigh when he saw the members flocking to him after they saw the shopping bag. ¡°Huuuu¡­personally I really didn¡¯t want to give it to you.¡± The members¡¯ eyes sparkled as they looked at Oh Baek Ho. The thought that ¡®If it¡¯s something he doesn¡¯t want to give us, it¡¯s definitely something good for us!¡¯ went through all the members'' minds. ¡°Here, take this.¡± Oh Baek Ho quickly handed over the shopping bag to Jung Yoon Ki, who took out the boxes in the shopping bag one by one. On the boxes were pictures of thetest model cell phone. ¡°This is¡­!¡± There were six boxes altogether. It was the same as the number of KK members. After giving each member a box, Jung Yoon Ki muttered out of excitement. Thetest released cell phone models were called ¡®smartphones¡¯, different from past cell phones. The Inte was a given, but the cellphone now had the capability to perform various functions that they couldn¡¯t imagine before. Nevertheless, because of thepany policy that members were prohibited from having personal cell phones at the start of their debut, they couldn¡¯t get new cell phones. ¡°You know that a lot of idols, including ourpany¡¯s idols Monster and Milky Way, sang the logo song together for a cell phone right?¡± ¡°I think I saw an ad for it¡­¡± Jung Yoon Ki tried to remember as he replied to what Oh Baek Ho said. ¡°So we also received thetest model for ourpany¡¯s idol. They gave us enough for you guys too.¡± ¡°Very kind, man!¡± Kim Won yelled as he cheered, on the verge of tears. Because he knew that he could freely video call his friends abroad using a smartphone, he was one of the people that really needed a smartphone. ¡°Fan Marketing Team said that they¡¯ll create ounts for you guys to update yourselves, and it seemed like you guys might need a phone for various reasons so I¡¯m giving it to you. I¡¯m not giving it to you so you can goof off.¡± ¡°Yes yes, of course!¡± Ahn Hyung Seo answered immediately. Oh Baek Ho added doubtfully. ¡°Be careful who you give out your phone numbers to and who you call.¡± Even as everyone replied to Oh Baek Ho, their eyes were already fixed on their phones. However, they didn¡¯t even have time to properly open their phones. It was because Noh Yoon Tae, who had finished preparing for the choreography lesson during that time, called the members from in front of the mirrors. The dance team, who were going to personally demonstrate the choreography, was trickling in as well. The members left their precious cell phone boxes on one side of the rehearsal hall and headed towards Noh Yoon Tae. ¡°You guys watched the video and familiarized yourselves with it a little, right?¡± Noh Yoon Tae asked. Everyone had taken turns watching it several times. It was when Noh Yoon Tae was about to exin that they¡¯ll go into the demonstration and for everyone to carefully check their individual positions. Do Wook raised his hand. ¡°Umm¡­there¡¯s choreography we came across as we were ying around while practicing the choreography together¡­¡± Do Wook chose his words very carefully so that he doesn¡¯t feel they thought the choreography was bad but that it just came about naturally. ¡°Choreography?¡± ¡°Yes. The choreography for the chorus. It¡¯s something Tae Hyung was trying out.¡± Depending on the person, they might be sensitive to editing the choreography but Noh Yoon Tae had worked in the agency for a very long time. There are also many times where things were edited based on suggestions from thepany. From Noh Yoon Tae¡¯s perspective, it was the opinion of a member who will be performing it so it wasn¡¯t a big issue. ¡°Is that so? Tae Hyung had a knack for creating choreography too? Come here and show me.¡± Park Tae Hyung had still not heard Do Wook¡¯s opinion. Since Do Wook¡¯s response was ¡®It¡¯s good but¡­¡¯, he thought the words following that would be negative. Park Tae Hyung stepped forward after hesitating. ¡®Telling me to show it to Instructor Noh Yoon Tae means the choreography I made was ok, right? That¡¯s a relief.¡¯ With that thought in mind, he demonstrated the same movements for the chorus part that he had shown the members. Yes, I like you. You. I like you- Noh Yoon Tae and the dance team members¡¯ eyes became wide as he demonstrated the choreography while singing without music. ¡°Tae Hyung, it¡¯s very good!¡± Noh Yoon Tae was surprised and copied the choreography Park Tae Hyung just demonstrated. He only saw it once but, as expected, an instructor was different. ¡°It¡¯s like this, right?¡± Noh Yoon Tae asked Park Tae Hyung. Park Tae Hyung, who was praised, nodded his head with a shy expression. ¡°What does everyone think? I think it¡¯ll be good to edit it with this.¡± ¡°I like it~!¡± ¡°I think it¡¯ll be good.¡± The dance team members replied to Noh Yoon Tae. The members also gave a thumbs up and agreed. ¡°I like it too, but¡­¡± Do Wook started to respond, then stopped. Noh Yoon Tae gestured to continue. ¡°At the shooting gun pose part, what do you think of doing it facing forward the first time, then making a circle and facing the center for the second time? The bridgees after so if you match the timing there and Tae Hyung does a back tumble there, I think it¡¯ll be really eye-catching. How about it, Tae Hyung?¡± Do Wook asked Park Tae Hyung in the middle of talking to Noh Yoon Tae. Park Tae Hyung blinked. ¡ª Trantor''sments: Oh my gosh¡­.it''s hard to imagine a time before smartphones. Bookmark (1) Username or Email Address Password Remember Me No ount yet? Register Chapter 31: One more time, Ok?! (1) Chapter 31: One more time, Ok?! (1) Do Wook knew from closely observing Part Tae Hyung practice that Park Tae Hyung was good at not only normal dancing, but was also talented in acrobatics. A move like back tumbling was a piece of cake for Park Tae Hyung. ¡°By¡­.myself?¡± ¡°Oh? Yeah, since Tae Hyung is light. I was already questioning if the bridge was boring because it¡¯s too simple. Do you want to try it?¡± Park Tae Hyung was flustered, but Noh Yoon Tae enthusiastically epted the suggestion and even went as far as pping. He gathered the dance team and had them do it in ce of the members first. The dance team stood in the same formation as the KK members and danced the new choreography Park Tae Hyung made with Do Wook¡¯s suggestion added to it. ¡°Wow, fantastic.¡± It became a perfectly eye-catching bridge choreography to the point that Kim Won, who saw the dance, muttered. Noh Yoon Tae then called Tae Hyung. The dancer who was in Tae Hyung¡¯s ce was taken out and Tae Hyung stepped in. The other members had no problems with the choreography, but they had to first check if Park Tae Hyung could match the timing of the back tumbling. Noh Yoon Tae set the music to the bridge part and yed the music. ¡®Yes, I like you. You. I like you-¡¯ Boom¨D! The six dancers made a gesture as if they were shooting a gun at Park Tae Hyung, and he stomped his feet to the beat. He did a back tumbling with light body movement in sync with the start of the bridge. His movements were lighter than a butterfly¡¯s wings. He was perfectly in sync with ¡°You¡±¡¯s rhythm so it felt like the song was alive. ¡®As I thought, Tae Hyung is several times better at dancing.¡¯ Do Wook was amazed. He thought that it was good when the dance team was demonstrating it, but when Park Tae Hyung did it, he appreciated its beauty. Kim Won whistled with his fingers. The other members automatically pped their hands as they muttered ¡®that was the best¡¯. They also thought that they couldn''t wait to practice the choreography with Park Tae Hyung and stand on the stage together. *** Meanwhile, "Sorry But I Love You"¡¯s poprity continued. For now, there were only a few people who recognized their faces right away, but the KK members could easily hear their song even when briefly stopping by a convenience store. KK, who got first ce on Life Song for three consecutive weeks, also had a mini fan meeting in the small open area behind the SVS broadcast station. KK, who was meeting fans directly for the first time, also took a group photo with the 150 or so fans who gathered in the open area. They had several music broadcast appearances, including radio appearances, and they also performed at one or two festivals they had never heard of before. As they did that, the KK members were slowly feeling their poprity. ¡®At this rate, it¡¯ll be a close call but it¡¯ll be possible to be first ce for four consecutive weeks!¡¯ Do Wook analyzed after having looked at the album and music chart ratings daily. Also, as Do Wook predicted, KK surprisingly took over first ce on Life Song for four consecutive weeks. It was a tie with M2M¡¯s first album. They were only behind them on album sales, losing by 50-60 thousand copies. On music chart ratings, KK was doing better. After getting first ce for the fourth consecutive week, the atmosphere around them also changed a little more. People started to see them as ¡®the real deal¡¯ instead of a fleeting one-time-hit rookie. The following week, a solo female artist and other singers¡¯ ranking rose, and KK¡¯s ranking had a downward trend dropping several slots but they still maintained a high rank. KK had already achieved more than expected. Immediately after, KK ended their title song activities to prepare for the follow up song. It was a good time since members who were still attending high school were approaching midterm season. They took about two weeks to prepare for the follow up song and the members each took some time to focus on catching up with their studies that had been piling up. To prevent fans from leaving during that time, they continued to post selfies on the social media ounts the fan marketing team made for them and the fan marketing team edited videos of the members living in the dorms and posted them to I-tube. Like that, the day of the first performance for the follow up song came. To prove that they weren¡¯t a rookie who would have one hit then disappear, they had to show a higher-than-average ranking for the follow up song too. It was the day they would receive the verdict that KK was the ¡®real deal¡¯. *** The first broadcast performance for the follow up song ¡®You¡¯ ended up being on a cable channel that specialized in airing music broadcasts. HIT Entertainment had been releasing KK¡¯s follow up song concept photo and music video etc. on the official home page since three days ago. At the news of the follow-up song broadcast, the fans started to share the music stream and ¡®You¡¯, which had not previously been in the Top 100 in the music chart previously, was able to get in the top 80 by the day of the broadcast. The title song ¡®Sorry but I love you¡¯ continued to stay around 10th ce. ¡®If we want to make it so people will listen to a song just because it¡¯s by KK, we have to get the name known more and at least the next album will have to be as good as the title song¡­¡¯ Do Wook thought as he looked through the music chart. It was definitely nice that he could use the inte whenever he had free time now that he had his own cell phone. ¡®They finished their activities but M2M¡¯s ¡®You¡¯re So Pretty¡¯ is ranked in the top 30.¡¯ It was when Do Wook was checking M2M¡¯s music chart rating. ¡°Do Wook, you look dope.¡± Jung Yoon Ki, who had finished changing into his performance outfit and was passing by, said to Do Wook, who was sitting on the waiting room sofa. The performance outfit for this performance was practically every-day clothes for a light feeling to match the light atmosphere of the song. It was everyday-wear, but he put a little more effort into it, adopting a ¡®boyfriend look¡¯ and giving off a vibe like he was going on a date on a beautiful spring day. The idea was a sensational graphic t-shirt as the base with a matching cored shirt, hoodie, denim jacket etc. but Do Wook wore a white short-sleeve t-shirt with a denim jacket on top. The color blue matched Do Wook¡¯s face especially well. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we take a selfie and upload it?¡± Suk Ji Hoon, who also had his hair done, said as soon as he nced at Do Wook and sat down. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Ummm.¡± As Do Wook hesitated, Ahn Hyung Seo ran over and positioned the camera. Click, click, click. After clicking the camera button three consecutive times, Ahn Hyung Seo picked the best picture of the three. Ahn Hyung Seo immediately went onto KK¡¯s FaceNote ount and posted the photo with a short caption. In an instant, the number of shares increased andments started pouring in. -ViSam¡¯s looks are crazy lol -Hyung Seo, please take my bank ount! I even changed my n to unlimited data for you. -Isn¡¯t this the first time Do Wook and Ji Hoon took a picture together? Ji Hoon ??? -Do Wook¡­ If you make that kind of expression¡­My heart hurts a lot¡­Excuse me, someone please call 911¡­Do Wook¡­Take my heart -Shouldn¡¯t we call 112* first? (TL note: 911, or 119 in Korea) is for the ambnce and fire department. 112 in Korea is for police) The fans called the three of them together ¡®ViSam*¡¯, or ¡®Visual Triangle¡¯. It was because they had the most outstanding visuals among the KK members. (TL note: The word for triangle is Korean is sam-gak-kyung, so they are shortening it to ¡®sam¡¯) Looking at thements that were posted immediately, Ahn Hyung Seo let out a satisfiedugh. Suk Ji Hoon also had a proud smile. The number of followers on their FaceNote ounts were quickly increasing, with more than 10,000 followers already. ¡®It¡¯s been a big help that Ahn Hyung Seo is consistently updating on the FaceNote ount.¡¯ FaceNote was receiving an astounding amount of poprity already, but in the future, FaceNote would be an essential socialwork service (SNS) for the younger demographic to the point that it would be pivotal to inte marketing. Having a lot of followers on FaceNote would definitely give you certain ¡®power¡¯. As he looked through other FaceNote ounts on his phone, Do Wook felt that he should also use FaceNote more. While he was doing that he, as expected, saw M2M¡¯s FaceNote ount. They were only using the FaceNote ount to post M2M music videos and teasers. Therefore, they had a little less followers even though they were more popr than KK. ¡®Ah, maybe by now¡­?¡¯ Do Wook, who had been looking through M2M¡¯s FaceNote, suddenly remembered something and opened the browser window. (M2M Room) ¡®Room¡¯ was one of the biggestmunity sites. It was the freest ce amongmunity sites. Putting it in a positive light, you can call it free but on the other hand, there were so few restrictions that it was where the most negative issues happened. Abusivenguage and nder were rampant, and privacy rted rumors spread quite frequently. He searched for it because it¡¯s been some time since M2M debuted and they were very popr so he thought there might be a Room page for them. Sure enough, ¡®M2M Room¡¯ had been created. Do Wook searched for keywords [Seo Jun, Kang Jun, School] etc. As he thought, stories about Seo Jun¡¯s real name being Seo Kang Jun, where the school he attended was, etc. had been revealed. ¡®Hana High School¡­¡¯ However, Bo Myung enrolled in a different school than Seo Kang Jun for high school. If he wanted to figure out which high school he attended, he had to first find out Seo Kang Jun¡¯s middle school. He nned to then find out where Kim Bo Myung, among the graduates of that school, enrolled in for high school. ¡®Then I should also be able to figure out what happened to the me of the past. That is, Kim Bo Myung.¡¯ Do Wook¡¯s gaze deepened as he looked at the cell phone screen. The music broadcast staff came in and told him to get ready for the performance. Do Wook put down the cell phone and straightened his clothes. Now, it was time to focus on the performance again. *** The first music broadcast for the follow-up song happened as nned. The choreography Park Tae Hyung prepared certainly drew a lot of attention. The moment Park Tae Hyung did the back tumbling, a loud shout erupted from the auditorium. It was hands-down the most amount of apuse received out of any broadcast. Practically the entire staff was also busy praising Park Tae Hyung, who was rapidly showing off his moves and spun 360 degrees. ¡°KK has so many people who are talented.¡± It was to the point that Life Song¡¯s PD Hyun privately said that to Oh Baek Ho. It was something PD Hyun could sincerely say about KK who were still rookies without needing to give lip service. ¡°I¡¯m not just saying this because they¡¯re my kids, but they¡¯re really going to make it big.¡± Manager Oh Baek Ho replied, unable to hide his satisfied smile. Park Tae Hyung¡¯s fans gathered videos of him doing the back tumbling at all the different performances, edited it, and shared it online. Thanks to that, it was causing a stir on the inte too. It wasn¡¯t a strong song, but it was a nice song to listen to so the music chart ranking was slowly going up, getting into the Top 20. KK¡¯s song was ranked 6th on today¡¯s Life Song. It didn¡¯t seem like the ranking would get any higher, but everyone considered it an incredible run for a follow-up song. Thepanies and the members were satisfied, and Do Wook was the only person among them who felt that it was a pity. ¡®As I thought. Was it impossible to get first ce with the follow up song? There must be a way¡­¡¯ ¡ª Trantor''sments: It''s a little early but Happy New Year everyone!!! Hope y''all had a nice Christmas/wonderful holiday season. See y''all again in 2023 Chapter 32: One more time, Ok?! (2) Chapter 32: One more time, Ok?! (2) It was when Do Wook, who hade off stage after finishing the performance on Life Song, shut his mouth tightly and was thinking. ¡°Umm¡­Do Wook¡­Is something wrong?¡± Park Tae Hyung, who was walking through the waiting room hallway with him, asked. It was because Do Wook¡¯s expression didn¡¯t look good from being deep in thought. He lightened his expression and replied, ¡°No, it''s nothing. Are you ok, Tae Hyung?¡± ¡°Me?¡­What do you mean ¡®me¡¯?¡± ¡°Your body. I¡¯m concerned you¡¯re pushing yourself too much.¡± Ever since the choreography was well received, people were making Park Tae Hyung back tumble at every meet and greet. It was suggested because they figured the follow-up song activity period was shorter than the title song activity period, but Do Wook was still worried that they were pushing him too hard. ¡°Oh! I¡¯m fine¡­It¡¯s nice that I got so much attention because of it.¡± Park Tae Hyungughed, embarrassed. Despite being an introvert, Park Tae Hyung had chosen to be a singer as a career, which meant a life of going on shy stages. Whether it¡¯s an actor or singer, celebrities were all people who, to some level, had a strong desire to get attention from others. ¡®Park Tae Hyung is in the same boat too. I¡¯m d.¡¯ Do Wook thought, patting Park Tae Hyung¡¯s shoulder as encouragement. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m relieved. Let me know if you¡¯re having a hard time.¡± ¡°Ok! You too Do Wook.¡± At Park Tae Hyung¡¯s words, Do Wookughed. Then he became deep in thought again over how he could promote the follow-up song more during the remainder of the activity period, which had only two weeks left. *** However, within a few days Do Wook¡¯s worries easily resolved themselves without him having to do anything. When he got back from finishing his morning workout, Do Wook saw Oh Baek Ho talking on the phone at a time when everyone should be asleep. Oh Baek Ho ended his phone call. When he saw Do Wook, who had juste back, he waved his hand. ¡°Do Wook,e here.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Look at this.¡± Oh Baek Ho showed him aputer monitor screen. KK¡¯s ¡®You¡¯ was proudly first ce on the music chart. He went to bed earlyst night, but before sleeping, the song stayed around 15th ce. Do Wook asked Oh Baek Ho, surprised. ¡°How did this happen?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying. What is this¡­?¡± Oh Baek Ho stared into the distance and muttered. Do Wook checked the music chart again. It was definitely first ce. ¡°There''s no better example of ¡®People who are meant to make it will make it¡¯ than this.¡± ¡°Baek Ho hyung.¡± ¡°Look at this first.¡± Oh Baek Ho moved the mouse as he muttered, ¡®Could it really be that people need to be born lucky?¡¯. When he entered the Celebrity News category, the main article was about Sul Lae Im. ¡°Nation¡¯s Sweetheart Sul Lae Im to appear in , Surprising Humor!¡¯ was the unrivaled number one program among variety shows. The article stated that Sul Lae Im came on as a special guest on yesterday¡¯s episode. ¡°Why is this¡­?¡± Even as Do Wook was looking at the article, he couldn''t find the connection between Sul Lae Im¡¯s appearance on Limitless Challenge and ¡®You¡¯ being first ce. ¡°It seems like Sul Lae Im chose KK as her favorite artist.¡± Oh Baek Ho replied, but it wasn¡¯t a satisfactory answer. Even though it was Sul Lae Im, who had the title of Nation¡¯s Sweetheart, it would have been hard for their ranking on the music chart to rise this much solely because she mentioned she liked them. Oh Baek Ho chuckled at Do Wook, who still had a doubtful expression, and moved the mouse again. When they entered the trending videos tab, the trending videos were listed by number of views. The more viral videos were mostly Limitless Challenge videos. The top video among them was titled ¡®(Shock Warning) Limitless Challenge¡¯s Yu Hae Han Idol Dance¡¯. ¡°I saw it for the first time too, but it was really funny.¡± Oh Baek Ho clicked on the video as he exined. When he pressed the y button, Limitless Challenge members were dancing on a makeshift outdoor stage wearing subpar versions of KK¡¯s clothes, simr but with apletely different feel at the same time. The previous situation was the same as the next one. After they found out Sul Lae Im had been invited as a special guest for their spring pic themed episode, the Limitless Challenge members started to do a little research on her. The Limitless Challenge members, who had met Sul Lae Im in the Life Song waiting room, threw a barrage of questions to her and she answered them in a sensible manner despite feeling flustered. One of those questions was about her favorite singer and song. Sul Lae Im¡¯s response at that time was KK. ¡°Who is KK?¡± ¡°Ah, there you go again. You¡¯re showing your ignorance. You don¡¯t know the rookie idol group that¡¯s hot right now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m ignorant, I¡¯m just old. Man, I¡¯m getting bullied by a youngster for being old¡­.¡± ¡°He even saved Lae Im. I saw the video~!¡± There were members who didn¡¯t know KK yet, and there were members that knew about the KK member who saved Sul Lae Im. As they bickered, KK¡¯s name was brought up a few times and ended up being included in the broadcast. It would be a bigger promotion than they imagined at that time. Anyways, the Limitless Challenge members ended up preparing a song by KK¡¯s, a group Sul Lae Im likes, to surprise and please her. During the preparation process, the members ended up looking up KK¡¯s songs and performances. ¡®Sorry but I Love You¡¯ was a song most of the Limitless Challenge members had heard before. ¡°I know this!¡± ¡°I know this too! ¡®But I Love Youuuuu~!¡¯ lol¡± The next trending performance video was the ¡®You¡¯ performance video. Nah Jae Suk, one of the Limitless Challenge members who had been looking excitedly at the well-made makeshift stage, yelled, ¡°Wow~! Let¡¯s do this! This! This is it!¡± As he shouted, Na Jae Suk shot finger guns at the cameras here and there. He was very impressed by the finger-gunning and back-tumbling part of ¡®You¡¯s choreography for the bridge. There were some who opposed Nah Jae Suk¡¯s suggestion, thinking ¡®how are we supposed to do this?¡¯, but those opinions were immediately disregarded. They prepared immediately for the ¡®You¡¯ performance. After that, the episode was edited right away and, with the guest star Sul Lae Im as their sole audience, the Limitless Challenge members appeared standing on a makeshift stage. They captured on camera Sul Lae Imughing hysterically from theical choreography that they obviously rushed to learn over the past week, and how awkward the Limitless Challenge members¡¯ movements were. Additionally, when the live broadcast started, she couldn¡¯t hold back herughter. However, everyone was focused on the performance with a more ¡°strict, sincere, solemn" attitude than ever since it was a performance for Sul Lae Im. Honestly, an even funnier situation was happening because of it. ¡°The street I used to walk with youuuu~!¡± ¡®The street I used to walk with you¡¯ was Ahn Hyung Seo¡¯s harmony part. The Limitless Challenge member who ended up being assigned Ahn Hyung Seo¡¯s part was off pitch. However, rather thanughing, he carried on with a confident expression as if he sang the best song ever. During the broadcast, they werepared to the original KK performance video by ovepping them through editing. Then it was the chorus, the highlight. Everyone finger-gunned and made an expression as if they were the most handsome and sessful person. The camera got a shot of them one at a time with the caption ¡®handsome¡¯ added next to them in huge red letters. It was worthy of screenshotting and making into a viral meme. The Limitless Challenge member who stood in the middle attempted the back tumble. He had put his blood, sweat and tears into practicing it for thest few days. The caption ¡®Failed¡¯ popped up along with dozens of skulls. His fall onto the floor before he could even flip halfway backwards was broadcasted as is. However, the other members continued facing forward and shot finger guns at him rather than being concerned. The video ended with a shot of Sul Lae Im pping as sheughed. Do Wook checked thements posted under the video. Everyone was enjoying it and teasing the Limitless Challenge members. At the same time, there were yfulments from proud KK fans stating it didn¡¯tpare to the original and to please watch it. Furthermore, there were numerous people saying they¡¯ll listen to ¡®You¡¯ because the real song is good and they¡¯re addicted to the ¡®The road I used to walk with you¡¯ part and the bridge. Due to public interest, ¡®You¡¯ quickly rose in the music chart and had be number one. ¡°The call just now was from the writer of Limitless Challenge.¡± ¡°Limitless Challenge?¡± ¡°He asked for us to do a brief appearance on the show, meeting in the broadcast studio waiting room or something.¡± Going on variety shows was the best opportunity for idols to get their names known. A national entertainment show on public television was not a ce you could just appear on by being popr. The opportunity to appear in a ce that could have a huge influence on raising their recognizability with a single appearance seemed to have fallen onto theirps. ¡°That¡¯s really great news.¡± ¡°Of course. However, it¡¯ll be the first appearance on a variety show and it had to be Limitless Challenge. It¡¯s such a huge variety show. I¡¯m concerned whether you guys will be able to do well without messing up.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll do well. The members will be happy when you tell them.¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m sure they will.¡± Do Wook smiled as if saying have faith in him and the members. When he saw Do Wook¡¯s smile, Oh Baek Ho¡¯s uneasiness disappeared. ¡®He¡¯s barely 19 now, but he really has a way of putting people at ease.¡¯ On that thought, Oh Baek Ho got up from his seat. ¡°Go wash up, you¡¯re probably sweaty from exercising. Sorry to keep you from washing up.¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± Do Wook headed to the bathroom as he thought about the broadcasts he¡¯ll have to go on and the events that would unfurl. *** As expected, the KK members were happy over the news of the Limitless Challenge appearance and let out yells of delight. Kim Won in particr was the happiest, since used to watch Limitless Challenge as a way to study Korean when he was studying abroad. It was also afort to him whenever he felt lonely among his foreign friends. ¡°I seriously can¡¯t believe it~! Unbelievable man~!¡± Kim Won practically bear hugged Oh Baek Ho and screamed. ¡°You¡¯re going to make me deaf.¡± Oh Baek Ho understood how Kim Won felt, but he had no choice but to speak harshly and get Kim Won off of him since he was screaming next to his ear. However, Kim Won paid no attention to it and hugged Jung Yoon Ki this time and cheered. Jung Yoon Ki made an awkward expression as he was captured by Kim Won. Sang Ahm MVC. Variety Show Network Waiting Room. The members prepared in anticipation for their appearance with the Limitless Challenge members that was going to take ce soon. After they finished with hair and make-up, they took turns changing into outfits simr to the ones in the ¡®You¡¯ performance. Since it was their first time on a public television entertainment show, it was a style simr to their performance outfits. However, they also nned to wear outfits that Lucas, KK¡¯s current stylist, especially poured his heart and soul into. Lucas prepared a tight denim jacket for Do Wook¡¯s outfit today too. The gray t-shirt underneath the jacket slightly hugged his body, exposing Do Wook¡¯s upper body which had improved significantly recently. Do Wook, who had already changed and was waiting for the rest of the members, saw Park Tae Hyung and Ahn Hyung Seo, who had returned after finishing getting dressed. Their outfits seemed ordinary at first nce, but Lucas¡¯s unique sense was expressed well in the ¡®boyfriend look¡¯. The yellow t-shirt Ahn Hyung Seo was wearing went especially well with his image. ¡°Hyung Seo, does this look good o¡­?!¡± Do Wook, who was about topliment him that it looked good, stopped talking. Ahn Hyung Seo, surprised by Do Wook¡¯s twisted expression, asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Do Wook?¡± ¡°Where is Lucas?¡± Do Wook¡¯s question was urgent. ¡ª Trantor''sments: HAPPY NEW YEAR! Hope y''all enjoy this first chapter of the new year. Thank you for your continued love and support of this series this year as well. Chapter 33: One more time, Ok?! (3) Chapter 33: One more time, Ok?! (3) ¡°Lucas? We¡¯re done with the wardrobe preparation so he said he¡¯s going to step out for a bit to get some coffee.¡± Ahn Hyung Seo replied, puzzled. Do Wook looked around. Oh Baek Ho was in one corner giving pre-shoot precautions to other members. When Do Wook called out to him, Oh Baek Ho, who had been talking, looked at Do Wook. ¡°For now Hyung Seo, you can¡¯t go out wearing that outfit so¡­.Give me a sec.¡± ¡°These clothes?¡± Ahn Hyung Seo, who didn¡¯t understand what Do Wook was saying, looked down at his own clothes. Ahn Hyung Seo''s bright yellow t-shirt was a shirt with colorful graphics on it. Following hip-hop street fashion, various geometric patterns were printed on it with various symbols chaotically ced above it. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± At Do Wook¡¯s beckoning, Oh Baek Ho came to Ahn Hyung Seo and Do Wook¡¯s side and asked with a serious expression. Because Do Wook¡¯s expression was serious, Oh Baek Ho¡¯s expression became even more serious. ¡°Baek Ho hyung, I think it¡¯ll be difficult¡­To do the broadcast wearing these clothes.¡± What Do Wook was pointing at was one of the symbols printed on the t-shirt. It had a red circle in the middle with several straight lines branching out in several ces. You couldn¡¯t tell at first nce but if you look closely you can see that the shape looks like the Japanese War Criminal g. Furthermore, there were several simr patterns on the shirt sleeves. It was to the point that it would be hard to innocently say it¡¯s just a pattern. It was also in an area that would be hard for the person wearing the shirt to notice. ¡®There¡¯s numerous celebrities whose image has been tarnished because stuff like this was missed. It¡¯s not to the point ofmitting a crime, but there are lots of restrictions on future activities if you¡¯re branded as an out of touch celebrity.¡¯ Do Wook thought as he looked at Oh Baek Ho, who was inspecting the t-shirt. It wasn¡¯t just a shirt with a cuss word on it, it was the Japanese War Criminal g. It was something even Do Wook would have a hard time forgiving if someone wore it purposely. ¡®On top of that, this is a Nation Entertainment Show. You definitely get branded with the image you have on here. It could be worse than not being on the show at all.¡¯ The reason Do Wook was even able to discover such a small shape is because there was an incident in the past where a celebrity who wore this brand¡¯s clothes became a pariah over the ¡®Japanese g Controversy¡¯. ¡®A celebrity from Q Entertainment Agency also wore it before. I had a difficult time writing apology articles when I worked in the PR department.¡¯ They were problems that urred since they wore a lot of clothes that are imported from a brand designed by a foreign designer. ¡°My goodness, is this¡­¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s simr to the Japanese War Criminal g.¡± ¡°Gasp! We almost had a serious issue!¡± Ahn Hyung Seo could have unfairly received a serious mob beating. Oh Baek Ho quickly took his phone out from his pocket, found Lucas¡¯s number in his contacts, and started to call him. Ahn Hyung Seo looked again at the shirt he was wearing, surprised by the words ¡°Japanese War Criminal g¡±. He asked, on the verge of tears. ¡°This is that one Japanese thing, right?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°Eww, I hate it so much! Now that I know I feel ufortable. I can¡¯t wear it. Maybe I should change back into the clothes I was wearing earlier.¡± After saying that, Ahn Hyung Seo really headed back to change out of the clothes. There was one hour until the recording started. Since they were going to shoot in the waiting room, the Limitless Challenge staff had arrived at the waiting room and were in the middle of setting up the filming equipment. Lucas, who received Oh Baek Ho¡¯s call, returned soon. Lucas had a small frame and dressed in all ck, wearing arge ck fedora and a ck cloak. Pale skinned but walking around dressed like a shy crow, he got a lot of stares from people who brushed past him, as if they had seen a ghost. ¡°There¡¯s a problem with the clothes¡­?¡± Lucas had gone to school in Norway, a region north of Europe, since he was five and studied fashion design in New York as an adult. He also stumbled a lot when speaking Korean because he never spoke Korean except when speaking with his parents or seldom with his Korean friends that he met in New York. Oh Baek Ho hardened his expression at Lucas¡¯s hesitant question. ¡°Here, this shirt has a shape that should never be used.¡± Oh Baek Ho clearly pointed out the Japanese War Criminal g shape, but Lucas had a confused expression. ¡°This is, how do you say it¡­!¡± Oh Baek Ho, who thought he would obviously understand right away, felt dizzy for a moment. Do Wook, who was standing next to him, exined. ¡°It¡¯s like a Nazi logo. A logo you should never use in Korea, a logo with serious problems.¡± ¡°Nazi¡­?!¡± At the mention of Nazi, Lucas repeated it, shocked. It was an expression different from the dazed expression he had moments earlier. He started to understand the seriousness of the situation. In the West, it is often used in Japanese animation or in designs by Japanese brands so it was normal to simply think of it as a sensual pattern. Because of that, Lucas didn¡¯t think much of it either. In the meantime, Oh Baek Ho called Kim Won and had him exin the situation to Lucas in English. Kim Won, who typically only uses English in a yful exmation, exined why the shape was a problem in a serious manner with fluent English. Kim Won also studied abroad, but he received extensive history lessons from his parents. Kim Won himself also has a tendency to explore various fields of knowledge so he read a lot about World History and cultures as well and understood it. Kim Won, who was slightly flustered, spoke quickly to the point that Oh Baek Ho and the other members who were standing next to them barely understood the word ¡®War Criminal¡¯ only. ¡°I¡¯m so embarrassed. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Lucas, who heard Kim Won¡¯s exnation, muttered gloomily. ¡°It could have been a big problem if Do Wook didn¡¯t notice it, but since we found it ahead of time it¡¯s ok. Do you have a different outfit?¡± ¡°Yes there is. Do Wook¡­Thank you.¡± Do Wook nodded his head to Lucas. ¡°I¡¯ll give you different clothes Hyung Seo¡­¡± Ahn Hyung Seo followed Lucas to go change his outfit. The outfit he changed into was a typical pink t-shirt with a picture of a cute dog¡¯s face. ¡°This is better. It worked out.¡± Oh Baek Ho said. Ahn Hyung Seo, the other members, and Lucas as well let out a sigh of relief. This was the Entertainment World where you never know when something will go wrong. ¡®It¡¯ll probably get worse the closer we get to the top.¡¯ The thought that he should stay alert and be cautious at any moment crossed his mind once again. *** The lights that were set up in the waiting room were turned on, and the Limitless Challenge shoot featuring KK started with a dozen or so staff spectating. Since the Limitless Challenge members¡¯ ¡®You¡¯ drew in so much attention in thest broadcast, this shoot involved finding the waiting room for KK, who were the originals, and doing a short interview on how they felt about it. The Limitless Challenge members, who came looking for the KK members, created a lively atmosphere first by praising KK, saying they¡¯re cool, they¡¯re definitely risking rookies, etc. Afterwards, following Na Jae Suk¡¯s lead, the members took turns saying their name and exining the role they took on. Kim Won stood out by saying he¡¯s a fan of Limitless Challenge and talking about Limitless Challenge episodes one after another. Afterwards, Nae Jae Suk asked the leader Jung Woon Ki. ¡°Ok, so then what did the KK members think of our performance?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure they enjoyed it~! We killed it~!¡± Before Jung Yoon Ki even responded, Ha Myung Hoon interjected and bragged, causing people tough. ¡°Yes, we enjoyed it. It was so impressive that I wondered if I performed like that¡­I felt a slight sense of shame¡­¡± At Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s response, the Limitless Challenge members asked back if he was purposely making a sour face and saying he felt shameful. ¡°By the way, Leader Jung Yoon Ki, I see you have an ent.¡± ¡°Yes. I haven¡¯t been able topletely fix it yet.¡± ¡°I see. Then could we have you say hi to the viewers in that ent?¡± The shoot was progressing without any problems since they prepared the interview content beforehand. At that moment, Ha Myung Hoon suddenly started heading towards Do Wook out of nowhere. ¡°What is it? Myung Hoon!¡± ¡°OMG, Can I try this on? It¡¯s so cool. It''s been catching my eye for a while.¡± The outfit Ha Myung Hoon, who was very interested in fashion, was talking about was the denim jacket Do Wook was wearing. Ha Myung Hoon had his gaze fixed on Do Wook since KK¡¯s entrance and introduction. A good looking guy with a fashion style, it was totally his ideal. Na Jae Suk and the other Limitless Challenge members scolded him that it was an imposition, but his will was strong. ¡°Here you go.¡± With a polite tone, Do Wook gave him the denim jacket he was wearing. The Limitless Challenge members admired the firm upper body that was revealed when he removed his jacket. While they were doing that, Ha Myung Hoon was whining that he wants to try on the denim jacket even though it was clearly too small for him since he gained a lot of weight recently. Riiiiip¨D The shoulder and arm area of the denim jacket tore as it made a riiiip sound. Everyone on set stopped moving out of bewilderment, as if the pause button had been pressed. It was a real situation that was unnned. Ha Myung Hoon¡¯s face turned bright red. At the same time, the others burst intoughter. ¡°Oh, why is the clothes like this?!¡± Ha Myung Hoon yelled, unable to hide his embarrassment. Nah Jae Suk stepped up and apologized on his behalf. ¡°Oh no, what should we do? I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Ah¡­Oh no. Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s ok. Really.¡± Do Wook repeated in a gentle tone that it was ok. He also took the denim jacket and hung it on his arm so Ha Myung Hoon wouldn''t be further embarrassed. Na Jae Suk and the other Limitless Challenge membersvished Do Wook with praise, saying his personality was as good looking as his face. ¡°Definitely a manly man~! They exist~!¡± ¡°Thepany paid for the clothes anyway. It¡¯s not my clothes.¡± ¡°Ah¡­! That¡¯s why you were saying it¡¯s ok~!¡± Na Jae Suk¡¯s expression brightened over how sensibly Do Wook handled the situation. There was an ident they didn¡¯t foresee, but the shoot ended in a fun atmosphere. After the shoot ended, Ha Myung Hoo and the Limitless Challenge¡¯s Jae Jak Jin promised to reimburse them as they apologized about the clothes. *** After the Limitless Challenge broadcast was aired, Do Wook¡¯s poprity rose among not only teenagers but also females in their 20¡¯s. Since it¡¯s a program that lots of men watch as well, there were lots of responses like ¡®That guy Do Wook is good looking even from a guy¡¯s perspective¡¯ even among guys. The other members also demonstrated their individual charm a little so their poprity rose. During that time, ¡®You¡¯, which became popr through word of mouth, was maintaining first ce on the music chart and, riding on the coattail of that sess, ¡®Sorry but I Love You¡¯¡¯s ranking also rose to second and third ce. One the third, andst, week of activities, KK was nominated for first ce on Life Song for ¡®You¡¯. Inside the car heading to the Life Song event. Do Wook was wearing his headphones and listening to the first draft of histest project that he was currently working on with Brave Only Child. At the same time, he was searching Entertainment articles on his phone out of habit. An article about M2M was up on the main page. Do Wook¡¯s eyes shone sharply. ¡®M2M¡¯s first full length album ising out¡­! Seo Kang Jun, are you confident¡­?¡¯ ¡ª Chapter 34: One more time, Ok?! (4) Chapter 34: One more time, Ok?! (4) The full story popped up when he clicked on the article. There was a discrepancy between the article title, which made it sound as if Seo Kang Jun stated he was confident he could beat KK, and the content of the article. The title was Seo Kang Jun¡¯s responses to the reporter¡¯s questionspiled together. It was obvious that the reporter purposely asked that question. Among the rookie groups that debuted recently, KK was right behind M2M, who was drawing unrivaled poprity. The question was what he thought about the rivalry with KK. Seo Kang Jun initially expressed a sense of pressure. He then responded that they¡¯ll give it their all for their first full length album with their own M2M style and that he¡¯s confident about the album. It was a clean response, as if it had been prepared. Thanks to that, thements towards Seo Kang Jun were positive. Comments that were mixed with insults were those cursing the reporter who chose the title for clickbait. M2M fans were protesting that if you didn¡¯t read it properly, it could make it seem like Seo Kang Jun was conceited and saying that he was confident he could beat KK. ¡®Nevertheless, the fact that reporters are asking these types of questions must mean the rivalry has been developed for the most part¡­¡¯ Even though their rivalry was established, for now it was true that M2M, who debuted earlier and was an idol group with the big agency Ara Entertainment, was superior. Do Wook thought as he looked at the bustling streets through the heavily tinted windows. The title song for M2M¡¯s first full length album that will be released soon was as perfect as their debut song ¡®You¡¯re Too Pretty¡¯. ¡®Sorry but I Love You¡¯ drew a lot of attention as predicted, and it was a relief that the follow-up song ¡®You¡¯ drew more attention than expected. Thanks to that, they were able to catch up to the poprity of M2M¡¯s debut song ¡®You¡¯re Too Pretty¡¯. The sound of horns from the cars on the road seeped in through the earphones. Cars were getting tangled as theyne changed trying to get in front of one another. At some point, the unfinished new song Do Wook was listening to ended. Do Wook added tunes every day to the unfinished new song, which only had the main melody, and furthered the song¡¯s progress by putting the scores together. Now, they had to prepare a song that could beat the title song of M2M¡¯s first full length album ¡®Look At Me¡¯. *** Brave Only Child¡¯s Studio. After KK¡¯s title song and debut album, which he was theposer and producer of, was sessful, the amount of thetest brand name equipment in Yong Soo Chul¡¯s studio increased. Also, the interior design was changed to suit Yong Soo Chul¡¯s taste. It was a little darker and decorations, including gangster-like figures, were ced throughout the studio. Yong Soo Chul moved from the building he used to both live in and use as a studio and was only using the current studio. He practically lived in the studio, only using the officetel* HIT Entertainment provided for him, which was close to thepany building, to sleep. (TL note: An officetel is a multi-purpose building with residential andmercial units.) Yong Soo Chul saw Do Wook, who came into the studio right at the agreed time. ¡°Do Wook, I¡¯m d you came.¡± Despite Yong Soo Chul and Do Wook¡¯s busy schedule, they met whenever they had time and talked about the next album and song projects. ¡°Congrattions on first ce today!¡± ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you.¡± ¡°Not at all. Anyways, that¡¯s amazing you got first ce with the follow-up song.¡± With an embarrassed expression, Do Wook thanked him. Yong Soo Chul nced at Do Wook. He came after finishing the broadcast so his face with the make up washed off was neat and clean. It might be because he had stopped by the dorm and cleaned up beforeing, but he had a particrly white and clear vibe today. On the outside, he was undoubtedly a 19 year old guy. However, his thinking was deep enough to be a 29 year old and achieved surprising things. Every time Yong Soo Chul saw Do Wook, he admired how his fate was intertwined with Do Wook¡¯s. Yong Soo Chul was someone who was certain of his own talent. Therefore, he also thought that he would have eventually seeded even if he hadn¡¯t met Do Wook. However, he couldn¡¯t erase the feeling that he was progressing faster since he met Do Wook, and that he had seeded in the right direction. Therefore, there was a part of him that was always grateful to Do Wook. On top of that, it was true that seeing Do Wook was a good inspiration for him as aposer. He himself hadn¡¯t been learningposing for that long, but he consistently listened to music and had experience, like being a DJ. Despite that, 19 year old Do Wook, who had only been learning for a few months, always surprised him with his astounding instinct. ¡°The part that you were worried aboutst time, I worked on modifying it¡­¡± Yong Soo Chul sat on the chair in front of the equipment and operated the buttons. The line that was to be the backbone of the melody was Yong Soo Chul¡¯s part. The two of them had been working on a song together for a month. Yong Soo Chul determined that the beat Do Wook submitted recently was too tedious to listen to multiple times since the beat repeated from start to finish. In the modified song, there was a different version of the beat mixed in. Do Wook patiently listened then responded. ¡°I feel this is definitely better.¡± ¡°Huuu. It was worth pulling two all-nighters.¡± Do Wook furrowed his brows at Yong Soo Chul¡¯s words. Do Wook had thought that the dark beard on Yong Soo Chul¡¯s chin somehow stood out more as soon as he saw him. ¡°Thank you for your hard work! I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing it because I like it. You have nothing to be sorry for.¡± ¡°Still¡­Ah! This is the part I modified.¡± Do Wook inserted the USB into the desktopputer in the studio and transferred the file. He then yed the file he brought through the studio speakers. ¡°¡­I yed around with it a bit to see what it¡¯d be like if the melody on thest part fluctuated like this.¡± ¡°Oh! I think it¡¯ll make the end of the song he strong if you do this!¡± Yong Soo Chul spoke in a calm tone that didn¡¯t match his tough appearance, but once in a while, he used cheap words and made the people around him flustered. ¡°¡­.I¡¯m d that you like it.¡± The two of them developed a song to put in the album as they enthusiastically exchanged ideas. They continued to work on the song until well past midnight. The studio door opened and Kwon Ji Hyung came in carrying ck stic bags in both hands. Do Wook jumped up from his seat and greeted him. ¡®Oh, sunbae*! How are you?¡± (TL note: sunbae is a term used for a person who is your senior at the school, job, industry, etc.) ¡°You¡¯re here Ji Hyung.¡± ¡°I was told that you were here working on something so I brought you something to eat. I¡¯m not interrupting you guys, am I?¡± At his remark, Yong Soo Chul responded that he was feeling peckish anyways. Kwon Ji Hyung spread out the spicy rice cakes and Korean sausages he brought on the table in the middle of the studio. Do Wook helped him and ced the drinks. Kwon Ji Hyung and Yong Soo Chul developed a strong friendship as they prepared the Monster album. Since Monster wasn¡¯t currently active, Kwon Ji Hyung had a lot of time. He also had a very social personality. ¡°What brings you here sote at night?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t sleep the closer it gets to the Comeback. I wanted to see you and I heard Do Wook was here too.¡± Kwon Ji Hyung already felt very fond of Do Wook since their brief encounter previously. Do Wookughed. He brought an A4 paper and asked for his autograph as if he just happened to remember. When Do Wook told him his cousin was Kwon Ji Hyung¡¯s fan and the story of how he ended up auditioning with HIT Entertainment and nowhere else because of that, Kwon Ji Hyung was very happy. Kwon Ji Hyung had already gathered a lot of fans, but it was the heart of a celebrity to be happy if there was another person that liked them. Furthermore, he was a little proud of the fact that a major rookie like Do Wook ended uping to thepany because of him. ¡°My, my. I should tell either the Team Leaders or the Director that I was the one that brought Do Wook in.¡± Everyone chucked at his joke. After signing and happily adding an extra dedication to Do Wook¡¯s cousin Kim Seo Hyun, Kwon Ji Hyung startedining again. ¡°Why did oureback period have to ovep with M2M¡¯s of all things¡­¡± His expression was bitter as he spoke. He looked like he wanted to step out and smoke. Monster wasn¡¯t at the level to sweep the nation, but they were still a very popr group that could survive in the idol fandom. However, all groups¡¯ poprity had an uphill and it was a given that they would have a downhill too. Kwon Ji Hyung was experiencing that in person. He realized that it was almost time for them to give up their position to the rising rookies who were climbing their way up. ¡°It¡¯s not¡­Completely ovepping though, right?¡± ¡°Hmm? That¡¯s true. We¡¯re about two weekster. Still, I don¡¯t know if we¡¯ll be able to get first ce on Life Song even once. We¡¯d save face if we could get first ce at least once.¡± Do Wook tried very hard to recall his memories as he listened to Kwon Ji Hyung. However, the time M2M¡¯s ¡®Look At Me¡¯ was doing very well was when Bo Myung was intensely preparing for his CSAT. Additionally, it was also when he told himself to not be distressed as he watched M2M¡¯s sess. Because of that, his memory was fuzzy whether Monster could get first ce. ¡®It¡¯d be nice if I could somehow be helpful to Monster too¡­¡¯ It stands to reason that the more popr entertainers there were in an agency, the more power they would get. It was good for Do Wook too if Monster, who was in the same agency, did well. Yong Soo Chul shoved an entire piece of Korean sausage in his mouth and asked as he mumbled. ¡°Ji Hyung, did the problem with writing the lyrics for ¡®Moonlight Love¡¯ get resolved?¡± ¡°Ah, no. The lyrics have to be written soon so we can record.¡± ¡®Moonlight Love¡¯ was one of the songs that would go into Monster¡¯s album. It was Monster¡¯s first attempt at a bad. They nned to show fans of Monster ¡°we can do this type of stuff too!¡± through the song. All of Monster¡¯s members unexpectedly showed off their singing skills. When Do Wook asked what the problem was, Kwon Ji Hyung exined although the song itself was good, the song recording was being dyed because they couldn¡¯t find suitable lyrics. Do Wook¡¯s eyes shone after he heard the exnation. What popped into Do Wook¡¯s head was Kim Soom. Kim Soom was outstandingly talented in not onlyposing bads, but also in writing lyrics. She had exceptional intuition when it came to bads. Do Wook was certain that if Kim Soom was avable, she would write great lyrics. It could also be an opportunity for Kim Soom, who was underground, to get her foot in the door for pop songs. ¡°There is one person I know. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯ll work out though.¡± ¡°Really? You never know so please at least introduce us anyways!¡± ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll give them a call.¡± ¡°Ok, ok. Do Wook, your cell phone number¡­! Let''s exchange numbers. It¡¯s veryte now so try contacting them in the morning and let me know.¡± Kwon Ji Hyung exchanged numbers with Do Wook with excited eyes, as if saying he¡¯d do anything if he could only find good lyrics. If Kim Soom ended up writing the lyrics for Monster, they would have to consult with the album production team, but he had to check Kim Soom¡¯s interest and schedule with her first. *** Do Wook, who didn¡¯t get back to the dorm until dawn, started thinking about the importance of writing lyrics. ¡®A good song needs good lyrics.¡¯ The singer singing the song, the choreography to go with the performance, as well as the outfits. There wasn¡¯t one thing that wasn¡¯t important. The best song, best performance, wasplete when everything became one. Before he fell asleep, Do Wook read the book of poems he kept by his bedside using the light from his cellphone. To write good lyrics, it was important to read lots of books. Since he already read a lot of books in his past life, Do wook had read enough books, but Do Wook tried hard to not do anythingzily. Do Wook didn¡¯t fall asleep until the morning sun rose. And around lunch time, Do Wook opened his eyes to Oh Baek Ho¡¯s booming voice telling him to wake up. Team Member Do Ra Hee from Fan Marketing, who was officially ced in charge of KK, had personallye to the dormitory. Since a woman with a petite figure and a cute face was standing in the dormitory living room, the members who were in their underwear were shocked and all started hastily putting on their clothes. Oh Baek Ho yelled from the middle of that. ¡°Everyone! I have happy news!¡± ¡ª Chapter 35: One more time, Ok?! (5) Chapter 35: One more time, Ok?! (5) ¡°H¡­Happy news?¡± Jung Yoon Ki, who finished changing clothes the quickest, asked Oh Baek Ho, puzzled. Oh Baek Ho bit his lip hard to stop himself fromughing when he saw the members¡¯ confused expressions. Thest of the debut album activities finished with them receiving first ce on Life Song. They were even given three days of vacation. Most of the members were sleeping in reallyte as they pondered over their sweet dilemma of what they would do with their three days off before going into preparation for the next album. Of course, Do Wook¡¯s situation was a little different since he was doing theposing himself and became heavily involved on the first full album. However, he was sleeping in as well. The fact that Oh Baek Ho brought Fan Marketing¡¯s Do Ra Hee to the dormitory without any notice on the morning of the first day off¡­They didn''t have any scheduled events so everyone was in a defenseless state; therefore, it meant only one thing. ¡®Even if it¡¯s the inactive season, you absolutely can¡¯t ck off!¡¯ Oh Baek Ho wanted to teach that lesson to the members. Even though Oh Baek Ho told the members it was a vacation, he only allowed simple hang out with friends to grab something to eat and go to a cafe. He also nned to strictly prohibit drinking and smoking for adult members. It was especially easy for problems to ur when people were drinking. Of course, they might not adhere to those rules. Unless there were six of him, he couldn''t follow all six of the KK members 24/7 and monitor them. However, Oh Baek Ho trusted that the current KK members would follow his rules well. They had built that much trust during thest active period. ¡°Yes. Happy news. First, everyonee gather here.¡± Do Ra Hee smiled at the members, with her hair like a bird¡¯s nest, wearing a stretched out t-shirt, ragged sweatpants, etc. ¡°You might have seen her around in thepany, but this is Fan Marketing Team¡¯s employee, Do Ra Hee." ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Do Ra Hee. I look forward to working with you!¡± The members bowed and returned her greeting. Do Ra Hee gave off a girl idol group member impression rather than an employee vibe. The members rubbed their eyes and looked at Do Ra Hee¡¯s face again. Her delicate facial features were definitely cute. She had a small build, not even reaching Oh Baek Ho¡¯s shoulders. She faced the members andughed. Her smile was very charismatic. ¡°First things first! I was going to have Manager Oh deliver it to you guys but I thought it¡¯d be better to deliver it in person so I brought this!¡± Do Rae Hee took out blue boxes from the shopping bag she was holding. ¡°Also, after an internal meeting, they decided on ¡°Key Ring¡± for the name of the fan club!¡± ¡°Because we are the key, haha.¡± ¡°I¡­I like it.¡± When Ahn Hyung Seo and Park Tae Hyung responded, Do Ra Heeughed and distributed the boxes to the members. The KK logo was engraved on the blue boxes, and each of the boxes had post-its with individual member¡¯s name written on it. The members opened the box with their name on it. ¡°Oh!¡± Ahn Hyung Seo yelled, excited. The box contained a KK fan club kit including cheering tools, a fan card, a photo card, etc. to be given to the official KK fan club. ¡°So cute~!¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s dope!¡± Everyone expressed their appreciation after opening the box. All the members loved the heartfelt fan club kit. Additionally, the individual member¡¯s names were written on the fan club card. ¡°I can¡¯t believe we have a fan club¡­¡± Jung Yoon Ki muttered, feeling somewhat moved as he examined the fan club card from all sides. The fan club was currently in the process of recruiting. Since registering for the fan club was essential for offline fan activities such as attending open broadcasts etc. many people flocked since the first day of recruitment. Even if it wasn¡¯t necessarily for offline activities, they nned on giving those who registered for the fan club perks such as invitations to fan meetings or priority for purchasing concert tickets etc. in the future. There were also many fans who decided to register after seeing what was included in the fan kit in the released promo. ¡°Now that the fan club is made, we n to do more aggressive marketing, so there will be more and more reasons for us to talk.¡± Everyone nodded their heads at Do Ra Hee¡¯s remark. They thought it wouldn¡¯t matter who came from Fan Marketing outside of Team Leader Jo Anna, but if it was Do Ra Hee, who was kind and cheerful on top of being cute, she was wee anytime. ¡°I think the fans will like it.¡± Do Ra Hee agreed enthusiastically with Do Wook¡¯s remark. ¡°I heard it was you who gave the idea for the cheering tool.¡± ¡°Oh, yes.¡± ¡°We¡¯re also preparing other member goods based on the other suggestions you gave.¡± ¡°Is that so? Thank you.¡± ¡°Thepany¡¯s design team and I had a hard timeing up with a design for the cheering tool, but I really loved it when I saw the result. You have batteries here, right? Put in batteries and try turning it on!¡± At Do Ra Hee¡¯s words, Oh Baek Ho grabbed the batteries from the drawer. Everyone put batteries in the capital K-shaped cheering stick and pressed the power button. ¡°Wow¡­Pretty¡­¡± Park Tae Hyung¡¯s jaw dropped in admiration. The shining blue light was pretty. They each turned on their cheering sticks and imagined the wave of blue lights in a dark concert hall. ¡°Also, regarding the happy news Manager Oh mentioned!¡± ¡°This wasn¡¯t the happy news?¡± Do Ra Hee nodded in response to Ahn Hyung Seo¡¯s question. Oh Baek Ho answered instead. ¡°The actually happy news is something else, dude.¡± ¡°Ho ho, an opportunity for amercial came for the KK members.¡± When they heard the news about themercial, they looked at Do Ra Hee as if urging her to tell them what kind ofmercial it was. Do Ra Hee felt like her back was sweating because of the burning gaze from the six of them. ¡°It¡¯s an advertisement for school uniforms! Elite Look!¡± Everyone had a cheerful and amazed expression as they said ¡°Ooooh¡±. School uniformmercials were a good indicator to know who the hot idols were. School uniforms were a business that had a clear target. Only idols who were the most popr among teenagers could be the star of a school uniformmercial. Milky Way and another boy idol group handled Elite Look previously. The generational change in the idol world went hand in hand with the recement of models in school uniformmercials. You could tell even by the fact that M2M recently became the model for Smart Club. ¡°Additionally, we have bad news too.¡± Oh Baek Ho said to the members who were excited and making poses. The members¡¯ expressions hardened in an instant. ¡°Bad¡­News?¡± ¡°Yes. Your vacation became one day shorter. If you want to get in shape in time for themercial shoot, you have to start taking care of your body starting Wednesday!¡± The type of body care Oh Baek Ho was referring to was not just exercise but also included a controlled diet. Their struggle with chicken breast that took ce before the debut was still fresh in everyone¡¯s minds. Oh Baek Ho left the members, who were frozen in their tracks, and saw Do Ra Hee out as she got ready to return to the office. ¡°Everyone is in shock so it looks like it¡¯ll be hard for them to say goodbye. I apologize on their behalf.¡± ¡°Hahaha, not at all.¡± Do Ra Hee tried to check on the members¡¯ condition, but Oh Baek Ho told her to get going and even opened the front door for her. Do Ra Hee was somewhat concerned about leaving the members behind. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be heading out.¡± The members, who barely came back to their senses, said goodbye to Do Ra Hee. ¡°Then Ra Hee, get back safe and I¡¯ll see youter.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll contact you again Manager Oh.¡± Kim Won, who had been observing the two of them saying goodbye, let out a mischievousugh. Ater Do Ra Hee left, Kim Won asked Oh Baek Ho, ¡°Baek Ho, you and Do Ra Hee hmmmm~?¡± Kim Won was in denial that their vacation was only two days and they¡¯ll start doing body care once it¡¯s over. He wanted to move his focus to a different topic. Oh Baek Ho¡¯s tone towards Do Ra Hee was very soft. On top of that, the two of them standing side by side were like Captain Hook and Tinkerbell. They seemed like they wouldn¡¯t be a good fit, but they look strangely good together. ¡°Hmmm? What do you mean hmmm?¡± ¡°Why? You look good together.¡± Jung Yoon Ki, who wanted to mess with Oh Baek Ho for no particr reason, nudged. Oh Baek Ho shook his head. ¡°With Ra Hee? That¡¯s nonsense. You know how old she is?¡± ¡°How old is she?¡± ¡°24¡± ¡°Hurrr. It¡¯s not that she just looks young, she actually is young!¡± Ahn Hyung Seo muttered, shocked. Do Ra Hee entered thepany by getting scouted to the Fan Marketing Team after graduating college. She actually graduated from a two yearmunity college with a degree in Early Childhood Education. There was a reason she was scouted even though she studied a fieldpletely unrted to Fan Marketing or the Entertainment business. She was active as an avid fan of so-and-so idol group since age 18. She created the fan cafe, became the fan club board member, etc. and at age 20 she worked as a fan manager. The qualifications to be a fan manager wasn¡¯t very rigorous, but since they had encounters with fans while working on site it was a position of endless problems. However, Do Ra Hee showed truly ¡°Do Ra Hee¡±-like character in the field and quelled the fans. She was very good at getting things done, with her small physique, without even a hint of gossip surrounding her. On top of that, she was good at staying professional so she never pointlessly clung to idols either. Thanks to that, word spread quickly that she''s a fan manager who¡¯s good at her job, and through acquaintances, she was able to get scouted all the way to HIT Entertainment Fan Marketing team. ¡°Also, don¡¯t even think of saying something like that you guys. Despite how she looks, she¡¯s a scary person.¡± ¡°Her?¡± ¡°Yes. Everyone, be good to Ra Hee. And don¡¯t say unnecessary stuff.¡± Oh Baek Ho shook his head as he recalled the story he heard in the past involving ¡®Do Ra Hee. How did she calm the 40 fans on site all at once?!¡¯. *** Soon after, the KK members and staff gathered at the indoor basketball court in Goyang, Gyeonggido for the school uniformmercial shoot. They had already received the run down of the shoot at a previous meeting. The outfit was summer school uniform and the concept was boys enjoying their youth ying basketball on the basketball court They understood why Oh Baek Ho was saying take care of their bodies. When they wore the short sleeve summer uniform shirt, it showed all the curves of their upper body. It was also true that the better shape you¡¯re in, the better the fit of the clothes would be. ¡°Taking off the hot coat~ I¡¯m on my way to you~!¡± While they were waiting to shoot, Jung Yoon Ki bounced the prop basketball as he sang an anime theme song. In preparations for this shoot, the members yed basketball at the Hangang park near thepany everyday, contemting how they could pose in a way that would look cool when they shot the ball. Thankfully, there weren¡¯t any members who werepletely terrible at basketball. Jung Yoon Ki was confident, saying he was on the basketball team during his school days and that he even dreamt of bing a basketball yer. Of course, he had to give up that dream because he stopped growing. Furthermore, Kim Won had yed a lot of basketball when he was studying abroad and was one of the members who were used to basketball. Park Tae Hyung and Ahn Hyung Seo were already very used to moving their bodies so they picked up basketball very easily. Do Wook was athletic and tall to boot so he was able to do dunk shots. If there were one concern, it was Suk Ji Hoon. Suk Ji Hoon¡¯s form was awkward, starting from how he dribbled. However, it wasn¡¯t a real match anyways so he was able to somewhat make up for it with facial expressions. ¡°What song is that?¡± ¡°Dude, you don¡¯t know this song?¡± Jung Yoon Ki was shocked by Suk Ji Hoon¡¯s question and dropped the basketball he was holding. He thought they were only a few years apart, but he felt the generation gap during times like this. Jung Yoon Ki stopped in his tracks out of shock and Suk Ji Hoon brushed past him with an indifferent expression. It was a fact that securing a proper waiting room was hard since they were shooting on a basketball court. Do Wook headed towards the bathroom next to the hallway to change into the outfit for the shoot, the summer school uniform. However, Do Wook couldn¡¯t even enter the bathroom and had no choice but to stop in front of the hallway. ¡°You goddamn asshole, you ratted me out?¡± ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Sorry? You think sorry will fix everything? You bitch, I knew I didn¡¯t like you from the beginning! You think you¡¯re all that because Director Kim likes you?¡± Abusivenguage wasing from in front of the hallway. ¡ª Chapter 36: One more time, Ok?! (6) Chapter 36: One more time, Ok?! (6) It was the staff for themercial shoot. The man was verbally abusing the woman, who seemed to be his subordinate. Do Wook briefly observed the two people, holding the summer school uniform in his hands. ¡°I¡¯m sorry sunbae-nim*. I¡¯ll fix it.¡± (TL Note: Sunbae is how you address your senior, nim is a term to show respect.) She tried to hold it in but she was on the verge of tears from the abuse. ¡°Shit, nothing¡¯s working out. We have to finish the shoot quickly so work twice as fast today, got it?!¡± ¡°Yes! Understood!¡± As the man cussed and was about to say more, Do Wook made his presence known with his footsteps. The two people turned around. When he saw Do Wook, the man cleared his throat and left the area first. The woman quickly averted her gaze when she made eye contact with Do Wook. The light make up she had on was all smudged. The woman went into the women¡¯s restroom next to the hallway, perhaps out of embarrassment. Do Wook went into the men¡¯s restroom soon after and changed into his outfit. ¡®I wonder what¡¯s going on?'' There wasn¡¯t anything he could do about it, but Do Wook was only human and was curious. When he came out after he was done changing, he could faintly hear crying from inside the women¡¯s restroom. Do Wook recalled the times he cried alone in the school restroom in the past. It wasn¡¯t the same type of torment, but Do Wook knew well what a miserable thing it is to cry alone as you hide. Do Wook headed towards KK¡¯s coordinator team who were in charge of hair, make up, and wardrobe. The coordinators were chatting amongst themselves while they waited for the shoot. It was also possible to understand the earlier situation a little through the coordinators¡¯ conversation. The chief director of the advertisement filming team nned for the shoot to take no longer than six hours. Because of that, the director staffed the location for 8 hours. However, the problem was that the filming team¡¯s male assistant director incorrectly told the female subordinate staff member six hours from the beginning. The female staff member confidently staffed the location for six hours, and was called in by the chief director, Director Kim. When she told him that she was informed six hours, Director Kim had called the male assistant director. However the assistant director made up excuses saying he never told her that. On the contrary, he called the female staff member and caused a scene, going off on her and yelling when did he ever say that. The other younger staff members clearly heard the man say six hours, but they couldn''t step up to help her so they were talking about it afterwards amongst themselves instead. ¡°He looked like he has a really terrible personality.¡± ¡°I understand people in broadcasting have potty mouths, but that jerk seemed like a real asshole.¡± ¡°Ah, I really hate it. If Manager Oh were like that, I wouldn¡¯t be able to stand it.¡± Do Wook headed towards where the coordinators were gathered and called one of them. ¡°Excuse me, nuna*?¡± (TL note: nuna is how males refer to older females) ¡°Yes? What is it, Do Wook?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to use that for a little bit.¡± Do Wook was pointing to apact of fixing powder. ¡°Are you going to fix your make up? Your face looks fine.¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s not for me. Briefly. I really only need it for a bit.¡± The coordinator was suspicious of Do Wook suddenly looking for the powderpact but obediently handed it over to him. Do Wook walked quickly to the hallway and stood in front of the women¡¯s restroom. Soon a woman came out who looked like she had washed her eyes with water. She was surprised when she spotted Do Wook and stopped walking. ¡°Excuse me¡­Here, use this.¡± It was obvious that the guy would pick on her more if he saw that she had cried. Still, there was no way she had enough time to go back and fix her makeup. She briefly looked at the powderpact Do Wook was handing her. She went back into the restroom as she thanked him and came back out after fixing her makeup. The swollen area around her eyes definitely calmed down and it was less obvious that she had cried. ¡°Here you go. Thank you very much.¡± Do Wook silently took back the powderpact from her. ¡°You¡¯re KK member Kang Do Wook¡­Right?¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­¡± She stared at Do Wook¡¯s face. It took several years for her to climb from her days as the youngest staff member to where she was now. If she were to recount every single humiliation she had suffered on set in that time, her mouth would hurt. There were times she was harassed by her superior like today, and there were many times when she was harassed by the advertisement models or the advertisingpany. There were also many people who watched her ovee those difficulties. There were coworkers who gave her words of encouragement, but this was the first time a celebrityforted her. On top of that, it was a very attentive and thoughtful constioning from a young male idol. ¡°I won¡¯t forget this kindness.¡± "It''s nothing." Do Wook didn¡¯t think it was something he should be thanked for at all since he didn¡¯t do much. However, she shook her head and said she would absolutely repay his kindness. She walked quickly as she returned to the filming site. Do Wook simply thought that he would be happy if he was able tofort her even a little. He couldn¡¯t imagine in his wildest dreams that the woman would really repay the favorter on. *** The shoot progressed ording to the script. On the set you could feel the director¡¯s determination to not have any dys since they had to finish within the time left. Thankfully, the KK members finished the shoot without many retakes despite it being their firstmercial shoot. Jung Yoon Ki dribbling as he quickly dashed across the court, Ahn Hyung Seo passing to the team member in front of him, Suk Ji Hoon snatching the ball in one try, and Park Tae Hyung crouching down low and intercepting the ball from the opponent. And Do Wook sessfully making a clean 3-pointer shot. After they finished shooting all the solo scenes, the camera got a shot of the six members standing in a row. It was the scene for the finale at the end. Additionally, the director shot a scene of just Do Wook standing alone. It wasn¡¯t part of the script but he thought that it would make a good shot. The sessfulpletion of the shoot was met with a round of apuse. The Elite Look PR liaison approached Manager Oh and the members and thanked them for their hard work as well as informed them of what the next steps were. Oh Baek Ho agreed to keep their schedule open for the poster shoot, the paper advertisement shoot, etc. that were to follow. He then said his goodbyes and exited the set. ¡°It was fun, but I¡¯m tired.¡± ¡°I know, I¡¯m yawning man.¡± Jung Yoon Kiined about being tired. Ahn Hyung Seo also let out a long yawn as he rubbed his eyes. ¡°You worked hard, all of you.¡± Oh Baek Ho praised the members as they headed towards the parking lot. *** The third week of their inactive period. It was a very important rule that as a rookie you should not have a long period of inactivity. It was because those who didn¡¯t be core fans yet could easily move on to a different group. KK and thepany tried very hard so that the fans wouldn¡¯t feel empty during the inactive period. Manufacturers made content for consumer fans to look at and enjoy. In other words, they had to endlessly create ¡°the next hit item¡±. It was a relief that a so-called ¡°next hit item¡± was created when the school uniformmercial they recently filmed aired. Furthermore, the members were updating about what they were up to through Facenote almost every day. Thanks to that, the number of followers continued to grow despite being inactive. Additionally, fan marketing edited and uploaded behind the scenes videos on Itube once or twice a week. Thanks to that, the fans didn¡¯t feel like KK was in an inactive period at all and they even got many new fans during this period. While that was going on, the members were rehearsing on their own and focused on recording the title song and album that came out recently. (TL note: for rification, the song/album has not been released to the public yet. The members recently received thepleted song and are getting ready to record it.) The album included songs they received from the album development team and a couple of new songs that Yong Soo Chulposed. The title song was the song Do Wookposed and wrote together with Yong Soo Chul. The song was so catchy that you would never forget it after hearing it once. When Team Leader Shim Jun listened to it for the first time, he expressed his surprise by covering his mouth. The choreography for the song was currentlymissioned to the choreographer who did the choreography for ¡®Sorry but I Love You¡¯. Once the choreography is ready early next week, they nned to go into preparation for the album full swing including the musical video shoot after rehearsal. ¡®I wonder how the public will react¡­¡¯ This title song, a joint project between Yong Soo Chul and Do Wook, was a song unlike anything else. Of course, Do Wook already knew how the trends would go and picked a genre that would soar in poprity around this time as the genre of the title song. Furthermore, the direction the song would progress was done in a way that would catch people¡¯s attention in this time period. Furthermore, he believed in Yong Soo Chul¡¯s skills so he was confident that the title song would draw a lot of poprity, but it was human nature to worry about that 1% of uncertainty. ¡°Do Wook, are you sure you¡¯re not pushing yourself too hard these days?¡± The sound of someone asking him something finally broke Do Wook out of his deep thoughts. ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°Dude, your dark circles will go down all the way to your chin if you keep that up. You may be good looking, but don¡¯t you think you should still avoid that?¡± It was Jung Yoon Ki. He was sitting across from Do Wook at the living room table, and it was already past 2 am. Among the non-title songs, there were still two songs that haven¡¯t been recorded yet. One of those two songs was waiting for Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s rap lyrics and Do Wook was in the process of writing the lyrics for the other song. They returned to the dormitory after rehearsal, but the two of them had work left to do so they turned on theirptops and were pulling all-nighters. ¡°It¡¯s no trouble at all. What about yourself? You must be tired.¡± Do Wook asked Jung Yoon Ki, who had written the majority of the rap lyrics in the songs. ¡°Me? Well. I¡¯m struggling this much writing a few lines of rap; you¡¯reposing and writing. We have the same schedule. Are there five of you?¡± Do Wookughed. Hisugh was full of fatigue. ¡°Still, the raps you wrote; they¡¯re really good.¡± He meant it. Through their time together, Do Wook learned that Jung Yoon Ki had much more talent in rap than he initially thought. Therefore, he helped Jung Yoon Ki have a bigger role in making the album. ¡°Thanks, dude. I really liked the title song you wrote too. I¡¯m a littlete saying it, but when I first heard it, I was so surprised that I was speechless.¡± ¡°It¡¯s something I worked on with PD Yong.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s a different vibe than the debut song. Dude, I thought to myself that day what incredible luck I have to be in the same group as you.¡± Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s words touched Do Wook¡¯s heart. Jung Yoon Ki being that happy made him somehow feel more acknowledged. ¡°Anyways, don¡¯t push yourself too hard. You¡¯re still growing at that age.¡± ¡°Haha, yes¡­Thank you for being worried about me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t brush it off because someone shorter than you said it!¡± He chatted andughed with Jung Yoon Ki. Then a message arrived on Do Wook¡¯s cellphone. It was a message from Kwon Ji Hyung, a member of Monster. [Thank you my hubae* lol. I don¡¯t know if you heard, but we were first ce today lol. We only just finished with thepany dinner so I¡¯m contacting you now lol. I was sulking because the title song wasn¡¯t doing well¡­But we were saved thanks to you! I¡¯ll treat you to a nice mealter!] (TL note: hubae is is referring to one¡¯s junior at a job, school, field, etc.) Monster ced first ce today on a cable music broadcast program with their follow up bad song, ¡®Moonlight Love¡¯. The lyricist for ¡®Moonlight Love¡¯ was Kim Soom. Kim Soom agreed to be the song¡¯s lyricist upon Do Wook¡¯s request. Furthermore, she wrote melodic lyrics, like a prose of a poem, as Do Wook expected. You can¡¯t credit it all to the power of the lyrics, but hearing that ¡®Moonlight Love¡¯ was doing well made him happy that he was able to help even a little. Actually, the reason Monster¡¯s title song was never able to get first ce was because M2M took first ce for the 5th consecutive week. Monster was only able to get first ce after M2M¡¯s active period ended. As expected, M2M¡¯s ¡®Look at Me¡¯ was drawing much more attention than ¡®You¡¯re Too Pretty¡¯ and was taking M2M to the top spot. Ara Entertainment even poured their resources into bringing back the music broadcast ranking system, perhaps because they were starting to notice KK. Thanks to that, the ranking system was revived in a majority of the music broadcasts and in the blink of an eye, M2M received an incredible amount of first ce trophies that KK couldn¡¯tpete with. However, the newly reinstated ranking system didn¡¯t only apply to M2M. Now, KK also had an opportunity to sweep through all the broadcast stations and get first ce. ¡®We can do it¡­¡¯ Do Wook thought again as looked at Jung Yoon Ki, who was right in front of him. The release date of KK¡¯s first full length album, , was just around the corner. ¡ª Chapter 37: Sensation (1) Chapter 37: Sensation (1) [Ahead of its time and trendy. Addictive sound, captivating performance. Surprise release of the all-inclusive first full album of KK! First Album (Full) Arist: KK Genre: Dance, Pop Released: 06.10 Song Info 1. Intro / Lyrics: Yong Soo Chul, Kim Won, Jung Yoon Ki ¨C Composition: Yong Soo Chul 2. Very Sorry / Lyrics: Yong Soo Chul, Kang Do Wook ¨C Composition Yong Soo Chul, Kang Do Wook 3. Day and Night / Lyrics: Han Yoo Hyun, Kang Do Wook, Jung Yoon Ki ¨C Composition: Han Yoo Hyun . . . 9. Something / Lyrics: Chopin ¨C Composition: Yong Soo Chul 10. Very Sorry alternate version / Lyrics: Yong Soo Chul, Kang Do Wook ¨C Composition: Yong Soo Chul, Kang Do Wook] At noon when the sun was at its highest point, KK¡¯s first album was distributed to the music streaming site. Simr to when their debut album had been announced, a teaser and concept photo had been uploaded to the official home page a week prior, and they released an article. If there was one difference, it was the music video release being dyed until after the music stream release. Furthermore, Fan Marketing stopped uploading the photos and videos they had been posting while the teaser and concept photo were being released. They also prohibited activity on the members¡¯ personal social media pages. This way, the fan¡¯s anticipation would increase as much as possible. Everyone, the people involved in the introduction and track list of the released album the fans alike, shouted ¡°Oh!¡± in admiration. Even if they took out track 10, which was just an alternate version, it was an album that contained 9 different songs. You could tell how much effort they had put into this just by looking at the track list. It was obvious that they would stand out from other idols. It seemed like three members, Kim Won, Jung Yoon Ki, and even Do Wook, were involved in writing the lyrics of practically all the songs. On top of that, Do Wook evenposed the title song. He wasn¡¯t involved in the creation of the album, but Park Tae Hyung was involved in making the choreography for ¡®Something¡¯, which was one of the songs from the album they nned to perform on stage. They weren¡¯t simply pushing to be formally credited. They deserved for the press release to introduce them as ¡®Not a manufactured idol group, but idols who make their own music¡¯ and have the members¡¯ contributions fully credited. There was significantly more member involvement than the debut album, and naturally their affection for the album was higher than a singer who simply recorded the song. The members were more excited and anxious than anyone else, but when the music stream was released at midnight, most of the members were fast asleep. They had stayed up all night, rehearsing until the afternoon, and they had barely returned a few hours ago. They struggled, trying everything they could to stay awake until the music stream release time, but unfortunately they started to knock out one after another. When one of them started snoring, they heard the sound and fell asleep one by one. With theeback just around the corner, what was giving the members a hard time was the choreography rehearsals. For the choreography of this album¡¯s title song, ¡®Very Sorry¡¯, it was important that the six of them danced matching the angle and timing perfectly, moving as one body. The title song had a repeating chorus with an addictive sound as a hook. Therefore, the choreography was made using the most spectacr, eye-catching strategies, like incorporating various formations. However, in the chorus they made a shy choreography that could be trendy. After seeing the choreography for the previous follow-up song ¡®You¡¯ get popr through word of mouth, thepany felt that it was important for the choreography to make a big ssh too. Either way, since a lot of effort was put into it for various reasons, it was a very difficult choreography. ¡°Yaaawn. Do Wook¡­you¡¯re¡­awake?¡± Ahn Hyung Seo, who had been sprawled in the living room, woke up after tossing and turning. He saw Do Wook sitting at the table and asked. ¡°Yes. I woke up not too long ago.¡± Do Wook was tired as well. Do Wook, who had barely slept 3 hours, stroked his chapped chin. He was only able to wake up because he took such great care of himself, or else he would have also been knocked out. ¡°¡­mmm, what time is it right now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s 12:20.¡± ¡°Gasp!¡± Ahn Hyung Seo, who had been lying down on the sofa, jumped up. No, he tried to jump up. He was feeling impatient, but his body didn¡¯t follow him. His feet got tangled and he stayed seated on the floor. Ahn Hyung Seo asked, not even able to open his eyes fully. ¡°How¡¯s the response? Ow, my foot.¡± ¡°Are you ok? The response¡­the fans are saying they like it. The chart rankinges outter so please go back to sleep.¡± ¡°Ahh¡­no, I can wait for it¡­¡± Ahn Hyung Seo, who had been mumbling, crouched on the living room floor again and fell asleep. The members finally woke up at 2 pm when rehearsals were about to start again. Do Wook also briefly fell asleep after checking their initial music chart ranking. The members got up one by one, zombielike, and gathered in the living room. ¡°What happened to us? Man~!¡± Kim Won asked Jung Yoon Ki, who had been the first to get to the living room. Jung Yoon Ki had no choice but to wake up before everyone else after he received a heated call from Oh Baek Ho telling them to eat and get ready for rehearsal. Oh Baek Ho had gone to a meeting to work out the music broadcast schedule. ¡°One second. I¡¯m looking at it now.¡± While Jung Yoon Ki was checking on his cell phone, behind him Ahn Hyung Seo looked for Do Wook as he opened his eyes. ¡°Do Wook said he was going to look at it. Do Wook! You should have woken me up.¡± ¡°I fell asleep soon after too¡­our initial ranking was 3rd ce.¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Oh My Gosh!¡± Ahn Hyung Seo, whose eyes were already rabbit-like and became even more rabbit-like, blinked. (TL note: I never owned a rabbit, I don¡¯t know if it means small, big, cute, red, or what.) Even Kim Won, who had been mumbling nonsense rap like ¡°I want to sleep, I want to eat¡±, pulled at his hair as he cheered. Suk Ji Hoon and Park Tae Hyung also looked at Do Wook nkly. ¡°Huh, it¡¯s true. We¡¯re still third ce.¡± After Jung Yoon Ki confirmed it, everyone was thrilled. Everyone started getting ¡°congrats on theeback¡± messages one after another on their phones from friends and family. The fact that they raised their recognition through their debut album definitely was a big influence on their music ranking. Also, the fact that one¡¯s fandom was growing honestly wasn¡¯t enough to get a high music ranking. They were able to reach the ranking because they got their name known through a national entertainment show like Limitless Challenge as a group recognized by the public to have good music. ¡°At this rate, won¡¯t we be first ce by tomorrow?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself!¡± Jung Yoon Ki yelled, cautious of Ahn Hyung Seo¡¯s ¡®outburst¡¯. Actually, they were in a situation where getting first ce might be difficult. Theeback happened to ovep with an unforeseen encounter. A singer who would continue to be a strong contender in music streaming. It was the male solo artist who was currently defending first and second ce, Kim Woo Yeon. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m hungry. Let¡¯s order food first.¡± ¡°I want stir-fried pork!¡± ¡°Me too!¡± ¡°Stir-fried pork please.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take a stir-fried pork.¡± ¡°Everyone wants stir-fried pork? Then I''ll go with stir-fried pork too!¡± Jung Yoon Ki got everyone¡¯s orders. Everyone unanimously wanted stir-fried pork. Only Park Tae Hyung¡¯s selection was left. ¡°Umm¡­Tuna¡­Kimchi stew¡­¡± ¡°Huh? Tae Hyung, you want tuna kimchi?¡± Jung Yoon Ki briefly stopped when Park Tae Hyung, who they assumed would get the same thing from the menu as them, chose something else. ¡°Ok! We can afford to order one more stew now, right?!¡± Jung Yoon Ki frowned at Ahn Hyung Seo¡¯s words. ¡°It¡¯s now been 3 months since we debuted. Ahn Hyung Seo,e to the rooftop for a bit.¡± ¡°Man, can¡¯t I even joke? Please order already, Mr. Leader!¡± As they bickered, the members went to the living room to wait for their food to be delivered. Their first broadcast performance was in 5 days on Life Song. With the first performance so close, they had little time to sleep, so watching television was practically a luxury. Although only briefly, they all gathered in front of the television whenever they had a chance. A rerun of a currently popr entertainment program happened to be on. ¡°This! Let¡¯s watch this!¡± ¡°What is it? Is it a program you know?¡± Suk Ji Hoon, who had been holding the remote, asked. It was Ahn Hyung Seo who said let''s watch the show. ¡°You don¡¯t know this? ¡®Old King of Singers¡¯? It¡¯s ridiculously popr these days~!¡± Ahn Hyung Seo watched clips of ¡®Old King of Singers¡¯ on his phone even during rehearsal. It was a program the other members had also seen at least once. Suk Ji Hoon spoke curtly, his expression looking like he had never heard of it before. ¡°Old King of Singers. What kind of title is that?¡± Ahn Hyung Seo shook his head at Suk Ji Hoon, who had been mumbling. Ahn Hyung Seo¡¯s biggestint was the youngest member not having the charm of being the youngest. Currently on air, an extraordinarily talented female singer was singing a new remixed version of a song from a trot singer who was popr in the 80¡¯s. ¡°Wow¡­She sings really well.¡± Park Tae Hyung listened to the song with pure admiration. Do Wook also admired the female singer¡¯s song. ¡®''Old King of Singers''. It was a popr program that made it to Season 2, something unprecedented at the time. It was also where a lot of hidden singers who were good at singing were discovered¡­¡¯ The music entertainment program ¡®Old King of Singers¡¯ was a program where singers with outstanding vocal talent got to stand on stage and sing reinvented versions of popr songs from the past. The program was also the reason Kim Woo Yeon currently held first and second ce on the music chart. The remake of ¡®The More I Like You¡¯ that he sang on this program was the song currently in first ce. The song that rose to second ce was ¡®If It Were a Dream¡¯, the title song from Kim Woo Yeon¡¯s first album which became popr when the singer came into the spotlight. Do Wook saw ¡®If It Were a Dream¡¯ on the chart a little earlier and was hit hard with nostalgia. ¡®If he continues like this and a second album is released, he will truly be acknowledged as the best vocalist in Korea.¡¯ The person who came on stage after the female singer was Kim Woo Yeon. On top of being wildly popr, Kim Woo Yeon continued to win contests and was practically a regr on the show. ¡°It¡¯s Kim Woo Yeon!¡± ¡°Ah¡­The one who is above us on the music chart.¡± At Ahn Hyung Seo¡¯s exmation, Jung Yoon Ki muttered as if it were a pity. Kim Woo Yeon¡¯s ¡®If It Were a Dream¡¯ had a surprising climb up the music chart and album sales, holding the first ce position on a singing program for several weeks in a row. It was said to be a singing program where only popr idol groups could get first ce, making it impossible for vocalists with only somewhat decent skills to get first ce. ¡°He seemed like a scary person when I watched the interviews~! Totally~!¡± Do Wook felt he knew what interview Kim Won was talking about. It was a provocative interview starting from the title. However, it wasn¡¯t a clickbait title from the writer but from Kim Woo Yeon¡¯s actual words. Thements were flooded withments defending Kim Woo Yeon, stating that idols who merely move their mouths should obviously not be on stage. They were only able to make that statement because nobody could deny Kim Woo Yeon¡¯s talent when it came to singing. Do Wook watched Kim Woo Yeon on the tv, singing with enthusiasm. He was definitely singing at a level that was currently out of Do Wook¡¯s reach. It was a song that tickled the ear and moved the heart. ¡®Will I be able to sing songs like that too one day? This week on the Life Song stage¡­We¡¯ll probably be able to stand on the same stage then.¡¯ Do Wook was nervous about sharing a stage with a singer he respects. ¡®I¡¯ll do well so I don¡¯t embarrass myself.¡¯ *** After finishing their meal, the members immediately left the dormitory to go to rehearsal. The members had all bleached their hair into bright colors for theireback. There was already a teaser released, but thepany ordered them to keep it a secret as much as possible, so they wore beanies, caps, etc. whenever they went outside. ¡°Hurrr~ Hyung Seo oppaaaaaaaa~¡± ¡°Yoon Ki oppa. This way! Just once, look this way just once please.¡± ¡°Do Wook! Kang Do Wook! Here, take this!¡± ¡°Tae Hyung, I¡¯m Soo Min. Do you recognize me? We even said hist time.¡± There were five or six fans waiting for the KK members outside the dormitory. There was probably 15 people in front of thepany building. There had been fans gathered in front of thepany building during their days as trainees, but this was on a different level. The number of people kept increasing, and they never stopped approaching the members. It wasn¡¯t a far distance from the dormitory to the rehearsal hall, but they had to walk because of that and it was true that it was a little exasperating. As soon as they realized Oh Baek Ho wouldn¡¯t be there, fans who typically wouldn¡¯t have been able to get so close came near enough to link arms with the members. A female student with short hair stuck to Do Wook like glue and held out a shopping bag and an envelope towards him. Do Wook nced at the female student. After grabbing only the envelope and nodding his head, Do Wook went past the female student. The female student followed him trying to hand him the shopping bag too, but Do Wook didn¡¯t ept it. ¡®There isn¡¯t much I can do about the letter since she put so much effort into it¡­but it¡¯ll get worse if I start epting gifts too.¡¯ Do Wook walked as quickly as he could. It was the same for the other members. Fans were something to be grateful for, but stans were a different problem. Even Kim Won, who was known as the Smile Man, had a very serious expression and signaled with his finger to be quiet. Since it was in front of the dormitory, he was concerned they¡¯d disturb the other residents. ¡°You can¡¯te to a ce like this.¡± When Jung Yoon Ki spoke with a slightly hardened tone, the fans hesitantly dispersed. ¡°Ah!!!¡± That was when it happened. Suk Ji Hoon yelled and pped away the hand of the female student who had been grabbing his arm. The atmosphere immediately became cold. ¡ª Trantorments: We have an announcement to make. Our dear Watson has stepped down as PR so they can focus on school. White Rabbit, who has been actively providing feedback for the series on Discord, has graciously agreed to take on the position and did the PR for this chapter. Best of luck to Watson and wee aboard White Rabbit! Thank you both very much for all your help~ Chapter 38: Sensation (2) Chapter 38: Sensation (2) Everyone stopped in their tracks. Do Wook also turned around, surprised. The female student with short hair still had her hand outstretched, and Suk Ji Hoon had an expression so stiff that it was scary. Suk Ji Hoon was looking at the ground. The female student with short hair, who was in pain and whose feelings were hurt, was frowning. ¡°Ahh, that hurts. Man¡­¡± The short-haired girl¡¯s friend, who had been clinging on to Park Tae Hyung, approached them and made a fuss as she asked if she was ok. It was a touchy situation where they couldn¡¯t just leave the site, but they couldn¡¯t apologize to the stan either. It was the girl with short hair that grabbed onto Suk Ji Hoon¡¯s wrist first. As soon as she touched his arm, Suk Ji Hoon yelled and shook it off. Suk Ji Hoon was just staring at the ground. Jung Yoon Ki, who was standing behind him, lightly pushed him. Do Wook was about to head towards Suk Ji Hoon. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry. We¡¯re going to bete.¡± Suk Ji Hoon pretended he couldn¡¯t ovee Jung Yoon Ki pushing him and started walking forward. Ahn Hyung Seo dealt with the agitated atmosphere byughing awkwardly to the fans. Everyone started walking even faster than before. Suk Ji Hoon could feel all the fans staring at him from behind, but he tried his best to pretend not to notice. The fans were at fault too, but Suk Ji Hoon¡¯s response was a little extreme. It was honestly upsetting when fans tried to touch them, but it was also a part of the business they had no choice but to ept. Still there was nobody criticizing Suk Ji Hoon for yelling. ¡°He¡¯s been hit by a fan before. Ji Hoon, I mean.¡± ¡°H¡­He got hit?¡± Park Tae Hyung asked back, shocked by Ahn Hyung Seo¡¯s exnation. Actually, the reason for Suk Jo Hoon¡¯s overly sensitive reaction was something that everyone knew of, except Park Tae Hyung and Do Wook who had entered the agencyter on. Before the two of them had entered the agency, there had been an incident where one of the fans waiting for Suk Ji Hoon in front of the office had attacked him. As a famous child actor with a kind demeanor, Suk Ji Hook had received the affection of quite a few people who are fans of trainees. Among them there had been a female student who had barely been in her first year of high school. The thin and slender girl hade looking for him every day, only quietly saying hi and leaving, so it had been a situation they hadn¡¯t expected at all. In general, Suk Ji Hoon normally was kind to his fans. His personality wasn¡¯t on Ahn Hyung Seo¡¯s level, who put himself out there and provided fan service, but he didn¡¯t stop fans who were trying to approach him. He epted all letters and gifts, and if they told him their name he would remember it and recognize them at ater instance. One evening, Ahn Hyung Seo and Suk Ji Hoon had been leaving the hall after finishing rehearsalte at night. It had been reallyte so there hadn¡¯t been many fans, and only a few overzealous fans had been standing in front of the HIT Entertainment building. Ahn Hyung Seo had also told them to go home since it had been gettingte. They had turned at the alley to head to the bus stop. A backpack had suddenlye flying and had hit Suk Ji Hoon¡¯s back. ¡°Ahh¡­!¡± Suk Ji Hoon had swayed from getting hit in the back and Ahn Hyung Seo had been startled. Instantly the female student had pped Suk Ji Hoon and had lunged at him, yelling about why he hadn¡¯t epted her greeting. Scratch marks had appeared on Suk Ji Hoon¡¯s cheeks and it had bled a little. Suk Ji Hoon and Ahn Hyung Seo couldn¡¯t confront a fan, and had had no choice but to stand there and take it as the female student screamed her head off. ¡°How could¡­something like that¡­¡± ¡°He just couldn¡¯t see since it was dark. She was a little¡­no, a very weird fan. She did apologizeter, crying, but that was even scarier. Even I was shocked, so I''m sure Ji Hoon was even more surprised and hurt.¡± Ahn Hung Seo added that it was a very famous incident among trainees. ¡°It¡¯s definitely surprising.¡± Park Tae Hyung also nodded his head at Do Wook¡¯s words. From a young age, Suk Ji Hoon had been hurt numerous times by the entertainment world that is known for being rough. Despite that, he thought fans were people who liked and cared about him so he treated them warmly. That incident made Suk Ji Hoon realize that wasn¡¯t necessarily true just because someone is a fan. ¡°He¡¯s usually ok but he¡¯s been very tiredtely so he probably became sensitive. You guys don¡¯t have to worry too much either.¡± Ahn Hyung Seo said to Park Tae Hyung and Do Wook, acting like the older brother for once. If you considered their real age, Do Wook was a much older brother to the members, or maybe the youngest uncle. That might be the reason why, when he saw the members acting mentally mature, Do Wook would somehow feel proud. It meant that he felt that attached to the members. ¡®Suk Ji Hoon¡­I hope he won¡¯t have any big issues with fans in the future.¡¯ Do Wook looked around the rehearsal hall as he thought. The members reached the rehearsal hall and spread out to do individual stretches as warm-up in preparation for the rehearsal. Suk Ji Hoon also silently stretched out his legs and focused on loosening up his body. *** The day of the first music broadcast performance of ¡®Very Sorry¡¯. With the Life Song broadcast ahead of them, the members went to the shop to get their hair done. Since they had rehearsal starting early in the morning, they had to get to the shop at dawn. The members were half asleep and couldn¡¯t open their eyes properly, so the shop staff started by putting a cold make-up sponge dipped in skin toner on their swollen eyes. They washed their hair one at a time, and the members couldn¡¯te to their senses for the most part until it was time for the styling. Even Oh Baek Ho was dozing off at the table in the corner of the shop. The shop staff were tired as well. Their hands were busier than usual. The staff member with the yellow bleached hair who was responsible for Do Wook started talking to him as she dried his hair. They went to the same shop every time they had an event, so they were already close. Furthermore, Do Wook put in a lot of effort to maintain a smooth and friendly rtionship with the people involved, so he was known as someone with a good personality even among the staff. ¡°Do Wook, it looks like you¡¯re going to be rich now.¡± ¡°Rich?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right~ I heard that you wrote the title song. The royalties must be no joke~!¡± ¡°Ah¡­I wrote that with PD Brave Only Child.¡± ¡°Even if you split it, it''s a hit. I saw the music video that was released and could tell right away that it¡¯ll be a hit!¡± Do Wook gave a vague smile in response to herpliment. When the music video for ¡®Very Sorry¡¯ was released on the music stream, the positive response increased significantly. The well-produced music video got people looking forward to the performance. There were also many people who were saying they wanted to see the choreography version. The beginning and ending scene of the music video was Do Wook¡¯s face. Because of that, the thumbnail for the music video was also Do Wook, and people were wild about Do Wook¡¯s face. There were countlessments praising Do Wook, who made theposition and had a perfect face, while also calling him too good to be true at the same time. ¡°Anyways, congrattions! I heard you¡¯re first ce nominee today. Then it¡¯s practically a hit already.¡± Do Wook took one look at himself in the reflection, one look at the staff member behind him who was putting essence on him, and nodded his head. Aeback and first ce nominee at the same time. None of the members had been able to believe it when they heard the news a few days ago. Even Oh Baek Ho, who had told them the news, had also been very surprised. That was without the broadcast. They were nominated for first ce by totaling just a few days of music stream, album sales, and votes. ¡°Ah, Thank you.¡± ¡°You know that you can¡¯t pretend to not know me once you''re a major star right?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°I get the feeling you won¡¯t be like that but¡­if you work in this field long enough you learn you can¡¯t tell when ites to people.¡± Do Wook consoled the mumbling staff member and said he would never do that. After finishing up his hair, the staff member apologized forining when he must be tired. Do Wook told her it was fine, but she apologized and said that the shop would provide snacks for them. *** SVS Broadcast Station, Life Song Studio, Rehearsal Site. The staff watching KK¡¯seback performance had their mouths wide open. Even the production director, who received the choreography video ahead of time and set up a n for the shoot, pped after the camera rehearsal. ¡°Amazing! It¡¯ll be a total masterpiece today!¡± When the production director, who rarelyughed on set because he was always exhausted, let out a loudugh, the production team staff whispered. It was only a rehearsal but the members¡¯ clothes were drenched in sweat from giving it their all as if it were a live broadcast. The outfit for the live show was a ck suit. All male idols wore a suit at least once because the response from fans was so exceptionally good. However, even if it was the same outfit, it was important who was wearing it. The fit of the suit for KK members, who had been working on their bodies since the school uniform advertisement, was, as they say, a match made in heaven. The Life Song PD, PD Hyun, watched the entire rehearsal, was satisfied and ordered the next team to go up. While the set was being changed, the KK members came down and gave a deep bow to the staff. ¡°Thank you~!¡± ¡°Thank you for your hard work!¡± The KK members¡¯ boisterous voices brightened the staff¡¯s faces. ¡°Do it like this during the live broadcast too guys!¡± PD Hyun¡¯s voice got higher. Everyone bowed to PD Hyun. Oh Baek Ho also approached PD Hyun and thanked him. ¡°Please take good care of them, PD-nim.¡± ¡°You sure are greedy, Manager Oh! How could I do more for them?¡± Oh Baek Ho let out a loudugh at PD Hyun jokingly scolding him. There were 2two reasons KK chose Life Song for theireback performance over all the many different stations that wanted them. One reason was so that they could repay the kindness they were shown when they were made the Special MC, even if it was only for one episode. The other reason was the performance slot PD Hyun gave them. PD Hyun didn¡¯t forget Do Wook¡¯s role in preventing a huge ident during a live broadcast. Furthermore, he quickly realized KK¡¯s poprity was not a passing fad. Because of that, he proposed to give HIT Entertainment a generous 6-minuteeback performance. To be allotted 6 minutes out of a 50 or so minute long show, not counting the time for advertisement, was a big opportunity for a rookie. PD Hyun thought that KK was worth investing that much into. Thanks to that, KK was able to sing two full songs without needing to arrange music for the broadcast. The two songs were ¡®Something¡¯, which was close to the hip hop genre, and the pop dance title song ¡®Very Sorry¡¯. ¡°Haha. Of course I know you¡¯re taking good care of us. One of these days, you know?!¡± Oh Baek Ho gestured drinking out of a shot ss and smiled at PD Hyun. PD Hyun tapped Oh Baek Ho¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Of course, of course. Don¡¯t just say it, set a date~!¡± Oh Baek Ho agreed and headed towards the waiting room with the members. The position of PD on a public music broadcast was a powerful position regardless of ratings. That was because there weren¡¯t many decent ces for singers to promote their songs. It was a position that enjoyed that much power. Even when he was growing Monster he often rubbed elbows with PD Hyun. Oh Baek Ho was looking forward to the day KK would be huge and he wouldn¡¯t have to schmooze PD Hyeon anymore. He felt that it was achievable if it was KK. The other members dropped to the ground as soon as they got to the waiting room. The rehearsal alone was enough to make them exhausted. During that time, Do Wook left the waiting room to meet Kim Woo Yeon privately. Today¡¯s first ce nominee was KK. And Kim Woo Yeon. They exchanged pleasantries through messages, but Do Wook thought that it¡¯d be good to meet with Kim Woo Yeon before the broadcast. Not only was he sharing the stage with his idol and role model Kim Woo Yeon, he was genuinely honored to be nominated for first ce together. ¡®He¡¯ll probably only scold me if I tell him it¡¯s an honor¡­¡¯ Despite that, when Do Wook went to Kim Woo Yeon¡¯s waiting room, Kim Woo Yeon had gone somewhere close by for lunch and was not there. There was no rush since they would be able to meet before the broadcast. Rather than Kim Woo Yeon, Do Wook ended up finding some men in the hallway grumbling about Kim Woo Yeon. ¡°Why do you think he couldn¡¯t be a star after all this time? It¡¯s all because of his personality.¡± ¡°His personality is unbelievably terrible. Even earlier he was talking down to us and ordering us around out of nowhere.¡± The people smoking in a non-smoking area and cussing out Kim Woo Yeon were members of a male idol group that still couldn¡¯t get their name out there despite releasing three albums already. Kim Woo Yeon was getting a lot of hate from some other idol group officials for his harsh criticism of talentless idols. ¡®It must be people without any real skill who are offended by it.¡¯ Do Wook turned around as he frowned. One of the men saw Do Wook doing that and called out to him. ¡°Look at this rude ass.¡± His belittling way of speaking was no different than that of a thug¡¯s. ¡ª Chapter 39: Sensation (3) Chapter 39: Sensation (3) ¡°You see your seniors but you don¡¯t greet them?¡± Do Wook looked at the two of them who had their legs crossed and were silently muttering. If the theme of a picture was the end of an idol singer with neither poprity nor talent, the image of the two of them, smoking a cigarette with an aggressive look in their eyes, would fit the theme perfectly. They looked that pathetic. ¡°I apologize. I didn¡¯t recognize you.¡± ¡°What¡­? You didn¡¯t recognize me? Are you blind?¡± ¡°Hey, just let him be.¡± Sensing that he was going to start yelling, one of the other people attempted to stop him, wary of the surroundings. They might be sunbae/hubae in the song industry, but Do Wook didn¡¯t feel the need to extend any courtesy to the two people in front of him. The problem wasn¡¯t their poprity or their skills. It was a problem of personality. At that moment, Oh Baek Ho, who had been looking for Do Wook, called out to him. ¡°Do Wook!¡± Once Oh Baek Ho appeared, the two of them backed away hesitantly. ¡°What are you doing here?!¡± ¡°Ah, I came to say hi to Kim Woo Yeon-nim but he wasn¡¯t here.¡± Do Wook purposely emphasized ¡°Kim Woo Yeon-nim¡± with a loud voice. Only then did the two hostile people realize that the reason Do Wook ignored them was because of Kim Woo Yeon. However, that was all. In fact, they hardened their expression, even more upset. ¡°Is that so? You can say hiter. Let¡¯s go to the waiting room for now and change into your wardrobe. But¡­were you in the middle of a conversation?¡± At Oh Baek Ho¡¯s question, Do Wook looked at the two with a side nce. Oh Baek Ho¡¯s physique and vibe already made the two people lose their spirit. They were the type to be meek in front of someone strong. Do Wook shook his head. ¡°No. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± Oh Baek Ho, who was leaving the hallway with Do Wook, looked back after barely taking a few steps. ¡°Don¡¯t you see that this is a non-smoking area?¡± ¡°Wha¡­What¡¯s it to¡­¡± The two people, who were about to retort how it wasn¡¯t any of his business, shut up and backed off when they saw Oh Baek Ho¡¯s expression harden. Afterward, it was Do Wook¡¯s turn for hair and make up so he couldn¡¯t go see Kim Woo Yeon, who was also getting ready for the performance. Kim Woo Yeon was extremely sensitive in anticipation for the performance anyway. Not wanting to identally mess him up while he was getting ready, Do Wook decided not to go and say hi. His only thought was that rather than trying to see Kim Woo Yeon, he should put a little more effort into preparing for the performance, so that he wouldn¡¯t be embarrassed to be called a first ce nominee side by side with Kim Woo Yeon. *** The order of performance was KK with theireback performance first , followed by Kim Woo Yeon, who achieved the miracle of climbing the music charts for 2 consecutive weeks. (TL note: but¡­M2M and KK both hold records longer than 2 weeks.) Sul Lae Im, who was still acting as the Life Song MC, introduced the two performances with an enthusiastic voice. KK¡¯s performance was much more perfect than the rehearsal. The first song was ¡®Something¡¯, which was prerecorded. KK decorating the stage with their very colorful, light and sporty outfits was aired on the broadcast. They were showing a wider range of expressions than they did at their debut and they seemed morefortable around the camera. About 200 KK fans were mesmerized by the prerecording. The 200 or so people were waving cheering sticks with the KK logo in unison, and went crazy as they watched KK. The sparkling blue light was moving as one. (TL note: The redundancy was strong in this paragraph) The same was true for the ¡®Very Sorry¡¯ performance as well, which immediately followed on the live broadcast. The music stream was one thing, but there was an immense amount of people who were drawn in by the music video performance. Also, a wider spectrum of people than before were watching Life Song ever since Kim Woo Yeon became first ce. Numerous music fans were waiting in anticipation to see what KK¡¯s performance would be like. ¡®This performance, it¡¯s also an opportunity to draw in fans.¡¯ Do Wook thought as the stage lights turned on and he waited for the melody to start. The melody for ¡®Very Sorry¡¯, which he had listened to a million times on repeat over thest few months since he startedposing, split the air and started to y. -Kyaaaaaaaaaa¨D! -KK¨D!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The crowd cheered loudly for KK from their seats. In sync with the cheers, the lighting illuminated the KK members. They captured on one screen all six of them standing in a line wearing a suit. At that moment, feeling the trill throughout their entire body, the KK members started to move. People watching the live broadcast were blowing up thement section of the streaming site withments about KK. -Crazy!! Crazzzyyyyyyyy ??????* (TL Note: ?? is a crying emoji in Korean) -Who are those people performing right now? -KK!!! -Starting today i¡¯m a Key Ring ^^ First day with KK ^^ (TL note: I think it¡¯s worth mentioning here that in Korea, you count the days you¡¯ve been dating because every hundredth day is important. So when you be official, you say that day is your Day 1) -Does anyone know the name of the cute guy that just went by? The red hair. -I guess you¡¯re curious about my boyfriend¡¯s name~ Its Park Tae Hyung~ -nk nk (TL note: This is used to jokingly say someone is getting arrested. Two ways to interpret it could be KK is getting arrested for ¡°stealing¡± people¡¯s hearts by being too good or that the fans were getting ¡°handcuffed¡± to/hooked on/obsessed with KK). ¨C This performance is on fleek;;;* The group choreography is amazing¡­ (TL note: ;;; is more Korean emoji) -Are they a traffic light? Their hair colors are wild. -Kang Do Wook. ???? (my dying words) -They¡¯re rookies but their performance was so good! There¡¯s nothing more important than being a good performer¡­ ¡®Very Sorry¡¯, which would raise KK to tremendous stardom in the future, started to y. Finally, all that was left was announcing the first ce. After Kim Woo Yeon finished his performance, everyone that participated in Life Song today came on stage for the first ce announcement, starting with the MC. Among them were the two people who were in the hallway in front of the waiting room earlier. The two of them and their teammates were ced in the corner that doesn¡¯t get much screen time. Their eyes met with Do Wook¡¯s when he walked past them to get to the frontmost line, but the two of them quickly turned their heads. The male MC and Sul Lae Im were in the middle with Kim Woo Yeon and the KK members standing on either side of them. The KK members watched the VCR showing the scores with a flushed expression. Their expressions were captured on screen. On the other hand, Kim Woo Yeon had a calm expression. The performance was over, so his nerves had calmed down. Kim Woo Yeon had also been a no-name for a long time. He knew to be grateful for just being first ce for two weeks in this day and age. ¡°Then let¡¯s see which singer will have the honor of being first ce this week¡­!¡± ¡°The first ce is,¡­ the first ce is¡­!¡± The scores came up on the screen. In both the broadcast score and music chart score, Kim Woo Yeon¡¯s score was higher. ¡°The first ce is¡­KK!¡± (TL note: Yes, you probably read that correctly. Kim Woo Yeon¡¯s scores were higher but KK won. It is exined further down the chapter.) Confetti and flower petals were showered on stage and the screen showed KK¡¯s face with the caption ¡®1st ce¡¯ above them. Sul Lae Im handed flowers and the trophy to KK¡¯s leader Jung Yoon Ki. It had only been 3 months since they debuted, but they had already received the trophy numerous times. The six members huddled to give each other big hugs and briefly shared a moment. You could only see their backs on the screen, but it was possible to feel the camaraderie among them. Jung Yoon Ki grabbed the microphone to say his eptance speech. Jung Yoon Ki had actually been worried about various things before theeback. Since the debut album did well, there was pressure for the first full album to do even better. When the song was ready and they were preparing for theeback, he was confident that it would do well, but he was still uneasy despite how perfect everything was. Also, as he watched the members giving it their all, especially Do Wook who participated the most and put in more effort than anyone else, he also felt a sense of responsibility as the leader. Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s eyes turned red. ¡°Honestly, I was really worried but¡­to the fans, who made it possible for us to have the honor of getting first ce the same week as oureback, Key Ring! Thank you!¡± When he mentioned the fans, the audience became abuzz again. The sound of fans cheering for KK was resounding. After Jung Yoon Ki finished his eptance speech, the MCs made their closing remarks. The melody for ¡®Very Sorry¡¯, today¡¯s first ce winner, started to y again. The singers congratted KK as they walked off stage. The members nodded their heads, still in shock over what happened. At that moment, the staff who were watching the stage started to whisper after seeing an unexpected sight. It was true for the audience as well. ¡°The two of them¡­what¡¯s going on? Have the camera zoom in on the left side of the stage!¡± At PD Hyun¡¯s orders, the screen was flipped to what Camera 3 was recording. It showed Kim Woo Yeon and Do Wook having a conversation. ¡°Kang Do Wook, congrattions!¡± As the KK members were being congratted by their fellow singers, Kim Woo Yeon approached Do Wook and congratted him. Do Wook thanked him and gave a deep bow. Kim Woo Yeon patted Do Wook¡¯s shoulder and smiled. He didn¡¯t express his emotions, but it also meant a lot to Kim Woo Yeon to stand side-by-side with his student Do Wook as first ce nominees. Kim Woo Yeon knew very well how sincere Do Wook was about singing, how talented he was, how much effort he had put into developing his skills, etc. The message he received from Do Wook before the broadcast reaffirmed Kim Woo Yeon¡¯s opinion. It was a message saying it was an honor to be nominated for first ce alongside him. It was a message that could havee across as pretentious if someone else had sent it, but it was from none other than Do Wook, so Kim Woo Yeon took it at face value. Kim Woo Yeon even felt proud as he watched KK¡¯s performance, which took ce before his performance. ¡®I knew he would be sessful, but, as always, he surpassed my expectations.¡¯ However, Kim Woo Yeon did not express those feelings verbally. If he were to say that to him now, it would only be boastful. He should have said it to him before he became sessful. For now, the one word ¡®congrattions¡¯ was enough. ¡°Teacher¡­Thank you.¡± Do Wook could feel the affectioning from his teacher as he patted his shoulder. Kim Woo Yeon was simply a vocal teacher at an academy, and Do Wook paid tuition to form a student/teacher rtionship with him. However, Do Wook knew that Kim Woo Yeon put in a lot of effort into teaching him that went beyond teaching an academy student, because he recognized Do Wook¡¯s strong desire to sing a good song. There were many hard training sessions, but thanks to that he was able to develop the vocal skills to not be embarrassed no matter where he performed. Furthermore, despite hisining, Kim Woo Yeon had helped out Do Wook a lot. They wouldn''t have been able to find Yong Soo Chul without him, and it was thanks to him, though unintentionally, that they formed a connection with Kim Soom. And most of all, he was the singer of ¡®If It Were A Dream¡¯. Do Wook gave Kim Woo Yeon a warm, moving embrace. ¡°You¡¯re grossing me out!¡± As expected, he acted like he was doing it begrudgingly, but he also gave Do Wook a tight hug while pretending he couldn¡¯t push him off. Their short and tight embrace was aired live. *** Kim Woo Yeon criticized idols without hesitation. That same person approached KK member Kang Do Wook first, a member of his rival team that was a first ce nominee along with him. He initiated a conversation and even gave him a warm hug. Thebination of a member of KK, which took the entertainment world by storm by getting first ce at the same time as theireback, and Kim Woo Yeon, a vocalist with a bad temper, piqued people¡¯s curiosity and interest. The article came out about 3 dayster. Kim Woo Yeon revealed in an ¡®Old King of Singers¡¯ interview that when he was still unknown, he worked as a vocal teacher to make ends meet and Kang Do Wook was a student he taught during that time. Kim Woo Yeon was the type that only said words he had to say, even when he was evaluating a veteran singer¡¯s song, like ¡®He¡¯s good. He¡¯s an amazing person.¡¯ That same Kim Woo Yeon was saying in an interview that Do Wook was ¡®someone who wasn¡¯tcking in anything, whether it¡¯s looks, talent, or dedication¡¯ with a proud face, which made people think of Do Wook very positively. All the members were in the car on their way to Time Square in Yong Deung Po. ¡°Do Wook, it¡¯s fascinating that the teacher from the vocal academy you used to attend privately, was Kim Woo Yeon. Man.¡± Jung Yoon Ki said as he watched the Old King of Singers interview on his phone. Oh Baek Ho was the only one who knew that, the rest of the members had no idea. Rather than hiding it, it was more that he felt it wasn¡¯t worth mentioning. ¡°Yeah. Please introduce uster too~ I want to tell him that his singing is really great!¡± At Ahn Hyung Seo¡¯s words, Do Wook scratched his head and replied that he would arrange it if the opportunity arose. There was only one reason KK got first ce on Life Song, despite scoring slightly lower than Kim Woo Yeon in other categories. It was because their album score, despite being a smaller percentage of the overall score calctionpared to the broadcast voting and music chart scores, was exceptionally high. The importance of a core fandom was proven once again. It was true that their poprity had increasedpared tost time, but there was another reason their album sales were so high. It was a strategy thepany nned in order to take advantage of their increased poprity. They raised the album sales by holding autograph sessions in Seoul. In order to win an autograph session, each fan bought a frightening number of albums. (PR note: yes, the fans actually bought multiple copies of the same album. Crazy.) And today was the day of the problematic first autograph session. ¡ª Chapter 40: Thanks To. (1) Chapter 40: Thanks To. (1) 8pm, Yong Deung Po Time Square KK held their first public fan signing event. There were 100 winners. However, it was at an open space, so people who couldn¡¯t get autographs themselves had a chance to get glimpses of the KK members as they were signing. Because of that, there were about five times the amount of peoplepared to the number of winners gathered at Time Square. Furthermore, the location was at a shopping mall, so normal shoppers also became interested when they noticed the KK autograph event. Every floor had people gathered around the stairs to look at the event downstairs. The KK members arrived 10 minutes before the autograph event and were getting ready to leave the parking lot. They didst-minute touches on their hair and outfits. Oh Baek Ho was drilling the precautions into the KK members¡¯ heads for the 10th time. -Do not answer any awkward questions and just skip them. -After receiving personal gifts, immediately hand it to the staff. -No physical contact beyond shaking hands. . . Etc. Etc. They had ten or so things they had to be careful of. It basically meant they had to be careful about every little thing they did, and the members had replied numerous times that they understood. There were many reasons Oh Baek Ho was so worried. First of all, the members were very young. Half the members were still minors. Furthermore, even though some members weren¡¯t minors, there was a lot of anxiety and just as much nervousness since it was the first autograph event, so it was easy for them to say or do the wrong thing. It was a relief that the members were rather mature, but it was a public autograph session so it was easy for rumors to spread if they messed up even a little. On top of that, the direction KK was going for when responding to fans waspletely different than what Monster had done. Since they were differentiating themselves from other idols with fan-friendly marketing, things that were prohibited in other autograph signings were all allowed. Normally a notice would have gone out to the fans that any physical contact, including holding hands, is not allowed under any circumstance. However, the notice for the KK autograph session just stated no ¡®excessive physical contact¡¯. Also, the rule prohibiting individual gifts and personal questions was left out on the basic autograph session notice. ¡°I hope there won¡¯t be any incidents¡­¡± Oh Baek Ho muttered. Do Wook, who was sitting in the passenger seat this time, looked at the back seat. The other members looked busy getting their hair touched up by the stylist riding with them. ¡°Baek Ho.¡± Do Wook quietly called out to him. Oh Baek Ho asked in a low voice what was wrong. ¡°The fans that go to Ji Hoon in particr¡­" ¡°Ahh¡­ok. I understand.¡± Oh Baek Ho nodded his head and exchanged nces with Do Wook. Do Wook realized that Oh Baek Ho was already keeping that in mind. ¡®That¡¯s right. There¡¯s no way Manager Oh isn¡¯t aware of Suk Ji Hoon¡¯s situation.¡¯ Do Wook looked at Suk Ji Hoon, who was sitting in the back seat. There was little difference from his typical expression, and the way he was talking to Ahn Hyung Seo was no different than usual. On the contrary, Suk Ji Hoon seemed a little excited. It was a relief that even though he might have reservations about fans trying toe in contact with him, it wasn¡¯t a reservation towards fans as a whole. ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡± ¡°Oh my gosh, oh my gosh! Here! Here!¡± ¡°Wow, it¡¯s KK! Is that really KK?¡± ¡°Do Wooook¨D!!! Look this way please!¡± Click, click, click. Once KK made their appearance, the Time Square where the autograph session was being held broke out into a wave of excitement. Even though the guard line was set up starting from the back gate up to the autograph session stage in the center, the fans were pushing each other like they were going to jump over the line. The guards kept the fans back so they wouldn¡¯t jump over the line, but the fans continued to push each other forward and up against the barrier. The members copied Oh Baek Ho and quickened their steps. They could hear the fans with DSLR cameras taking pictures and following them. The sound of clicking shutters was trailing close behind the members to no end. The KK members felt like they were going to lose their minds from the fans¡¯ cheers ringing throughout the huge shopping mall, the sound of the shutters, etc. It was a different feeling than when they heard the cheering from on stage. It was on a different level than the mini fan meeting fromst time too. It was too close, and too loud. The location they found for the autograph session was on a podium that was only a few steps high. The members sat in their designated seats. The fans sitting in front of them held the number tags they received tightly in their hands. The person in charge of and running the autograph session was Fan Marketing Team¡¯s Do Ra Hee. She came ahead of time to hand out number tags and was getting the autograph session site ready, but handed out water bottles to the members when they arrived. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You probably heard from Manager Oh, but please be extremely careful of your actions.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± Jung Yoon Ki answered as the leader. Jung Yoon Ki also had a bewildered expression. It was morefortable to talk to Do Ra Hee with his back turned. If he looked in front of him, there were too many eyes staring at him. The dozens ofrge cameras were making them nervous too. Every movement was being captured on camera. ¡°You have to get used to it! It¡¯s only the beginning.¡± Do Ra Hee said encouragingly when she noticed how nervous Jung Yoon Ki and the other members were. Of course there was a member who adjusted to it immediately and was used to it by now, even though it hadn¡¯t been long since he debuted. It was Ahn Hyung Seo. Responding to the outpour of attention, Ahn Hyung Seo waved to the fans calling out to him and greeted them one by one. He winked at them, made a heart with his fingers at them, and various other things to catch the attention of the fans. Every time Ahn Hyung Seo winked, the fans sitting in the front row shrieked ¡®Kyaaa!¡¯. And so the autograph session began. The autograph session had a lot of variety. Each fan reacted differently when they saw the members, and how the members interacted with a fan varied from fan to fan. ¡°Uh¡­Uh¡­Yoon Ki¡­Hello¡­¡± ¡°Yes, Hello. What is your name?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­Jung So Min¡­¡± ¡°Ah, So Min? Your name is pretty.¡± When Jung Yoon Ki spoke to the young female fan wearing the school uniform, her face turned red like a very ripe apple. Unlike the hardened expression he initially had, Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s tone changed to normal once he started meeting the fans. He looked stiff, but even the fans who hadn¡¯t specifically been his fans were increasing his self-esteem once they saw how sweet he was, saying they wanted to date him or that he was handsome. The first member the fans met once they came up to the podium was Jung Yoon Ki. Ahn Hyung Seo was giving fan service every moment he could, continuously interacting with the fans waiting in line whenever it wasn¡¯t his turn. When there was a fan in front of him, he would talk to them in a more caring way than anyone else would, even joking with them and acting friendly. He was definitely exceptional when it came to being social. ¡°Oh! You¡¯re the one that takes pictures of me, right?!¡± ¡°Hurr, Hyung Seo! You know me?¡± ¡°Of course of course! You came to the mini fan meetingst time too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Hurr. I am ¡®Hyung Seo Land¡¯. Have you seen my photos before, by any chance?¡± ¡°Wow, Hyung Seo Land?! Of course I know of it!¡± He used FaceNote the most and responded to fanments or messages without fail. There was no way he wouldn¡¯t know about his most popr fan page. Honestly, he would have answered that he knows it even if he didn¡¯t. As he replied, Ahn Hyung Seo covered his writing with his hand and wrote a P.S. ¡°You¡¯lle next time too, won¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes, Of course I¡¯ll absolutelye again. But I already used all the money I earned from my part time job for today¡­¡± For this KK autograph session, the winners were chosen using something called a ¡®line up¡¯ method. For the Yong Deung Po autograph session specifically, winners were chosen by ordering people by how many records they had bought from the Yong Deung Po album store and picking the top 100 people. The average number of albums the winners had bought was 40 albums. It wasn¡¯t made public, but the person who had bought the most albums among the online fans for the album signing was a Chinese fan with 100 albums. The winner who had purchased the least amount had gotten 35 copies. Anyone who had bought less than might as well be considered out of the running. Fans had been surveying thepetition to gauge where the cutoff might be. ording to their intel, 40 albums was a safe bet. Even Ahn Hyung Seo¡¯s fan who ran Hyung Seo Land bought 40 albums, paying a total of 600,000* won, to have a short conversation with Ahn Hyung Seo. (TL note: Roughly $460.82) Of course they were very popr, but they were already at this level despite being only rookies. They might rise even higher from here, but they definitely wouldn¡¯t lose what they already had achieved. ¡°Ah¡­¡­thene to a different event in the future.¡± ¡°Ok. I¡¯ll make sure toe. I¡¯m sitting in the middle over there. Could you please look in that directionter?¡± ¡°Sure sure. I¡¯ll look in that direction.¡± Since they had to do all 100 autographs in a short time, the time spent with each person was limited. Do Ra Hee was standing in the back to give a fan a heads up if the conversation ran too long. Deeply crestfallen, the administrator of Hyung Seo Land moved on to the next spot. She was thinking that she wouldn¡¯t be able to attend other autograph sessions because they were too expensive, but when she got back to her seat she saw the P.S. he wrote and her heart fluttered. It read ¡®Thank you for always taking such beautiful pictures~! Your photos are the best!¡¯ with five hearts drawn next to it. Before she even had time to feel touched, she grabbed her camera and tried to get a shot of Ahn Hyung Seo. Like a sixth sense, Ahn Hyung Seo noticed and made a peace sign towards her camera, even making direct eye contact. She bit her lips and tried to recall what her credit card limit was. Do Wook, sitting in the center and next to Ahn Hyung Seo, saw that and thought how impressive Ahn Hyeon Seo is. ¡®Being like that as an idol member is also a talent.¡¯ In the idol world, your looks and talent were just as important as your skills. Although it might not be at Ahn Hyung Seo¡¯s level, Do Wook was also trying to be on apatible* level with him. (TL note: He means enough so that he won''t drag AHS or the others down.) Truthfully, Do Wook didn¡¯t have to put in much effort for that. Once fans stood in front of Do Wook, they became entranced by his face after seeing him up close for the first time. Once they were face to face with him, they¡¯d forget everything they¡¯d prepared to say, so there was always about 5 seconds of silence. ¡°Hello.¡± Thanks to that, Do Wook was consistently saying a greeting to them first. However, it was counterproductive. Do Wook¡¯s sweet voice made the fans even more nervous. Do Wook found the area of the album he was supposed to sign and signed it. ¡°Do Wook¡­I really like you.¡± It was a working woman in her early 30¡¯s who frantically came to the autograph session location after getting off work. She was embarrassed because she didn¡¯t think she¡¯d freeze up this much. ¡°Thank you.¡± Do Wook replied and smiled at her. When she tried to request a handshake from him, the fan¡¯s hand quivered because of his kind smile that looked like it came straight out of a painting. Do Wook held her hand and whispered to her to not be nervous, which made the fan¡¯s heart jump into her throat. In Park Tae Hyung¡¯s situation, he was more nervous than the fans. ¡°Tae Hyung, you¡¯re sooooo~ cute! You¡¯re soooo~ good at dancing too! You¡¯re the coolest person in the universe!¡± Most Park Tae Hyung fans thought his nervousness was adorable, so the fans were busy going ¡®there there*¡¯ to him. (TL note: They¡¯re not actually saying ¡®there there¡¯. They¡¯re going ¡®ooo-chuu-chuu¡¯, typical babytalk noise in Korean used when trying to console a baby.) Park Tae Hyung drowned in thepliments pouring out, so he could only say ¡®thank you¡¯ as he signed and repeated that process 100 times. Kim Won poured his soul into answering the questions filled out by fans on Post-its. Each member was only allotted a little bit of time, so the fan questions on the Post-its were generally multiple choice or something that could be answered quickly. ¡®Who is the most dependable member?¡¯ The fans seemed to want to know about the rtionship between the KK members. As such, there were many simr questions, and Kim Won answered Jung Yoon Ki and Do Wook. There were many foreign fans as well, but Kim Won spoke 5 differentnguages, although at rudimentary levels, so he was able to speak with the foreign fans the best. At the end of the line, Suk Ji Hoon was thest member to go. The other members stood guard by the descending stairs behind him. It was the seating arrangement they prepared just in case. However, perhaps it was just unfounded concerns, nothing in particr happened to Suk Ji Hoon. There were fans who just got his autograph and moved on without much interaction because they were a strong fan of a different individual, but that happened to other members too. Like with Do Wook, when the fans saw Suk Ji Hoon¡¯s big eyes they couldn¡¯t think properly of what to say and simply said that he was handsome repeatedly. Suk Ji Hoon wrote personalized messages for his fans, and gave sufficient fan service as he answered questions. However, he was a little hesitant when fans asked to shake his hands. Still, that was about it. *** The problem surfaced the day after the fan signing event. Monitoring the different posts uploaded to one of thergemunities, Do Wook furrowed his brow. ¡®As expected, I can¡¯t just let this be. I have to fix it before it bes a bigger problem.¡¯ Do Wook thought. Suk Ji Hoon, who was so tired from the autograph session yesterday that he waspletely out like a light, happened to being out of his room. ¡°You¡¯re awake already?¡± ¡°Oh, Ji Hoon. Pleasee here for a moment.¡± ¡ª Chapter 41: Thanks To. (2) Chapter 41: Thanks To. (2) Do Wook was reading most of the feedback about yesterday¡¯s autograph session that was posted on FaceNote, KK¡¯s fan cafe, etc. It had been their first autograph session, not to mention an open event, so there had been a reallyrge number of interested fans. As such, there were just as many reviews posted about it, mostly people saying that they had enjoyed it very much. There were otherments as well, such as ¡®I couldn¡¯t see them because they were too far.'' ¡®It seemed to be unorganized¡¯, etc., but it wasn¡¯t a problem with KK as a whole. In general, there werements like ¡®It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen idols treat their fans this well.'' ¡®They were all awesome.'' ¡®They answered all the questions and even held fans¡¯ hands.'' ¡®I absolutely have to go to the next one too, it¡¯s totally worth the money.¡¯ There were also a lot of detailed reviews of what they had talked about with the members, descriptions of what each of the members were like,pliments about their appearance and personality, etc. It seemed that the fan-friendly marketing they were going for, including the friendly vibe at the autograph session, went exactly as nned. That vibe was not confined to only the KK fan page. Even the idol category in thergemunities were stered with KK-rted stories and reviews. There were quite a lot of responses too. Manyments mentioned that it seemed worth the money to go to the fan autograph session since people had such good things to say about it. People who had only been slightly interested in KK also cried out that they were ¡®sold¡¯ after seeing the reviews, pictures, videos, etc. that were posted. Since it was argemunity, of course other idols¡¯ fans made up arge portion of the members. Therefore, as the KK-rted posts kept popping up and the attention was focused on them, there were people who posted dismissivements about KK. They attracted attention withments like ¡®Isn¡¯t KK still a rookie?¡¯ or kept putting them down withments like ¡®I can¡¯t really tell if KK is good.¡¯ However, those types of posts andments were quickly buried. The problem was the stories regarding Suk Ji Hoon that popped up here and there. The type of posts in themunities had a different vibe than the posts in the fan cafe. In the fan cafe, most of thements were praising Suk Ji Hoon just as much as the other members. Older female fans were looking forward to what Suk Ji Hoon would aplish when he turned 20. Fans that were around Suk Ji Hoon¡¯s age were adorning an image of him as a boyfriend who is blunt yet only nice to them. The negativements were only to the extent of ¡®Ji Hoon seemed to be shy¡¯. Even thosements had replies from Suk Ji Hoon¡¯s super fans that he seemed cuter due to being shy. Suk Ji Hoon walked towards Do Wook while rubbing his eyes. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Oh¡­It looks like these types ofments keep being posted.¡± Do Wook said as he looked at the monitor. Suk Ji Hoon sat down next to Do Wook. He searched Suk Ji Hoon¡¯s name in themunity search bar and articles regarding him came up one after another. [Title: By the way, regarding Suk Ji Hoon] [Title: About that Suk Ji Hoon] [Title: Is KK¡¯s Suk Ji Hoon that child actor?] About one in five were these types of titles. If you clicked on it, it would, without fail, be a negative article about Suk Ji Hoon. [Title: Is KK¡¯s Suk Ji Hoon that child actor? I was looking at pictures of the autograph event and felt I¡¯d seen him before somewhere. Did his agency force him to be an idol when he wanted to be an actor? His expression is always sour.] -He probably wants to do more acting -Quit if you don¡¯t want to be a singer lol -What are you talking about when their group just became active? -He¡¯s smiling just fine in the photos? -I¡¯m friends with Suk Ji Hoon¡¯s rtive, and they told me there are problems between him and his agency because he said he doesn¡¯t want to be an idol. -Hurr maybe he¡¯ll end up dropping outter. [Title: About that Suk Ji Hoon I¡¯m saying this because it¡¯s been circting that he doesn¡¯t want to be an idol. Didn¡¯t he have an issue with a fan a while back?] -I heard he goes around brushing off fans lol;;; -Did he fight with a fan? He¡¯s so childish¡­ -Seems like he¡¯s still young and immature -18 lol Back in the day you would have been married by that age -There¡¯s a story of a stan pping him when he was a trainee. Spreading rumors when you don¡¯t even know, tsk tsk. [Title: By the way, regarding Suk Ji Hoon I¡¯m a fan of KK, but when ites to Suk Ji Hoon I honestly feel uneasy sometimes. =_= Like, he puts up a wall even with fans? It was true at yesterday¡¯s autograph session too. It definitely looks like he wants out of the idol fandom soon, lol.] -Fan cosy X -Don¡¯t make a mountain out of a molehill -No, I haven¡¯t been a fan that long but I¡¯ve felt that too -Me 22222222 -Honestly me 333333 ¡®He¡¯s not satisfied being part of the KK group because he wants to be an actor, maybe that''s why he won¡¯t actively interact with fans unlike the other members¡¯, etc. Stories like that were spreading like crazy among the public. ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± Suk Ji Hoon, who had been quietly reading the articles, scowled slightly. However, he immediately returned to his indifferent expression. Do Wook debated whether it was okay to show him negativements about himself so bluntly. Still, Suk Ji Hoon probably monitored them anyways, and you had to face the situation head on if you wanted to find a way to resolve it. Suk Ji Hoon moved the mouse and went to a differentmunity site. It was a slightly smaller site than the majormunity they were just on, where idol fans tended to gather and exchangements without reservation. After going to the site, Suk Ji Hoon entered a query in the search box. ¡°You have to search it like this to find it properly.¡± What he entered into the search was ¡®Stone Ji Hoon¡¯. It was the demeaning nickname they used for him. When they searched Stone Ji Hoon, the amount of negativements they found was iparable to the previous site. There were lots of posts cussing him out, or saying that it¡¯d be better if he left KK. ¡®As I figured. He already knew about it.¡¯ Do Wook looked at the articles and hardened his expression even more. Suk Ji Hoon was barely 18, but there were so many cruelments made towards him. Furthermore, KK debuted 3 months ago. He hadn¡¯t made any particr mistake since then. Of course it was true that as a trainee he didn¡¯tpletely open up his heart to fans because of the huge trauma he¡¯d suffered. However, it wasn¡¯t as if fans made him back off, scared. It was just that he was on edge, anxious of fans who suddenly tried to touch him. Do Wook didn¡¯t think he deserved this much criticism, and felt unfair as if it were happening to himself. ¡°You don¡¯t feel wronged?¡± It was true that there were some people who chose the slightly easier idol route because they wanted to be actors. However, it wasn¡¯t that Suk Ji Hoon was begrudgingly being an idol when he actually wanted to act. If he wanted to act, he could immediately do it in his present state. Suk Ji Hoon enjoyed acting, but he wanted to be a singer who sings and dances, losing themselves to the moment when on stage. When he auditioned to be a singer, he entered HIT Entertainment by choice. He even risked going against his mother who would warn him that he could get stuck with the idol image and not be able to be an actor in the future. After he entered HIT Entertainment, he polished and perfected his singing and dancing skills in preparation for his debut. It was hard, but it was the path he had chosen, so he thought it was worthwhile. But Do Wook knew Suk Ji Hoon too. They had prepared for the debut together, they rehearsed together, and they lived together. He had stayed quiet and worked hard. He had done everything he had to do as the youngest member. ¡°That¡¯s just how it is. It must be my fault for acting in a way that brought about thesements.¡± ¡°Ji Hoon.¡± ¡°Even if I try to exin that it¡¯s not true, it''ll just make it a bigger issue. They won¡¯t believe me anyways. Manager Oh probably agrees that it¡¯d be better to just leave this alone.¡± His calm tone made Do Wook feel even more sorry for him. Suk Ji Hoon definitely had a good understanding of the dark side of the entertainment world. Everything he said was true. That had been how Do Wook approached things too when he had worked in the agency PR department. The first course of action when there were maliciousments and rumors about an agency celebrity was to monitor it without addressing it at all. If the celebrity addressed the rted rumor, they risked unaware people finding out about it too. They would be incredibly lucky if it calmed down or there was concrete evidence to prove their innocence, and it would disappear after some time. Having to live with anonymous rumors they couldn¡¯t do anything about was part of the idol life. Only if the rumors got worse, and they became the target of thousands and thousands of abusivements, could the agency file a suit against the maliciousments. Until then, there really were no good options. ¡°But we can¡¯t just do nothing.¡± Do Wook noticed distinctive peculiarities as he continued to look through the site. There were a few usernames that caught his eye, and the posts those usernames wrote were generally the same: ¡®Suk Ji Hoon has bad habits and treats fans like bugs.¡¯ ¡®It was probably one of the students who were waiting in front of the dormitory before or¡­no. Regardless of who wrote the post, it¡¯s still malicious. If we don¡¯t do anything, Ji Hoon''s image with other fans will start to suffer too.¡¯ Suk Ji Hook shook his head skeptically at Do Wook¡¯s resolute tone. ¡°There must be a way¡­¡± Suk Ji Hoon was talking in a calm tone, but he wasn¡¯tpletely fine with the fact that rumors about him were spreading regardless whether they were true or not. However, he didn¡¯t think there was a solution, so he was trying to make his peace with it. ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do but to work harder so people won''t say these things. Although, I¡¯ll have to put in a lot more effort..¡± Do Wook patted his shoulder. ¡°Yeah. That sincerity. We have to at least try to convey that sincerity.¡± *** It was expected to some extent, but the title song ¡®Very Sorry¡¯ from KK¡¯s first full album Sensation became incredibly popr. Even Do Wook couldn¡¯t believe it. Cable broadcasts were a given, but they got the first ce trophies from all the music stations¡¯ programs, including all the satellite broadcasts. On the music chart, they went back and forth for first and second ce with Kim Woo Yeon¡¯s song. In every alleyway and every store you could hear ¡®Very Sorry¡¯ ying. They were more than a particrly good rookie group acknowledged only by the broadcast industry. The public was very fanatical about KK¡¯s ¡®Very Sorry¡¯ as well. Thanks to that, KK earned the nickname ¡°Nation¡¯s Sagwadol*¡±. (TL note: The word for ¡°apple¡± and ¡°idol¡± put together.) Apology scenes for all sorts of variety shows and dramas had ¡®Very Sorry¡¯ ying. With the addictive sound and choreography of the chorus, people couldn¡¯t help but have it stuck in their heads. Since the hook song they released became popr in less than a month, people were starting to consider KK¡¯s song as the beginning of the hook song era. On top of that, as the music video for ¡®Very Sorry¡¯ became popr overseas through MyTube, there were even foreigners who were doing covers of ¡®Very Sorry¡¯. They had be the group following closely behind the leaders of the KPOP craze which had started at some point. Due to thenguage barrier, foreigners preferred performance-centered groups. KK not only fell into that category, but the easy English word ¡®Sorry¡¯ was also constantly repeated within the song, which made it a good selling point as something easy for English and non-English speakers alike to sing along to. As their poprity expanded outside of the country to all over the world, the KK members were booked for their first overseas event They had been invited to the held in Osaka. ¡°Man, I¡¯m nervous. Do Wook, I¡¯m telling this only to you. This is my first time flying.¡± Gimpo International Airport boarding area. To look cool in front of the fans who were taking pictures, the members purposely pretended to look at their cell phones or pretended to be talking to each other as they headed to get their passports screened. Oh Baek Ho, who was leading the way, kept the crowding fans at a distance. Jung Yoon Ki, who was standing next to Do Wook, shed a nice smile to the fans as he whispered to Do Wook. Do Wook chuckled. ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Dude, you know?¡± ¡°You recently went to the district office to be issued a passport.¡± ¡°Ah¡­Baek Ho told you.¡± Jung Yoon Ki moaned, upset with Oh Baek Ho. The members wondered what it could be when Jung Yoon Ki said he had to go take care of some personal business. If Oh Baek Ho hadn¡¯t said ¡®I¡¯m taking Yoon Ki to the district office to get his passport made, so rehearse while I¡¯m gone¡¯, they really would have thought that he had a private event like Student Rapper. Either way, the other members were nervous about their first overseas event as well, even the ones who had been on a ne before. After going through the screening with their issued tickets, the members got to their seats on time. On either side of Do Wook were Jung Yoon Ki and Suk Ji Hoon. Suk Ji Hoon was sitting to Do Wook¡¯s left with his headphones plugged into his cell phone, probably listening to music. Do Wook asked him. ¡°Did you rehearse a lot?¡± ¡°Yes. I did rehearse but¡­I don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll be ok.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be ok. Let''s record in the hotel roomter tonight.¡± Suk Ji Hoon nodded his head. Do Wook and Suk Ji Hoon had rehearsed for about 2 weeks to record their own song together. Do Wook nned on not only helping Suk Ji Hoon, but also to create a good opportunity out of this for himself as well. ¡ª Chapter 42: Thanks To. (3) Chapter 42: Thanks To. (3) Osaka Kansai Airport. On their way out after finishing the immigration process, the members were a little surprised when they saw the fans who followed them to Japan in front of the arrival gate. ¡°Wow, impressive.¡± Ahn Hyung Seo muttered away from the fans so they wouldn¡¯t hear. Unlike Ahn Hyung Seo, who was in awe, Oh Baek Ho scowled and held back the fans trying to crowd them. There weren''t as many people as at Gimpo Airport, but there definitely were a lot of fans who had followed them to Osaka since it wasn¡¯t far. Even on the ne, Oh Baek Ho was on edge because of the fans who had bought tickets for the same flight. ¡°Don¡¯t dally and follow Do Ra Hee, guys.¡± ¡°Ok~!¡± They each grabbed their luggage and followed Do Ra Hee¡¯s lead. Do Ra Hee had never studied abroad in Japan, but she taught herself enough Japanese to be able to speak to locals without trouble. They had an on-site trantor ready at the performance location, so Do Ra Hee and Manager Oh Baek Ho were enough as KK¡¯s Korean staff. Of course the team of stylists they¡¯d need for the entire event were with them too. After Lucas quit tounch his own brand, the current KK stylist team was a professional idol stylist team of three in charge of styling and make-up. Their group consisting of 11 people left the airport. Then they split up and got into the two cars that were prepared for them in front of the airport. ¡°Did you see? That there were Japanese fans* too?¡± (TL note: In Korean, what they said could also be misinterpreted as ¡®They had Japanese fans¡¯, as in the handheld foldable fans you see in Japan.) ¡°Oh¡­That type of fan¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. They had fans too. So interesting!¡± Ahn Hyung Seo and Park Tae Hyung were talking in the back seat of the car. Kim Won also chimed in. ¡°Their attitude is different from Korean fans.¡± ¡°Attitude?¡­Man, you sure sound fancy when you say it in English, dude.¡± (TL note: In these two previous sentences, the word ¡°attitude¡± was said in English while the rest of the conversation is in Korean.) Jung Yoon Ki muttered, in awe of Kim Won¡¯s proficient English. When Ahn Hyung Seo, slightly self consciously, asked what attitude meant, everyone in the car froze for a moment. Oh Baek Ho, who was sitting in the passenger seat rather than being the driver for once, facepalmed. ¡°Won, please try to make sure Hyung Seo studies English. Instead of snickering about useless stuff.¡± ¡°I¡¯m studying too! I may not look it but I¡¯m a college student!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I mean¡­You¡¯re a college student but you still¡­¡± Ahn Hyung Seo was attending Cyber University as a Broadcasting and Entertainment major. Actually, Ahn Hyung Seo was not interested in studying at all. Studying was different from being quick-witted. ¡°It¡¯s fine to not know an English word¡­¡± Ahn Hyung Seo looked out the car window as he grumbled. He was just making idle talk when he said Japan is definitely different. Now that they were out on the street, the scenery wasn¡¯t much different from Korea. The street signs were really the only difference. Jung Yoon Ki looked at Ahn Hyung Seo and giggled. ¡°By the way, are you guys studying too, Tae Hyung and Do Wook? It¡¯s the national college exam soon¡­It must be hard because you don¡¯t have much free time.¡± Oh Baek Ho turned around and asked. Park Tae Hyung had been smiling faintly while looking outside, but at that moment his smile disappeared. Do Wook¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change at all. ¡°Uh¡­Uh¡­¡± Park Tae Hyung stammered out of panic. Park Tae Hyung was also not interested in studying, just like Ahn Hyung Seo. Only dancing! Ahn Hyung Seo lived 19 years of his life with the sole thought that he wanted to dance. The reality was that most trainees weren¡¯t interested in academics. It was kind of an obvious thing if you thought about it, since they were busy chasing a different dream. However, those people would have a difficult time during career nning if bing a celebrity didn¡¯t work out. Since they didn¡¯t keep up with the curriculum, their career choices were limited. In Park Tae Hyung¡¯s situation, he had already debuted. There was no problem with his future career so there was no absolute need for him to study. Still, since an adult was asking him if he was studying, he took a defensive tone out of reflex. Also, it was good to go to college. Since most idols were in their early 20s, they chose to enter college to dy their military enlistment. Oh Baek Ho said to Park Tae Hyung, who didn¡¯t know what to do. He wasn¡¯t nning on crushing his spirit for no reason. ¡°Well, you have a distinct specialty, so you can easily get into college with your skills. These days there¡¯s lots of ces that are 100% based on practical skills.¡± It was knowledge he had gathered during the Monster members¡¯ entrance exams. ¡°Just finish the basics. You never know. You can¡¯t be like Hyung Seo who doesn¡¯t know what ¡®attitude¡¯ means.¡± ¡°Hey, Baek Ho!¡± Ahn Hyung Seo yelled. Oh Baek Ho pretended to not even hear it and turned his attention to Do Wook. ¡°How about you, Do Wook¡­Didn¡¯t you say your grades are pretty good?¡± ¡°Ah, my school records aren¡¯t good, but the mock exam grades were great at least¡­¡± Do Wook¡¯s school grades were not good because the original Do Wook¡¯s grades were bad. The original Do Wook was a student who only slept during ss so there was no way his grades could be good. Do Wook¡¯s mock exam grades were good only after his soul was switched. Though it wasn''t the only factor, what he learned back during the school days of ¡®Kim Bo Myung¡¯ also helped Do Wook¡¯s grades. He could have quickly gotten even better grades if he studied all of it again properly, but it was realistically impossible to study while being a singer as well as aposer. Also, it wasn¡¯t something he absolutely had to do. Kim Won was enough as the ¡®studious¡¯ member of the group. Kim Won¡¯s outstandingnguage skills were recognized, and he was currently attending Seoul¡¯s top university under a special eptance. Anyways, Do Wook nned on using his prior knowledge to get grades just good enough to get into his desired college. ¡°Wow, then the college entrance exam shouldn¡¯t be too bad for you. What rank were you?¡± Kim Won asked Do Wook. Do Wook told him his general mock exam score. Kim Won asked what level college he was considering, suddenly starting to give him admission counseling. Kim Won was the only one who entered college the typical way, so he was very interested. At the sudden admission counseling, the other members shook their heads and each looked out the window, or looked at their cell phones, etc. Suk Ji Hoon sat in the backmost seat and listened to music from the second he got into the car. It was Jason Mori¡¯s . *** A 5-star hotel near Namba District. The members and staff grabbed their luggage and exited the car. Do Ra Hee distributed the room keys once they gathered in the hotel lobby. ¡°Ooh, the hotel looks nice.¡± Jung Yoon Ki muttered as he looked up at the chandelier on the lobby ceiling. ¡°The ce the event organizers arranged was a business hotel, but Director Kwon felt the KK members were working very hardtely, so he told me to make separate arrangements at a 5-star hotel with thepany¡¯s money!¡± Everyone nodded their heads at Do Ra Hee¡¯s exnation. The members could feel that their standing in thepany was changing drastically. More than when they saw how much their fan base had grown, they felt how much their poprity had risen more clearly when they realized thepany or broadcast stations were treating them better. That was the moment the members really felt their poprity sink in. ¡°I¡¯ll have to thank the Directorter.¡± Before they all went to their separate rooms, Oh Baek Ho went over the uing schedule with the members. ¡°We came one day early for you to relieve some of your anxiety over your first overseas event. Today you can have free time and rx for once. Don¡¯t do anything stupid.¡± Ahn Hyung Seo opened his mouth and raised his hand straight up. ¡°Can¡­Can I go shopping?!¡± ¡°You have to rehearse for the performance starting early in the morning soe back before 10 pm. There¡¯s people here who recognize you too, so be careful.¡± Oh Baek Ho said as he checked the time. It was currently 3 pm. Free time until 10 pm! To the members, who had been constantly running around like squirrels on a wheel with music broadcasts and other events, free time was like rain during a drought. They felt that was plenty of time. On top of that, they were in a foreign country so they could be more free than in Korea. Even Jung Yoon Ki, who nned on sleeping the moment they arrived at the lodging, was full of energy again. It was their first overseas trip, so he was excited that he¡¯d be able to explore. ¡°By the way, do you guys know how to speak Japanese?¡± Oh Baek Ho asked when he looked at Ahn Hyung Seo, Jung Yoon Ki and Park Tae Hyung, even thetter of whom was standing around with shining eyes. ¡°Won, we have Won. And there¡¯s Do Wook too.¡± Ahn Hyung Seo grabbed Kim Won who was standing a little apart from them. He tried to pull in Do Wook too but Do Wook said with a slightly awkward expression. ¡°Ah, I was going to stay in the room¡­¡± ¡°Me too.¡± When Do Wook and Suk Ji Hoon said that, Ahn Hyung Seo nodded understandingly. The members knew that the two of them were preparing something together. Do Wook had exined the situation to Oh Baek Ho and Do Ra Hee ahead of time. Of course everyone was slightly concerned about Do Wook¡¯s idea, but was supportive of him and said it was a good idea. ¡°Then let¡¯s take the luggage upstairs and then meet back up.¡± Jung Yoon Ki moved faster than ever before. After they unpacked and briefly got some alone time, Suk Ji Hoon got a call from Do Wook and went to his room. Do Wook shared a room with Park Tae Hung, but he had already left to go shopping. ¡°Thanks foring. Are you hungry?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m ok.¡± ¡°Then let''s finish this then go out and buy dinner.¡± Suk Ji Hoon sat across from Do Wook as he nodded. Do Wook had already set up aptop, a recording microphone, etc. on the table that was in the hotel room. When he saw that, Suk Ji Hoon spoke up. ¡°Do Wook¡­I¡¯m sorry for bothering you for no reason.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s something I wanted to try at some point anyways. I suggested doing it together because I thought it¡¯d be better with the two of us.¡± Do Wook chose a song that would bring Suk Ji Hoon closer to his fans and make him open his heart. He could write a post to his fans, but words written on the inte have their limitations. KK were singers. Singers talk with their songs. That was the simple truth. Also, Do Wook believed that songs had a strong power to convey sincerity. Therefore they prepared a song that was solely made for the fans, while not one from KK¡¯s performance, and nned to upload the recording onto the fan cafe. The song Do Wook and Suk Ji Hoon prepared was Jason Mori¡¯s ¡®I¡¯m Yours¡¯. It was a song loved by the entire world,bining a melody that was easy to listen to, a unique soft voice for vocals, outstanding rhythm, and lovely lyrics. The vibe also matched Suk Ji Hoon very well. They also chose ¡®I¡¯m Yours¡¯ because they felt the lyrics conveyed their message to the fans particrly well. ¡°Then first let''s warm up our voices and do a practice recording.¡± ¡°Mmm, ok.¡± Originally, they tried to properly record it in a recording studio, even if it was just a cover song as a present for the fans. However, it wasn¡¯t easy to find time in their schedule to go to a recording studio and record. The Japan event was scheduled in the meantime. ¡®If they thought of it as a song that is being recorded and sent from overseas¡­would people think of it as a little more meaningful?¡¯ Do Wook painted that image in his head. He had learned a little bit of the recording basics anyways while studyingposition. It was a little crude, but they decided that the realistic recording environment and the fact that it¡¯s a song they prepared while in Japan could actually be more appealing to fans. Look into your heart, you¡¯ll find love. Listen to the music when people dance and sing. We¡¯re one family. To love, and to be loved, is a right given from God. There¡¯s no need toplicate it. Our lives are short. It¡¯s our destiny. I¡¯m Yours. The two of them started singing in sync with the sweet melody that was ying. Suk Ji Hoon took the 1st verse, and Do Wook sang the 2nd verse. They put in a short harmony each time they sang the chorus. Suk Ji Hoon¡¯s singing skills weren¡¯t as outstanding as Do Wook¡¯s, but his voice was still nice to listen to. Even if he fumbled a little. Honestly, despite having to do more parts than when they recorded the KK album, Suk Ji Hoon sang better than Do Wook had expected due to practicing day in and day out. It also felt like he had found his unique vocal color as he sang. Do Wook was actually attempting something he hadn¡¯t done before as well, because this song waspletely different from the songs in KK¡¯s album. It was a good opportunity to test and showcase his musical skills. The two of them did their cover of ¡®I¡¯m Yours¡¯ at 11 pm that night. Do Wook mixed it a little and it was uploaded on KK¡¯s MyTube channel. Suk Ji Hoon posted an announcement about the cover song he did with Do Wook on the fan cafe, along with 3 lines written in the caption saying ¡®I can¡¯t say it often because of my personality, but I love and cherish the fans¡¯. The view count on MyTube and thement count on the fan cafe started to increase within seconds. The fans couldn¡¯t help but be surprised. It was a surprise present that the fans couldn¡¯t help but love. ¡ª Chapter 43: Our meeting was a coincidence (1) Chapter 43: Our meeting was a coincidence (1) The members woke up at dawn and gathered at the restaurant on the first floor of the hotel to eat breakfast and were sitting around a circr table. Suk Ji Hoon, who was sleep-deprived from staying upte looking at fan responses, was barely eating the scrambled eggs in front of him. After having a lot of time to think while practicing and uploading the cover song, Suk Ji Hoon privately messaged Do Wook in the next room at dawn expressing that he wanted to upload a cover song again sometime, even if he had to do it by himself. ¡°The response from the fans was really really good!¡± Ahn Hyung Seo said with a mouth full of cereal. The response to the cover song Do Wook and Suk Ji Hoon posted really was all positive. Comments were posted saying that they didn¡¯t realize it because they didn¡¯t fully understand his personality yet, but that Suk Ji Hoon seemed like a very big hearted mangnae*. A lot of people also said that they wouldn¡¯t expect anything less from Do Wook. (TL note: Mangnae means the youngest. ) There were also a lot ofpliments about the song. There were numerous fans who were saying that not only were their faces nice to look at, their voices were nice to listen to as well, and that it felt like being drunk on sweetness. Of course there were people who pointed out that Suk Ji Hoon wasckingpared to Do Wook when it came to skills, but it was said in a way that they were looking forward to his growth in the future. The fans unanimously agreed that they had known Do Wook was really good at singing, but that this surpassed their expectations. There were a lot of fans who felt that Do Wook had discovered a new voice color, which was what Do Wook was aiming for. Aside from the fan cafe, the response from themunity was exceptionally good. Since it was a song uploaded specifically for KK fans, there wasn¡¯t much interest from others, but they said they were jealous that the ¡°oppas*¡± would sing for their fans like this. (TL note: ¡°oppa¡± is what females would call older males but it is not only for blood rted older males.) Comments that said Suk Ji Hoon treated fans coldly, which used to appear without fail on any articles rted to him, found it harder to get support. Some people tried to undermine Suk Ji Hoon¡¯s intent behind posting the cover song by saying things like ¡®He probably saw the stories circting in themunity. He thinks singing one cover song will put those stories to rest¡¯, but it didn¡¯t work. -It¡¯s not easy practicing, arranging, and posting the song on a busy schedule¡­;; -Please stop bothering our Ji Hoon¡­ -Even if it¡¯s because of the rumors, isn¡¯t that even more reason to be thankful he cares about his fans like this? -You¡¯re looking at it in such a twisted way lol In general, most of thements were on Suk Ji Hoon¡¯s side, and the negative opinions couldn¡¯te to the surface anymore. Of course, Do Wook also didn¡¯t think that this one cover song was enough topletely get rid of Suk Ji Hoon¡¯s anti fans. On the contrary, he knew that the more popr KK became, not only Suk Ji Hoon but also Do Wook or the other members would get anti fans, and their numbers would grow. If there¡¯s an action, there is also an opposite reaction. It was impossible to not have anti fans at all. However, what was important was the power of the absolute majority to minimize them as much as possible. The flow direction of the power of the majority determined whether the anti fans gained or lost power. Do Wook thought that continuing to maintain a positive image of KK and its members with the majority was the important issue. In the caption Suk Ji Hoon posted, he also included that he wanted to practice singing whenever he had time, so that he could gift songs to his fans. He had to put in nonstop effort. ¡°Maybeter I can also¡­with the raps I wrote that weren¡¯t good enough to make it into the KK albums. Maybe I should clean them up and post them.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a good idea.¡± (TL note: First sentence is said by Jung Yoon Ki. This second sentence is said by Ahn Hyung Seo.) Ever since he heard about the cover song idea, Ahn Hyung Seo was already making a fuss that he¡¯d also practice a song next time and join them. Now, even Jung Yoon Ki wanted to be included after seeing yesterday¡¯s response. Kim Won agreed to what Jung Yoon Ki said. Do Wook nodded his head as he wiped his mouth with a tissue. ¡°That sounds good. I think the response will be good too. You also have your own hip hop fans too.¡± ¡°Hip hop fans? I¡¯ll be lucky if they don¡¯tsh out at me because I¡¯m an idol. Oh! I should write a rap about these regrets. Haha.¡± Jung Yoon Ki giggled as if he thought of good lyrics while he was talking. Park Tae Hyung, who had been eating a sandwich, also hesitantly spoke up. ¡°¡­A video of me practicing choreography on my own time¡­I want to practice a lot and post it¡­¡± He was still very shy, but he was turning that shy personality into a charm. Aside from that, he spoke up about his opinion when he had to, and there were many times when he had a different opinion than all the others. ¡°I think it¡¯ll do well even if you posted a video of you dancing right here. Post it anytime you want, Tae Hyung.¡± Jung Yoon Ki patted Park Tae Hyung¡¯s shoulders. Do Wook replied as he gave a smile full of faith. ¡°Yeah, that''s a good idea. It¡¯ll showcase your talent too.¡± Ahn Hung Seo also gave Park Tae Hyung a thumbs up. Like that, everyone finished their breakfast, enthusiastic about their self-produced content. They were each thinking about what they had to do and how much harder they had to try to achieve those things. ¡®All the members are definitely pumped up.¡¯ It was time for them to change clothes and get ready for the event. Do Wook thought as he rode the elevator back to the hotel room. They may be one team, but at some point they became teammates andpetitors at the same time. Do Wook wanted the members to inspire each other to grow with friendlypetition. In that sense, they were only at the starting line. There was no doubt that the better the members¡¯ individual skills became, the better the group and individual activities they would be doing in the future. *** Osaka Kyocera Dome The members, who were starting to doze off, became wide awake after arriving at the dome. It was because they couldn¡¯t help but be surprised when they saw the fully decked out stage on their way to the dressing room. ¡°Wow. This must be why they say a dome tour is the dream¡­¡± Ahn Hyung Seo muttered as he looked back at the auditorium. ¡®Will this huge auditorium be filled with people tonight?¡¯ Do Wook was also in awe. Once they heard the MR* sound of the other performing team doing a sound check, the members¡¯ jaws dropped again. The quality of the sound was more outstanding than any concert hall they¡¯d encountered before. (TL note: MR stands for Music Recorded, typically the instrumental part of a song.) ¡®Impressive. As expected.¡¯ Do Wook thought as he was being guided to the waiting room by Manager Oh Baek Ho, Do Ra Hee, and the event staff. Of course it wasn¡¯t their own concert; KK was only doing the first opening song. However, it was their first overseas performance, taking ce in Japan no less, which could be considered the core of the Asian music market. It was honestly a different mindset than at their previous performances. The was happening for the second time;st year and now this year. An event organized by the Ministry of Tourism and the cable broadcasts that expanded into Japan, they put a lot of effort into making KPOP more widely known and parading its poprity while broadcasting live in Korea and Japan at the same time. It wasn¡¯t to the level of Korea¡¯s ¡®Dreamy Concert¡¯ or award ceremonies, but that year¡¯s top Korean singers, especially those making their names known overseas, were invited. Among the list of distinguished invitees, the people newly invited this year were KK and M2M. Since the order was decided by seniority, KK was given the opening spot but M2M ended up performing second tost as an exception. Ara Entertainment¡¯s main idol group ¡®Sa Bang Shin Hwa¡¯, who were also the recipients of the highest awardst year, was given the ending spot. They reached the top spot in the past so they were trending downward, but they were still the group with the best fandom in Korea. It was a given that they made it onto the Oricon chart in Japan, but they were also the most popr Korean singers in Japan. They even sessfullypleted a Tokyo Dome concert, which was hard for even local singers. Riding on the coattails of Sa Bang Shin Hwa and Ara Entertainment Agency, M2M had secured the second tost spot. Of course it was true that M2M¡¯s poprity was substantial too. KK were rookies and it was also their first performance in Japan, so they went to both rehearsals. The members were incredibly nervous at first, but they immediately felt at ease during rehearsal thanks to the system that was built in order for the artist to be able to give their best performance. Everyone realized that Manager Oh Baek Ho¡¯s words ¡®You just have to perform the way you have been doing¡¯ were right. started with the prelude to KK¡¯s ¡®Very Sorry¡¯ The n was for the MCs toe out and say their opening remarks after their performance. Once the prelude for ¡®Very Sorry¡¯ started to y, the stage lights shone on the KK members, who had been standing ready in one area, and fan lights in the audience turned on in unison. Among the differently colored fan lights that were shining, the color being held by the most people was definitely the color for Sa Bang Shin Hwa. However, KK¡¯s blue light also ounted for quite a bit of people. The fluttering blue light was greeting KK. The members reached out their hand with precise timing, moving as one. ¡®A day wille when wee back to this concert hall for our own concert. It doesn¡¯t feel far off.¡¯ Do Wook thought as he moved to the back of the formation after singing his part. When he thought about how a lot of the people in the audience had reallye just to see them specifically, his heart raced. The Japanese fans¡¯ reactions were clearly on the calmer sidepared to the Korean fans. However, that was just because of cultural tendencies. It wasn¡¯t that they weren¡¯t hot among Japanese fans. The members could easily feel the energy of the fans watching the ¡®Very Sorry¡¯ performance with burning gazes. Once KK finished their performance, the Japanese fans gave a rousing round of apuse at KK¡¯s reserved yet amazingly wless performance. It was a performance worthy of capturing Japan''s attention. The members, who returned drenched in sweat, rested in the waiting room and watched the next performance on the monitor. After many teams performed, it was getting close to M2M''s performance. Do Wook recalled his brief encounter with Seo Kang Jun at the waiting room hallway not long ago. When Do Wook greeted him, Seo Kang Jun half-heartedly epted the greeting. Seo Kang Jun¡¯s gaze as he looked at Do Wook up and down was dirty, as if he didn¡¯t like Do Wook. Honestly for Seo Kang Jun, who was living with a vain attitude as if he were the only person in the whole world who mattered, there weren¡¯t many people that he liked. The M2M members also tried to not offend him, and they were only working together because they needed him. To such a person, Do Wook was someone he especially disliked. Seo Kang Jun felt like Do Wook''s gaze was burning through him every time he saw him and it rubbed him the wrong way. On top of that, the fact that Do Wook was his rival was more than enough reason to get on Seo Kang Jun¡¯s nerves. Do Wook quickly passed by Seo Kang Jun, who was trying to say something. It wasn¡¯t time for them to interact privately yet. Once M2M¡¯s performance started, a loud roar erupted in the concert hall outside the waiting room. It was inevitable that they would be on a different level than KK when it came to recognition. As the group that Sa Bang Shin Hwa would pass off their poprity baton to, they often appeared at Sa Bang Shin Hwa¡¯s Japanese performances, and recently they officially released a single in Japan. Do Wook bit his lip as he watched the audience fawning over M2M through the monitor. ¡®The gap was just starting to close in Korea, but overseas¡­especially in Japan, it was something that required more power from the agency. Do Wook thought about the remaining issue. *** It was simply that their official expansion to Japan was a littleter since they debuted about 3 months after M2M. KK¡¯s poprity was growing day by day in both Korea and overseas. The power of ¡®Very Sorry¡¯ was unbelievable. It was first ce in music broadcasts for 8 consecutive weeks. The record for first ce until now was the girl group ¡®Win Win Girl¡¯ with 8 consecutive weeks at the beginning of this year. Their records were tied. With its ongoing 1st ce streak, KK¡¯s ¡®Very Sorry¡¯ active period stretched longer and longer. Once it passed 8 weeks, thepany started to adjust the schedule for the happy but physically exhausted members. They stopped music broadcast appearances except for 3 public stations and major cable broadcasts. They also cut off things like radio appearances after a certain point. During that time, they released a separate remixed version so that the fans and the public wouldn¡¯t get sick of them. They were still active, but that didn¡¯t mean they could slow down moving on to the next stage, including the repackage album. The weather had already gotten to the point that they had to turn the AC on in the car on their way to events. The trees visible through the window were green. A zing summer was starting. On his way up to the studio to see Yong Soo Chul, Do Wook received a call from his cousin Kang Seo Hyun. Do Wook had asked for a favor when he gave her Monster¡¯s Kwon Ji Hyung¡¯s autograph. -Are you free to talk? -Yes. What¡¯s up? Were you able to find him? -Seriously, who is this person that you want to find them so badly? I found him. I found everything through the inte. When ites to getting information, stans are the best. Kang Seo Hyeon replied triumphantly. Do Wook found out Seo Kang Jun¡¯s middle school and had asked Kang Seo Hyun to look into which school someone named ¡®Kim Bo Myung¡¯ was currently attending, where they¡¯re living, how they¡¯re doing, etc. He had initially nned on asking Manager Oh. However, Manager Oh would have stopped at nothing to find out the reason and he thought it¡¯d be hard to talk his way around it, so he ended up asking Kang Seo Hyun. Do Wook¡¯s hand that was holding the cell phone was sweaty. He grabbed the phone tighter so it wouldn''t slip. ¡°So where¡¯s Kim Bo Myung now¡­?¡± -It turns out he¡¯s currently attending U-Jung High School. I would have found him sooner if he used FaceNote¡­but he wasn¡¯t on it. Anyways, I looked into people rted to Friendship High and found a page with a picture that has that Kim Bo Myung person in it. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± -I¡¯ll send you the link right now. See if it¡¯s the Kim Bo Myung you¡¯re looking for. ¡°Huh? Oh¡­Thank you.¡± After thanking her, Do Wook quickly hung up the phone. The message from Kang Seo Hyun with the link soon arrived. Do Wook clicked on the link with trembling hands. ¡ª Trantorments: I forgot to announcest week that due to Daylight Savings time change in the US, the schedule for post chapters is now one hour EARLIER. Thank you for your continued support~ I hope y''all are enjoying the series. Chapter 44: Our meeting was a coincidence (2) Chapter 44: Our meeting was a coincidence (2) A FaceNote post popped up on the cell phone screen. It was a post from just a few days ago. Poster: Jung Soo Ji Latte World trip to celebrate school break lol #BoMyung #Yumi #JungMinCross The uploaded picture was a group picture in front of the merry-go-round at the amusement park Latte World. Do Wook furrowed his brows as he looked at the picture. He couldn¡¯t understand it at all. In the picture, four female students were smiling brightly while holding up a V sign with their hands. ¡®Which one¡­is Kim Bo Myung?¡¯ Kang Seo Hyun sent two links. Confused, Do Wook clicked on the next link. It was another FaceNote post from Jung Soo Ji again. Poster: Jung Soo Ji Kim Bo Myung fell asleep with her mouth open after eating cup ramen in the study room lol #KimBoMyung #Ifyoufeelwrongedyoucantakeapicturetoo -Hey, Bo Myung must have been very tired loll. Top students are something else~~~ -Kim Bo Myung is working too hard¡­haha -Does Bo Myung know this was posted? lolol She don¡¯t even do FaceNote. -Best picture ever lol This time it was a picture of a female student with short hair sleeping with her head on the table in the study room lounge, as the caption described. It was the student who was on the far left in the previous picture. Do Wook was frozen in ce, mind nk. An employee passing by in the hall saw Do Wook in that state and looked at him suspiciously. Do Wook gave a stiff bow and greeted her. Even as he was greeting her, his mind was only filled with thoughts about the picture. Do Wook called Kang Seo Hyun again and asked for a detailed exnation on how she found Kim Bo Myung. First off, she found the middle school Seo Kang Jun attended. Along with Seo Kang Jun¡¯s fame, more and more people were popping up all over the inte saying they used to go to school with him, and one fan even released a graduation picture of him, so it was easy to find out his middle school. Then, throughmunities, she found the graduation album for the year Seo Jang Jun graduated from middle school. Although only few in number, there were people who wanted to buy the graduation album so they could keep Seo Kang Jun¡¯s graduation picture. Thanks to that, nobody thought it strange that someone was looking for it. However, acquiring it took a lot of effort. She hadpetition so she had to pay quite a bit of money. Of course she resold it to an actual Seo Kang Jun fan after getting the information she wanted from the graduation album. She was able to find Kim Bo Myung within the list of students in the graduation album. Senior year, ss 7 Kim Bo Myung. There was but one student with the name Kim Bo Myung. Then, she found the FaceNote page of the ss 7 students, and went from one link to another trying to find Bo Myung¡¯s FaceNote page by any means necessary. However, she was certain that Bo Myung unfortunately didn¡¯t use FaceNote. Whenever she had time, she searched and searched all over FaceNote, scrambling for any traces of Kim Bo Myung as if she were ying a mobile game. She started looking for Kim Bo Myung through the email address written on the graduation album at the same time. That was how she found the person. ¡°Still¡­it¡¯s possible that this student isn¡¯t¡­¡± -It¡¯s not the person you¡¯re looking for? I¡¯m pretty sure it is¡­Kim Bo Myung isn¡¯t amon name. ¡°¡­That¡¯s true.¡± Do Wook muttered absent-mindedly. Either way, it was still hard to believe. Do Wook stared at the female student in the picture again. He was living in a world where his soul and life were switched. It finally crossed his mind that everything might not be as he thought. ¡®Where is the original Kang Do Wook¡¯s soul, and why did I end up entering this body of all things.¡¯ He was stunned as the thoughts he had been repressing started to surface one by one. ¡®I¡¯ll have to go verify this myself.¡¯ Do Wook recalled his past self¡¯s face, in other words Bo Myung¡¯s face. It might be because some time had passed, but for some reason it was hard for him to recall his face. He worried that his original body and rted memories might be erased at this rate. Once he started thinking about it, he really missed his parents. One side of his heart started to throb. It felt as if the longing and fear he had been hiding came flooding in. He even remembered the sight of his parents kneeling to Seo Kang Jun¡¯s parents in the principal¡¯s office. Once he remembered up to that point, it was hard for Do Wook to be still. Kim Bo Myung, who hadn¡¯t been able to do anything, had cried as he hid and secretly watched that happen. Do Wook shook his head. He came to the painful realization that nothing will change no matter how sad he was about it. ¡®I¡¯ll go as soon as I have time. I¡¯ll start with looking for the female student in the picture.¡¯ Determined, Do Wook moved on. *** First ce for 10 consecutive weeks. It was a new record. ¡®Very Sorry¡¯ created a boom with its additive song and choreography. The public was saying KK was able to get first ce because singers who were capable of preventing them from getting first ce were out of the picture on overseas tours, preparing an album, etc. They were certainly lucky with their timing, like robbing a vacant house, and luck is a skill too. Even if there were other artists around, they probably would have still been able to get first ce for at least 6-8 weeks. Anyways, at the end of their 10th consecutive week of first ce, KK finished up their activities for their first full-length album. Since the activities for ¡®Very Sorry¡¯ went on an especially long time, they were nning on not doing activities for a follow-up song. Instead, they decided to release a repackage album a monthter with just one additional song, and do a short one- to two-week-long additional activities. The additional activities were for fan service, but the reason for releasing it as a repackage album was simple. The repackage album sales still got counted among the first full-length album sales, so it was a way to increase the album sales. After finishing their goodbye performance at the final music broadcast, the KK members and core employees had a smallpany dinner. Thepany dinner was held at the meat restaurant near thepany. Since thepany dinner included the members, they looked for a restaurant that had private rooms. The organizer of thepany dinner was Kwon Heung Jo, the Production Director. Director Kwon sat in the centermost seat with Manager Oh Baek Ho and PD Yong Soo Chul sitting next to him. The Album Production Team Leader Shim Joon had ns, so he called saying he¡¯d join afterwards. ¡°PD Yong. Thanks to you, I feel very reassured.¡± Director Kwon thanked Yong Soo Chul first as he took a sip of water. Yong Soo Chul was receiving a lot of recognition for hisposing and producing skills after making one sessful album after another for Hit Entertainment Agency singers like KK and Monster. He was on the rise as a producer that lots of singers or producers sought out for the best songs. His trademark gold chain ne was getting thicker and thicker. It was blinding. Yong Soo Chulughed. He didn¡¯t say anything to acknowledge it, but he didn¡¯t outright deny his contribution. He had released a series of hit songs. He had gotten affirmation that the current trend was clearly loving his artistic instincts. Director Kwon scoured through the menu that the server brought. The members were treading on eggshells as they swallowed their saliva. This meat restaurant was known for their Korean beef. However, the members saw the price list and assumed ¡®today¡¯s menu must be pork belly¡¯. ¡°The raw rib eye, 14 servings for now please.¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes sparkled when they heard Director Kwon give the order to the server. Director Kwon added to the members that they can order more food if it¡¯s not enough. When they were told that they could eat as much as they wanted, the members apuded and said ¡°thank you¡¯ in unison. Truthfully, the KK members were in a position deserving to eat Korean beef like this. KK was now thepany¡¯s cash cow. While waiting for the meat, Director Kwon encouraged the KK members. ¡°Thank you all for your hard work during the active period.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Jung Yoon Ki replied as a representative for the members. Director Kwon had a pleased smile. ¡°Yes. It must have been especially hard for you as the leader, Yoon Ki.¡± ¡°Not at all. They all followed directions well¡­¡± As he replied, Jung Yoon Ki looked at Ahn Hyung Seo for no reason. Ahn Hyung Seoined, mouthing "Why, what, why!" "Good. Thepany of course made it their goal to make KK the best. There were many who felt it was impossible, but you guys are doing a great job regardless¡­¡± Director Kwon briefly chose his words. He was a founding member of HIT Entertainment. He was working with arge entertainment production team when he was scouted by the CEO. In other words, he was working as a team leader at argepany like Samsung and then became the president of a neighborhood no-name hole-in-the-wall shop, but of course, the opposition from people was severe. However, Director Kwon had his own aspirations. In arge agency, there was a clear limit to what aspects he could be involved in. Director Kwon wanted to cross that line and wanted to taste the joy of seeing a person you ¡®personally produced¡¯ from the ground up be a star. In reality, the thrill he felt when Milky Way, whom Director Kwon had been with from the nning stage, became incredibly sessful was an indescribable feeling. Milky Way and Monster after that. How much he was involved was different, but regardless, stars were born from Director Kwon''s hands. Colleagues he worked with at therge agency fell behind due to badworking as well as internal politics, eventually moving to a differentpany. Even those who made it to a high position considered rapid retirement after wing their way up. Meanwhile, HIT Entertainment grew from a small agency to a mid-sizedpany. The problem was growing from a mid-sized agency to arge one. Director Kwon intended to put HIT Entertainment on a bigger market through KK. He had a lot of concerns as he made ns, and those around him told him not to overdo it too much. It was because it was difficult to squeeze into the market that the three major powerhouse agencies had already established to a certain extent. Skills, luck, capital. You couldn¡¯t be missing even one of those. Despite that, Director Kwon was thinking ¡®It''s worth trying¡¯. Not long ago, they were contacted by an investmentpany who wanted to invest capital in HIT Entertainment. It was currently the thing they werecking and needed the most. Director Kwon wasn¡¯t directly involved since it was a vice president level decision, but he had heard that the meeting with the investmentpany would happen soon. "KK is growing faster than thepany anticipated." Director Kwon looked at each member one by one. He made eye contact with Do Wook. ¡®Maybe it became worth the try after recruiting Do Wook as a new member through auditions?¡¯ Suddenly, an idea engulfed Director Kwon. Director Kwon knew that Do Wook had drawn in a lot of attention for various reasons from before his debut up to after his debut, because he had heard people talk about it. Do Wook was also a coposer of the song ¡®Very Sorry''. As if reading Director Kwon''s thoughts, Do Wook looked at Director Kwon with sincerity. "That''s why we n on making small adjustments to the previous album ns and our overseas expansion schedule that we made." "Is the overseas expansion happening earlier?¡± After returning from their Japan performance, they had received invitations to several future overseas performances. Manager Oh Baek Ho, who was expecting it a little, asked. "We¡¯ll have to talk about it again in a meetingter, but most likely. We will also sign a contract with Japan within this year to release an album." "Is the Japanese expansion in association with the Nakamoto group?" It was Do Wook who spoke. Entering Japan was difficult without a contract with a local recordpany. The recordpany you choose and how you lock down favorable terms is incredibly important. Once the topic of Japan was brought up, Do Wook mentioned ¡®Nakamoto Group¡¯ as if he had prepared in advance. The biggestpanies for expanding into Japan were Nakamoto and Aio. Currently, Aio was a biggerpany, but Aio would end up falling under poor managementter. Consequently, it would affect the promotion and album sales of contracted Korean groups. Q Entertainment, where Do Wook used to attend, had also suffered from this problem. "Nakamoto and Aio, we¡¯re in talks with twopanies but¡­ Do Wook, are you familiar with the Japanese market too?¡± Director Kwon, who was in fact talking to twopanies, asked back in surprise. "Oh, I remember reading an informative article about it on the Inte. The article said Nakamoto has stability.¡± "You seriously surprise me every time we meet Do Wook." Do Wook hoped that his words would have an impact when Director Kwon chose apany to sign with. "You were interested in that aspect too? That''s impressive." Oh Baek Ho was in awe, as was Director Kwon. Having no way to answer, Do Wook gave a vague smile. Fortunately the meat they ordered came out at that moment. *** A few dayster, Do Wook, who was in the recording studio preparing for the repackage album, headed toward the conference room after being called by Oh Baek Ho. In the conference room, Lucas was sitting with Oh Baek Ho. ¡ª Chapter 45: Our meeting was a coincidence (3) Chapter 45: Our meeting was a coincidence (3) "Lucas?" Even from a distance, Lucas was Lucas. He was still stubbornly wearing his crow-like outfit. If they met alone in a dark alleyway, it would have been believable if he said he hade to deliver death. "It''s been a while, Do Wook¡­" There was a pile of A4 paper on the conference room table, as if Manager Oh Baek Ho and Lucas had been in the middle of discussing something. There were also pictures of models in outfits. "Have a seat first.¡± Oh Baek Ho had Do Wook sit at the table as he exchanged greetings with Lucas. During the KK debut activities, Lucas did truly amazing styling. They didn¡¯t get through performances by having a sense of unity while enting each member¡¯s individuality. Rather, his type of styling was one that made the performance stand out. Also, in a manner fitting for a rookie fashion designer with an eye for street fashion, he used a lot of street brands to get sponsorships from various brands. Thanks to Lucas''s refined styling, KK was able to establish an image of being one step ahead in not only songs but also style. Furthermore, he received a lot of advice on "normal fashion" people typically wear, so it became an opportunity for him to work on his own fashion sense. Of course Lucas, who has a particrly unique personality, was stubborn so he was still strutting around in obscure clothes without any progress. "You should congratte him first. Lucas isunching his brand soon." "Really? Congrattions!" "It ended up working out like that¡­Thank you." Lucas replied as he rumpled his bangs that had grown past his eyebrows. His gaze, that was finally visible after the bangs were separated, was sharp. Even while working as a KK¡¯s stylist, Lucas did not neglect his design work. Perhaps thanks to that, he received a call from arge fashionpany affiliate stating that they wanted to invest in Lucas'' brand. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t have any difficulties during the process. He had to gather a lot of people and had lots of concerns over the designs. There was also friction with investors. However, after much effort, Lucas was about to have the honor ofunching his very own brand. ¡®Is it Kiss, Lucas¡­?!¡¯ The name of the brand that Lucas wouldunch was ¡®Kiss, Lucas¡¯. The symbol was a diamond shape. Do Wook thought as he recalled the symbol. Before long, even in white shirts would be selling like hot cakes despite being expensive as long as it had even a tiny Lucas diamond symbol. "I wanted to invite you guys¡­to theunch celebration. I¡¯ve wanted to do that for a while." "I¡¯m grateful! But¡­¡± Do Wook looked at Oh Baek Ho without hiding his joy at being invited. "I''m in the process of double checking the schedule, but I think it''ll work. He was the personal stylist for you guys, you guys shouldn¡¯t miss it.¡± Since it wasn¡¯t the active period, there weren''t any huge problems with the schedule. It was also a good event to keep the fans happy during the break. Oh Baek Ho also said that it would be really helpful since it was their first time attending a fashion event. "Also Do Wook¡­I¡¯d like for you to be the model¡­¡± "What?" Lucas organized the cut photos of models on the table and pushed them towards Do Wook. His own clothes were all ck, but the clothes he actually designed had such a fresh vibe to them to the point that people who personally knew him might doubt they were his. It was also very lively because of the strong primary colors mixed in here and there. "It looks cool.¡± Do Wook muttered admiringly. As expected, diamond shapes were embedded in each outfit. Lucas pointed to one of the photos. It was one of a model wearing a vivid blue and light gray sweatshirt with dark gray pants. "I¡¯d like it if you¡¯d wear this¡­" "Do you mean down the runway?" "Yes¡­" "How can I go on the runway¡­" Do Wook asked, genuinely surprised. "That''s what I¡¯m saying. Of course it''s okay to be invited, but you might be aughingstock if we put you on the runwy for no reason when you¡¯re not a model.¡± Oh Baek Ho was also against the idea and helped the surprised Do Wook. It was hard to tell how Lucas was feeling because he had his bangs down, but based on his expression he was determined. The fashionpany that invested in ¡®Kiss, Lucas¡¯ wanted theunch event to be the talk of the town. Lucas was already a highly acknowledged designer in the design industry. Many graduates from the New York design school that Lucas graduated from were established in the industry, and there were many people who were fascinated by Lucas¡¯s Northern European fashion sense that was umon in Korea. Because of that, many bigwigs from the industry were already expected to attend the event. Also, if fashionpanies affiliated withrge businesses attended, getting celebrities to attend would be no problem. However, thepany wanted more buzz. They weren¡¯t luxury goods, but ¡®Kiss, Lucas¡¯ sold for mid-high prices. For the sake of sales, it was important that they drew enough attention to create public awareness of the brand and be clearly recognized as a "popr brand¡±. On that note, thepany''s marketing team initially suggested having a top celebrity on the runway. However, Lucas had absolutely no desire for his brandunch show to have a celebrity who didn¡¯t fit the brand image for the sole reason that they¡¯re famous. As they were going back and forth, the person Lucas suggested as a model was KK member Do Wook. Although he wasn''t a top tier celebrity like thepany suggested, KK was currently the hottest celebrity group. Of course he fit the brand image as Lucas suggested, but he also had the poprity thepany wanted. "So¡­I¡¯d really like you to be a part of it¡­Unlike typical fashion shows, the concept is ¡®walking down the street¡¯¡­so there''s no need to even do model walking¡­" After hearing Lucas''s exnation, Do Wook could understand why Lucas had asked him to model. ¡®Kiss, Lucas¡¯ was a brand that would expand globally as they gained recognition from theirunch. If he participated in the fashion show, Do Wook was also guaranteed to get noticed. ¡®There¡¯s more to it than getting people¡¯s attention. If you don''t do a good job, it¡¯ll only tarnish your image. Director Oh is probably worried about that too. Things I can¡¯t foresee the oue of are starting to appear one after another¡­I have to pick carefully.¡¯ Do Wook, who was mulling it over, asked while looking through the pictures. ¡°Could you please exin in more detail what the ¡¯walking down the street¡¯ concept is like? I think I need to know before I can make a decision.¡± Lucas began to exin the concept in detail starting with the overall stageposition. Do Wook and Oh Baek Ho listened to Lucas''s exnation attentively. *** The day of theunch ceremony of the brand ¡®Kiss, Lucas¡¯. The ceremony as well as the fashion show was held in arge three-story boutique in Garosugil, Shin Sa Dong. A photo wall had been installed on the first floor, and there was time allotted for taking photos as a pre-ceremony event. The fashion show would take ce on the third floor. After the fashion show would be over, they were nning to have an after-party on the second floor. The KK members were one by one trying on the ¡®Kiss, Lucas¡¯ clothes that Lucas had sent, which were all styled differently. Lucas had sent them the items he thought were fitting with the KK members¡¯ image in mind. Meanwhile, Kim Won had said he would wear a bright red handkerchief, his personal item, with the white shirt Lucas had sent, so the stylists took the handkerchief and were busy hiding it. There were pairs of Converse shoes with the logo embedded on them as a group item, so everyone was wearing them. Ahn Hyung Seo¡¯s jaw dropped as he watched actresses waving their hands and taking pictures in front of the photo wall. The KK members were in the back awaiting their turn. "So dope, man." He tried to y it cool, but Jung Yoon Ki muttered without realizing it. He had met a lot of outstanding singers backstage. However, it was his first time meeting actors and celebrities from other fields in person. The Life Song MC Sul Lae Im was the only famous actress they had seen until now.. "That, that person¡­" Suk Ji Hoon stuttered in surprise, pointing at a middle-aged man standing in front of the elevator to go up to the third floor. Ahn Hyung Seo wondered as he looked at the good-natured looking man. "Who is he that you¡¯re freaking out like that?! He seems like a regr old man?!¡± "It''s not just some old man! He was the head designer of Louis Vene. I¡¯ve seen him on tv because he¡¯s been on Korean broadcasts often these days." Suk Ji Hoon often watched fashion-rted broadcasts. Louis Vene looked ordinary, but they were all designer. Louis Vene was a designer brand that cost several million won, up to 10 million won in severe cases, per bag. "Wow¡­Lucas is on his way up." Ahn Hyung Seo looked at Do Wook as he muttered. Do Wook was more reserved than usual. "Even Do Wook gets nervous sometimes? Do Wook, don''t be so nervous! You''ll do great." "You¡¯re right." At Ahn Hyung Seo and Suk Ji Hoon¡¯s encouragement, Do Wook looked up. After Lucas''s persuasion, Do Wook and HIT Entertainment epted the offer to model. As Lucas said, it wasn¡¯t as if they were doing professional model walking so it was possible to do the runway with a reasonable amount of practice. When it came to putting in effort, he was confident. It was a good opportunity. Do Wook had no intention of missing out on a good opportunity. He became full of confidence. ¡®Yes, I just have to do well.¡¯ The runway started about an hourter. It was the first time that clothes from ¡®Kiss, Lucas¡¯ would be seen in public. Lucas was backstage, touching up the models'' clothes. He was on edge before the show. Al together, there were 35 outfits in total and Do Wook was number 34, just before the ending. Compared to other models who would be on stage two or three times, Do Wook only had to go on stage once. Of course, there were some models who looked at Do Wook with disapproving gazes for going on the runway when he wasn''t a model. It was expected since he stole their spot. Do Wook endured the stinging gazes like they were nothing. It wasn''t his fault, and it was just gazes. On the other hand, there were many models who didn¡¯t give it much thought because they thought it was a special model concept. Rather, some people found the appearance of an idol member interesting and wanted to be on good terms with hi. Lucas'' touch as he and the helpers put the clothes together was delicate. You could tell how much effort Lucas had put into the clothes if you looked at the details in the clothes. ¡®For the sake of the models on the runway with me¡­ and, above all, at least for the sake of the designer, I can¡¯t be a bother on the runway.¡¯ As he braced himself, Lucas cleared his throat and shouted. ¡°I look forward to working with you!!" Along with apuse from models and helpers, the show began. In front of the stage, music yed from the runway side. The frantic atmosphere backstage was simr to a swan on theke*. With the models and staff changing clothes and preparing props within a short time, it was practically chaos. (TL note: It¡¯s probably referring to how on the outside the swan looks calm and elegant but underneath, they¡¯re legs are frantically paddling under the water. Thank you White Rabbit for the exnation.) Do Wook, who only had to go on stage once, waited for his turn in the middle of the chaos. Various leaves were strewn across the stage. The previous model walked down pushing a bicycle. Before that, there was even a model who went on stage riding a skateboard. The prop Do Wook was given was a watch. Do Wook had to walk out casually, check his watch as if he were waiting for an appointment, and return backstage. It was Do Wook''s turn. Do Wook had practiced walking a few thousands times over a span of a few days with the help of Lucas and Suk Ji Hoon, who had acting experience as well as watched many fashion shows. Suk Ji Hoon had said that walking naturally and standing still were honestly one of the hardest things to act out. It was because it was easy to look awkward. Because of that, there were some actors who couldn¡¯t act out just standing around and had to act while standing against a wall. Keeping that in mind, Do Wook looked into using his body naturally. ¡®Naturally. This is the street, and I¡¯m just walking.'' The eyes of celebrities from each field, including the KK members sitting in the audience, were focused on Do Wook. Do Wook, who had grown, was 184 cm tall. Although he was much shorter than the models, Do Wook unted his unique proportions as he flipped his hair and finished his performance wlessly. People couldn¡¯t help but admire his appearance. Every time Do Wook took a step, people¡¯s gazes were drawn to Do Wook''s next step. *** Thest model went on the runway and the show wrapped up. When Lucas came out to give a bow, apuse poured out endlessly. Everyone praised the ¡®Kiss, Lucas¡¯ outfits. It was an expected sess. After exchanging greetings with the models backstage and changing out of his outfit, Do Wook btedly attended the after party. Desserts on disy were decorated beautifully to the point it¡¯d be a shame to eat them. It was hard to find the KK members at a nce among the sea of people. It happened when Do Wook took out his cell phone to ask which side they were at. A woman standing behind Do Wook passed by in a rush and pushed him without realizing it. "Oh!" It caused his hand to slip and his cell phone fell to the floor. The woman had no idea that she pushed Do Wook and hurriedly went on her way. Shocked, Do Wook watched in panic as the woman walked away. He was about to pick up his cell phone that fell on the floor. "Here. How can you abuse the phone you received as a gift like this?¡± There was a tiny crack in the cell phone screen. The person holding out the phone to Do Wook was a middle-aged man who exuded an air of importance. Do Wook, who was about to express his gratitude, stopped in his tracks. The man was the president of ¡®Yoo Sung Electronics¡¯ that made cell phones. ¡ª Chapter 46: Our meeting was a coincidence (4) Chapter 46: Our meeting was a coincidence (4) He wasn¡¯t the CEO of Yoo Sung Electronics at this time, but Lee Chul Ho would be the CEO of Yoo Sung Electronics in the future. Do Wook had no idea he¡¯d meet the guy he¡¯d seen on the economy-rted news in person. It was something that a typical agency PR employee could never imagine. Yoo Sung Electronics was the nation¡¯s leading conglomerate, the nation¡¯s undisputed leader in home appliances and rted electronic devices. They were still the best even now, and they would maintain their number one spot for the next decade. They had also started investing in the cell phone business early on, so 70% of cell phone users in the nation used Yoo Sung Electronics¡¯ products. Thepany that recently gave the KK members cell phones while giving phones to Milky Way and Monster was Yoo Sung Electronics. Do Wook bowed his head as he epted the slightly cracked cell phone. ¡°Ah, Thank you.¡± ¡°You dropped it because of that woman right? Our mangnae* was always a bit of a tomboy since she was little¡­I apologize on her behalf.¡± (TL note: mangnae is the youngest) President Lee Chul Ho said as he raised the edge of his horn-rimmed sses. Do Wook shook his head. It waster discovered that the woman was the president of Yoo Sung Fashion. Yoo Sung Fashion was apany under Yoo Sung Electronics. It was also thepany that gave Lucas the investment money and made it possible for him tounch his brand. Yoo Sung Fashion¡¯s President Lee Yoon Min was President Lee Chul Ho¡¯s youngest sister. ¡°Pardon? Not at all. I¡¯m ok.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, you were on the runway right? Your name was¡­¡± ¡°Ah, sorry for thete introduction. I¡¯m Kang Do Wook.¡± ¡°I waste introducing myself too. I¡¯m Lee Chul Ho.¡± All he did was tell him his name, but Lee Chul Ho smiled brightly when Do Wook nodded his head. It seemed like he knew Do Wook recognized him right away. Lee Chul Ho was wearing a blue suit and horn-rimmed sses. Contrary to the image that came to mind when he was on the news, he had a slightly more rxed vibe. It might be because he was a middle-aged president and not a CEO yet. During his days as an office worker, Do Wook didn¡¯t think he would be able to have a proper conversation with him. He surprised himself when he realized that he was able to converse more casually than he expected. It was true, though, that he was overwhelmed by Lee Chul Ho¡¯s soft but serious charisma. ¡°I enjoyed the show. Anyways, that¡¯s unfortunate about the crack on your phone¡­it cracked when all you did was drop it.¡± Lee Chul Ho frowned slightly. When he realized there was a w in his product, he was upset. Once he frowned, Do Wook felt the fierce Lee Chul Ho of Yoo Sung Electronics that he had expected. Before Do Wook could reply that it was ok, a person who looked like President Lee Chul Ho¡¯s secretary approached them. ¡°Mr. President, there you are.¡± You could tell immediately by looking at the man that he was pressed for time. President Lee Chul Ho¡¯s schedule had the 24 hours of the day broken down to thest minute. As the person in charge of such a schedule, it was a given that he was always in a hurry. The man was even more taken aback over the fact that the person President Lee Chul Ho was speaking with wasn¡¯t someone important, but just a young model. ¡°Director Yoon.¡± ¡°Yes, go ahead.¡± ¡°Please send this person a new phone of our best product series.¡± Chief Yoon replied without question. ¡°Ok, Understood.¡± Having given the order, Lee Chul Ho asked Do Wook. ¡°ck like your old one? White?¡± ¡°I¡¯m really ok, but if that will make you feel better¡­¡± ¡°You get it.¡±* (TL note: For rification, here, he¡¯s saying Do Wook understands that the correct/polite thing to do when an elder gives you something is to ept it.) ¡°ck is good.¡± ¡°Yeah, definitely ck if you¡¯re a guy.¡± Do Wook smiled awkwardly at Lee Chul Ho¡¯s dry joke. Director Yoon told President Lee Chul Ho that they werete for their next appointment. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll see you around if I can. It was nice to meet you.¡± Do Wook politely gave a deep bow and said goodbye to President Lee Chul Ho. President Lee Chul Ho leisurely left the area. After hearing about the meeting with President Lee Chul Ho from Do Wook, Manager Oh Baek Ho was also bewildered. Top models and celebrities were a given at Lucas¡¯s fashion event, as well as famous people from all walks of life. It was Oh Baek Ho who warned them to bear that in mind and always be careful how they act. Despite that, meeting with Lee Chul Ho was something Oh Baek Ho hadn¡¯t imagined. Soon after, Do Wook received from Oh Baek Ho the new cell phone that was delivered to thepany. Then while in the conference room one of the days leading up to the repackage album, he understood what President Lee Chul Ho meant by ¡°if I can see you again¡±. *** A week before the release of the repackage album. Recording for the additional song in the album was already done. The title of the additional song was ¡®Windy Day¡¯. PD Yong Soo Chul¡¯s song was a medium tempo pop dance song that expressed the briskness of a windy day. It was a song that kept PD Yong Soo Chul¡¯s personality while being rxing, making it afortable song to listen to. The lyrics were done by Kim Soom, who had formed connections with HIT Entertainment after working on Monster¡¯s album. Kim Soom was writing the lyrics as well asposing songs for Kim Woo Yeon, who had started preparing for his new album. When she met Do Wook at the meeting, she told him that she felt working as a lyricistposer was busier work than working for her main band. It was afortable pop dance song, so the difficulty of the choreography was low this time too. During the active period for ¡®Very Sorry¡¯, the members worked themselves to the bone starting from rehearsals. Now, this level of choreography was a breeze. They didn¡¯t have to rehearse as much since it was an easy choreography, which meant the members were less stressed. However, as Noh Yoon Tae was heading out of the rehearsal room after guiding them through the choreography, he told the members something that hit them like a ton of bricks. ¡°They said the performance this time will bepletely live. Remember that!¡± Noh Yoon Tae delivered his message then disappeared. The members, who had been staring at the closed door in disbelief, plopped down to the floor of the rehearsal hall. ¡°That¡¯s so unfair!¡± Ahn Hyung Seo screamed as he rolled around on the floor. Of course their previous performances had been live too. However, it wasn¡¯t live for the whole performance. The performance was aired selectively live. It was because the choreography difficulty was too hard to do the entire performance live, as well as requiring a lot of energy. Doing it live might drop the quality of the performance. However, the active period was short this time. On top of that, the difficulty of the choreography was low, so thepany decided to make all the performances live from here on out in order to promote KK and improve their skills. However, their schedule consisted of about 7 music broadcasts in the span of just one week. That included an additional special performance. The active period for the repackage album was 2 weeks. Live performances day after day for 2 weeks, they were tired just thinking about it. ¡®Still, if we get through it our skills will obviously be acknowledged, and the members¡¯ skills will have improved.¡¯ Do Wook was suddenly starting to realize how important actual performing experience was. Suk Ji Hoon confessed that after debuting, dance moves he couldn¡¯t do even after practicing for over a year during his trainee days came as second nature to him now. Do Wook also agreed. As trainees, their knowledge of gestures while performing, dancing in sync with other members, know-hows of performing live etc. was limited. Jung Yoon Ki tapped Ahn Hyung Seo, who was rolling on the ground, on the butt with his feet. ¡°Git¡¯ up, dude.¡± Park Tae Hyung quietlyid down at one side of the rehearsal hall and started to get into position. ¡°Oh my gosh!¡± They started rehearsal for the live performance. Kim Won yelled at Park Tae Hyung when he saw him in the nk position, however, Kim Won also got into that position soon after. It was a position they learned from the agency¡¯s professional fitness trainer for physical strength training. Do Wook also got into position after starting the melody. The six of them sang ¡°Windy Day¡¯ in sync while in nk position. This was the rehearsal for the live performance. Do Wook thought that instead of his morning workout, he should find a fitness center and sing while running on the treadmill. It happened when everyone was heading out after dripping in sweat during rehearsal. The members, who were in rehearsal clothes, gathered after Oh Baek Ho called them over. Kwon Heung Jo, the production director, ordered a meeting. ¡°Do you think he¡¯s mad because the bill for the beef came out so high?¡± Ahn Hyung Seo muttered as they walked in a single file line to the conference room. Oh Baek Ho and the members looked at Ahn Hyung Seo, dumbfounded. Ahn Hyung Seo said, ¡°Nevermind,¡± and scratched his head. Still, the members were morefortable with Director Kwon nowpared to before, and they even had thepany dinner together recently. Actually, during their trainee days they had no reason to meet with higher ups. So much so that as far as they were concerned, the Rookie Development Team Leader Im Sung Ahn was the highest ranking person in thepany. To the members, Production Director Kwon Heung Jo wasn¡¯t someone they could meet with easily. Once they entered therge conference room, of course the Album Production Team Leader Shim Joon was there, but also the Fan marketing Team Leader Jo Anna, PD Yong Soo Chul, and the employees in charge of KK-rted things were all gathered. The members couldn¡¯t help but be surprised that the meeting was bigger than they expected. ¡°Please,e in.¡± Today¡¯s meeting was to announce to everyone that on top of having the repackage albuming up, they signed a contract with Yoo Sung Electronics, and to tell the members the truth. Director Kwon continued to speak once the members got settled in their seats and the conference room atmosphere calmed down again. ¡°The new song ¡®Windy Day¡¯ is actually also a sample song that will be included in the new model of Yoo Sung Electronics¡¯ Apollo cell phone series.¡± Since they were still in the contract stage, it was something only the Team Leaders and PD Yong Soo Chul were told. The Yoo Sung Electronics marketing team recently released many versions of smartphones. They used aggressive and direct marketing topete with foreignpanies looking to enter the Korean market. Among them, the project they were pushing the most was the project involving music. ¡®As more and more people listen to music on their smartphones, products like CD and MP3 yers are starting to disappear. It¡¯ll be even more so moving forward¡­¡¯ Do Wook thought as he listened to the exnation. One of the projects involving music was putting in a song from a famous singer as part of the basic music for checking sound quality etc. However, picking a singer was quite difficult due to royalties and other issues. Obviously, singers with greater promotional pull would cost marketing a fortune. During their search for singers, KK was the group that had the promotional pull they wanted with a reasonable fee. HIT Entertainment weed Yoo Sung Electronics'' proposal with open arms. Honestly, you could say Yoo Sung Electronics¡¯ main goal with this project was to engrave into the public¡¯s opinion that the Apollo smartphone was also a good device to listen to music with. It was clear that KK would benefit more from this promotional partnership if their song was put in all Yoo Sung Electronics Apollo series models. Therefore, HIT Entertainment signed the contract without being picky about the music fees and other issues. Marketing Team Leader Jo Anna yed arge part in closing the deal after getting confirmation from the HIT Entertainment board members. As he listened to the short briefing on the process and oue, Do Wook admired the administration and management¡¯s decision-making skills. ¡®HIT Entertainment was a smallpany, but there¡¯s a reason for their continued sess.¡¯ The KK members looked down at the cell phones they had been using. Their song would be in every cell phone that woulde out in the future. ¡°Furthermore, Yoo Sung Electronics has one more project they¡¯re working on¡­¡± Director Kwon started to speak. ¡°They said artists from different fields will be included in the advertisement. That is, based on each of their work.¡± Do Wook opened his eyes wide. ¡®Could it be THAT ad¡­?!¡¯ Do Wook remembered the Apollo advertisement that was widely popr at one point. It was an ad that was so popr that many parodies of it were continuously made. ¡ª Chapter 47: Rendez-vous (1) Chapter 47: Rendez-vous (1) Dancer, singer, performer, and designer. ¡®Rendez-vous¡¯ was a project that would bring together four young artists, each an expert in their field. It was a project that would bring together their struggles and passion to make an ad and music video promoting Yoo Sung Electronics¡¯ Apollo cell phone. Young people and people working in the art field couldn''t be anything but fervidly interested in the Rendez-vous project from the start. It was because they would gather together all the rookies who were in the public eye. Contrary to popr belief that it was all hype, the quality of the actual ad and music video they released lived up to expectations. The music used in the ad made it onto the music chart, and even won awards at the Advertisement Music Awards. One of the goals of the Rendez-vous project was to make it known that Yoo Sung Electronics was interested in art, including music, and was giving it their full support. The result was a major sess. Through the Rendez-vous project, Yoo Sung Electronics not only saw a rise in the Apollo series¡¯ marketing, but was also able to establish an image as a valuable contributor to society. ¡®However, the Rendez-vous project loses its luster before long¡­¡¯ Do Wook, who used to enjoy listening to music used in the Rendez-vous project very much, became bitter when he recalled how dejected he felt at that time. It was because it was revealed that the ad music was giarized. It was the song of an extremely unknown foreign singer from an underground band, so it took time for it to be revealed. ¡°We received an appearance offer for Do Wook.¡± At Director Kwon¡¯s words, everyone¡¯s eyes got big and looked at Do Wook. Do Wook silently waited for Director Kwon to continue talking. ¡°It¡¯s not a type of project that requires just one day of shooting¡­so we had an internal discussion, but we epted it because it was too good of an opportunity to pass up, for both Do Wook personally, and for the team andpany." It was on a different levelpared to the school uniform ads where idols were the main models. He would be the model for Yoo Sung Electronics¡¯ cell phones. For a cell phone ad, something that was considered only possible for the best of the best. It didn¡¯t change the fact that appearing in a project advertisement was in itself an amazing aplishment, even if it¡¯s not the main ad. There was polite apuse. Ahn Hyung Seo and Jung Yoon Ki, who were sitting next to him, took turns congratting him, saying, ¡°Good for you, Do Wook!¡± ¡°I think you could talk about it in more detail with Team Leader Jo Anna yourself.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Do Wook, who as expected did not refuse, answered in a strange tone. If it went as it had gone in the past, its poprity would be guaranteed, but it was going to be difficult to move on from appearing in an ad that used giarized music as a strictly honorable feat. ¡®Opportunities should be seized, and crises need a chance to be turned into opportunities.¡¯ Do Wook thought of a way. *** While Yoo Sung Electronics and Do Wook were going back and forth discussing the project, KK¡¯s first full album Sensation¡¯s repackage album was released. Once the album was released, ¡°Windy Day¡± also did well, easily making it into around second or third ce on the music chart. The consensus was that the song definitely went well with the autumn weather, when the sun is hot but the air feels cool when the wind blows. Thepany had expectations that the song would continue to do well for a long time, since it was a good song to listen tofortably. Theeback performance was two days after the music chart results. KK was scheduled to do theireback performance for ¡®Windy Day¡¯ on KVS¡¯s ¡®Music Bonus¡¯. It was a two-week active period, but since it was the first song after their major hit ¡®Very Sorry¡¯, the public and fans were very hyped up for ¡®Windy Day¡¯. On top of that, theeback performance would be performed live. The fans knew KK¡¯s skills so they expressed their anticipation for the live performance, but at the same time, they were anxious. Not only were there a particrly high number of variables when it came to live performances, but there were also a lot of singers whose basic skills were good yet seemed to struggle performing live. That was also true for the KK members, who were excited and worried at the same time. ¡°I definitely feel like the first performance is the most nerve-wrecking.¡± A simple waiting room made of a tent. Even Suk Ji Hoon, who was always calm, was openly anxious. Oh Baek Ho gave Suk Ji Hoon a vitamin drink. The members had been relentlessly rehearsing solely for the live performance for a while. They even grit their teeth and pushed through the rehearsals for choreography etc. so that they could give the best live performance no matter what. However, on top of their nervousness over the fact that it¡¯s aeback performance and a live performance, it was concerning that it also happened to be a special outdoor show. Music Bonus would broadcast live from the Hwa Sung Hang Goong outdoor square today, since Suwon City¡¯s Hwa Sung Festival was currently going on. ¡°You did well during the rehearsal. It¡¯ll be fine.¡± The members nodded their heads at Oh Baek Ho¡¯s encouragement. Ahn Hyung Seo, who had returned after getting his makeup done, asked. ¡°I heard there will be fireworkster. Can we also watch that?¡± ¡°Actually, you can stay seated and worry about the performance.¡± ¡°You¡¯re always getting mad at me only.¡± Oh Baek Ho clicked his tongue at Ahn Hyung Seo, who was grumbling in a lovable way, but then started tough. It was also a relief that there were members like Ahn Hyung Seo who eased the tension with his nonsense. Since it was a special broadcast, many singers who are usually hard to meet at music broadcasts were also invited to today¡¯s performance. The KK members left the waiting room and waited for their turn as they watched the performance of the veteran singer who was famous for the trot song ¡®Anybody Can Love¡¯. Now that it was almost time for their performance, rather than nervousness, the members were eager to be on stage already. ¡®The anxiety I feel the moment I step onto the stage, the cheers calling out to me¡­I¡¯m d I at least got to know the thrill of that moment now.¡¯ Do Wook thought as he looked up at the stage with colorful lights installed everywhere. Jung Yoon Ki gathered the members. The six of them put their hands together and braced themselves to have a sessful performance. They raised their hands as they yelled the characteristic KK chant. After the veteran singer went off stage, KK went up on stage while the MC was giving their next remark. The people gathered in the square erupted into cheers at the appearance of KK. Half of them were local residents who came to watch, a few of them were other singers¡¯ fans, and the rest of them were all KK fans. The melody for ¡°Windy Day¡± started. The performance started with the six KK members standing in one horizontal line. Do Wook and Kim Won, who were taller than the rest of the members, stood at the ends. Next to Do Wook was Park Tae Hyung, Ahn Hyung Seo, Suk Ji Hoon, then Jung Yoon Ki. The six of them all used handheld microphones. Jung Yoon Ki, Ahn Hyung Seo, and Do Wook, who hadrge parts, wore in-ear monitors. The member singing the first verse was Suk Ji Hoon. Suk Ji Hoon got things started and stepped backwards as he moved away. ¡®Suk Ji Hoo¡¯s skills have definitely improved.¡¯ Do Wook thought as he listened to the voice of Suk Ji Hoon, who timed the first note precisely andpleted his part smoothly. Next was Ahn Hyung Seo. He did the part where the pitch rises without any problems while he made some light hand gestures. Ahn Hyung Seo sang the high part too easily. It would have been nice if he had made it a little more obvious how hard the high part was, but he had the tendency to make it impossible for those listening to think that it was a hard song. Once Kim Won¡¯s rap part ended, it was the chorus that all six of them sang together as a group. It was a part that they sang together, but at the end Do Wook and Ahn Hyung Seo sang the main parts as they harmonized. Immediately after, there was choreography where Ahn Hyung Seo stepped forward by himself and demonstrated fast footwork in sync with the apaniment as he moved from one end of the stage to the other. The wind talks to me¨D I think of you on windy days¨D I think about you¨D Do Wook returned to the same straight line as the beginning and was singing with the microphone in his hands. His then slightly furrowed his eyebrows. However, the red light on the camera in front of him was on. Do Wook smiled toward the camera like nothing was wrong. When therge monitor installed next to the stage captured Do Wook¡¯s smiling face, ear-splitting cheers rang out loud. ¡®The mic¡­isn¡¯t working!¡¯ At that moment, Ahn Hyung Seo noticed Do Wook¡¯s situation. It was because he didn¡¯t hear anything for the ¡®Walk over, Think about it¡¯ part where Do Wook was supposed to cut in and harmonize with Ahn Hyung Seo. It was a part that was sung together so it was hard to notice unless you were someone that knew the fine details of the music. The problem was the next part. After Park Tae Hyung¡¯s short choreography would finish, it would immediately be Do Wook¡¯s part. Even if he made it known that there was a problem with the microphone, it wasn¡¯t for sure that it could be fixed within that time. Ahn Hyung Seo might have to do Do Wook¡¯s part instead. As the jimmy jib camera suspended high in the air moved around, it captured all the KK members on the screen. Do Wook and Ahn Hyung Seo made eye contact. Rather than Do Wook, Ahn Hyung Seo called out to Park Tae Hyung, who had his back turned and was getting ready to go to the opposite side of the stage, since he was closer. He then looked towards Do Wook. Do Wook lowered his hand and showed him one side of his microphone. Normally a green light should have been on, but there was a problem with the wireless microphone connection and the light was off. Park Tae Hyung understood right away what it meant. Like that, the three of them quickly exchanged nces. Right before taking his steps, Park Tae Hyung lightly threw the microphone towards Do Wook as if it were part of the choreography. Do Wook caught the microphone Park Tae Hyung threw to him, as if he were being passed a basketball. ¡°Huh? What was that just now?¡± ¡°Was there such choreography?¡± As the fans watched the scene unfold on the screen, they couldn¡¯t hide their confusion. It was the same for fans who were watching the live broadcast. Their movements were so natural that people guessed that it was part of the choreography rather than a broadcast ident. Oh Baek Ho knew right away that there was a problem with the microphone. Thankfully, the Music Bonus staff also realized that there was a problem with Microphone 2 that Do Wook had been holding. When Park Tae Hyung, who was splitting the top of the stage with his spectacr footwork, returned behind Do Wook, Do Wook passed off the microphone he was originally holding. I miss you so much¨D You¡¯reing from so far away¨DI love you¨D Do Wook¡¯s soft voice rang throughout the square. The volume also got better so the poor sound quality of an outdoor stage was not a problem for Do Wook. It was a voice that went incredibly well with the scenery of an autumn night in Hang Goong. After that, the wireless signal light of Microphone 2 that was passed over to Park Tae Hyung also turned on. KK finished their performance without any more problems. Microphone issues were something that could easily happen during a live performance. Thanks to being mentally ready to deal with various emergency situations while preparing for the live performance, they were able to resolve it on the spot without big problems. Aftering off stage, Do Wook thanked Ahn Hyung Seo and Park Tae Hyung. Especially when it came to Park Tae Hyung¡¯s sense, he felt he couldn¡¯t praise him enough. Oh Baek Ho also was generous with his praises for the members for their hard work. -We can¡¯t call them rookies anymore -Won¡¯t Kang Do Wook be ok even without a mic? Lol He was loud enough to pierce the sky lol -It¡¯s a good the stage didn¡¯t have a ceiling hahaha -I have to admit¡­All the KK members are talented! -I only saw Tae Hyung as a baby but he¡¯s all grown up ?????? The fan cafe andmunities were all overflowing with praise. There was admiration over them as individuals as well as over KK¡¯s teamwork. A video, starting from when Park Tae Hyung handed off the microphone to Do Wook until when Do Wook¡¯s part was over, was edited into a short version and was shared all over. Since the members had an ident during their first performance, they were able to take on the rest of the music broadcast performances with peace of mind. It was because they felt that they would be ok even if something should happen. *** After finishing up his ¡®Windy Day¡¯ activities with an early morning pre-recording session, Do Wook changed his clothes and headed out with Manager Oh Baek Ho. Today was the day of the first group meeting between the Rendez-vous project¡¯s director and the cast at a studio in Gwang Ju, Gyung Ki Province. He had personally had meetings with the director and staff before, but it was the first time he was meeting the cast in person. The cast was kept in the dark about who else was part of the cast and what field they were from. They nned to capture everyone¡¯s reactions from today¡¯s first meeting for the project video. As soon as they arrived at the studio, microphones were everywhere and cameras stuck close to him. On the inside there was a big workspace, and in there, the rest of the cast had already all gathered. Do Wook remembered the cast for this ad. ¡®Jazz pianist Kwon Hyul. Graphic designer Na Eun Soo¡­¡± Originally, Yoo Sung Electronics¡¯ Do Wook and the other male singer they were choosing between were both going to be here. However, that person wasn¡¯t present. ¡°Hello.¡± When Do Wook entered and said hello, all eyes turned to him. A man who was wearing giant silver cross earrings said ¡®KK?¡± and recognized Do Wook. The man then got up from his seat. ¡°You know who I am, right? Man to Man.¡± ¡ª Chapter 48: Rendez-vous (2) Chapter 48: Rendez-vous (2) Fan Marketing Team conference room. It was already Do Wook¡¯s second time there. Team Leader Jo Anna called Do Wook for a one-on-one meeting so she could exin to him in more detail about being a Yoo Sung Electronics model. While Team Leader Jo Anna stepped out for a sudden call, an intern came in and asked Do Wook if he would like some coffee. ¡°I don¡¯t drink coffee¡­could I trouble you for a cup of water?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± The intern blushed at Do Wook¡¯s request and nodded vigorously. After KK¡¯s sessful debut and the events that followed it, HIT Entertainment had no choice but to urgently hire more employees. They thought one employee from Fan Marketing in charge of KK would be enough for now, but the situation was different from what they initially expected. Even just doing fan club enrollment was a tremendous task. Even though Do Ra Hee was a professional with years of Fan Marketing-rted experience, she alone was not enough. It was also tricky to assign another team member, since Do Ra Hee had already left Monster to start working with KK. So the Fan Marketing Team started by hiring one intern to work under Do Ra Hee. They were also considering recruiting additional people. For the Album Development Team as well, they had hired one person since the situation wouldn¡¯t change too much once KK finished their album activities. ¡°Here you go¡­¡± Not long after he asked for the water, the intern returned and ced the cup in front of Do Wook. ¡°Thank you. I appreciate it.¡± After seeing how Do Wook thanked her, she hastily confirmed deep in her heart that Do Wook¡¯s personality is really genuine. She tried not to show it, but he could tell she kept hovering around the conference room door because she couldn¡¯t help but want to look at him a little longer. She was actually a huge fan of KK. She had experience being a fan of other idols, and prepared for jobs with the intention of working at an agency as her goal. Right before graduation, she saw the job posting with HIT Entertainment and applied without hesitation. Competition to get into HIT Entertainment was more intense than ever before. Of course it was thanks to KK¡¯s sess that HIT Entertainment¡¯s vision became clear. During that time, there was support frompetent ¡®nuna fans*¡¯. (TL note: older female fans) She was one of those fans. She, a graduate of SKY college, ended up joining thepany after sessfully oveing the dozens to one odds. Before the intern, who was distracted by Do Wook, even opened the conference room door, it suddenly opened. It was Team Leader Jo Anna. ¡°It was an urgent call. I¡¯m sorry to make you wait when you¡¯re busy.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s all right.¡± It had been only 2 weeks since she started as an intern, but she caught on quickly and already understood well how the Fan Marketing Team works. It was ok for Do Ra Hee to know that she was a fan of KK, but Jo Anna couldn¡¯t know. Honestly, since Fan Marketing Team is the department that needs to be the most knowledgeable about what fans want, the agency decided to hire fans. However, that often led to people who couldn¡¯t distinguish between their professional and personal lives. What Jo Anna hated the most was someone who couldn¡¯t keep their work life and personal life separate. She didn¡¯t kick out someone just for being a fan, but it was obvious she¡¯d watch over such people like a hawk even more. ¡°Intern, why are you just standing there like that?¡± ¡°Ah, It¡¯s nothing.¡± The intern quickly bowed her head, bidding them goodbye, rushed out of the room as quick as a bullet, and closed the door as quietly as a mouse. Jo Anna ced the documents she received from the Yoo Sung Electronics Marketing Team involving the ¡®Rendez-vous project¡¯ on the table and told Do Wook to look them over. He actually knew almost all the information on it, but that was from a consumer¡¯s point of view. It was his first time seeing the data from the inside as an involved party. Do Wook carefully looked through the documents. If Do Wook were a normal 19-year-old, Jo Anna would have prepared a separate summarized version of the document to show him instead of the documents given by Yoo Sung Electronics. However, Team Leader Jo Anna had observed Do Wook¡¯s actions closely as an insider starting from his debut until now, and had already discussed the business with him before. Jo Anna acknowledged that Do Wook¡¯s understanding of the entertainment business was higher than most employees, regardless of age. The documents contained a general exnation of Yoo Sung Electronics¡¯ art-rted marketing project. It also included details on how they would put samples of popr singers¡¯ songs into the Apollon models. Do Wook said after having read all the documents through. ¡°KK¡¯s song will be in all new Apollon models¡­it¡¯s truly amazing.¡± ¡°I worked hard to get favorable conditions.¡± ¡°Ah¡­Thank you for putting in so much effort.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me. I did it because it was good for thepany. Rather, should I be thanking you for the Rendez-vous project?¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± Do Wook asked back. Team Leader Jo Anna exined to Do Wook how he was selected to be a model. The Yoo Sung Electronics Marketing Team were originally debating between the vocalist of a band, who was an outstanding singer, and Do Wook, who was an idol member good at singing with visuals to match. Considering the purpose, going with the band vocalist would be the right thing, but his star power wascking. The higher-ups at Yoo Sung Electronics were leaning more towards band vocalist who was more suitable for the project¡¯s purpose. While the extremely divided opinions over the model casting was causing chaos, the Yoo Sung Electronics president decided to go with Do Wook. ¡°President Lee Chul Ho did?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I heard he saw you at the fashion show. The President¡¯s secretary even sent you a cell phone.¡± ¡°Yes. Just briefly.¡± ¡°You left a deep impression when you were on the runway, and after talking with you a bit he was certain you¡¯d be good as a model.¡± ¡°Certain¡­¡± ¡°It IS true that you have a charisma that¡¯s never felt in most people your age.¡± ¡°You¡¯re also trustworthy,¡± Team Leader Jo Anna added. Do Wook was a little surprised that she thought so highly of him. Jo Anna exined the contents and conditions of the ad. Their purpose for agreed to do the ad wasn¡¯t to make money anyways. Having the title of model for Yoo Sung Electronics¡¯ ad was enough. The content was as Do Wook knew it to be. The members of the ¡®Rendez-vous project¡¯, made up of artists from different fields, would express within their own fields the theme of ¡®Youth, Passion, Dream¡¯. Also, that whole process would be recorded on video in its entirety, which would be edited into the ad and music video. ¡®The most important thing is the ad music. The jazz pianist will probably rearrange a jazz piano song for the bridge part, the B Boy artist will do a dance to go with it. The graphic designer will fill the rest of the ad and music video with a video that goes with the theme and song.¡¯ As a singer, Do Wook¡¯s role was to sing the song theyposed. However, the music, which was the foundation for all the work, wouldter bebeled as giarism. After taking a sip of water, Do Wook asked Jo Anna. ¡°That project¡¯s music¡­is the song ready?¡± ¡°It seems like they¡¯re still trying to recruit a genius Korean power who lives abroad for the song¡± ¡°Were they able to get him¡­?¡± ¡°He keeps refusing, saying he¡¯s in a slump. So the schedule is being pushed back. He¡¯s so full of himself. Maybe it¡¯s a ploy to get to them to keep raising the payment.¡± Do Wook finally understood a little bit. Theposer was in a slump and feeling backed into a corner after having received arge sum of money, so hemitted the atrocious act of giarizing the song. Of course no matter what the situation was, giarism was unforgivable. ¡°I was considering maybe sending Yoo Sung Electronics my song.¡± For an instant, Jo Anna¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Ha,¡± Jo Annaughed, as if it were unbelieveable. This was Do Wook¡¯s n to take advantage of opportunities and to try to turn even crises into opportunities. ¡®It could seem presumptuous to rmend going with a differentposer and changing the song. However, it¡¯d be a different situation if I were to bring it up first that I¡¯d like to be involved with the song. If the project¡¯s purpose really is a product made from young artists¡¯ ¡°direct participation¡±, it would be more fitting for the purpose.¡¯ After checking Team Leader Jo Anna¡¯s reaction, Do Wook was certain his idea was right. ¡°How brilliant. I assume you have a song prepared?¡± Of course Team Leader Jo Anna said that because she figured Do Wook had made this suggestion to make himself stand out more. His reasons for it aside, she was correct that he was ambitious and ultimately wanted to produce a good result. From Team Leader Jo Anna¡¯s perspective, if Do Wook did well, she would look that much better. ¡°Yes, one of the songs I¡¯ve written could go well with it.¡± Do Wook already knew the quality of the song of theposer that Yoo Sung Electronics originally went with. The song he had prepared by himself wasn¡¯t on the same level as ¡®Very Sorry¡¯ that he had put together with PD Yong Soo Chul, but he could proudly say it was at least the same quality as the original song. It was really fortunate that he had been working onposing various songs whenever he had time, either while on the road or working on it until morning during the active period for the repackage album. ¡°If they are at the same level of quality, this one would be more meaningful, and the obvious choice would be to go with the more active person.¡± Team Leader Jo Anna replied, her lips that had dark red lipstick on curling into a smirk. ¡°Sure, send it. I¡¯ll suggest it to Yoo Sung Electronics.¡± Thankfully, the Yoo Sung Electronics Marketing Team responded very positively. Hiring aposer was a difficult task. HIT Entertainment sending over Do Wook¡¯s song as a suggestion right when they were about to sign someone else for a lot more money was a weed opportunity. The quality of the song was impressive too. The person in charge of Yoo Sung Electronics Marketing praised Do Wook, saying he was exactly the type of person he was looking for for the ¡®Rendez-vous¡¯ project. And so Do Wook ended up being the singer andposer for ¡®Rendez-vous project¡¯. *** ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°You know me, right? M2M.¡± ¡°Oh Bin¡­sunbae*?¡± (TL note: sunbae is someone more senior or experience then you.) ¡°Wow, you do know! Nice to meet you!¡± Oh Bin held out his hand for a handshake. He seemed really happy to meet Do Wook, repeating, ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, it¡¯s nice to meet you~!¡± several times. Even at first nce Oh Bin looked like a big dog, excited over meeting Do Wook in hisrge muscr body After briefly hesitating out of shock, Do Wook quickly grabbed Oh Bin¡¯s hand. Oh Bin grabbed Do Wook¡¯s hands tight and shook it enthusiastically. ¡®Why is M2M¡¯s Oh Bin here¡­could it be that he''s the B-boy artist?¡¯ He remembered that Oh Bin was a B Boy artist. Originally a different B Boy artist would have been in the ad. However, when Do Wook was chosen as the ad model over the band vocalist, M2M¡¯s Oh Bin was also selected as the B Boy artist instead of a member of a B Boy team. It was expected that there would be bacsh from Ara Entertainment, saying ¡®If KK can do it, why not us?'' Even if Ara Entertainment was a major agency, Yoo Sung Electronics had no reason to fear them. Still, they didn¡¯t want to give the wrong impression to affiliates or the public that they were solely endorsing HIT Entertainment. Another reason was that Yoo Sung Electronics decided they might as well push for as much star power as possible while they were at it for a greater promotional effect. ¡®A lot of things are changing. It¡¯ll get harder and harder to predict things¡­¡¯ The person in charge of marketing introduced the others to Do Wook after Do Wook greeted Oh Bin. ¡°This is jazz pianist Kwon Hyul, and over here is graphic designer Na Eun Soo.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you. Hello.¡± At Do Wook¡¯s words, Na Eun Soo giggled and pped. M2M member Oh Bin and even KK¡¯s Do Wook. She was happy and amazed to see celebrities in person. ¡°The honor is mine!¡± When Na Eun Sooughed, Oh Bin smiled big and said he¡¯d even give her an autograph. The person in charge of marketing smiled and introduced Do Wook. ¡°I¡¯m sure you all know, but this is Do Wook, a member of KK. He¡¯ll be theposer as well as singer for your project. ¡° ¡°I look forward to working with you.¡± Do Wook bowed his head and greeted her. ¡°Are you the one whoposed this song?¡± It was the jazz pianist Kwon Hyul, who was known for being a harsh critic when it came to songs. Kwon Hyul yed the song on his cell phone. ¡ª Trantor''sments: Hello! I hope you guys are enjoying the series! I wanted to mention that I had mistranted something in thest 2 chapters. It is actually Apollon and Apollo. I''ve been informed Apollon is the Greek way to spell it and Apollo is the Latin way to spell it. It has been corrected in the older chapters now. Thank you for your continued interest in the story! Only 2 weeks left until the end of Volume 2!! Chapter 49: Rendez-vous (3) Chapter 49: Rendez-vous (3) The song ying from Kwon Hyul¡¯s cell phone was the song Do Wook hadposed, ¡®Song for Apollon¡¯. The total track length was 2 minutes and 43 seconds. It was a shorter track time than typical songs, but that was out of consideration for jazz pianist Kwon Hyul¡¯s piece that would be added to the prelude or bridge. When a rhythm slightly faster than a heartbeat started to y, everyone held their breath and focused on the song for a bit. The song started with an ad-libbed melody that went ¡®Ahahah¨D¡¯. The song was recorded by HIT Entertainment¡¯s vocal trainer as a demo version. Since they nned to document the entire process on video, including Do Wook working on the song with Kwon Hyul, Do Wook recording the song as the singer, etc., Yoo Sung Electronics wanted to do the first recording at that time. The life of the glowing sun that shines on everything It¡¯s strong no matter where it is, in water or in fire The one and only sun is eternal no matter how much time passes¨D Because they had to symbolically capture the essence of Apollon, the Yoo Sung Electronics smart phone model, the Yoo Sung Electronics¡¯ marketing team was consulted when writing the lyrics. Do Wook worked together with KK member Kim Won to write the lyrics. Keeping in mind that it was a song for the project, Do Wook made all the parts except the chorus like a rap. It was so that they could deliver many messages. He felt that it would be good to have Kim Won write the lyrics for that part. Even though it was ast-minute request right before the repackage activities, Kim Won still willingly participated in writing the lyrics. ¡°Man, is Do Wook like¡­the goose thatys golden eggs?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a goose¡­¡± Writing the lyrics was a bit of a headache, but Kim Won earned money from royalties, and it was definitely a good opportunity for him to be involved in a major project. We, who are like the sun¡¯s passion, Apollon¨DApollon¨DApollon¨D The lyrics of the chorus repeated, with the song leaving asting impression as it ended. Na Eun Soo quietly cheered as she said, ¡°Wow¡±. Oh Bin was in high spirits and continued to move to the rhythm. He shook his arms like a wave. The way he was moving his body to the rhythm was practically aplete dance routine. ¡°It¡¯s good even the second time around, my God. And I have to make a video with this song in the background¡­they¡¯ll say I messed up the song if I don¡¯t make the video really cool. Ugh.¡± Na Eun Soo muttered in a way that wasn¡¯t clear whether she was talking to Do Wook or talking to herself. She seemed anxious about making the video already. Pretty worked up, Oh Bin couldn¡¯t wait to start dancing. The ¡®Rendez-vous project¡¯ camera made sure to capture all of Na Eun Soo and Oh bin¡¯s actions without fail. ¡°Haha, thank you.¡± As he thanked people, Do Wook nced over at Kwon Hyul to see what he thought. Kwon Hyul had his arms crossed and was sitting still. The Marketing Manager was also waiting for Kwon Hyul¡¯s reaction to the song. Unlike Na Eun Soo and Oh Bin, Kwon Hyul exuded sensitive artist vibes even as he sat there quietly. You could tell just by his spotless sses and shortly cut finger nails how meticulous he was about taking care of himself. ¡°It¡¯s a song that has plenty of room to add a jazz piano part.¡± As expected, Kwon Hyul understood theposer Do Wook¡¯s intentions. Do Wook smiled. ¡°How long have you beenposing for?¡± ¡°About one year¡­¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes opened wide at Do Wook¡¯s response. ¡°The true genius is right here!¡± They were all in their early to mid-twenties, and each ridiculously talented in their field. He was called a genius even though he wasn''t one. Do Wook couldn¡¯t help but be surprised when even they called him a genius. ¡®Genius¡­it¡¯s embarrassing being called that.¡¯ Do Wook shook his head as he waved his hands. To others, Do Wook seemed humble, but that was how Do Wook genuinely felt. It was true that it had only been a little over a year if you only considered how long he¡¯d been studyingposition, but Do Wook had already listened to such a huge number of songs that a fellow 19-year-old couldn¡¯t even imagine. There was also a lot he had picked up while working at thepany. Since he was repeating life for the second time, he was different from other people, starting with his will power. Do Wook couldn¡¯t help butugh when hearing ¡®You can sleep when you¡¯re dead.¡¯ That was how hard he¡¯d been working, making every second count. ¡°It really is surprising. I can¡¯t say it¡¯s finalized but it¡¯s still an outstanding song. You were one step ahead of the song¡¯s traditional arrangement while sticking to the basics. I wanted to meet you as soon as I heard the song.¡± ¡°Ahh¡­¡­¡± Do Wook was speechless after hearing Kwon Hyul''s analytical evaluation of the song. Kwon Hyul said the song wasn¡¯t perfect, but that pretty much meant it was perfect. It was apliment. ¡®He had already started to make a name for himself as a jazz pianist by age thirteen. I can¡¯t believe my song got such an evaluation from a true genius¡­¡¯ Do Wook felt a different kind of joy from when the song heposed with Yong Soo Chul, ¡®Very Sorry¡¯, became popr. ¡°I¡¯m truly ttered.¡± ¡°It made me excited to y this song in the background.¡± Kwon Hyul tapped his fingers on the table. While they were speaking extremely politely for a conversation between a 19-year-old and a 21-year-old, Na Eun Soo broke the stiff atmosphere and said excitedly, ¡°I can¡¯t wait to hear the version with Do Wook¡¯s singing. I think it¡¯ll be really good~!¡± Na Eun Soo seemed friendly like a typical female college student, but when she worked, there were times she wouldn¡¯t leave her studio for a week straight. One of her video projects was already being disyed at a famous foreign contemporary art museum. The four of them casually started to talk about each other¡¯s experience and specialty. They realized that each of their fields were vastly different. At the same time, they could see how hard each of them were working in their respective fields, and how passionate they were about it. They also had a significant amount of pride. They inspired each other too. It made Do Wook excited to sing. The Marketing Manager cleaned up the area. The cameras were turned off, and Oh Baek Ho as Do Wook¡¯s manager, and M2M¡¯s manager, as well as Kwon Hyul¡¯s manager gathered together. ¡°Today¡¯s first meeting was just to introduce ourselves to each other. We¡¯ll meet in a week to discuss each other¡¯s work.¡± The four people nodded their heads. ¡°I¡¯m sure next time will be a casual atmosphere like this too, but¡­the set will be set up, and the music video director will be here as well to give some direction.¡± ¡°Are you saying I have to act?¡± Kwon Hyul asked kind of sharply. The manager quickly answered in the negative. ¡°No, only scenes that absolutely have to be in the music video. There will pretty much only be a script for those kinds of scenes. ¡®When Kwon ys the piano, the rest of you will stand next to him and listen.¡¯ Those kinds of scene directions.¡± ¡°Hmmmm¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll send you the script ahead of time.¡± It was a music video shoot for an ad, so Kwon Hyul didn¡¯t think that everything would progress like a documentary. Still, it was a part he was concerned about and dwelled over in case they had him act too much. ¡°We¡¯ll schedule a time to do individual VJ* shoots. We¡¯re just shooting a short video of you guys working on the projects. We appreciate your cooperation.¡± (TL note: VJ is video jockey) The manager said as he looked at not only the models but also the managers. This time, the managers nodded their heads. The three of them, excluding Na Eun Soo, had to coordinate their schedules with their managers. ¡°This is the newest model of Apollon that will be released in a few days. I¡¯m giving it to the four of you early. Please include you using it naturally in your individual shoots. The VJ will know what to do.¡± The manager gave the four of them cases containing Yoo Sung Electronics¡¯ smartphones that came straight off the factory line a few days ago. ¡°Oh¡­¡± The four of them had to use Apollon for the duration of the advertisement contract. Oh Bin excitedly epted the case. ¡°Then I¡¯ll see you again next week.¡± They all said their goodbyes and left the studio. There was a very good feeling about the ¡®Rendez-vous project¡¯ right off the bat. *** Then, a few dayster. A huge promotion that started along with the release of the new Apollon model. The new Apollon model had KK¡¯s ¡®Windy Day¡¯ original version soundtrack along with the never released acape version soundtrack. A male actor was the model for the TV ad where he was holding the Apollon, and once he pressed the y button the chorus of ¡®Windy Day¡¯ yed, although shortened by about 4 seconds. It was also used as the music for the ad. On an inte ad that many KK fans saw, they extensively hyped up the fact that the soundtrack of the never released acape version of KK¡¯s ¡®Windy Day¡¯ was included. -Sick! KK ?? You¡¯re the best, I¡¯m proud of you. -No-name rookie KK¡¯s song is in Apollon? KK¡¯s lucky -It¡¯s Yoo Sung Electronics that got lucky~ They¡¯re using KK to promote it;; -Isn¡¯t it undeniable that Apollon is more famous than no-name KK? lol -HIT Entertainment is good at their job~ -Hey anti, it¡¯s long past the time that KK can be considered a no-name. Get lost. -They¡¯re getting big because they¡¯re talented and they¡¯re kind. Even the industry acknowledges them. The reactions on themunities where idol fans gathered were very fervid. There were a lot of fans who said they were nning on getting a new phone and decided on Apollon, but there were also a lot of sarcasticments. It could be interpreted as people were that interested. Also, the controversialments were mostly written by fans of other idol groups to keep KK in check. Outside of themunities,ments on the article on the portal site was normal. -I was wondering what this song was. It¡¯s from a recent idol haha -KK oppas* I want to buy Apollon ?? (TL note: oppa is what females call older males) -The screens became clearer and bigger so this model looks good, but the price is too high¡­ -It came out as a device to listen to music. Is the sound quality good? Feedback regarding the new model itself was circting. Among them were people saying that the song was good. It was definitely true that Apollon was more famous than KK among middle-aged people. Because of that, the promotional effect for the group KK and the song ¡®Windy Day¡¯ was huge. The new Apollon model that only Do Wook had received through the ¡®Rendez-vous project¡¯ arrived for the rest of the members of KK. As soon as they turned it on, the members opened the music app and yed the built-in ¡®Windy Day¡¯. The acape version of ¡®Windy Day¡¯ started reverberating throughout the rehearsal hall. ¡°Whosoever¡¯s song it is, it¡¯s nice~!¡± ¡°Oh¡­it¡¯s nice¡­¡± Excited, Ahn Hyung Seo hummed the song. Park Tae Hyung followed his lead and added a harmony. Park Tae Hyung struggled the most when recording the acape version. Compared to the other members orpared to his dancing skills, his singing skills werecking. To help Park Tae Hyung who was struggling even before they started recording, Ahn Hyung Seo was kind enough to share his knowledge. As for Do Wook, it became an opportunity for him to discover the appeal of singing together instead of alone as he practiced harmonizing etc. with Ahn Hyung Seo, Suk Ji Hoon or Park Tae Hyung. ¡®It seems like it gets better as the music builds¡­¡¯ Do Wook, along with the other members, admired the acape version of ¡®Windy Day¡¯ ying from the cell phone. At that moment, Do Wook¡¯s cell phone rang. ¡®Huh? Who is this?¡¯ It was a message from a number he didn¡¯t know. There was also a file attached to the message. [This is Kwon Hyul. I tried ying it a bit. Please listen to it and get back to me.] Do Wook quickly downloaded the file. He left the rehearsal hall where the rest of the members were, and headed towards an empty rehearsal hall. The ¡®Rendez-vous project¡¯ was in full swing. Do Wook looked forward to how Kwon Hyul would build on and express his song. After ying the file, Do Wook¡¯s forehead became slightly scrunched up. ¡®Was Kwon Hyul¡¯s performance always like this¡­?¡¯ ¡ª Chapter 50: Rendez-vous (4) Chapter 50: Rendez-vous (4) Of course it was an outstanding performance. He freely switched from low notes to high notes. The fancy technique of the fast-moving hand movements left an impression on the listener. The parts he yed with overflowing rhythm to match ¡®Song of Apollon¡¯ that Do Wookposed also stood out. Do Wook yed the file Kwon Hyul sent one more time. ¡®It¡¯s good, of course. It¡¯s good, but¡­it only makes you appreciate it. It¡¯s not a performance that leaves you wanting to hear more.¡¯ Do Wook thought as he stared at Kwon Hyul¡¯s message asking Do Wook to contact him after listening to it. A jazz pianist was obviously fundamentally different from a ssical pianist who ys in an orchestra or ys a score off sheet music. Jazz pianists also y concertos, but Kwon Hyul was a pianist who specifically performed solo. He alone was more than enough for a performance. It was rather odd that someone like that would participate in this project. ¡®It might be better to listen to it separately instead. It doesn¡¯tplement the song¡­¡¯ He then worried if telling him his opinion honestly would be the right thing. There was no solution he could think of immediately, and he didn¡¯t want to confuse Kwon Hyul with vague feedback for no reason. ¡®He also probably has a lot of pride. It might just make him upset.¡¯ It was almost dinner time, so the members wereing out of the rehearsal hall one by one to go eat. Jung Yoon Ki gestured to Do Wook. ¡°Do Wook! What are you doing there? Let¡¯s go eat!¡± ¡°Ah, sure!¡± Do Wook got up from his seat as he answered. At the same time, he couldn¡¯t just say it was good. The money from the ad aside, everyone was excited to disy their talents and work together. ¡®Giving him a dishonest feedback would be deceiving Kwon Hyul.¡¯ Do Wook followed behind the other members as he wrote a message to Kwon Hyul with one hand. Suk Ji Hoon and Park Tae Hyung were still singing the acape version of ¡®Windy Day¡¯,pletely obsessed with the song. It was nice to see them getting along and harmonizing together as they walked. ¡°That was a solo part to match the apaniment, but if you sing a harmony without the apaniment I think it¡¯ll be fresh and good.¡± Park Tae Hyung nodded in agreement. Suk Ji Hoon looked at Do Wook who was following behind them, as if waiting for his approval. ¡°Yes. It is.¡± ¡°It would have been nice if it had been included in the album too.¡± ¡°One of the conditions was to include an unreleased song.¡± Do Wook was replying but stopped in his tracks momentarily. ¡®That¡¯s right, definitely harmony!¡¯ Do Wook sent the rest of the message to Kwon Hyul. [I enjoyed listening to it. Since this piece will be included in my song I think I¡¯ll have to make some edits to the song topliment the piece too. I¡¯ll see you at the studio.] *** The second official meeting of the ¡®Rendez-vous project¡¯, a film studio. Do Wook, who didn¡¯t have anything else scheduled, arrived first and waited for the other project members. The ¡®Windy Day¡¯ ended its short 2-week active period after sweeping the number one spots in all the music broadcasts. The activities had ended, but thanks to the Apollon promotion, they didn¡¯t fall from the music chart ranking and continued to be in the Top 10. Do Wook greeted the ad and music video director, Director Hong. He was the director who had made the nation¡¯s leading music video. Do Wook treated Director Hong with only the necessary amount of courtesy. ¡®He¡¯s the best music video director right now, but he won¡¯t continue to be as sessful as he is now.¡¯ After this project, Director Hong¡¯s reputation as a music video director would peak. However, he chose to take the downhill path. He would cause a stir for sexually harassing students at the college he lectured at and would lose his ce in the industry little by little. Personality aside, there were issues with his skills too. He hadmerciality as a director, but he had no drive to demonstrate his own style or make his own products. Do Wook looked around the studio after greeting Director Hong. As stated in the script they had looked over in advance, there was a grand piano in the middle of the studio. A professional tuner was in the middle of looking over the condition of the piano¡¯s tuning. On the wall behind the grand piano, there was arge mounted monitor. It was the monitor for the graphic designer Na Eun Soo to connect herptop to and y her video. There was also a microphone stand set up. In the surrounding area, there was a skateboard,cquer spray, etc. marking the area where the B-Boys would dance. On the wall there were torn performance posters. The project member to arrive at the studio after Do Wook was Kwon Hyul. Do Wook greeted him. ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°Yes. Hello.¡± Even though it was their second time meeting and they had even exchanged messages, Kwon Hyul was still difficult to approach. As soon as he got to the studio, Kwon Hyul sat in front of the piano and started to warm up. Plink plonk. After pressing the keyboard keys hard once, he started ying a melody. He was just moving his hands however he wanted as a way to warm up, but it felt like a performance. Do Wook had already warmed up his voice in the car, so he stood in front of the microphone and did a sound check. ¡°We¡¯re going to start shooting now so, uh, do whatever you feel is right!¡± Director Hong yelled. The staff worked diligently and got into position. There were about 12 cameras in total. 4 cameras were attached to the ceiling and walls like security cameras, and 4 cameras were installed in front of the piano, microphone, monitor, and dance tform, one in each area. There were four other cameras. Four cameramen held the cameras on their shoulders and surrounded Kwon Hyul and Do Wook, filming them. ¡°I listened to your piece and I made some changes to the song.¡± ¡°¡­There''s edits?¡± ¡°Yes. I think this version will go better with the piece.¡± Do Wook casually took out the new Apollon model from his pocket. He then yed the rearranged ¡®Song for Apollon¡¯. It was an MR* without the demo version recording. (TL note: MR stands for Music Recording, meaning just the instrumentals without singing.) Kwon Hyul, who had been sitting on the piano bench, closed his eyes. The bridge. It was the section that was edited and fine-tuned the most. It was also the section where Kwon Hyul¡¯s fast ying would be added. Kwon Hyul, who had been listening briefly, opened his eyes wide and started ying. The Director was a given, but also the staff, including the Yoo Sung Electronics Marketing Manager, shared surprised nces over the amazingly captivating performance. Kwon Hyul¡¯s performance was the exact same shy performance as in the file he had sent Do Wook. At the same time, it flowed better with the song now, making the listener ecstatic. . Do Wook changed the bridge melody. For the section that was left open for the piano part, he filled it with a low-pitched melody that would go well with the piano part. He eliminated the high notes. The piano performance mixed with the suitable MIDI* melody to create a surprising harmony. (TL note: Per Wikipedia, MIDI is a technical standard that describes amunications protocol, digital interface, and electrical connectors that connect a wide variety of electronic musical instruments,puters, and rted audio devices for ying, editing, and recording music.) Kwon Hyul, who had been ying, soon realized the changes in the reorganized song. He immediately caught onto Do Wook¡¯s intention. Kwon Hyul wasser-focused and made a score. It was less shy than before, but it was a melody you couldn¡¯t help but get drawn into. Do Wook grabbed the microphone and started to sing. His low-pitched voice echoed throughout the studio. We, who are like the sun¡¯s passion, Apollon¨DApollon¨DApollon¨D Even though the lighting of the studio, which was purposely made to look like a worn-down warehouse, wasn¡¯t that bright, people somehow felt ¡®it¡¯s dazzling¡¯. It was truly blinding. It felt like the Greek God Apollon had actually appeared. The cameraman who had been standing in front of Do Wook moved the camera and slowly zoomed in on Do Wook¡¯s face. Oh Bin and Na Eun Soo, who had arrivedte, were entranced as they watched the two of them perform. Tap, tap. Na Eun Soo casually headed towards theptop behind the piano. She then yed the video she had prepared. Oh Bin and Nae Eun Soo had met earlier to do a shoot for Na Eun Soo¡¯s video project. Oh Bin¡¯s dynamic movements, as he did a tumble and a head spin, were sequentially divided into 4, 8, 16, 32 and moved around frantically. It was movements the two of them had made as they looked into how to effectively make something dynamic in a video. ck and white pictures of the city passed by with a static noise transition effect, then vibrant color pages appeared. Kwon Hyul ying the piano, Do Wook singing, and the video on the monitor in the back were all captured in one angle and made one scene of the advertisement. Next to it, Oh Bin moved his body and demonstrated his B-Boy tricks in sync with the rhythm. Then the song finished. Five seconds after the song finished¡­there was a lingering feeling throughout the studio. Everyone just stood frozen in their ce. Director Hong broke the silence by pping. Kwon Hyul, who had fallen under the spell of the lingering feeling the most, stood up from the piano and headed towards Do Wook in front of the microphone. ¡°My performance must have been awful.¡± ¡°Sorry? Not at all. No. It was amazing.¡± ¡°No. It probably didn¡¯t go well with the coboration. A thoroughly self-righteous solo performance.¡± At Kwon Hyul¡¯s blunt words, Do Wook turned silent. ¡°One reason I¡¯m participating in this project is to stop that self-righteousness.¡± Do Wook was only then able to perfectly understand Kwon Hyul. Kwon Hyul was a ¡®true genius¡¯ who was trying hard. His current position was probably enough, but he was endlessly taking steps to develop himself. ¡°But you fixed the song, Do Wook.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°Things as they are now are good too, but it¡¯s frustrating to only receive help. I¡¯ll also try harder.¡± Do Wook smiled lightly and nodded. He turned around and watched the video ying on repeat. The video matched well with the song and had a clear theme. He had watched Oh Bin¡¯s dance while he had been singing. His dancing had apletely different power and discipline than Park Tae Hyung¡¯s style. It was very fitting for the splitting rhythm in ¡®Song for Apollon¡¯. Director Hong and the Marketing Manager approached the four of them. ¡°Ah¡­you all did really great today too. Dare I say today¡¯s work will be the final product?¡± When the Marketing Manager said that, the four of themughed faintly. They did find parts that needed minor editing, but it was definitely a satisfactory shoot. ¡°Hearing it live, the song is really much better. I¡¯m looking forward to the music video. I hope there wasn¡¯t any problem with mine either.¡± Na Eun Soo muttered. The Marketing Manager replied that she need not worry. Director Hong, who had good judgment when it came to videos, also spoke up and praised it. ¡°The shoot in two days will be the final shoot. The location will be this studio¡¯s rooftop.¡± At the Marketing Manager''s words, Director Hong gave a detailed exnation of the concept. In short, passion and energy, explosion. He exined that he would like to see those things. *** And two dayster, the final shoot that took ce on the rooftop wrapped up without a hitch. Kwon Hyul¡¯s ying, Oh Bin¡¯s B-Boying, Na Eun Soo¡¯s video. And even Do Wook¡¯s singing. Barely two days had passed but they had made progressive edits. It was even more harmonious because they matched each other. It was so perfect that it would be believable if someone said it had been put together by a performance team that had been together for a long time. With Director Hong¡¯s editing, the ¡®Rendez-vous project¡¯ advertisement not only aired with the national televisionmercials during prime time, but also on the electronic billboard in the middle of GwangHwa Gate. Everywhere the ad was ying, there were people stopping by to watch it as if they had been possessed by the eye-catching and memorable ad. The music video and even the making-of video were also posted online through MyTube. The project members meeting, them exchanging messages, the rehearsal on the second meeting. And even the performance on the rooftop. ¡®Song for Apollon¡¯ created a huge response among young people; besides making it into the top of the music charts, it also received the highest award at the Advertisement Awards that happened a monthter. Do Wook¡¯s ¡®Kiss, Lucas¡¯ shirt that he wore in the video and the earrings Oh Bin was wearing started a fad and sold like hot cakes. Kwon Hyul¡¯s concerts were sold out, and Na Eun Soo ended up doing a coboration with Korea¡¯s top video art creator Chun Nam Joon. During that time, KK got stage experience as they performed at different autumn festival events with Do Wook, who had be the icon and role model for young students, as the lead. Album activities as well as activities as an advertisement model ect. It was starting to feel like they were in the eye of a storm. However, KK would soon be nominated for the Best New Artist award. And Do Wook came to realize that the storm had not passed, but that it was the calm before the storm. ¡ª Trantor''sments: Thank you everyone for making it through Volume 2 with me! See y''all next week for the beginning of Volume 3. Chapter 51: A Once-in-a-lifetime Honor (1) Chapter 51: A Once-in-a-lifetime Honor (1) HIT Entertainment signed a contract with Nakamotopany and elerated KK¡¯s expansion into Japan. After debuting, KK had done events all around the country one after another until the end of October. A new domestic album was nned to be released early next year. In the meantime, they nned to expand into Japan, establish themselves, and do award show appearances. Their fandom in Korea was fairly established and interest in KK continued until now, November, as the aftermath of ¡®Rendez-vous project¡¯. To keep the fans¡¯ interest, the Fan Marketing Team restlessly posted KK-rted content online. The KK members and staff who touched down at Tokyo Haneda Airport immediately headed towards Tokyo Dome City Hall. Today was their first official solo event in Japan, but they had had a local festival the previous day so they couldn¡¯te to Japan earlier. The excitement ofing to Tokyo and the nervousness about performing was brief. The members were all dead asleep in the car on the way to city hall. KK had a showcase and meet-and-greet along with the release of ¡®Sorry but I Love You (JP ver)¡¯. The members nned to present ¡®Sorry but I Love You (JP ver)¡¯ recorded with the lyrics in Japanese for the first time at the showcase. Furthermore, they prepared an additional performance of ¡®Very Sorry¡¯. It would be in Korean as the song wasn¡¯t released in Japanese yet, but Japanese fans already knew the song well. After the showcase was the meet-and-greet. The meet-and-greet had 3 sessions. It was an event where KK members had to shake hands with 1000 fans who won tickets through a lottery system among fans who pre-ordered the album. It was almost the same as an autograph session in Korea, but it required lots of stamina because it was an event where you had to stand and shake hands with all the fans. ¡°Everyone get up and pay attention! We¡¯re here.¡± Manager Oh Baek Ho, who was sitting in the passenger seat, yelled to the members in the back seat. ¡°Ugh, huh?!¡± Ahn Hyung Seo, who was rubbing his sleepy eyes, yelled when he saw the scene outside the window. KK already had substantial recognition among Japanese K-POP fans. The way to the waiting room behind the city hall stage; not only Ahn Hyung Seo but also the rest of the members dropped their jaws when they were able to see the people waiting in line from afar. The members had performed at the Osaka Dome previously, but at that time it was a performance with other singers so there were lots of other singers¡¯ fans. It was surprising that so many Japanese fans hade just to see them. ¡°There¡¯s¡­so many.¡± When Do Wook said that, Do Ra Hee, who was in the car with them, exined. ¡°The energy is very good. They said the on-site merchandise sales are high too. It¡¯s very good.¡± The phrase ¡°earning yen¡± didn¡¯t exist for nothing. Their poprity in Japan was quickly bing profitable. Of course CD and DVD sales, which were twice as expensivepared to Korea, were going smoothly, but the revenue from merchandise was tremendous too. They had to share the revenue with Nakamotopany, the Japanese distributor, but there was still plenty to go around. Oh Baek Ho asked. ¡°Anyways, you guys memorized all the lyrics right?¡± ¡°We¡¯re pros, you don¡¯t need to worry about that.¡± ¡°Not you Hyung Seo. Yoon Ki.¡± Jung Yoon Ki, who had just woken up, pulled at his bangs. Ahn Hyung Seo and Do Wook had most of the parts, but in terms of number of lyrics, the rapper Jung Yoon Ki had significantly more. There were also barely any repeating verses. Jung Yoon Ki, who didn¡¯t even know Hiragana, wrote the tranted Japanese rap phically in Korean and memorized it over and over as if he were memorizing a magic spell. ¡°That¡¯s true¡­even on the day of the recording you wrote it on your palm¡­¡± ¡°Ahn Hyung Seo, be quiet.¡± When Ahn Hyung Seo started to tease him, Jung Yoon Ki rolled up the A4 paper he was holding and hit him on the back of his head. It was the paper he had written the lyrics on that he was holding on to even on the ne. ¡°I heard Japanese fans are really strict about performances.¡± Suk Ji Hoon, who was sitting in the way back, muttered loud enough for Jung Yoon Ki to hear. Jung Yoon Ki, who couldn¡¯t hit him because he was out of reach, soon unfurled the paper and started memorizing the lyrics again. ¡®Once today¡¯s events are over, the tour will continue to Yokohama and Osaka. I hope we¡¯ll be able to start off on the right foot¡­¡¯ Do Wook braced himself as he looked at the long line outside the window. Despite their minor worries, KK¡¯s first Japanese showcase went sessfully. Singing as well as performance, it was a wless show thatcked nothing and captured the hearts of the Japanese fans. Since the Yoo Sung Electronics Apollon advertisement ¡®Rendez-vous project¡¯ was broadcasted in japan too, Do Wook was already a star outside of KK to Japanese fans. Arge part of it as due to Do Wook¡¯s appearance, which was undeniably appealing regardless of gender or nationality, Every time Do Wook stepped forward, even the Japanese fans who had been quiet went crazy There were even fans who were crying after the performance when Do Wook expressed his feelings with the remark he prepared in Japanese. ¡°¤¢¤ê¤¬¤È¤¦¤´¤¶¤¤¤Þ¤¹*. (Thank you.)¡± (TL note: Arigatou gozaimasu) Their reactions to Do Wook were different even over the simplest greeting. The members gave their remarks while giving a thumbs up, and when they felt the vibe wasing down a bit they immediately pushed Do Wook to the center. Almost like a joke, the members would give Do Wook a push even when nothing was wrong. Do Wook ended up giving the final remark too. It was fortunate that he had quite a few Japanese phrases prepared ahead of time. ¡°ÈÕ±¾¤ËÀ´¤Æ±¾µ±¤ËæÒ¤·¤¤¤Ç¤¹£¡ ¤ß¤Ê¤µ¤ó£¡ ¤Þ¤¿»á¤¤¤ËÀ´¤Þ¤¹¤Î¤Ç¡¢´Î¤Î¹«ÑݤΤ³¤È¤ò˜S¤·¤ß¤Ë¤·¤Æ¤¯¤À¤µ¤¤¡£(We¡¯re very happy to be here in Japan. Everyone! We¡¯lle back to see you all so please look forward to our next concert.)¡± (TL note: ¡°Nihon ni kite hontouni ureshiidesu! Minnasan! Matta ai ni kimasunode, tsugi no koen no koto o tanoshimi shite kudasai. ) Do Wook said as he gave a big wave. The Japanese fans waved back as they cheered fervently. The members who had nowpleted one of their missions, the showcase, changed their clothes and immediately got ready for the meet-and-greet. The meet-and-greet had 400 people in the first session, 300 people in the second session, and 300 people in the third session. It was divided into 3 sessions with 30 minute intervals in between. They did rest for 30 minute intervals, but having to continuously smile and shake hands and respond to fans was no easy task. Most of the fans even tried to speak a little bit of Korean, but there were also fans who went on and on in Japanese. It was even more mentally challenging because they had to put in effort to understand Japanese that they didn¡¯t speak. ¡°It feels like my hand¡­is going numb.¡± ¡°For me, it¡¯s my lips!¡± Kim Won quickly added to what Jung Yoon Ki said. ¡°My legs too. Whew, I¡¯m dying.¡± Ahn Hyung Seo joined in. While the older members were groaning in pain, Suk Ji Hoon and Park Tae Hyung were busy drinking the drinks and stuffing their faces with the chips that the staff had brought. Even Do Wook downed a bottle of water. He finally felt relieved after drinking some cold water. Their enthusiasm over the meet-and-greet onlysted through the first session. By the end of the second session, the members were all exhausted. After briefly looking with pity at the KK members sprawled out in the waiting room, Manager Oh Baek Ho spoke. ¡°Since you guys seem to be having such a hard time, I¡¯ll tell you some good news.¡± While the members were at the meet-and-greet and shaking hands until their arms were about to fall off, Manager Oh Baek Ho received a call from thepany in Korea. The members turned their focus to him. They were even more curious because they had absolutely no idea what this ¡®good news¡¯ might be. ¡°I was originally going to tell you after we were done with the schedule and back at the hotel.¡± ¡°What is it?! Please tell us already!¡± Ahn Hyung Seo pressed. Everyone backed up Ahn Hyung Seo. Manager Oh Baek Ho looked at the members and grinned. It was a smile that he only showed when he was in a really good mood. ¡°I was told you guys are nominated for this year¡¯s Rookie of the Year award at the SVS Music Awards.¡± ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± The members, who had been lying down just a second ago, shot up. SVS Broadcast Station¡¯s ¡®Music Awards¡¯ was the year¡¯s very first music award ceremony. Since ¡®LIfe Song¡¯ was the most popr among the music programs, it was the most prestigious award ceremony from the three satellite award ceremonies. ¡°That¡¯s right. Thepany got a call ahead of time that the nominees will be posted online tomorrow.¡± Do Wook¡¯s gaze deepened. Originally, KK didn''t get nominated for the Rookie of the Year award. However, with the current KK¡¯s sess and poprity, getting nominated for the Rookie of the Year award could be seen as an obvious thing. Nheless, they couldn¡¯t be certain they¡¯d win because of M2M. KK had the upper hand when it came to poprity and music chart ranking, but their album sales were a little less than M2M¡¯s. Generations of Ara Entertainment singers did well in album sales. Because of that, the M2M fandom was focusing on album sales. Furthermore, while KK was doing events in Japan, M2M was currently doing a surprise repackage album tour. Their sales had increased a little because of that. ¡®Once the Rookie of the Year award nominees are announced, our fans will buy more albums, but that¡¯s probably true for M2M fans too¡­¡± It was something even Do Wook didn¡¯t know what might happen. KK might be doing better except in sales, but it couldn¡¯t be certain that KK would win because of the difference in power of their agencies. ¡°You were also nominated for the K-POP STAR award and Performance award.¡± ¡°Triple crown, baby~¡± ¡°It¡¯s only a Triple Crown if you win all of it. So get pumped up and get out there for the third session!¡± At Oh Baek Ho¡¯s remark, the members checked the time. It was already time for the third session of the meet-and-greet to start. *** The three-day-long hurricane of events in Japan, including Tokyo, Yokohama, and even Osaka, came to an end. They finished with their scheduled events at 5 pm. KK and the staff had a light dinner at a ramen shop in downtown Dotonbori, Osaka. They had removed their make-up and were wearing casual clothes, but people at the ramen shop still recognized KK so they signed autographs all the same. Their flight back to Korea was tomorrow morning. They finally had free time until evening. A hotel in Osaka. It was their second time in Osaka so it would be understandable to want to go out again, but Jung Yoon Ki didn¡¯t leave the bed. It was the same for the other members. Eating, shopping, it was both put on the back burner. They were too tired from not being able to rest properly for 3 days and just crawled into bed. ¡°Are you ok?¡± Do Wook ended up sharing a hotel room with Jung Yoon Ki this time. Do Wook asked out of concern when Jung Yoon Ki moaned from under the covers. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine man.¡± ¡°Are you sick?¡± Fatigue was one thing; Jung Yoon Ki had been twice as anxious as the other members because of the Japanese lyrics problem etc. Now that he could rx, he seemed to have body chills. ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be fine if I rest today. We don''t have anything nned until tomorrow either. What are you looking at now instead of resting?¡± Jung Yoon Ki got out of bed and headed towards Do Wook while drinking warm water. Do Wook was checking the home page for SVS¡¯s ¡®Life Song¡¯ on theptop he had brought. An online poll had started along with this year¡¯s award nominees. As expected, once the nominees were announced each fandom¡¯s vibe started to heat up. People were talking about the inte poll the most. There wasn¡¯t a separate poll for the Performance award, but the online polls counted for 5% for the Rookie of the Year award and for 90% for the K-POP STAR award in determining the winner. ¡°Huh? What is this?¡± Jung Yoon Ki, who had been drinking water, got closer to theptop screen. Among the three nominees for the Rookie of the Year award, votes for KK was 16%. It was still early on in the voting, but it was the lowest amount of votes among the three groups. Of course they were behind M2M, but they were also behind an idol group with a rtively weak fandom. It was the same for the K-POP STAR award votes. The number of votes for KK was significantly low. ¡°Were we¡­this unpopr?¡± Jung Yoon Ki asked, dumbfounded. Do Wook shook his head. ¡®Something¡¯s wrong.¡¯ Do Wook quickly scoured through themunity sites. He was able to find the reason for the number of votes without difficulty. It was M2M fans. ¡ª Chapter 52: A Once-in-a-lifetime Honor (2) Chapter 52: A Once-in-a-lifetime Honor (2) Within themunity, Monster and other group''s fans who had hostility towards the suddenly incredibly popr KK systematically gathered and had sprung into action. They were purposely giving all the votes to the group that was least likely to win among the nominees for Rookie of the Year award and K-POP STAR award. ¡°Wow, they even organized when to vote?" ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Based on the usernames, they¡¯re Monster fans¡­I wonder why.¡± Jung Yoon Ki muttered as if saying it made no sense at all. Monster and KK were not rivals. If anything, you could say they had a bond because they were part of the same agency. However, there was a reason Monster fans were at the center of anti-KK activities. Monster fans had been unsatisfied with HIT Entertainment since KK''s debut. Events for Monster kept getting pushed back because of the new group KK. The fans felt the agency was focusing all their attention on KK only while Monster was taking the backseat. It was true that HIT Entertainment, who took care the two groups Milky Way and Monster, got overwhelmed when they added another group to care for. They also focused on KK rather than Monster, who had somewhat stagnated in their ce and had difficulty climbing higher. That being said, the reason the ns for Monster¡¯s album was pushed back was because they couldn''t find a song all the members could be satisfied with, not solely because HIT Entertainment considered Monster as put on the backburner. However, fans of Monster were already gunning for HIT Entertainment. What added fuel to the fire was the content of the interview with HIT Entertainment¡¯s president that was conducted by an economic magazine. ¡®HIT Entertainment has recently had surprising growth unlike ever before. Part of that is thanks to KK doing well. Of course the goal is to go public*. To be public, the agency¡¯s singers would have to seed.¡¯ (TL note: To be a publicly traded stock) ¡®We¡¯re racking our brains over how to grow KK to be the top rookie. It¡¯s exhausting, but it¡¯s a fun exhaustion, not a bad exhaustion. KK is potential, embodiment of potential itself.¡¯ Monster fans were enraged that on top of there not having been a single mention of Monster, he had said they¡¯d focus on growing KK from here on out. Before KK came around, the groups that led HIT Entertainment were Milky Way and Monster. The opinion formed by Monster fans was that they were treating Monster poorly even though the reason they were even able to create KK was thanks to the money Monster earned. Theints toward the agency also spread to KK as a group because a few of the products KK recently modeled for were advertisements Monster had modeled in previously. ¡°Are they saying we pushed Monster out of the spotlight?!¡± Jung Yoon Ki put his hands on his forehead like he had a headache. ¡°They¡¯re also saying this.¡± ¡°This is really unfair!¡± On the screen Do Wook turned on was a rumor about Monster and KK¡¯s rtionship. It said KK members were letting their sudden rise to fame get to their head, and that since thepany was pampering them they weren¡¯t even properly greeting their senior, Monster. ¡®It¡¯s definitely not something for us to get this much bacsh over. But¡­¡¯ Monster¡¯s poprity inevitably dropped as more and more years passed by since their debut.* It wasn¡¯t just the idols who felt things were going downhill. The fans felt the same too. In fact, there were many times where the fans were more sensitive to it. (TL & PR note: i.e. the novelty was wearing off, they were bing old news) Monster¡¯s decreasing poprity wasn¡¯t anyone¡¯s fault, but the fans¡¯ anger, which had nowhere to go, settled on a target and got stronger once it focused on one ce. ¡®You can try to understand it, but it¡¯s irrational anyways. It¡¯s a matter of how it gets resolved.¡¯ Feeling wronged, Jung Yoon Ki said with a frown. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we at least tell Baek Ho so we can somehow rify things or something?¡± ¡°The Fan-Marketing Team monitors things so they probably already know about it. Trying to exin things might just make it blow up.¡± ¡°Geez, man.¡± ¡°Yes. It also doesn¡¯t make much sense for thepany to step in over a behind-the-scenes fan battle like this.¡± Jung Yoon Ki nodded his head at what Do Wook said as if saying he understood. However, his expression didn¡¯t lighten up. He felt wronged, but he was also worried about the voting. Even if it shouldn¡¯t affect the Rookie of the Year award much, you never knew. He didn¡¯t want to unjustly lose the K-POP STAR award as well to a crooked voting like this. ¡®It also definitely doesn¡¯t look good for the celebrity or agency in question to get involved in a fight between fans. We have to hope that it¡¯ll get resolved naturally¡­¡¯ *** The KK members, who had arrived in Korea, first rested at the dormitory. While the members were resting at the dorm, Do Wook went to the HIT Entertainment office. There were tworge whiteboards hanging inside the office. Written on one of the white boards was the overall n for the year. The board had January to December on it with Milky Way, Monster, and KK¡¯s nned events marked in three different colors: ck, red, and blue. The other whiteboard had the schedule for the month. KK¡¯s 3 days of events in Japan was also meticulously written in blue. Do Wook quickly checked Monster¡¯s schedule that was written in red. Today and tomorrow they had a music broadcast, and 2 dayster they had a radio appearance at 8 pm. After that, they had nothing particrly scheduled yet. Do Wook grabbed his phone and checked the live voting status again. ¡®There¡¯s still time left for the voting and the gap is small enough to turn the tides.¡¯ KK fans, who had assumed it''d be a fight for 1st ce with M2M, were overshadowed by the alliance between fans of Monster and other groups and were btedly gathering support and voting. However, they were still losing for now. Numbers aside, KK was more of a popr group than a group with a strong fandom. Even if they had arge number of fans, it was a new fandom. It was hard to beat the unity of Monsters fans, who had been gathered and active together for years, and were engulfed in anger. ¡®Still, if only for the sake of the future, it is necessary to quell the Monster fans to an extent¡­while not overdoing it. In a natural way¡­¡¯ One of the male employees noticed Do Wook, who was staring intently at the whiteboard, and greeted him. Do Wook greeted him back. ¡°Was there something you needed?¡± ¡°No. I just had to verify something. I¡¯ll be taking my leave then.¡± *** Two dayster. Monster headed towards the broadcast station for a radio appearance. It was a radio program a lot of young people listened to since it was at the 8 pm slot so the DJ was an idol-level DJ and idols typically came on as guests. Monster was scheduled to appear as the guest star today for the segment called . As the title suggested, the purpose of the segment was to take a deep dive into the subject of their guests. They usually collected questions people had for the guests and got answers to them. The radio segment didn¡¯t have a lot of listeners since it was full of information one wouldn¡¯t be interested in, unless for promoting an album or as a fan, but it was this segment that the idol fans enjoyed the most. As they waited for the segment to start at 8:30, the members of Monster were sitting in the waiting area outside of the booth. ¡°Take care of your cell phone. And don¡¯t mess up on the live broadcast.¡± Monster¡¯s road manager was a new manager who was barely 21 years old. Reminded by the manager, Kwon Ji Hyung took his cell phone out of his pocket. Thankfully the cell phone was on vibrate. He was going to put it back after checking, but he received a message notification. [Hyung*, it¡¯s been a while. This is the ylist you mentionedst time.] (TL note: Hyung is how males address older males) It was a message from ¡®Hubae* Kang Do Wook¡¯. When Kwon Ji Hyung recently met Do Wook at Yong Soo Chul¡¯s studio, he had asked Do Wook for a list of song rmendations. It was because Do Wook knew a lot of foreign songs that he didn¡¯t know about. (TL note: Hubae is one¡¯s junior at school, work, etc.) Below the message there were ten or so links to the rmended songs. Kwon Ji Hyung was thankful that Do Wook had remembered and looked into it when he had just asked in passing. ¡®His good manners didn¡¯t change even though he¡¯s sessful. He¡¯s notcking in any way.¡¯ Kwon Ji Hyung wrote a reply as he looked at the links. [Thank you for looking into it when you¡¯re probably busy too. I¡¯m at an event right now, I¡±ll contact you when I¡¯m done.] [Ok! Good luck at your event!] At that moment, the radio staff called the Monster members into the booth. Kwon Ji Hyung was in a good mood as he sat in his seat. With the introduction of the Monster members, the segment went into full swing. There were many questions asking how the members have been doing and asking about future activities in the works. The Monster members answered them one by one in detail. They were a midsize group among idols now, so you could feel howfortable they were answering each question. ¡°We also received this question. ¡®Moonlight Love¡¯ has apletely different vibe than your previous songs¡­what was your active period for it like?¡± ¡°We were very worried because it was something new for us too, but it was received well, so we had fun. It didn¡¯t have any choreography however, so our bodies were itching to move.¡± One of the Monster members yfully answered the DJ¡¯s question. The microphone was passed to Kwon Ji Hyung next. ¡°I¡¯m saying this since the topic of ¡®Moonlight Love¡¯ was brought up. Our fans really liked the lyrics a lot. The person who introduced the lyricist Kim Soom to us was Do Wook.¡± ¡°Do you mean KK¡¯s Kang Do Wook?¡± ¡°Yes. He helped a lot in making ¡®Moonlight Love¡¯. In developing the album too.¡± ¡°Ah! KK and Monster are from the same agency, right? You must be close with Kang Do Wook.¡± ¡°We became close because we ran into each other at the studio a lot. I have a lot to learn from him even though he¡¯s my hubae, and he¡¯s a very good friend.¡± Do Wook¡¯s name was ingrained into Kwon Ji Hyung¡¯s brain because of the message he just received from Do Wook. The things he had to thank Do Wook for that he was thinking of right before the live broadcast were pouring out. (TL note: I just had to chime in here and say dang¡­well yed, Do Wook. Well yed.) The topic of KK was brought up casually. Another member of Monster stepped up and talked about KK. It was a member who was famous for being straightforward on top of having a rough personality and way of speaking. ¡°They¡¯re all very nice! When we see them once in a while, they bow multiple times¡­Ah, I¡¯m saying they¡¯re kind.¡± ¡°Haha! You mean they¡¯re that diligent when greeting you, right?¡± ¡°There¡¯s usually at least one rude member¡­terrible personality and rotten. But they don''t have anyone like that.¡± It was a member who thepany didn¡¯t even allow to talk when they were rookies. However, he was now in his mid-twenties. They were able to write it off as brash word choice, and the fans understood it as his sense of humor. ¡°I see. That¡¯s true, I had met them before and they all seemed easy-going.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± The topic of KK wrapped up on a friendly note, and they moved on to the next topic. The Monster fans who were listening to the broadcast were confused. There were people who thought thepany was forcing them to praise KK, but they knew the Monster members¡¯ personalities better than anyone to know that that wasn¡¯t the case. It wasn¡¯t certain for Kwon Ji Hyung, but the other members would never say those things just because thepany was making them do it. It was also too natural. It was a ¡®visual radio¡¯ so their expressions were being broadcasted live. Their expressions were definitely sincere. People were starting to think that they shouldn¡¯t protest against KK, but protest against thepany instead. And so, the Monster fans who were trying to vent their anger by messing up the votes for KK started to disband. *** At that time, Do Wook and the KK members were at the site of the concert hosted by L Duty-free Shop. Jamshil Main Stadium: it was thergest location in the nation to have a concert at. The KK members couldn¡¯t help but be overwhelmed as they looked at the various lights shining everywhere. It was also true when they performed at the dome in Japan, but this time it was domestic. KK was no longer first in line to perform. They were third tost. The order was KK, M2M, then Sa Bang Shin Hwa*. (TL note: SBSH is the Ara Entertainment group mentioned in Ch 43 and the previous winners of the Rookie of the Year award.) The sound from the stage was so loud that it could be heard from inside the waiting room. People¡¯s hearts were beating to the loud sound of the bass. ¡®I guess Kwon Ji said something after all. The Monster fans'' opinion was split, they won¡¯t be able to vote as they have been. That¡¯s as far as disliking someone can go. Although, from now on, we¡¯ll only win the votes if we have lots of genuine fans.¡¯ Do Wook thought as he checked his phone. Over thest two days, Do Wook went on the radio program¡¯s forum and submitted questions rted to ¡®Moonlight Love¡¯ whenever he had time. He nned to have Kwon Ji mention him if ¡®Moonlight Love¡¯ came up in the conversation. Honestly, he had a backup n even if they weren¡¯t mentioned on the radio this time. However, it was a relief that the Monster fans started to rethink their opinion on KK before he got to the second option. As he stood in the hallway, Do Wook started to warm up his voice for today¡¯s live performance. The other members were warming up their bodies and relieving their anxieties in their own ways in the waiting room. It was almost time for their performance. They had cheering fans to look forward to. At that moment, a group of backup dancers passed by in the hallway. By the looks of the outfits, they were a group of M2M backup dancers. In that group was Jo Jung Min. Jo Jung Min saw Do Wook and stopped. ¡°Long time no see.¡± ¡ª Chapter 53: A Once-in-a-lifetime Honor (3) Chapter 53: A Once-in-a-lifetime Honor (3) ¡°It¡¯s been a while, hyung*¡± (TL note: Hyung is how males address older males) ¡°You look good.¡± When he learned Jo Jung Min had left the agency and became a backup dancer for M2M, Do Wook hoped that Jo Jung Min had had a change of heart. To stop harassing people and turn over a new leaf. However, Do Wook realized from Jo Jung Min¡¯s expression and tone that what he had hoped for hadn¡¯t happened. Jo Jung Min patted Do Wook¡¯s shoulder. Do Wook silently stared at him. Jo Jung Min frowned. Behind Jo Jung Min, the backup dancers were whispering among each other about Jo Jung Min, who seemed to know KK¡¯s Kang Do Wook. ¡°Where are the rest of the guys?¡± ¡°In the waiting room.¡± ¡°I guess that bastard Park Tae Hyung is doing well?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°Did you be mute?¡± Do Wook didn¡¯t want to waste his breath on Jo Jung Min anymore. ¡®I guess a person¡¯s nature doesn¡¯t change easily¡­¡¯ Even after going from a trainee with his debut just around the corner to a backup dancer, Jo Jung Min seemed to still not havee to his senses. It wasn¡¯t that being a backup dancer was bad. Jo Jung Min wasn¡¯t a professional backup dancer, but a prospective trainee with Ara Entertainment. Ara Entertainment was arge agency that had produced incredibly popr idols. The agency¡¯s nickname was Star Gateway, so even bing an official trainee was unbelievablypetitive. It was to the point that people were saying that bing an official trainee with them was as hard as debuting. To be an official trainee at such a ce, Jo Jung Min decided to make himself a prospective trainee by being M2M¡¯s backup dancer. Do Wook felt like if he had been in that situation, he would have been busy enough just trying to quietly walk his own path. ¡®He can¡¯t afford to be going around picking fights.¡¯ Do Wook let out a sigh. Jo Jung Min was filled with rage at Do Wook sighing and had more to say, but held back. It was because he heard the backup dancers greet the M2M members passing through the waiting room hallway behind him. ¡°We¡¯ll see how long you stay sessful.¡± Jo Jung Min muttered quietly as he grit his teeth. Do Wook ignored it. He didn¡¯t feel it was worth even giving him advice anymore. ¡°Do Wook! Here you are.¡± It was Oh Bin, who was heading towards Do Wook as he exchanged greetings with the backup dancers. Oh Bin was passing by after using the restroom and headed straight towards them, when he saw Do Wook standing with his backup dancers. ¡°I heard KK will perform too and here you are!¡± ¡°Yeah. Have you been well?¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯m doing well! But do you know each other¡­?¡± Seeing the two of them unable to give a clear answer, Oh Bin didn¡¯t dig any further. Jo Jung Min bowed to Oh Bin and backed off. Do Wook lightly shook his head as he watched Jo Jung Min rejoin the rest of the backup dancers. Since the response to the ¡®Rendez-vous project¡¯ was extremely good, one or two surprise ¡®Rendez-vous project¡¯ performances were also held as a special event. Thanks to that, they had a chance to meet up a few times even after the advertisement shoot was over, and he was able to be especially close with Oh Bin who worked in the same field. Oh Bin¡¯s sociability also yed a huge part. Oh Bin waspletely won over by the sincere and serious vibe he felt from Do Wook while they worked on the ad. Do Wook felt a little ufortable bing friendly with M2M. M2M was a rival he had to beat. They were also the object of his revenge. However, he quickly changed his mind. Beating M2M and taking the top spot in the music industry was a goal he had to have anyways since he became a singer. It was the same for the other KK members. They weren¡¯t out for revenge on M2M and held no personal feelings towards them, but after bing rivals ever since they were both named nominees for the Rookie of the Year award, they often spoke of how they had to beat M2M. ¡®Wanting to be the best is instinctive after debuting.¡¯ It was probably the same for Oh Bin too, but he didn¡¯t show it at all. Rather than him scheming something, he was making a clear distinction between the rival group he wanted to beat and personal friendships. Even though Oh Bin could sometimes seem insincere because he was alwaysughing, especially because of his size, Do Wook admired him. ¡®The object of my revenge isn¡¯t M2M, it¡¯s Seo Kang Jun.¡¯ With that thought in mind, Do Wook opened his heart to Oh Bin a little. Oh Bin looked around his surroundings as if he had something to say. The backup dancers had passed through the hallway and it was only Oh Bin and Do Wook. There was a sense of ¡®suspense¡¯ that you couldn¡¯t even imagine with the usual Oh Bin. ¡°Bin?¡± ¡°Ah. I don¡¯t know if I should tell you this. But now that I¡¯m seeing you face-to-face, I feel like I should.¡± Oh Bin groaned and pulled his hair. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Yourpany hasn¡¯t told you anything?¡± When Oh Bin saw on Do Wook¡¯s face that he didn¡¯t know anything, his expression became even more troubled. It would have been easier if Do Wook had known, because then he wouldn¡¯t have to say anything. ¡°I don¡¯t know the details either. Thepany keeps talking as if we¡¯re definitely getting the Rookie of the year award¡­it¡¯s strange.¡± There were still about 2 weeks left for the inte voting, as well as the album sales. Nothing was certain. ¡°Honestly, of course I¡¯d like it too if we won, but I don¡¯t like feeling like something¡¯s off.¡± Do Wook slowly nodded. He felt like he understood what Oh Bin was trying to say. Oh Bin tidied up his hair that he had pulled on. ¡°You know how mypany can be.¡± There was a lot of meaning behind those words. *** Director of Ara Entertainment, Seo Joong Won. It wasmon knowledge in the industry that Seo Kang Jun¡¯s father was Seo Joong Won. It wasn¡¯t that Seo Kang Jun was able to debut because of Director Seo Joong Won. He wasn¡¯t the best singer or dancer when it came to skills, but Seo Kang Jun already had the best face. Seo Kang Joon was proud of his ¡®extremely good looks¡¯, which were so good that it was hard to believe he was the biological son of the rough-looking Director Seo Kang Joon. He became Ara Entertainment¡¯s official trainee because of that, and there was no gossip about him getting to debut. Rather, the problem was after his debut. The amount Director Seo Joong Won invested into M2M was significantly more than other groups. Ara Entertainment had enough capital, and M2M was definitely a group worth investing into, but there were still times it was over the top. Also, Seo Kang Jun¡¯s attitude that became condescending after debuting was a problem too. He was butting heads with the other members by being thoroughly self-centered and adopting a selfish demeanor. However, they couldn¡¯t even voice their dissatisfaction. Getting on Seo Kang Jun¡¯s bad side meant also getting on the Director¡¯s bad side. This internal situation was being kept hush-hush by the people on the inside. If they identally let something slip, very bad things would happen to them. ¡°Manager, was the reason Director Seo went to SVSst time to negotiate?¡± ¡°Geez, yes. They¡¯re meeting for golf today too. I heard he said he¡¯s not going to let Sa Bang Shin Hwa make an appearance. That is, unless they give M2M the Rookie of the Year award.¡± ¡°Ah, then the rumors that were going around when Pinky Girls won the top award were true?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even start. You know he dotes on Ji Hye or whatever from Pinky Girls.¡± ¡°Oh my gosh¡­¡± The two secretaries in front of the Director¡¯s office were whispering amongst themselves and were busily gossiping about Director Seo¡¯s backdoor dealings. ¡°Secretary Kim, you know to watch what you say, right?¡± ¡°Of course! I¡¯m not looking for trouble. But it doesn¡¯t matter if I¡¯m careful. Rumors spread all over and people will find out anyway.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. I don¡¯t know how those rumors are getting out.¡± At that moment, the doors to the Director¡¯s office opened and Director Seo came out wearing golf attire. The two people who had been whispering got up and greeted the director with a calm expression. ¡°Director, the car is ready for you in the lobby.¡± ¡°Hmm, ok.¡± While the manager briefly spoke with the Director about his next scheduled event, Secretary Kim quickly pressed the elevator button and got it ready. ¡°I¡¯m going to head home after finishing the rounds of golf so figure out getting off work on your own.¡± ¡°Yes, understood.¡± The reason Director Seo was able to negotiate with SVS to get M2M the Rookie of the Year award was because the gap between M2M and KK wasn¡¯trge yet. The Rookie of the Year award was an award that any singer or actor had only one chance of winning. It was that meaningful. Of course there were situations where those who didn¡¯t even get nominated for the Rookie of the Year award became sessful and won a top awardter on. However, M2M, who bore the title of Ara Entertainment¡¯s ¡®top talent¡¯ to continue Sa Bang Shin Hwa¡¯s poprity, losing the Rookie of the Year award would damage Ara Entertainment¡¯s reputation. It would hurt his pride as Ara Entertainment¡¯s Director, and it wouldn¡¯t make sense considering the amount of capital they poured into M2M. In fact, to start with, the fact that there was a group that threatened M2M¡¯s position this much didn¡¯t make sense. However, this group called KK was threatening M2M. ¡®We absolutely have to win the Rookie of the Year award so that the situation doesn¡¯t get any bigger.¡¯ Director Seo believed that people would then think M2M¡¯s poprity was superior to KK¡¯s and see M2M as a cut above the rest. *** [Do Wook, Hello!!! I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll read this letter. ???????? I¡¯m Ji Young, who loves you very much!!! I¡¯m saving up my allowance, but the autograph session is very expensive so I don¡¯t think I can go to that. And I thought you might not receive it if I send a letter to thepany. ??¡­ Sorry. But I really really wanted to send you a letter and a gift. It¡¯s 1000 flowers that will grant your wish lol. I was so happy while making this! I really hope KK will win the Rookie of the Year award this time. ?? I think I¡¯d be happier than you if I could see you smile from winning the Rookie of the Year award¡­ So I¡¯m voting hard every single day! I can sleep well when I listen to your song and I get energized when I see your face¡­ You are my herbal tonic and nutritional supplement and vitamin and reason for living. ??????? I love you very very much. ???? I can¡¯t recall my life before I knew you. Please continue to make good songs! I¡¯m sure you¡¯re tired, but cheer up. ?? I¡¯ll stay positive too! I love you. ??] In the car on their way back to the dormitory, Do Wook was reading the letter he had just received. On their way back to the parking lot after the concert ended, a fan who had been waiting for him at the parking lot got past the manager and the security guards and handed him a letter and a gift. You could tell at a nce by the school uniform she was wearing that she was a young middle school student. It wasn¡¯t an appropriate ce to give him a letter or a gift, but she was a young student and he knew that her intentions were innocent, so Do Wook epted the letter for now. As he epted it, he told the female student who was getting kicked out to never do it again. The female student nodded her head about a hundred times while getting dragged away. Of course the content of the letter was very cute. The gift she gave him was 1000 origami flowers. Designer essories, clothes from expensive brands, electronics, even herbal tonics. Among the predominantly expensive gifts, gifts prepared thoughtfully felt even more special. ¡°This is really impressive. Is there actually a thousand?¡± Ahn Hyung Seo asked as he looked at the flowers in the ss vase. ¡°Should we count it?¡± Kim Won offered to help Ahn Hyung Seo. They seriously intended to count it when they got to the dormitory. Inside the dark car, as he reread the fan¡¯s letter Do Wook recalled what Oh Bin said. ¡®Ara Entertainment is definitely scheming something. I can¡¯t just do nothing¡­¡¯ Do Wook looked at Oh Baek Ho who was driving. *** The next morning, Do Wook organized his thoughts while doing his morning exercise, and talked with Oh Baek Ho privately. Oh Baek Ho was briefly surprised to hear that Ara Entertainment was nning something, but promptly concluded that it was definitely usible. ¡°In that case¡­Director Kwon might know.¡± ¡°Director Kwon?¡± ¡°Yes. He probably knows, but there might not be a way to solve it.¡± What he meant by thetter was thatpared to Ara Entertainment, they stillcked power. Do Wook and Oh Baek Ho became dejected. At that moment, Oh Baek Ho¡¯s cell phone rang. It was a call from Production Director Kwon Heung Jo. ¡°Huh, did he put a security camera in the dormitory or something?¡± Manager Oh Baek Ho muttered as he pressed the call button. ¡°Yes, Director! I was about to call you too¡­¡± Do Wook patiently waited to hear what their call was about. Oh Baek Ho, who was listening to what Director Kwon had to say, had a surprised expression and asked. ¡°Huh? Good news?¡± ¡ª Chapter 54: A Once-in-a-lifetime Honor (4) Chapter 54: A Once-in-a-lifetime Honor (4) The good news Production Director Kwon Heung Jo was calling about was none other than that KK was picked as the new model for Yoo Sung Electronics¡¯testptop. Yoo Sung Electronics wanted to use Do Wook as a model again anyways as Do Wook¡¯s poprity grew from the sess of ¡®Rendez-vous project¡¯. Then the position of the advertisement model for Yoo Sung Electronics¡¯ptops opened up. Even though Do Wook was currently an idol, he had as much credibility as any actor. At the same time, his poprity was as high as any other idol, and the modeling fee wasn''t veryrge. Therefore, of course the Yoo Sung Electronics Marketing Team¡¯s analysis showed Do Wook as one of the suitable candidates for a model. Yoo Sung Electronics had recently been rising in theptop industry as an affordable and innovative brand, but they had a slightly old image. Therefore, they wanted a model with a fresh image. Do Wook was a given, but the group KK as a whole had a fresh image. Yoo Sung Electronics picked KK as the advertisement model because they decided it¡¯d be good to carry on that brand image. ¡®The exclusive model for Yoo Sung Electronics¡¯ptop¡­It¡¯s an ad that takes 3 months to work on, but it¡¯s still definitely a big deal.¡¯ Do Woo thought about the content of Oh Baek Ho¡¯s phone call. If they continued to build a good rtionship with Yoo Sung Electronics, which could be called the nation¡¯s top group, it would definitely be a growing support. ¡°Yes¡­Yes, Director.¡± Oh Baek Ho replied as Director Kwon continued to talk. Honestly, it would have been fine for the Fan Marketing Team Leader Jo Anna to deliver the news since she would be the one exining the details, but there was a reason that Director Kwon personally called Manager Oh Baek Ho. It was to imprint on the members as well as Oh Baek Ho how much attention he was giving to KK. It was to raise the members¡¯ morale through him, and make them aware of his efforts so it could be recognized. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll make sure to ry it to the members.¡± It was definitely more effective and made them happier the higher up thepliment came from. ¡°Also, Director, there was something I wanted to ask you. Do you have some time?¡­Yes. yes. Then I¡¯ll go see you in the afternoon.¡± Manager Oh Baek Ho hung up the phone and exined to Do Wook in detail about being Yoo Sung Electronics¡¯ptop model. ¡°He said that you all are working hard, and he thinks the sess is thanks to that, so he''s happy. He said you especially have been working hard.¡± ¡°Not at all. I¡¯m sure the members will be happy when they hear the news. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°The advertisement shoot and broadcast is next January?¡± ¡°Yes. Early January.¡± They said next January but that was less than 3 weeks away. After thinking it over thoroughly, Do Wook said to Manager Oh Baek Ho, ¡°Then would it be ok if I asked Director Kwon for a favor?¡± ¡°Favor? You have a favor to ask of him?¡± Oh Baek Ho frowned. He was only frowning because he was surprised by the question, but it had a pressure that could feel threatening from an outside perspective. Of course, having be proficient at reading Oh Baek Ho¡¯s expressions, Do Wook was not surprised at all. He simply had a sincere look in his eyes as he conveyed his thoughts. *** Then, a few dayster. The inte was flooded with articles about KK getting selected as Yoo Sung Electronics¡¯ptop model. What Do Wook had asked Oh Baek Ho to ry to Director Kwon was none other than that it¡¯d be good to release articles regarding the advertisement model selection a little earlier. When Director Kwon learned the reason behind it, he said they wouldn''t know the results until they try, but that it sounded like a good idea. Following Do Wook¡¯s suggestion, Director Kwon consulted with Yoo Sung Electronics and had the articles distributed. Director Kwon suggested to Yoo Sung Electronics to publish the articles early since KK was a strong candidate to win the Life Song Rookie of the Year award, and to distribute the articles again should they win the award. Yoo Sung Electronics had no reason to refuse. It wasn¡¯t as if they had to hide the models until the advertisement was released, and it was Yoo Sung Electronics who would benefit from the promotion if they released the article early and it became a hot topic. Once the articles were released, the fandom cheered. They were already popr rookies, but the fact that they became Yoo Sung Electronics¡¯ exclusive models gave the impression that they were more than rookies, that they attained a truly popr level of fame. The fans weren¡¯t the only ones who felt that way. Even among the public, the opinion was that KK had be more than just a rising star. That being the case, the majority opinion was that KK would have andslide victory for the Rookie of the Year award at the uing award ceremony. This was what Do Wook was after, bing the talk of the town. People think that the group who easily bes a hot topic is the more popr group. Of course being the talk of the town corrtes to poprity, but it isn¡¯t a straight rtionship. Anyways, leading up to the ceremony, KK was talked about by people significantly more than M2M. They were definitely the sole topic people were talking about. It was a stroke of luck that they were selected as Yoo Sung Electronics¡¯ptop model at just the right time. Even in the inte polls, which they were initially falling behind in due to the force of the anti activities that even the Monster fandom joined in on, the number of votes for KK started to rise. There were even cases where people became interested in KK after Monster members mentioned them and expanded from the Monster fandom into the KK fandom. The voting was neck-and-neck between KK and M2M. It became difficult to know the results of the inte voting until the very veryst second. Currently, KK turned the tides on M2M. In the case of the Rookie of the Year award, KK was ahead of M2M by a 6% margin, and for the K-POP STAR award M2M was ahead by 1%. SVS Broadcast Station Conference Room. The key coordinators had convened to discuss how to progress with the ¡®Music Awards¡¯ award ceremony winner selection. The main person in charge of the music awards, CP* Nam Un Young, frowned as he looked at the current status of the voting on the award ceremony home page. (TL note: CP is chief producer) ¡°Will it be possible for M2M to get the Rookie of the Year award like this?¡± ¡°As you can see, the voting has flipped. KK is now higher in total album sales. M2M¡¯s sales have stopped, but KK is continuing to sell. As for music chart ranking, KK is ahead by andslide.¡± ¡°This is driving me crazy.¡± CP Nam Un Young clicked his tongue at the remark by PD Hyun Joo Hyuk, who was also the PD for Life Song. The pressure from M2M¡¯s agency, Ara Entertainment, was very strong. ¡°M2M¡¯s, who was it again, Seo Jun? That punk¡¯s daddy is Director Seo. I can¡¯t NOT give it to him either. He was throwing a fit that he¡¯d retaliate if I didn¡¯t give it to him.¡± ¡°If it were a small difference we could adjust the ratio to give it to M2M and cover it up¡­but with a gap like this it¡¯ll be hard to stop rumors, Mr. CP.¡± ¡°Now now, rumors about award winners spread all the time.¡± Even though he responded like that, CP Nam Un Young muttered all sorts of swear words to himself over the stressfulness of the situation. The PDs under him, including PD Hyun Joo Hyuk, shook their heads. Everyone there knew that CP Nam Un Young was taken out by Ara Entertainment¡¯s Director Seo for a round of golf. ¡°What the Yoo Sung Electronics¡¯ representative said is weighing on my mind too.¡± Yoo Sung Electronics was one of the official sponsors of the annual SVS award ceremony. They received sponsorship from Yoo Sung Electronics this year too, as usual. Thepany sponsored them every year, but CP Nam recently met with a Yoo Sung Electronics representative to negotiate the sponsorship amount that varied year to year. At that time, the representative brought up KK in passing after negotiations were over. It was a group they nned to consistently use as models, there was even an ad scheduled to air next month, and he was happy they were a strong candidate for the Rookie of the Year award. Yoo Sung Electronics was simply apany that was using KK as a model. The representative wasn¡¯t saying that in a threatening way at all, it was genuinely said in passing, but CP Nam Un Young, who had to keep a good rtionship with Yoo Sung Electronics, couldn¡¯t help but be worried. ¡°One of the Apollon models was M2M¡¯s Oh Bin.¡± One of the PDs under him spoke up to try to ease CP Nam¡¯s concerns. However, CP Nam vigorously shook his head. ¡°Yes, still, he was saying KK this and KK that so it doesn¡¯t feel right.¡± A silence fell in the conference room. Not a single person was willing to speak up. In the end, it was CP Nam Un Young¡¯s decision. A few momentster, CP Nam Un Young started to speak while frowning. ¡°We¡¯ll bepletely fair no matter what. Score it ording to the rules and give the prize!¡± If they did that, it was highly likely that M2M would not get the Rookie of the Year award. PD Hyun Joo Hyuk asked with a worried tone, ¡°Huh? What about Ara Entertainment then¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. As you said, there has to be a reasonable gap for us to cover it up and give the prize to M2M. It could backfire on us.¡± They¡¯d known each other for years, and it wasn¡¯t like they had made a deal. CP Nam Un Young knew that Ara Entertainment¡¯s Director Seo had made such threats because it had been a narrow margin. Even if they were an extremely sessful agency, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to turn their back on an entire cable broadcast station over the Rookie of the Year award, which wasn¡¯t even the top award. CP Nam Un Young gave orders to PD Hyung Joo Hyuk as he scratched his chin. ¡°Make up an award that sounds good. Tell them they can take that award if it doesn¡¯t work. We¡¯re a broadcast station, we can¡¯t keep getting dragged around by an agency.¡± Despite the contradictory nature of CP Nam Un Young¡¯s words, the PDs answered him in unison even as they clicked their tongues inwardly. *** Ilsan KINTEX*, located in Goyang City. (TL Note: Korean International Exhibition Center) It was what would soon be the location of the SVS Music Award ceremony which was starting that evening. ¡°Wow¡­I feel like I¡¯m going to die¡­¡± Ahn Hyung Seo, who had finished rehearsal, made dying sounds. The members were all utterly exhausted. There were no members who could answer him back. During a cold snap in the middle of winter, the KK members were drenched in sweat all over. Even though it was indoors, it was such arge space that the temperature was still not much different from the outside temperature. The coordinators came to distribute water and fan them. Manager Oh Baek Ho brought the camera he recorded the KK members¡¯ rehearsal performance on. The choreographer Noh Yoon Tae was next to him. Noh Yoon Tae specially came to the rehearsal site to watch over the performance for the award ceremony. The members who had been sprawled out and getting fanned all got up and gathered around the camcorder. ¡°How was it? ¡°You guys did well but¡­the formation was a little shaky in the middle.¡± Noh Yoon Tae answered when Jung Yoon Ki asked. The other members nodded their heads at Noh Yoon Tae¡¯s remark. It was because they had also noticed it as they were performing. Oh Baek Ho pressed the y button and everyone focused on the screen. There were two performances in total that KK had prepared for today. One was at SVS¡¯s suggestion, a cover of a popr song from a dance group who were hot this year. It was a remix of highlights from 5 different songs, between 2-30 seconds long for each song. The members had to memorize five separate choreographies. However, a cover performance was rather easy. Their performance after the announcement of the Rookie of the Year award results would be more difficult. It was a remix version of their debut song ¡®Sorry but I Love You¡¯ and ¡®Very Sorry¡¯, but difficult choreography was added throughout, such as acrobatic movements in a formation at the bridge. It was a choreography created from the members¡¯ andpany¡¯s strong desire to leave a big impression since it was their first award ceremony performance. The members worked very hard day and night over a short period of time for this event. ¡°It¡¯s shaky starting from here.¡± Do Wook urately pinpointed the problematic part. The members reyed the choreography in their heads and were determined not to get it wrong in the final rehearsal. 10 pm. Despite howte it was, the concert hall was packed with numerous fans. In front of the audience area, there were about 10 circr tables where the singers participating today were sitting, dressed up and waiting for the performances to start. borate sound effects and lighting poured out as the female announcer and young male actor started their MCmentary. As fireworks rose above the stage, the ¡®Music Awards¡¯ were off to a shy start. The KK members, who were sitting at a table, also apuded with an anxious heart. Soon, the open performance started with a female idol group¡¯s bubbly performance. Afterwards, the awards segment for the night was introduced with a VCR clip. The first award was none other than the Rookie of the Year award. The presenter of the award was the nation''s sweetheart, Sul Lae Im. As Sul Lae Im called out the names, the camera captured the award nominees who were sitting in their seats. ¡®¡­I think I can hear my heartbeat.¡¯ Do Wook had always been calm, but at this moment it felt like the sound of his heartbeat was pounding in his ear. The other members also all had a flushed expression. ¡°For me as well, the Rookie of the Year award I received two years ago is still the most memorable of the awards I¡¯ve received up to now. You only have one chance to win the Rookie of the Year award after you debut, so I think it¡¯s even more of an honor.¡± Sul Lae Im read the lines written on the card with a clear voice. After a pause, Sul Lae Im started to speak. ¡°This year¡¯s SVS Music Awards. The group that will get the honor of the one-shot Rookie of the Year award is¡­!¡± Sul Lae Im smiled slightly. When she yelled out the group name, shriek-like cheering erupted in the audience. On the screen were thepletely expressionless KK members. Do Wook slowly got up from his seat. ¡ª Trantor''sments: Thank you all for your support over thisst year! Thank you to White Rabbit as well for working so very hard on the PR so that we can post this extra chapter this week! Chapter 55: LAST CHANCE (1) Chapter 55: LAST CHANCE (1) The winner of the SVS Music Awards Rookie of the Year award was KK. Once Do Wook got up from his seat and started heading towards the stage, the other members, who had been in a daze, came to their senses and started to get up. The cheering for KK was so loud it was deafening. The award assistants came up and handed Sul Lae Im the trophy. Sul Lae Im handed over the trophy to Jung Yoon Ki, who was standing in front of her. Jung Yoon Ki held the trophy tight with trembling hands. Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s palms were as sweaty as, no even more sweaty than, the first time they got first ce. It was also Sul Lae Im who was handing them their first first ce trophy. When her eyes met the KK members¡¯, Sul Lae Imughed slightly. ¡°Ahh¡­¡± Sul Lae Im, who had finished presenting the award, went off stage and Jung Yoon Ki stood in front of the microphone stand. Jung Yoon Ki wasn¡¯t able to start talking right away and let out a sigh first. The KK members, who were standing in one line on both sides next to Jung Yoon Ki, were all deeply moved. Rookie of the Year award. When they had been nominated for it, there had been a part of them that had felt they were sure to win based on their poprity. However, there is no ¡®sure thing¡¯ in life. On the inte, there had been articles prematurely released that hadpared the Rookie of the Year nominees M2M and KK. The articles, which had been released when the Rookie of the Year nominees had been announced and KK had been behind in votes, had all been written from M2M¡¯s perspective. Of course, although it was Ara Entertainment who had released those articles, the KK members had also wavered a bit when they had seen articles like that. Among the factors that could predict the results, the only visible indicator was the voting poll. Back when they had constantly been behind on the polls, they had thought that they might not win the Rookie of the Year award. ¡°Don¡¯t set your expectations too high, and don¡¯t be disappointed.¡± It was something Jung Yoon Ki had often said to Suk Ji Hoon and Ahn Hyung Seo, who would say just being nominated was an honor and that they didn¡¯t care, but would vote every night on their personal ounts. At that time, Jung Yoon Ki had thought that they really might not win the Rookie of the Year award. However, as KK started rising in the polls again and became the model for Yoo Sung Electronics, the articles changed their tune, saying that KK was definitely this year¡¯s top rookie. It was true that Jung Yoon Ki, who was only human, started hoping again when he saw those articles. For the most part, that was how the members felt too. Feeling like they could win but also like they might not, yet really really wanting to win¡­ Considering how hard the members had worked, that was an inevitable desire. From the day the nominees had been announced until the day of the award ceremony today, even though there had been differences in mentality, they had all been ridden with anxiety. The audience area visible from the stage was sparkling blue. Do Wook nkly looked at those cheering lights. A very weird feeling, neither happiness nor sadness, passed over him. It was odd. It was as if he could feel the passage of time. Feeling as if he had ovee some hurdle, Do Wook felt burdened about the fact that he was standing on stage right now. ¡®This second life¡­it¡¯s such a weird feeling.¡¯ As they looked at the audience after receiving the Rookie of the Year award, the members felt their struggles before debuting, their worries and uneasiness after debuting, and their anxieties until today all wash away. ¡°Thank you very much. First, to Key Ring who made it possible for us to get the Rookie of the Year award, I love you.¡± When Jung Yoon Ki said the nickname of the fandom, the cheering erupted again briefly then died down. ¡°I¡¯m also so thankful to the members who have been working so hard together from our trainee days until now¡­¡± As he spoke, Jung Yoon Ki looked at the members next to him. On the VCR screen, you could see Ahn Hyung Seo¡¯s eyes tearing up. The other members¡¯ expressions, just as Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s expression as he spoke, were no different. Everyone¡¯s expressions were a little distorted from trying to hold back their tears from welling up due to their intense happiness. ¡°¡­To the people who have stood by us and taken care of us: Baek Ho, Ra Hee, the coordinators, Lucas, Yoon Tae, and PD Brave Only Child who gave us a great song. Thank you very very much¡­HIT Entertainment Team Leader Shim Joon, Team Leader Im Sung Ahn, Team Leader Jo Anna, Director Kwon Heung Jo, Vice President, President, thank you for guiding us like this.¡± While Jung Yoon Ki was holding back his tears, Kim Won, who was standing to his left, yelled, ¡°Key Ring! Thank you so much! I love you all!¡± Jung Yoon Ki formally passed off the microphone to Ahn Hyung Seo, who was standing to his right. ¡°Ah, ah,¡± Ahn Hyung Seo repeated the sound as if he were doing a mic test. The audience cheered on Ahn Hyung Seo, saying ¡°Don¡¯t cry! Don¡¯t cry!¡± ¡°I¡¯m also so grateful to Key Ring. When we debuted, I didn''t even dream of winning Rookie of the Year award like this¡­ssniff¡­It¡¯s all thanks to the members. I also want to thank the members'' parents who gave birth to them. Uh, mom, dad, I love you!¡± The topic of parents became a trigger and the members who were trying hard to hold back tears started to tear up. Do Wook was also reminded of his own parents. Now Do Wook had four parents that came to mind. Kim Bo Myung¡¯s parents and Kang Do Wook¡¯s parents. As long as Bo Myung¡¯s spirit was in Do Wook¡¯s body, he considered them all parents. They were given the opportunity to give eptance speeches until Do Wook¡¯s turn. Do Wook moved slowly, one step at a time, until he was in front of the microphone. The camera zoomed in on Do Wook. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Do Wook¡¯s ck pupils were like ake. ¡°Thank you everyone.¡± It was at that moment. There was a ripple in theke. A tear trickled down from Do Wook¡¯s eye. They already happened to be zoomed in on his face so even the tear mark was clearly broadcasted across the country through the screen. When they saw Do Wook, who had always been so strong, cry, not only the fans but also the members were shaken. There was a mix of shouts and inexplicable silence. The future was changing. The MCs reinstated order on the stage by continuing with their remarks. As soon as they got off the stage, KK headed towards the waiting room before they had a chance to get emotional. The performance after the next one was KK¡¯s performance. When they went back to the waiting room, Manager Oh Baek Ho and the staff cheered while they apuded. ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°Thank you-!!!¡± The members thanked the staff who weed them. Their exchanges were brief. ¡°For now let''s quickly get changed and get ready for the performance!¡± At Oh Baek Ho¡¯s words, the waiting room became busier. M2M was currently performing on stage. The next performance was KK. The members looked clean again after getting their makeup touched up with no hint left of them crying. ¡°Let¡¯s show them.¡± Do Wook, who had been quietly getting ready, said to the members. The members understoodpletely what Do Wook meant and nodded their heads as they exchanged looks. Whether it was a reward or something else, they would show it through their performance. That was the KK members¡¯ unified thought and the group¡¯s values. -What am I watching right now? -¡îK¡îK¡îCongrats¡îOn¡îRookie¡îOf¡îthe¡îYear¡îAward¡îK¡îK¡îCongrats¡îOn¡îRookie¡îOf¡îthe¡îYear¡îAward -Amazing! -They practiced a lot~ They definitely deserve to win Rookie of the Year!~~ -I have Do Wook¡¯s crying face ingrained in my brain¡­ -My heart almost exploded -Are they doing somersaults in mid-air as a group right now? Really??? -Crazy!!! -Hurrr, that¡¯s Park Tae Hyung? -Is something happening¡­? -¡îK¡îK¡îCongrats¡îOn¡îRookie¡îOf¡îthe¡îYear¡îAward The live onlinement section for the Music Awards was already on fire, but exploded once KK¡¯s performance started. Thements continued to pop up at a fast speed. The aftermath of Do Wook crying during the eptance speech had not disappeared. The ¡®Sorry but I love you + Very Sorry Remix ver.¡¯ performance that KK had prepared had choreography as borate as a non-live performance. Its highlight was a group somersault in mid-air during the bridge, before transitioning from ¡®Sorry but I Love You¡¯ to ¡®Very Sorry¡¯. The members lightly jumped simultaneously and did a flip. Cheers exploded from the audience section over the nimble movements. The reactions from the participating singers sitting in the waiting area were also outstanding. While Park Tae Hyung was doing a quick three-spin turn without reservation, the members got into formation. The song moved on to ¡®Very Sorry¡¯ during that time. When the chorus repeated with an addictive melody, the people onsite sang along to ¡®Very Sorry¡¯ as if they had be one. The members moved their bodies, enjoying the moment. Before they knew it, a screenshot of the close-up of Do Wook crying was posted on the portal site main page with the caption . And the real-time searches were stered with KK-rted words like KK, Kang Do Wook, Park Tae Hyung etc. KK¡¯s happiness didn¡¯t end there. KK won both the Performance award and the K-POP STAR award, earning the Triple Crown despite being rookies. When they won the Performance award, Park Tae Hyung and Suk Ji Hoon, the youngest, gave the eptance speech. When they received the K-POP STAR award, Kim Won went up and gave the eptance speech he prepared in English, Japanese, and Chinese fluently. At the end of the award ceremony, the tree trophies were on the KK table in the waiting area. The winner of the grand prize that evening was Sa Bang Shin Hwa, as everyone expected. True to their title, SBSH, who had almost 1,000,000 in album sales, demonstrated their dignity as the top idol star. M2M tied with KK for the K-POP STAR award, and received the ¡®Top Person¡¯ award given by the city of Goyang, which got them the Double Crown, but it was hard for them to forget the impression of losing to KK. *** After the award ceremony was over, KK headed to a restaurant near thepany for an after party as well as apany dinner. KK¡¯s Rookie of the Year award was a big reason to celebrate for the wholepany. Therefore, the HIT Entertainment Vice President and even the President were expected to personally attend today¡¯s outing, although they would be leaving after saying some words of encouragement. The members were more excited about being able to eat as much meat as they wanted and getting at least tomorrow off than they were about the President and Vice Presidenting. On the way to thepany dinner location, their excitement about it was brief and some of the members were out like a light. It was natural for them to be exhausted since they did such an intense performance over three times including rehearsal. However, even though they slept like a log, Jung Yoon Ki and Park Tae Hyung held the trophies close to their chest. Kim Won was even snoring. ¡°I guess they were really tired.¡± Suk Ji Hoon initiated a conversation with Do Wook, who was sitting next to him and looking out the window. ¡°I guess so¡­¡± Do Wook smiled faintly as he looked at the members. ¡°I don''t know if they¡¯ll be able to eat properly right after waking up.¡± ¡°If you say it¡¯s meat they¡¯ll wake up right away and eat!¡± Ahn Hyung Seo answered energetically to Oh Baek Ho¡¯s slight concern. Ahn Hyung Seo was sitting in the passenger seat and was writing a post for the fan caf¨¦. The KK fan caf¨¦ was celebrating. The fans had worked harder than anyone else when they voted online. ¡°Anyways, the President has prepared a big gift.¡± ¡°A gift? What is it, what is it?!¡± Ahn Hyung Seo took Oh Baek Ho¡¯s bait. Oh Baek Ho smiled. The KK members didn¡¯t learn what the gift was until they arrived at the location of thepany dinner. It was moving dormitories. KK was moving to a dormitory that¡¯s much bigger in square feet than their current ce. *** While they were carrying out their packed award ceremony schedule, the new year arrived. With their three rookie awards in total, KK confidently took over the position ofst year¡¯s top rookie. Do Wook especially got a lot of attention for crying during his eptance speech at the SVS Music Awards. The genuine tear shed by Do Wook, who was as handsome as a well-carved sculpture, had moved people¡¯s hearts. With the thought ¡®I want to be a roll tissue to wipe away Do Wook¡¯s tears¡¯, fans of Do Wook, who called themselves ¡®Do Wook¡¯s Roll Tissue¡¯ were increasing exponentially even during their inactive period for New Year. In the meantime, a gym in Jamsil was turned into the location for a special entertainment program for Lunar New Year. In the gym were many up-anding idol groups and solo singers with name tags on, participating regardless of gender. Also, many fans of those idols had been waiting since dawn to cheer for each team Do Wook was doing warm-up exercises and getting ready for the long-distance run. ¡ª Chapter 56: LAST CHANCE (2) Chapter 56: LAST CHANCE (2) There were 4 groups, Group 1 through 4. KK was part of Group 3. Group 3 was provided sky blue sweats. Park Tae Hyung approached Do Wook, who was rolling up the sleeves of his light blue sweatshirt. ¡°Do Wook¡­do more warm-ups. Or else you¡¯ll hurt yourself.¡± Do Wookughed when Park Tae Hyung said that and replied that he would. He then repeated squats 3-4 times. The official title for today¡¯s program was ¡®Lunar New Year Special: Idol Olympics¡¯. The MVS broadcast station ambitiously prepared this pilot program for the holidays to see how it would be received before making it a yearly holiday special. ¡®Of course this first episode, with the massive amount of hype it created, secured its ce among the special holiday entertainment programs. Although the format bes tediouster and there are so many issues that there will be a series of requests to cancel it¡­¡¯ Do Wook thought as he stretched his arms. Do Wook¡¯s fans in the audience were capturing every little bit of Do Wook¡¯s flexible movements on camera. Honestly, there would be so many participants in ¡®Idol Olympics¡¯ that it wouldn¡¯t really be worth it to be on the program; they had to keep their whole day free, and it was a program that they could get injured on. More and more celebrities and agencies would be opposed to it. There would also be a considerable amount of resistance from fans, who had to be there as the audience all day withoutpensation. However, the broadcast station benefited from it. It became a program one absolutely had to go on if told to do so, just as much as music programs or other entertainment programs. It was a program where agencies could get their rookies some exposure when they were trying to do whatever they could to grow, so they even sent their talents kicking and screaming. ¡®Anyways, at least for now it¡¯s definitely a chance to get some exposure during the Lunar New Year holiday, when it¡¯s hard to be active.¡¯ Among today¡¯s events, KK would be participating in a total of 5 events. Long jump, archery, futsal*, 100m dash, and ry race. (TL notes: To my understanding, futsal is a smaller version of ser with only a 5-person team.) Do Wook for the long jump, Jung Yoon Ki and Do Wook for the 100m dash, all the members except Suk Ji Hoon for the ry race, Park Tae Hyung and Ahn Hyung Seo for futsal, and Kim Won for archery. Do Wook, who was athletic and exercised a lot regrly, ended up participating in 3 events: the long jump, 100m dash, and the ry race. ¡°The futsal will be held at a different gymnasium right?¡± ¡°Yes¡­the events ovep so I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to cheer Won on for the archery finals.¡± Kim Won and Ahn Hyung Seo were in front of the audience area giving fan service as they blew kisses. Kim Won, who had never held an arrow before, disyed surprising focus and understanding. He scored 9 points after a little bit of practice, even scoring 10 points in the preliminaries which put him in first ce in his cluster and advanced him to the finals. The MCs sitting in the broadcasting booth were a given, but even the former national archery athletes who made a special appearance to help out were surprised by his skills. ¡°I¡¯ll be here cheering for you, then as soon as thepetition ends I¡¯ll head over to cheer on the futsal team.¡± ¡°Ok¡± Just then an announcement was made that the long jumppetition would be starting soon. The participants, who had been scattered throughout the area, started to gather around the location of thepetition. Suk Ji Hoon and Jung Yoon Ki, who were tired from recording since 8 am and had been zoning out in their seats, also got up. It was already 5 pm. ¡°Do Wook, good luck man.¡± Jung Yoon Ki gave a disheartening cheer as he yawned. Ahn Hyung Seo and Kim Won on the other hand came running from far away and were in high spirits, even singing cheering songs. As he headed towards the area prepared for the long jump, Do Wook smiled awkwardly at howpletely different the members¡¯ energies were. There were about 20 people participating in the long jump. There were no preliminaries and they went straight to the finals. Each group sent either a tall member or a slightly shorter but flexible member to participate. After he learned he would be participating in the long jump, Do Wook watched videos of athletes when he had a chance and even practiced a few times on the track. Do Wook was number 14. When he was practicing during his downtime, he was easily able to jump about 5m. He didn¡¯t absolutely have to win first ce, but he entered thepetition with the mentality that since he had to do it he might as well try for first ce. The average scores of the people ahead of him were on the higher end of 4m. However, the record was 5m 15cm. After Number 13¡¯s scores were recorded, it was Do Wook¡¯s turn. When Do Wook stepped forward, the cheering in the stadium became as loud as if it reverberated through a megaphone. ¡°You¡¯re so handsomeeeee!¡± ¡°Go Kang Do Wook!¡± When he looked towards where it was the loudest, two banners were fluttering there. ¡®A face genius is made of 99% handsome and 1% tears ¨C Do Wook¡¯s Tissue Roll -¡¯ ¡®We¡¯re rooting for you, face genius Kang Do Wook.¡¯ Do Wook read what was on the banner and grinned. He then lightly lifted his feet off the ground when the whistle blew. Do Wook ran at top speed and urately stomped his feet at the top of the take-off board. He wasn¡¯t gritting his teeth, he just had a peaceful expression. Do Wook practically flew up. From stomping on the takeoff board tonding on the ground, his entire form was precise, just like the pictures in textbooks. The audience, who had been holding their breath, erupted into cheers the second hended. The members who had been watching from the sidelines also pped. ¡°What a clean form!¡± Thementator yelled in admiration from the broadcasting booth. Do Wook¡¯s score was 5m 14cm. It was 1cm less than the record, but it was a very solid score. Do Wook was the first among the members to receive a medal. It was a silver medal. Thepetitions after the long jump were archery and futsal. In the middle of the archery final, the futsal participants had to head over to the futsal arena that was right next door. The archerypetition that was done tournament-style really made one¡¯s hands sweaty. Do Wook, Jung Yoon Ki, and Suk Ji Hoon, who were watching, felt strangely nervous every time Kim Won pulled the arrow back. Even though this Olympics was just for entertainment without much of a prize, the KK members were giving it their all once thepetitions started. Kim Won was the favorite to win the finals. Kim Won got through the first and second rounds with ease. ¡°Oh my gosh!¡± His opponent was a male solo singer from the Blue Moon Agency. Kim Won put his hands on his forehead as he looked at the trajectory of the arrow. As he expected, the arrow he shotnded precisely on 10 points. With that, the difference in score between Kim Won and the male singer was just one point. It would be decided by onest arrow. In terms of physical strength, the male solo singer could be considered to have a small advantage. ¡°Whew¡­¡± However, in terms of focus Kim Won was almost beastly. Kim Won drew a breath and stared at the target. Kim Won was the member who¡¯d make wisecracks. The fans in the cheering section became fans again then and there as they whispered about seeing Kim Won¡¯s serious side for the first time. ¡°10(ten)!¡± ¡°9(nine)!¡± The arrows Kim Won and the male solo artist shotnded on 10 points and 9 points respectively. After putting the bow down, Kim Woon ran to the members and hugged them. ¡°Wow, dude you really should be a professional archer.¡± His skills were incredible to the point that even Jung Yoon Ki, who never got too surprised, was pumped up. Do Wook also looked at Kim Won with an awestruck gaze. Kim Won scratched the back of his head and quipped. ¡°Do you think I can still do that?¡± Everyone shook their heads andughed. With Kim Won receiving a gold medal, KK had now acquired 2 medals. ¡°They¡¯re probably still in the first half of futsal. Let¡¯s head over.¡± Jung Yoon Ki led the members out of the arena. ¡°We already have two medals.¡± ¡°If we also get a medal in the 100m dashter¡­our group might win if we keep this up.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I didn¡¯t do anything.¡± ¡°You cheered us on, man. So cheer for us even harder.¡± The futsal arena was connected with the main arena by a waiting room hallway. Jung Yoon Ki and Suk Ji Hoon talked as they walked through the hallway reserved for participants and staff. Kim Won hummed. They were tired, but everyone was in a good mood from winning the medals back to back. Do Wook was thinking that since it was a program they were participating in anyways, it¡¯d be better to try to enjoy it. ¡°Huh?¡­Manager Oh?¡± Suk Ji Hoon spotted Manager Oh Baek Ho, who was standing by the inner entrance of the arena, and tilted his head. During a time when it should have been loud from the futsal game, the arena was unexpectedly quiet. The game was currently suspended. Even Oh Baek Ho¡¯s expression was unmistakably unusual. The members quickened their steps. Once they entered the futsal arena, Oh Baek Ho and the filming staff were gathered by the entrance. They saw Ahn Hyung Seo on the ground in the back getting medical treatment and Park Tae Hyung next to him, shaken. Oh Baek Ho was having a serious conversation with the staff so the members, including Do Wook, immediately headed towards Ahn Hyung Seo. ¡°Hyung Seo!¡± ¡°What happened?¡± When they entered the arena, they could tell that the vibe was definitely uneasy. The fans in the fan area were clearly stirred up, concerned for Ahn Hyung Seo. ¡°Are you guys already done?¡± ¡°Hey! Are you ok?!¡± Jung Yoon Ki and Ahn Hyung Seo usually bickered with each other, but Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s expression immediately hardened when he saw Ahn Hyung Seo sitting down icing his leg. It was the image of an older brother concerned for his little brother. Do Wook, along with the other members, frowned. ¡°Wow, I¡¯m kind of touched by everyone¡¯s worried faces~!¡± ¡°Do you think this is the time to joke?¡± Seeing how serious Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s face was, Ahn Hyung Seo cleared his throat. However, feeling that he was a little harsh out of concern, Jung Yoon Ki apologized to Ahn Hyung Seo. Park Tae Hyung exined the situation instead. ¡°Well¡­Hyung Seo was running with the ball and got tackled,¡± ¡°Oh my gosh! Tackled? Who did that?!!!¡± Worked up, Kim Won interrupted Park Tae Hyung but Ahn Hyung Seo waved his hands. ¡°No! He didn¡¯t get hurt from the tackle. After the tackle hi legs gave out or something and he fell.¡± ¡°Yes¡­but¡­¡± Park Tae Hyung confirmed Ahn Hyung Seo''s exnation with a somewhat dubious expression. Park Tae Hyung was running next to him. From his perspective, the tackle was clearly aiming for the Achilles tendon. Do Wook asked calmly, ¡°Who¡¯s the one that tackled him?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­M2M¡¯s Seo Jun.¡± ¡°It was just a situation that warranted a tackle.¡± Ahn Hyung Seo exined to the riled up members. Ahn Hyung Seo would normally make a fuss even over a paper cut, but now that everyone was worried he was being mature. Of course that probably was the case. However, the members, who had no one to me, wanted to put the me on Seo Jun. Do Wook¡¯s thoughts were a little different. Do Wook looked around and spotted Seo Kang Jun among the other participants who were resting due to thepetition being suspended. At that moment, he made eye contact with Seo Kang Jun who happened to be looking that way. ¡®If it¡¯s Seo Jun¡­¡¯ Seo Kang Jun looked like he was in a good mood, he was smiling at Do Wook unlike when he usually saw Do Wook. A chill went down Do Wook¡¯s spine. ¡®I¡¯m certain. He tackled him on purpose.¡¯ Do Wook clenched his fist. As Do Wook predicted, Seo Kang Jun, who lost his round, maliciously tackled Ahn Hyung Seo, who was running with the ball, to scare him because the game wasn¡¯t going well for them. Thepetition was one thing, but he also wanted to vent his frustration for KK ¡®stealing¡¯ the Rookie of the Year award. Seo Kang Jun genuinely believed that the Rookie of the Year award, that he was so sure would be his, had been stolen from him. Seo Kang Jun¡¯s tackle skillfully passed by Ahn Hyung Seo¡¯s legs, which made it seem like a legitimate tackle while going for the ball. Because of that, it wasn¡¯t even a foul. Ahn Hyung Seo, who briefly fell because of the tackle, got up right away. However, the pain from the graze was severe. Ahn Hyung Seo, who ran a little more after that, eventually fell and sprained his leg. Although he wanted to immediately run after Seo Jang Jun and punch him, Do Wook bit his lips. ¡®It¡¯s hard to change or protect a future that I didn¡¯t know about in the previous life. After all, I can¡¯t know everything¡­¡¯ Do Wook, who had briefly med himself because he thought the reason he wasn¡¯t able to prevent Ahn Hyung Seo¡¯s injury was because he wascking, shook his head. He didn¡¯t think he could change everything or prevent anything in the first ce. Even if Do Wook had tried to stop it, Seo Kang¡¯s evil nature would not change. Do Wook ignored Seo Kang Jun, who wasughing, and turned his head. ¡®Let¡¯s see how long you canugh. You¡¯ll end up hitting rock bottom.¡¯ After he was done talking to the filming staff, Oh Baek Ho headed towards where the members were gathered. Thankfully it didn¡¯t seem like a serious injury, but Oh Baek Ho nodded his head to the medical staff¡¯s advice to get a thorough check-up. ¡°You guys will be ok on your own right? Ra Hee will be staying here.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not kids. Please take him to the hospital quickly.¡± Oh Baek Ho, who patted Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s shoulder, helped Ahn Hyung Seo get up along with the medical staff. Onlookers were abuzz, expressing their concern. Ahn Hyung Seo headed to the hospital. Even in this situation, Park Tae Hyung still had to participate in thepetition. Thepetition resumed with the standby yer entering the field. The highlight of today¡¯s recording, the ry, was thestpetition. The participants for the ry, which was a team match instead of a group match, included M2M and KK. It was a big match between the rookies. ¡ª Chapter 57: LAST CHANCE (3) Chapter 57: LAST CHANCE (3) The 100m dash finished. In the finals, Jung Yoon Ki unfortunately got 4th ce and Do Wook got 2nd ce, getting KK one more silver medal nevertheless. The celebrities as well as the fans were exhausted from filming since dawn. Once it gotter in the evening, there started to be empty spaces here and there as younger fans left the filming location. On top of that, KK fans were feeling down because of Ahn Hyung Seo¡¯s injury. As soon as the 100m dash was over, the KK members went to the audience area. They also had a big box with them. The fans got excited that KK came up so close to them. Do Wook started to speak. ¡°You all must be exhausted.¡± ¡°Not at all-!!!¡± ¡°Hyung Seo¡¯s not hurt too badly so don¡¯t worry too much.¡± ¡°Okayyyy-!!!¡± At Do Wook¡¯s reassuring words, the KK fans replied in unison as if saying they had never been feeling down. They responded in a really high pitch and with incredible unity. It seemed like a kindergarten teacher and well-behaved children. When they saw Do Wook smiling at their response, the fans who were holding the Do Wook banners covered their mouths with their hands. ¡°There¡¯s only the ry left~! Let¡¯s all keep it up until the end!¡± It was none other than Suk Ji Hoon who yelled that. When the blunt youngest winked, the fans went crazy. After the rest of the members gave their greetings, they started taking out one bread at a time from the box. At Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s suggestion to do something nice for the dedicated fans, the idea Do Wook brought up was distributing snacks. Under Do Ra Hee¡¯s leadership, the fan managers quickly distributed the snacks to the fans. When other idol fans saw KK fans eating snacks they personally received from the members, they whispered among themselves. 10 pm. Seeing as it was more than about time they¡¯d be hungry, they couldn¡¯t help but be jealous. To prevent further dy in recording, the track for the ry was quickly prepared. The first ry was a match between the female idol groups, Milky Way and Pinky Girls. The KK members cheered for Milky Way, who were from the same agency on top of being in the same group for today¡¯s ¡®Idol Olympics¡¯ as they were wearing the same sky blue sweatsuit. The second ry was a match between the solo singers, andstly the third ry was a match between KK and M2M. The KK members did some light warm-ups. ¡°Guys, I apologize in advance.¡± Although he didn¡¯t participate in a single event because he wasn¡¯t athletic, Suk Ji Hoon, who ended up running in the ry due to Ahn Hyung Seo¡¯s injury, muttered dejectedly. Jung Yoon Ki patted the depressed Suk Ji Hoon¡¯s back. ¡°Just do your best, man!¡± ¡°Yeah, and don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You just have to trust in Do Wook.¡± The members looked at Do Wook, who ced 2nd in the 100m dash, and stared at him with a gaze full of pressure. Do Wookughed and averted his eyes without a word. In front of them, the M2M members were also doing warm-ups. Oh Bin, who was stretching his legs, saw Do Wook and waved his hands vigorously. Do Wook alsofortably greeted Oh Bin. Behind Oh Bin, Seo Kang Jun was frowning. ¡°What are you happy about, you desperate* bastard.¡± (TL note: it was really talking about someone with no self-respect/pride, which is why Do Wook¡¯s thought 3 paragraphs below says ¡°self-respect¡±) It was a voice low enough for only Oh Bin and Do Wook, who was paying attention to Oh Bin, could hear. Oh Bin¡¯s expression hardened. Do Wook was unexpectedly surprised at Seo Kang Jun today that he would talk with such a tone even to a fellow member. It seemed like he had subconsciously been differentiating between the student Seo Kang Jun who used to harass him and the celebrity Seo Kang Jun. ¡®He doesn¡¯t even know what real self-respect is.¡¯ Bang-! With that signal, the ry started. KK won the Rookie of the Year award by andslide but there were still people who called KK and M2M rivals. The fans were still wary of each other. Among the cheering heard in the stadium today, the two sides were cheering the loudest. KK¡¯s first member was Jung Yoon Ki, and for M2M it was Seo Kang Jun. Seo Kang Jun was the second fastest member in M2M. He ced 3rd in the 100m dash. M2M¡¯s strategy was to widen the gap at the start. Seo Kang Jun was one step ahead of Jung Yoon Ki and passed the baton off to the next person. However, in a ry, teamwork while passing and receiving the baton was as important as running. In that regard, KK was significantly superior to M2M. At that moment, the KK members moved as one body. ¡°Everyone¡¯s really fast¡­¡± Suk Ji Hoon muttered with his jaw dropped. They didn¡¯t say it aloud because it was embarrassing, but with Ahn Hyung Seo out from the injury, the KK members wanted to try even harder andfort Ahn Hyung Seo with a victory. Suk Ji Hoon, who was taking Ahn Hyung Seo¡¯s ce, felt even more responsible. However, the overwhelming difference in skills wasn¡¯t something they could ovee with willpower. A gap appeared between the two teams, who used to be neck and neck, after Suk Ji Hoon and Oh Bin¡¯s turn. Suk Ji Hoon was about a ? of a track behind. It was the final match now. Suk Ji Hoon passed on the baton to Do Wook and breathed heavily. M2M¡¯s final participant was short but as fast as a flying squirrel. If Ahn Hyung Seo were here, they would have had simr physiques. As he looked at the M2M member in front of him, Do Wook grit his teeth and started running at top speed. ¡®It¡¯s good I saved my stamina.¡¯ Do Wook¡¯s goal was winning the ry rather than an individual victory at the 100m dash. He felt If they lost the ry while Ahn Hyung Seo was gone, the injured Ahn Hyung Seo would feel bad. ¡°Woah, awesome!¡± ¡°Wow- Crazy.¡± The members, the attendees watching the ry, and the fans were jumping up and down. The MCs in the booth were speechless. They had been preparing to talk about M2M¡¯s victory thinking KK would probably lose. ¡°What is with Kang Do Wook? He was called a monster rookie, isn¡¯t he truly a monster?¡± ¡°I guess there¡¯s no need for words.¡± One big stride after another, Do Wook¡¯s long legs were quickly catching up with the runner in front of him. His strides were long, and they were fast. It was a pretty big gap but he caught up before long. The M2M member was in no way slow either. Do Wook ran with all his might until thest second. After winning, he headed towards the members who were waiting and cheering for him from far away. The members ran to him and hugged him. ¡°KK! KK¡¯s Kang Do Wook did it! Victory goes to KK!¡± ¡°Incredible, truly. With that, KK has a total of 4 medals. It looks like KK¡¯s group, Group 3, will win by andslide.¡± From beginning to end, everything had been an absolute battle. On top of that, turning the tides. It contained all the charm of sports. Somehow more worked up than when they got first ce on the music program, the KK members lifted Do Wook and tossed him in the air amid the cheering of fans. As the broadcasters said, Group 3 that KK was part of won thanks to KK. Do Wook, who was the individual with the most medals, stood on the podium. The tediously long recording ended as the confetti congratting their victory fell. ¡°This day felt like it was 48 hours long. I¡¯m so tired.¡± Jung Yoon Ki said as they headed towards the waiting room to get changed, after saying goodbye to the fans who had stayed with them this whole time. ¡°Still, it feels nice to win.¡± Do Wook said. Park Tae Hyung nodded his head enthusiastically. As the rest of the members went into the waiting room, Do Wook, who was at the end, saw Seo Kang Jun heading towards the bathroom alone. Do Wook excused himself saying he was going to the bathroom real quick and headed towards Seo Kang Jun. Do Wook called out to Seo Kang Jun when he was about one step away, causing him to stop. ¡°Seo Jun.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Sunbae*.¡± (TL note: Sunbae is what you call someone who is your senior at school, work etc.) Seo Kang Jun had an expression as if Do Wook btedly adding ¡°sunbae¡± was outrageous. He was already irritated by Do Wook the most out of the KK members because of his off-putting gaze. ¡°Be careful from now on.¡± ¡°Who do you think you are, talking casually to me? Be careful?¡± ¡°We¡¯re the same age and you¡¯re not using honorifics either. Then me just adding ¡®sunbae'' is good enough, isn¡¯t it? Sunbae?¡± Do Wook was regrly praised for being very polite to the staff. Even Seo Kang Jun knew that despite not liking him, because Do Wook was also good at greeting the M2M manager. He didn¡¯t expect that such a person would confront him like this. All Seo Kang Jun could do was look dumbfounded. ¡°Because you¡¯ll continue to lose and fall like you did today before you can even climb very high.¡± ¡°You crazy bastard. Hey, you ass¡­¡± Still, since he was aware that they had just finished recording, Seo Kang Jun stopped himself from cussing and looked around the surroundings. The hallway waspletely empty. ¡°I¡¯m saying be careful of your head. When you fall to the ground, that is.¡± Seo Kang Jun raised his hand as if he were going to punch him any second, but stopped. He used to have a bad habit of resorting to violence, but he was someone who even made it into Hollywood in the past. He seemed to have learned at least this much self-restraint. Do Wook snickered at Seo Kang Jun and left. ¡®Why hadn¡¯t I been able to say anything to someone like that before and had just let it happen¡­¡¯ At the same time he thought Seo Kang Jun was pathetic, he thought his past self was pathetic. However, the future was undoubtedly changing. Do Wook walked quickly. Even more quickly, even more cruelly, the day he would get his revenge on Seo Kang Jun was inching closer. *** When they returned to the dormitory after finishing all the recording, Ahn Hyung Seo was lying on the bed sleeping after getting a proper cast from the hospital. Since he had gone to the hospital in the middle of recording, it was understandable that he was drained. The cast was just to keep his leg in ce, he was definitely not in a serious state. It was to the point that he just had to take it easy and monitor his progress for about one week. Still, moving around was ufortable and not being able to practice dancing for a whole week was a huge burden to Ahn Hyung Seo. It was really lucky that it was an inactive period. Do Wook wasn¡¯t thinking of going as far as dering war on Seo Kang Jun, but it also wasn¡¯t a rash, thoughtless action. They said the injury wasn¡¯t Seo Kang Jun¡¯s fault, but he didn¡¯t want to just let the Ahn Hyung Seo incident go. Do Wook needed something to help whip himself back into shape after inevitably loosening up following their Rookie of the Year award win. With his personality, it was obvious that Seo Kang Jun wasn¡¯t going to just ignore it. ¡®He must be going even crazier to trample on KK, especially me. Still, the more he tries to trample on us, the more Seo Kang Jun will be trampled on.¡¯ The next day, KK was given a day off. However, Do Wook headed to thepany immediately after lunch. As soon as possible, he wanted to even more perfectly prepare their next album. Do Wook was now halfway to being producer-status for KK. The Album Production Team Leader Shim Joon also talked with Do Wook about the KK album concept and songs, almost to the level of PD Yong Soo Chul. Do Wook first went to find Yong Soo Chul, who was most likely at the studio, and wanted to have an in-depth discussion with him about the title song. ¡°Hello Mr. PD.¡± ¡°Oh¡­you¡¯re here.¡± Yong Soo Chul was sitting kind of sprawled out on the sofa provided for the studio instead of on a chair in front of the machine. Additionally, his expression wasn¡¯t bright. ¡°Mr. PD, should Ie back at ater time if you¡¯re tired?¡± ¡°Ah, no. When is a working person not tired?¡± Yong Soo Chul got up, sat up straight, and tried to smile. However, Yong Soo Chu¡¯s darkened expression didn¡¯t go away easily. Typically Yong Soo Chul would bring up the song first and show enthusiasm, but there were no signs of that at all. He wasn¡¯t in the mood to talk about the song right away. ¡°Is he worried about something? What is it? Something that could worry PD Yong Soo Chul¡­Could it be¡­¡¯ Do Wook was looking for the right words in his head during the silence. Yong Soo Chul started to speak first. ¡°Mmm¡­I thought I should tell you Do Wook, no, Mr. Do Wook, before I tell thepany.¡± With a serious expression, Do Wook waited for Yong Soo Chul to continue. Do Wook thought it might be the case, but he felt it was too early for ¡®that incident¡¯ to happen. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to produce KK albums anymore.¡± It was something that would have inevitably happened at some point. Just as Yong Soo Chul¡¯s debut as aposer was elerated, his going his separate way from KK had also been elerated. Do Wook slowly nodded his head. ¡ª Chapter 58: LAST CHANCE (4) Chapter 58: LAST CHANCE (4) ¡®Even in the past reality, PD Yong Soo Chul had made his name known through his projects with KK and had been sessful in getting KK established to a certain degree.¡¯ Do Wook quickly organized his thoughts. Even now ¡®Sorry but I Love You¡¯ was very popr, and while the subsequent song he hadposed had been a different songpared to Very Sorry¡¯ from the past due to Do Wook''s involvement, he had still be a sess by making songs with medium to high beats one after another. Offers were now flooding in from all over the ce for Brave Only Child, who hadposed two or so albums with KK. The job of aposer was more like a frencer anyways even if they temporarily joined apany, unless you were the organizer who raised that group. Brave Only Child had no reason to absolutely have to be tied to HIT Entertainment. HIT Entertainment did provide him with the studio, but the contract between Brave Only Child and HIT Entertainment wasn¡¯t an exclusive contract, but an album-based one. ¡®Even back then he made about two albums. The reason this is happening earlier is because he started working with KK earlier. KK¡¯s debut was earlier too. Still¡­¡¯ Do Wook looked at Yong Soo Chul. ¡®Still, KK needs his songs. For now, there¡¯s nobody who can express KK¡¯s current group style as well as Yong Soo Chul.¡¯ Yong Soo Chul was fiddling with the gold ne which was practically a part of him. It was a habit of his that came out whenever he had a lot on his mind. Yong Soo Chul couldn¡¯t be at ease either. The project he worked on with Do Wook taught him the joy of working together, and fortune and fame weren''t the only things he gained from working on KK albums. He had been with KK since their debut and found it rewarding to watch them as they went from rookies with nothing to well-known stars through his song. ¡°Do you have a particr reason? Could it be that working on projects with us¡­¡± ¡°No! Thanks to you, not only was I able to debut as aposer, but also create a song like ¡®Very Sorry¡¯ that will stay with me forever. Thepany treated me well too, it¡¯s not that there¡¯s a problem. And honestly there¡¯s a part of me that wants to keep working together¡­¡± ¡°Then why¡­¡± ¡°I just want to try something new.¡± Yong Soo Chul was someone who had a strong desire for challenge, even in the original timeline. That was also the reason he gave up being a nightclub DJ to start doingposition. ¡°Try something new?¡± ¡°Recently I received a request from the productionpany for the female solo artist ¡®Jainie¡¯ to produce their next album. Producing a female solo artist¡¯s album would be apletely different challenge than producing for KK." Do Wook, who had been patiently listening to what Yong Soo Chul was saying, raised an eyebrow when he heard the name ¡®Jainie¡¯. Jainie was a rookie who had debuted with a single about 2 months ago. She was quickly capturing the hearts of many male fans with her clear and clean voice and innocent image. ¡®But it really doesn¡¯t go well with PD Yong Soo Chul¡¯s songs. One of two things will happen. Either the PD¡¯s song will fail, or Jainie¡¯s image will fail.¡¯ Additionally, there was an even bigger issue. ¡®Jainie disappears in less than a year due to allegations of having a sponsor*.¡¯ (TL Note: Here, sponsor here means having someone rich/powerful back you up in exchange for sexual favors.) He tried not to make it obvious, but Do Wook couldn''t help but harden his expression. Yong Soo Chul continued. ¡°Additionally, it¡¯s a project for thetter half of the year, but I also got a request to produce for a girl group that hasn¡¯t debuted yet. It¡¯s also a job I really want to try doing.¡± ¡°Ah¡­I see. With your skills, you¡¯ll definitely do great. ¡° Yong Soo Chul thought Do Wook would try to change his mind. His expression softened when he heard Do Wook say he¡¯d do well. Yong Soo Chul was about to say thank you, but Do Wook stopped him. ¡°But, Mr. PD.¡± ¡°Yes, what is it?¡± Do Wook had two reasons why he absolutely had to get Yong Soo Chul to stay. The first reason was KK. KK needed Yong Soo Chul¡¯s song one more time. The second reason was for Yong Soo Chul¡¯s sake. Working with Jainie would only make Yong Soo Chul¡¯s future gloomy. As for the other request from the girl group for thetter half of the year, Do Wook could guess who the girl group was. Even originally, Yong Soo Chul had be the producer for a rookie girl group around that time. Then that girl group had be a huge sess like KK. ¡°Are there no more projects you want to do with KK anymore?¡± It had only been two times. It was possible that Yong Soo Chul still had one or so songs he wanted to work on with KK. Do Wook asked in a quiet voice. ¡°The reason you were unsure is because you still have songs you want to do with KK, right?¡± ¡°Huuu¡­.That¡¯s correct.¡± ¡°There will probably be more opportunities to work with you even if it¡¯s not this time, but it seems like there¡¯s things you have to do ¡®now¡¯.¡± Yong Soo Chul also understood what Do Wook meant. The genre for KK¡¯s album this time was the same as their debut album, a mix of pop and hip hop, but they nned on emphasizing more on a hip hop image than pop. It was Do Wook¡¯s idea to make hip hop the main genre. Do Wook had caught on ahead of others that the hip hop sound would soon be trending. Yong Soo Chul also thought ¡°is this the next big thing?¡± after seeing how the US market trend was going, but wasn¡¯t certain. However, Do Wook was certain. With the hip hop sound decided as its main, the concept for KK was ¡®burning youth full of longing to head towards freedom¡¯. That was all that had been discussed so far, but it was a project Yong Soo Chul had always wanted to work on. The project with Jainie would probably be a bad or apletely different genre. As Do Wook said, this music and concept was only possible for KK ¡®now¡¯. There was no guarantee that that concept would still be relevant for KK¡¯s next album or the album after that. ¡°Mr. PD, our album, please work on our album one more time. If you¡¯re producing for the girl group in thetter half of the year, there¡¯s not too much of a rush either. To be honest, I think this will also be more suitable for you instead of producing for Jainie.¡± ¡°No, Do Wook. Thank you for being honest with me. One reason I told you before telling thepany was because I wanted to hear your thoughts.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Yong Soo Chul looked at Do Wook. He was now 20 years old. Do Wook, who just became an adult, earned his trust even at 19 with the same seriousness as he had now. Yong Soo Chul¡¯s trust in Do Wook only got stronger as they worked together and had not wavered even once. Do Wook had such a precocious sense of meticulousness through and through, to the point that it was admirable. After hearing what Do Wook had to say, Yong Soo Chul came to the conclusion that he was so excited about the offers pouring in, that he got ahead of himself in deciding to try something new. Yong Soo Chul decided not to waver or worry anymore. Of course his sess was because his songs were good, but in a way he was indebted to Do Wook for getting him to where he is now. Since it was for Do Wook, he could work on at least one more album together as a token of his gratitude, but even when he thought about it rationally he¡¯de to the same conclusion. ¡°Then I guess it¡¯ll be good to tell thepany that this album will be thest.¡± ¡°¡­.Thank you, Mr. PD.¡± ¡°I look forward to working with you again.¡± Yong Soo Chul held out his hand as he stood up from his seat. Do Wook quickly grabbed his hand. As soon as they let go after a very firm handshake, Yong Soo Chul headed to the seat in front of the machine and sat down. ¡°For now, do you want to listen to the beats I thought of since you said to have a hip hop sound as the main?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯d love to!¡± Do Wook casually sat in the seat next to Yong Soo Chul. Boom, boom boom boom¡­When he pressed the button, the beats Yong Soo Chul was talking about started to y. ¡®Yes, this is it!¡¯ Do Wook focused on listening. The beats Yong Soo Chul had made were exactly the vibe Do Wook wanted. And so the work on the song for KK¡¯s second mini album ¡®LAST DANCE¡¯ started. *** As the album preparation went into full swing, a meeting was held with all the members present. It was a big meeting with the team leaders and staff including Manager Oh. At today¡¯s meeting, they would, of course, finalize the concept for their album ¡®LAST DANCE¡¯ as well as figure out a general n for their active period. ¡®This is as far as it goes with Brave Only Child. Next, I have to figure out something else for what¡¯sing afterwards. Of course the best way would be for me to step up to the producer role myself¡­Will I really be able to do it?¡¯ For Do Wook, there was a need for him to think about future albums just as much as he had to think about their current album. Because of that, he was working extra hard every day on making songs. ¡®Of course thepany will probably also prepare for it¡­¡¯ It was when Do Wook was lost in his own thoughts while sitting in the conference room. The meeting started as the Fan Marketing Team intern distributed the paper their team prepared. Album Production Team Leader Shim Joon summarized the overall album concept. ¡°It¡¯s going to be an album focusing heavily on hip hop. The keywords for the concept are ¡®Freedom and passion¡¯.¡± The KK members nodded their heads vigorously as they looked at the PowerPoint slides on the screen in the front. There were high expectations, as well as pressure, for this album from everyone. ¡®Very Sorry¡¯ had record-breaking sess, and ¡®Windy Day¡¯ was also loved by many people despite being repackaged. Everyone was thinking to a certain degree that they had to do even better. In that regard, the draft of the song ¡®LAST DANCE¡¯ that they listened to was a good song that could relieve the anxiety to a certain extent. Additionally, the concept was something they were incredibly skilled at. When they were told they would be able to act out being free and full of passion in their performances, everyone expressed confidence in its sess. Rappers Jung Yoon Ki and Kim Won, who wanted to be able to move more freely on stage, were especially confident. ¡°Hmmm¡­for the choreography and outfits we n on going with the same direction so that it doesn¡¯t conflict with the concept. Choreographer Noh Yoon Tae will be in charge of the choreography.¡± Team Leader Jo Anna continued the meeting with her signature slightly-condescending tone. ¡°Most likely the styling will be a more important factor for this performance. As such, we¡¯re looking for a stylist who would fit the hip hop vibe well.¡± Once they finished discussing the album concept, the next thing to discuss was the schedule for the active period. The KK members provided their input regarding the active period here and there. Doing many music broadcasts was definitely good, but they wanted to perform on even bigger stages as well as do lots of individual activities. As the leader, Jung Yoon Ki also asked them to find a good bnce since the quality of the performances would suffer if they had too many events scheduled. Team Leader Jo Anna asked Oh Baek Ho, who was sitting across from her. ¡°Manager Oh? What do you think?¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± Manager Oh was someone who strongly believed in ¡®striking while the iron is hot¡¯. For the first time in a while, Oh Baek Ho had to be ¡®Manager Oh¡¯ instead of ¡®Big Brother Baek Ho¡¯. ¡°I¡¯ll at least consider it for now.¡± Since reducing their schedule load wasn¡¯t a simple problem, they moved on to the next topic. ¡°Also, we n on doing one reality show as a way to fill the gap between 2 weeks before theeback up until right before theeback, as well as to promote theeback but¡­¡± As she flipped to the next page on the paperid out in front, Team Leader Jo Anna pushed her temple. ¡°Two offers came in so we have to make a choice.¡± At Team Leader Jo Anna¡¯s gesture, the KK members also looked down at the paper. Do Wook¡¯s eyes, who had beenparing the two papers, grew wide. 1. 2. Do Wook looked at the second paper carefully. ¡®No way¡­.THAT Shin Yoon Ho?!¡¯ ¡ª Chapter 59: A New Discovery (1) Chapter 59: A New Discovery (1) The two programs¡¯ nning intent and content was generally simr. The format was filming KK¡¯s process of preparing for theireback and their dormitory life. The difference was that one of it had missions for them toplete here and there. ¡°The two are simr, but one is public and one is cable so we¡¯re leaning towards SVS.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Looking at it, there isn¡¯t much difference so going with SVS is definitely¡­¡± Manager Oh Baek Ho also agreed with what Team Leader Jo Anna said. However, the reason Team Leader Jo couldn¡¯t make a decision easily was because of the program time slot. In the case of SVS, it was midnight on a weekday as a 4 part series of 25 minutes each. TBN was Saturday evening 10 pm, a 4 part series of 50 minutes each, with 1 extra episode included as a special broadcast. ¡°Still, wouldn¡¯t going with TBN be better? TBN specializes in idol reality shows too.¡± ¡°Even if the time slot is good, only fans watch these programs anyways. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to be able to say we did an exclusive variety show with SVS?¡± ¡°If only fans are going to watch it anyways, we can post it online. There¡¯s a reason broadcast studios are broadcast studios. I think it¡¯s better to be on during prime time for an hour.¡± ¡°No. If that''s the case, SVS would be the better choice. Public TV isn''t public for no reason.¡± There was a debate between Manager Oh Baek Ho and the Fan Marketing staff. They were at odds. Even among the other staff there were divided opinions. The members said they would follow whatever thepany decided either way. It was hard for the members to decide too. ¡°Excuse me¡­but¡­¡± At that moment, Do Wook started to speak. ¡°What is it?¡± When Do Wook raised his hand, Team Leader Jo Anna saw him right away and asked him. Everyone present, including the staff and Oh Baek Ho who had been arguing, looked at him. ¡°I feel that the content of the program is important too.¡± ¡°If you look at the documents, the format is simr isn¡¯t it? And that¡¯s why we''re in this bind.¡± Team Leader Jo Anna answered sharply. Do Wook nodded his head. ¡°Even if it¡¯s the same format, I think that the end product could be very different depending on the editing and directing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Team Leader Jo agreed. However, that was something you couldn¡¯t tell until after you tried. Whether it¡¯s PD Im Ho or PD Shin Yoon Ho, they both didn¡¯t have that much experience doing programs and were rookie PDs who had recently moved up from assistant producer to producer. ¡°We had a phone meeting with the PDs as well. They both said simr things.¡± ¡°¡­was one side more assertive by any chance?¡± ¡°Assertive, in that regard PD Im was a little more so?¡± At Team Leader Jo¡¯s response, Do Wook scowled in an unnoticeable way. the PD Do Wook wanted was PD Shin Yoon Ho. Manager Oh Baek Ho interjected. ¡°Then it sounds like SVS is definitely the way to go!¡± Do Wook continued and posed another question. ¡°Then which of them knew more about us?¡± Both phone calls were less than 20 minutes. Team Leader Jo, who had been trying to recall the conversations, replied as if she had remembered something. ¡°That would be PD Shin. He talked about what aspect he would focus on as he went through each person¡¯s unique personality one at a time.¡± Do Wook, who had gotten the response he wanted, said to Team Leader Jo. ¡°I think that it¡¯d be good if someone who understands our experiences a little more does it. Especially since it¡¯s our first solo variety program, a reality program at that. The program will probably firmly capture each individual¡¯s personal image.¡± ¡°Understanding¡­that¡¯s something the PDs will do as they film and edit to give it character.¡± Team Leader Jo Anna replied as if saying it wasn¡¯t a big deal. Do Wook was getting nervous because it felt like things weren¡¯t going his way. Do Wook¡¯s reason for thinking he absolutely had to do a program with PD Shin Yoon Ho was simple. PD Im Ho was actually a PD Do Wook didn¡¯t know. The fact that Do Wook, who had also been a part of the industry previously, hadn¡¯t heard of him meant there was a high possibility that he was a normal PD who wasn¡¯t particrly good nor bad. However, PD Shin Yoon Ho was different. Even ordinary nning that anyone could do became somehow special in PD Shin Yoon oO¡¯s hands. ¡®He¡¯s a PD who will be a huge sess. To the point that he could be called his own brand¡­He¡¯ll be a huge sess with not only variety shows but also with dramas one couldn¡¯t even imagine.¡® There was no knowing when an opportunity like this woulde again. Of course if KK continued to be sessful, they could have a chance to work with PD Shin Yoon Ho again. However, it would be beneficial for many reasons to create a good rtionship with PD Shin Yoon Ho while he was still a rookie. ¡°Whether it¡¯s immediately orter, going with PD Shin Yoon Ho is much better. How can I¡­¡¯ While Do Wook was lost in thought, the staff started sharing their opinions again. There were many opinions regarding initiative and understanding too. Team Leader Jo cleaned up the area. ¡°Ok. Let¡¯s stop here. We have divided opinions so our team will discuss it among ourselves first before making a decision.¡± Since they honestly had nothing to lose no matter what they decided on, Manager Oh and the other staff agreed. The members were going to do that in the first ce anyways. ¡®It¡¯s not like I can tell them I know the future¡­¡¯ Even Do Wook, who couldn¡¯t find a particr reason to actively rmend PD Shin Yoon Ho, had no choice but to nod his head. Do Wook¡¯s expression as he left the conference room was gloomy and apprehensive. *** The next day, in Fan Marketing Team Leader Jo Anna¡¯s office. Team Leader Jo Anna, who was wearing a bright blue suit, was sitting in her seat and had been on a call. Im Ho and Shin Yoon Ho. Team Leader Jo, who had spoken with both PDs back to back, had a bright expression. The two programs had put in an offer because they wanted KK. The broadcast station had probably also looked into them before reaching out, but HIT Entertainment also happened to be considering doing a solo reality variety program with KK. Additionally, in terms of timing and conditions both offers were amazing. Although KK was an up-anding group and the broadcast studio had submitted an offer first. HIT Entertainment didn¡¯t hold all the cards. They couldn¡¯t put it off and take their time weighing the options. They had to give a response as soon as possible before the opportunity was given to another singer. Team Leader Jo Anna had called SVS¡¯s PD Im Ho first. ¡°Either making the time slot one hour earlier¡­or extending the amount of airtime. Is there any aspect that can be adjusted?¡± PD Im Ho had immediately expressed his disapproval. He had just barely managed to stop the higher ups from scrapping the program so there was no more he could do. Team Leader Jo had immediately picked up why PD Im had no choice but to be pushy. If he was really reaching out to them because he wanted to make a good variety program with KK as the stars, he wouldn''t have responded in such a manner. ¡®Having someone at least on KK¡¯s level on the show was probably the Maginot Line* of the conditions for approving it.¡¯ (TL Note: Maginot Line refers to the fortified line of defense built in 1929 named after the French minister of war Andre Maginot. It is used to refer to something as the absolutest chance or absolute necessity/requirement.) It was obvious that the program would suffer even more if KK declined toe on, so he was taking a aggresive approach. After having hung up, the question Team Leader Jo had posed to PD Shin Yoon Ho was a little different. ¡°We actually also received an offer from elsewhere. Is there anything more¡­¡± -When you do theeback performance at TBN, we¡¯re thinking about doing the stage setting ourselves. Would that be enough? Typically for music broadcasts, it was the singer¡¯s agency that prepared the extra setting for the stage, not the broadcast station. Obviously the more grand the stage is, the more it costs. and the agency covered the entire cost under this system. Furthermore, the cost that the agency took on would be settled from the artist¡¯s earningster. He had spoken in a slightly dull tone. However, before she had even been able to ask if they could possibly do any more, PD Shin Yoon Ho had given a reply. Also, during the call Team Leader Jo Anna casually and lightly asked both PDs the same question. She had asked their thoughts on KK¡¯s music. ¡°It¡¯s trendy. They¡¯re one step ahead but they don¡¯t feel excessive. You could say the fact that they constantly maintain their top position is amazing. Their star power shines even more because their musical talent backs them up.¡± PD Shin Yoon Ho had given an in-depth exnation this time as well. ¡°That, well, everyone knows their songs are good.¡± On the other hand, PD Im Ho¡¯s response had been generic andckadaisical. He also hadn¡¯t given off the vibe that he was excited to get to know more about it. Team Leader Jo Anna had been able to make a decision immediately. Initiative as well as understanding about KK. The questions Team Leader Jo Anna had asked in order to make a decision on which program to go on were all things Do Wook had already mentioned. ¡°As always, he¡¯s sharp.¡± Team Leader Jo muttered as she recalled the questions Do Wook had asked at the meeting. Do Wook had pointed out things on the documents that she had failed to resolve, such as the time slot or terms of the contract. The Fan Marketing staff who had heard the summary of Team Leader Jo Anna¡¯s phone calls had also been immediately in favor of going with PD Shin Yoon Ho¡¯s ¡®KK Broadcast¡¯. Team Leader Jo Anna, who left the Fan Marketing Team office, saw Do Wook in front of the elevator who was on his way back to the dormitory after leaving Yong Soo Chul¡¯s studio. ¡°Here.¡± Snap snap, Team Leader Jo Anna called Do Wook as she snapped her fingers. Do Wook, who had been lost in thought, spotted Team Leader Jo Anna by the direction the sound wasing from and greeted her. ¡°Hello, Team Leader.¡± ¡°I was going to tell Manager Oh anyways, but I¡¯m d I ran into you. A decision was made on which program to go on.¡± ¡°Was a decision made? Which PD is it?!¡± Do Wook asked in a slightly quicker tone, unlike his usual self. Team Leader Jo Anna grinned and asked so she could confirm. ¡°Kang Do Wook, you have a program in mind that you want to do, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes. There is.¡± ¡°The one with PD Shin?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°Your reason?¡± ¡°The time slot for one, and that person seems to understand about KK more¡­¡± ¡°Hmm, is that so?¡± ¡°To be honest, it¡¯s just my intuition.¡± ¡°Ha!¡± Team Leader Jo Anna clicked her tongue. He had an expression as if he were in a bad mood, but in the end he smiled. Team Leader Jo Anna suddenlyughed uncontrobly, which looked a little odd from an outside perspective. Do Wook felt a little apprehensive, but couldn¡¯t backpedal so he looked at her nkly. ¡°As always, your intuition is good. We decided to go with PD Shin. We thought it over, and once we discussed it, going with him was much better.¡± Do Wook¡¯s expression finally rxed once Team Leader Jo said that. ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s good.¡± ¡°Yes. Well, we won¡¯t know until after we do the broadcast though.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be received well.¡± ¡°Is that based on your intuition too?¡± ¡°No. We¡¯ll have to put in effort too so that it¡¯ll be received well.¡± It was a very satisfactory response to Team Leader Jo Anna. She pressed the elevator button to stop the elevator door that almost closed. When the elevator door opened, Team Leader Jo got in first. ¡°Get in. They¡¯re very good conditions. You can look forward to it.¡± *** With filming of the reality program starting in 2 days, the members were all excited. Ahn Hyung Seo, who had returned from the hospital after getting his cast off today, was particrly excited. ¡°Wow. I was so frustrated I thought I was going to go crazy.¡± ¡°Hyung Seo, you should attend choreography practice starting tomorrow.¡± ¡°Ji Hoon, what in the world did I do to wrong you?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t remember?¡± ¡°What? What is it?!¡± Ahn Hyung Seo, who was roaming around the dormitory living room grumbling that only the leg that had the cast was pale due to the blood not circting, was bickering with Suk Ji Hoon, the youngest. The Suk Ji Hoon who had been firmly determined to do even better in the ry for Ahn Hyung Seo¡¯s sake was not here anymore. Between the two bickering people, Kim Won was giggling. He was giggling, but even as he wasughing Kim Won was thinking about his rapping part at the same time. The variety show was one thing, but they had to continue preparing for their album. Do Wook, who was in charge of all the lyrics, had recently finished working on the lyrics for the ¡®LAST DANCE¡¯ melody line. The lyrics for ¡®LAST DANCE¡¯ were about a person who experienced frustration and loss, in both aspirations and love, enjoying emotional freedom away from all restraint as he passionately dances onest time. ¡°Do Wook! Hey, Do Wook!¡± Kim Won got up abruptly and knocked on Do Wook¡¯s door. Once Do Wook acknowledged him, Kim Won opened the door. The new dormitory KK had moved to had 4 rooms. Manager Oh decided to live in a studio apartment one building over and the members divided the rooms amongst themselves. Kim Won and Park Tae Hyung, and Ahn Hyung Seo and Suk Ji Hoon shared twin bedrooms. The two others, Do Wook and Jung Yoon Ki, had their own rooms. The members were being considerate of Do Wook and Jung Yoon Ki, who needed space to put equipment and worked on the songs a lot. Do Wook, who had been working on songs in his room with hisptop and mixing machine on, asked, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Regarding my part. La, La, Last Dance. After that part, I was thinking about rapping ¡®Last Dance¡¯ in differentnguages. What do you think?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­in what way?¡± ¡°La, La, Last Dance, Saigo no dansu (×îáá¤Î¥À¥ó¥¹*)¨D, posledniy ts (§±§à§ã§Ý§Ö§Õ§ß§Ú§Û §ä§Ñ§ß§Ö§è)*¨D Maybe repeating it like that?¡± (TL Note: ¡°Last Dance¡± in Japanese and Russian respectively.) Kim Won¡¯s part was the finale of the song. The exciting yet somewhat lyrical melody and rapping in Kim Won¡¯s low voice went very well together. Do Wook asked Kim Won to rap again. After repeating twice, it was a little smoother. Do Wook tapped his foot to the rhythm then smiled widely. ¡°I like it.¡± ¡°Nice! It¡¯s good!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to discuss it more with PD Yong though.¡± ¡°OK. I¡¯ll work on it more. But is it true that PD Yong will quit after this project?¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s¡­¡± Kim Won¡¯s expression was full of disappointment. Do Wook, who was about to reply that it¡¯s true, was interrupted by the notification that a message arrived on his cellphone. It was a message from Ju Won College. It was the college Do Wook had recently taken the practical exam for. ¡ª Chapter 60: A New Discovery (2) Chapter 60: A New Discovery (2) Among the KK members, those who had been in their senior year of high school were Do Wook and Park Tae Hyung. Two people. However, Park Tae Hyung hadn¡¯t taken the CSAT at all. It was because he had applied for early admission to the broadcast entertainment department of a university in the metropolitan area which only required practical skills and school records. Do Wook, who had done reasonably well on the CSAT, applied to Ju Won College, which was ranked one of the highest in Korea for their practical music program. The school took 10% grades and 90% practical skills into consideration. It was verypetitive, but everyone thought it was harder to fail with Do Wook¡¯s grades and skills. ¡°What text did you get?¡± ¡°Oh. It turns out today was the day they post the results¡­" ¡°The college? Check it!¡± The message stated that the eptance statuses had been posted. ¡°You¡¯ll be a college student too now~! Campus life!¡± Of course, because of their activities, it would be difficult to enjoy the ¡®campus life¡¯ Kim Won was talking about even if he went to college. Right now he was on vacation, but even Kim Won nned on taking a leave of absence next semester. Furthermore, since it was the second college entrance for Do Wook, there was nothing for him to be nervous about. In terms of differences, one big change was his major. He chose practical music as his major because he thought it might help himpose songs. Do Wook opened the inte browser and essed the Ju Won College homepage. As soon as he got on the page, the eptance results page opened as a pop-up. He entered his name and the exam number he had jotted down and clicked search. [Exam Number 78789123 Kang Do Wook, fail] Kim Won, who had been looking at the screen with him, had a hardened expression. He was certainly in a different position from a typical student so his shock in failing wasn¡¯t the same as them, but it was true that he was flustered. ¡®Maybe I thought of it too lightly¡­¡¯ Do Wook thought back to the day of the practical test. It wasn¡¯t like he had been in bad shape. His CSAT score had been much higher than the average, and the song he had sung was objectively worthy of getting a good evaluation. ¡°Uh, mmmm, umm¡­But you got waitlisted. Hmm, 7th? It¡¯s lucky number 7!¡± Kim Won, who was more flustered than Do Wook, said whatever came to mind. The eptance rate for the practical music program was very low. Since its academic orientation was astounding, it was one of the programs famous for having a huge waitlist. There were only two ces better than Ju Won College¡¯s practical music program, so at max only three people would drop out. ¡°It¡¯s ok. It¡¯s not like I absolutely have to go to college this year anyways.¡± ¡°Yeah. Still, it¡¯s odd. Your grades are good enough to pass.¡± Kim Won muttered as he rested his chin on his hand, as if it were difficult to understand. Do Wook also thought it was strange, but a practical exam had to be subjective to a certain degree. ¡®The song might not have matched well with the faculty members who judged it¡­there could be many possible reasons.¡¯ Even if college isn¡¯t important to celebrities, it was hard to be in a good mood after failing. Do Wook tried hard to calm down his heavy heart. ¡®I¡¯ll have to think a little more about the future and entering college.¡¯ *** To film the reality show, cameras were installed throughout the dormitory as well as the rehearsal hall, studio, etc. Filming was every Thursday and Friday. It was twice a week, but it was arranged so that they could film themselves at any time with the personal camera they were provided. Today was Wednesday, a day they didn¡¯t have filming, but they were scheduled to shoot the music video so the ¡®KK Broadcast¡¯ filming was also moved forward. It was because PD Shin Yoon Ho wanted to record the set of the music video shoot. PD Shin Yoon Ho, who they had gotten to know at the program meeting and throughout filming, was a normal PD who wasn¡¯t particrly a stickler but also didn¡¯t have a particrly good personality. If the staff made a mistake while filming he would get mad, but it was at the right level. ¡®He looks so normal¡­that I can¡¯t believe he¡¯ll take the entertainment and drama world by storm in the future. This is why they say you never know what the future holds.¡¯ That was what Do Wook thought every time he saw PD Shin Yoon Ho. It was almost time to go to the music video shoot location. Do Wook finished getting ready and went to the living room. At that moment, a loud sound came from Ahn Hyung Seo¡¯s room. ¡°This camera is still fascinating no matter how many times I see it!¡± Ahn Hyung Seo was looking straight at the camera installed in his room and shouting. The members had felt awkward when filming had first started, because they had to voice their thoughts out loud even when they were alone, but now they werefortable talking in front of the camera about anything. Of course members like Ahn Hyung Seo and Kim Won, who already talked a lot, took up a majority of the screen time. ¡°Leeeeeeft~! Riiiiiight~!¡± It moved left when Ahn Hyung Seo moved left, and moved right when he moved right. Do Wook called out to Ahn Hyung Seo who was in his room ying in front of the camera, moving around all over the room. ¡°You have to get ready now¡­¡± ¡°Do Wook! Aren¡¯t you amazed? How does it move automatically like this? The miracle of science! Come over here and try moving around too.¡± Ahn Hyung Seo pulled Do Wook in. He grabbed Do Wook¡¯s arms from behind and moved them like he were controlling them. The camera moved along with Do Wook¡¯s movements. Do Wookughed as he looked at Ahn Hyung Seo, who was so fascinated and having fun like a child. He called Ahn Hyung Seo ¡°hyung¡±*, but in reality Ahn Hyung Seo was much younger, so once in a while when he saw him act like this it looked as adorable as watching his nephew acting cute. (TL Note: Hyung is what males call older males) Do Wook called Ahn Hyung Seo over as if he had a secret to tell him. Do Wook pretended to whisper, making Ahn Hyung Seo¡¯s ears stand up. ¡°Hyung Seo, did you know?¡± ¡°Hmm? What is it? What is it?!¡± ¡°This is controlled manually. There¡¯s a person behind the camera.¡± The camera he had believed all this time was moving on its own using a sensor, was actually being controlled by a person. Ahn Hyung Seo, who btedly understood what Do Wook meant, screamed. Yelling that it was a lie, Ahn Hyung Seo looked at the camera with an expression full of betrayal. He was the type to stay in front of the camera and pout all day, but it really was time to head out to the music video filming location. Oh Baek Ho grabbed Ahn Hyung Seo, who wouldn¡¯t leave the room, by the neck and dragged him out. *** The filming set for the ¡®LAST DANCE¡¯ music video. Not only the music video filming team, but also the ¡®KK Broadcast¡¯ filming team were there so there were more people than usual on site. It was decided that the choreography version would be shot separately at a studio. Today¡¯s shoot for the drama version was taking ce at an abandoned factory in Namyangju. The director for this music video was Director ¡®Jin Young¡¯. His real name was Lee Jin Young but he was using the name Jin Young as his director name. He was considered the nation¡¯s best CF* Director. He recently became interested in music videos after watching the ¡®Rendez-vous project¡¯ music video and had shot the music video for the solo singer Gae Na Ri not too long ago. Since it was a different field than CFs, there were voices of doubt, but his debut as a music video director was incredibly sessful. (TL Note: CF ismercial film) On top of discovering a new side of Gae Na Ri in the music video, it expanded Gae Na Ri¡¯s reach about 10 fold. It was also a screenposition that went very well with the song. And KK¡¯s music video was his second one. Director Jin Young wanted to make a music video with a story for KK. ¡°As I exined in thest meeting, Do Wook¡¯s acting is important. You have to act out well the role of a youngster who has failed and is in despair.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± ¡°Now, for the first take, it¡¯s the scene where the young man is feebly entering the factory after having lost everything.¡± After Director Jin Young had exined it to Do Wook, he said to the members who had been next to him while also listening to the exnation. ¡°All you guys have to do is pass by Do Wook one by one in the order stated in the script and lip sync full of emotion.¡± All the members paid full attention to the exnation of the script and nodded their heads. The music videos they had shot until now were not music videos that needed acting talent. They simply had to lip sync to match their acting on stage. However, this music video had a story, and it wasn¡¯t only Do Wook who had to y the main character but also the other members who had to act to a certain degree. Before filming began, Do Wook¡¯s makeup was done to look like he had been hit in the face, and he changed into shabby clothes. The members were wearing the hip-hop style outfit that they would be wearing for their performance. ¡°Brrr, it¡¯s too cold. Oh! Do Wook~¡± ¡°Do Wook¡¯s face is aplete mess, man.¡± Ahn Hyung Seo noticed Do Wook, who had returned after finishing getting his makeup done, and Jung Yoon Ki expressed his appreciation. It was as Jung Yoon Ki said. The right side of Do Wook¡¯s face had a purple bruise and his lips and left cheek had what looked like dried blood. He also had scratches and scars here and there. Of course it was all fake, but it was so realistic that it could pass off as real. ¡°I was worried that he¡¯d still look too good even with makeup because he¡¯s so handsome, but I guess that wasn¡¯t the case~!¡± ¡°It looks like he really got beaten up by someone.¡± Suk Ji Hoon added after Ahn Hyung Seo muttered out of surprise. ¡°S¡­Still, he¡¯s handsome. If you look closely.¡± Everyone giggled, saying what Park Tae Hyung said was true. ¡°As expected, you can¡¯t hide it.¡± Do Wook scratched his head when Suk Ji Hoon, the youngest,plimented him. It was acting for a music video, but Do Wook had never even considered acting. ¡®Acting out¡¯ someone else¡¯s feelings other than his own was new to him. Therefore, when he first heard he¡¯d have to act in the music video as the main character, Do Wook couldn¡¯t help but be a little worried. Thepany and Director Ji Young debated between Suk Ji Hoon, who could act, and Do Wook, but they decided to give the music video¡¯s main role to Do Wook because they concluded Do Wook fit the image better and was more popr than Suk Ji Hoon, who was still a minor. From thepany¡¯s perspective, it would broaden Do Wook¡¯s spectrum of activities and was also a good opportunity to test his acting skills. After hearing the exnation about his role, Do Wook thought that it might be doable. He might have thought it¡¯d be harder if the role was a typical cool male lead. Being frustrated and sad¡­that was a feeling Do Wook was extremely used to. ¡°I¡¯ll have to do well.¡± Jung Yoon Ki patted Do Wook¡¯s shoulder, who was unusually nervous about doing something new. ¡°Let¡¯s see Do Wook¡¯s acting skills!¡± The ¡®KK Broadcast team¡¯ was recording everything, including the members gathered around Do Wook and talking before the shoot. ¡°Ready, action!¡± With Director Jin Young¡¯s yell, the filming of the second scene started. Shooting for the first scene got okayed after just three takes, so shooting for the second scene was able to be quickly underway. They did a third take because Director Jin Young wanted an even better scene and better match the timing of the members lip syncing, not because they made any particr NG*s. (TL Note: NG stands for no/not good.) Do Wook, who plodded into the factory, was the embodiment of ¡®loser¡¯. Even though his expression wasn¡¯t excessive, the empty atmosphere his expressionless face gave off was exactly the picture of the main character. And the second scene was a solo scene of Do Wook crouched down on one side of the abandoned factory, crying and full of sorrow. Do Wook leaned against the wall and got a hold of his emotions. The members and the staff observed Do Wook as quietly as possible to help Do Wook¡¯s acting. ¡°Cut!¡± Director Jin Young, who had been zooming in with the camera, yelled cut. Do Wook¡¯s eyes on screen were red. He was biting his hips hard and holding back tears. In a rush of excitement, Director Jin Young clenched his fists that were on his knees. ¡°We¡¯ll go one more time!¡± At Director Jin Young¡¯s words, the ¡®LAST DANCE¡¯ melody flowed throughout the abandoned factory again. And in Do Wook¡¯s mind he recalled the days he would wait for morning toe while singing ¡®If It Were A Dream¡¯. Drip drip drip. Tears fell from Do Wooks¡¯ eyes. ¡®Ahhh¡­!¡¯ Everyone was sniffling at the tears reflected on the zoomed-in camera. It was tears that would pull at your heartstring without you understanding why. The members recalled that this might be why the tear Do Wook shed at the awards show went viral. Once again, drip drip drip. Tears were flowing down continuously. Do Wook¡¯s face was drenched. They had thought Do Wook had never gone through hardship, but there was desperation in his tears. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± There was a kind of silence on the set as everyone watched with bated breath. ¡®LA, LA, LAST DANCE¡­¡¯ It was to the point that the melody felt somehow somber. ¡°Cut! That was good! That was very good!¡± Director Jin Young jumped out of his seat and yelled. It was only the end of the second take, but they hadpleted a satisfactory take. Do Wook, who had gotten out of his character, rubbed his eyes with the back of his hands and got up from his seat. After temporarily putting on Kim Bo Myung¡¯s expression, he was once again back to being KK¡¯s central member Kang Do Wook. The shoot moved on. They shot the scene where they all gathered in the abandoned factory and danced the choreography as well as individual shots of them lip syncing. It wasn¡¯t until after 1 am that the members and staff were starting to look tired. However, there was still onest scene to film today. It was the scene where they stand on the rooftop of the abandoned factory and look out at the morning sky during sunrise. As such, the members had returned to the car and were waiting. ¡°Manager Oh, Please turn the heater higher.¡± Suk Ji Hoon said even as he was wrapped tightly in a throw nket. Suk Ji Hoon felt body achesing on from continuously filming in the cold weather in an abandoned factory that wasn¡¯t properly heated. ¡°Do Wook, what were you thinking of when you were crying earlier? You were really good at crying.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, man. If you¡¯re also good at acting, there¡¯s nothing for the rest of us to do.¡± Do Wook simply smiled at Ahn Hyung Seo and Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s series ofpliments and didn¡¯t say much else. He couldn¡¯t exactly say he was recalling his past memories and life. Honestly, the members were bothered about Do Wook recently getting rejected from the college they were sure he¡¯d get into, even more than Do Wook was. He wasn¡¯t certain, but Ahn Hyung Seo was walking on eggshells wondering to himself if that was the reason he was able to cry well. Do Wook, who had no way of knowing that that was what Ahn Hyung Seo was thinking, opened up his cell phone and was looking through articles to pass the time. Do Wook grit his teeth hard. ¡°Seo Kang Jun¡­¡± ¡ª Chapter 61: A New Discovery (3) Chapter 61: A New Discovery (3) Do Wook became wide awake as soon as he saw that article reporting that Seo Kang Jun passed. Many celebrities applied to the Ju Won College practical music program, and it was the school Seo Kang Jun had attended in the past life as well. Do Wook had only thought about how he¡¯dpete in earnest if he passed, he had never considered he¡¯d fail. However, he had failed. He was dumbfounded over the unexpected result, but he had let it go because it wasn¡¯t as if he absolutely had to go to college. But once he saw that Seo Kang Jun had be the PR ambassador, he became suspicious. ¡®This smells fishy¡­¡¯ Since Do Wook was inherently far from malicious, he often didn¡¯t pick up on how low people like Seo Kang Jun or those around him could stoop. ¡®My college entrance wasn¡¯t the problem. I¡¯ll have to look into it.¡¯ Do Wook stared at the picture on his phone screen of Seo Kang Jun smiling and waving in front of Ju Won College¡¯s main entrance. It wasn¡¯t easy to reveal the other incidents of school violence he undoubtedly inflicted in this timeline too since so much time has passed, and to reveal it other victims also had to step forward. Not only were they hard to find, there was a possibility they¡¯d get victimized a second time. If Ara Entertainment were to smoothly bury it as they had done in the past, the victims would be left with pain that will never go away. ¡®In that case, if there were a problem with the college entrance¡­it could turn out to be a good opportunity for me.¡¯ At first, Do Wook looked through the list of professors for the practical music program again. The name of the head of the department was familiar, but it was hard to tell whether or not it was simply because the school was popr. Do Wook, who searched for the name of the Ju Won College president, stopped in his tracks when he came across the president¡¯s equally familiar name, and tried to recall his memories. It made his head throb. ¡®Who are they¡­these names¡­!¡± Atst, Do Wook realized why the name of the Ju Won college president was familiar to him. Do Wook recalled crimes such as bribery, moneyundering, and embezzlement. ¡®Could it be¡­¡¯ Do Wook turned off his cell phone screen and briefly closed his eyes. If Seo Kang Jun had hidden these skeletons in the closet, then Kang Do Wook was going toy bare its contents down to even the tiniest detail. He also had to think about when and how he¡¯d properly use it. The sky that had been pitch ck started to tint blue. There was a knock on the window next to Manager Oh Baek Ho, who was dozing off in the driver seat with his arms crossed. As soon as Manager Oh Baek Ho had woken up, the staff eximed, ¡°We¡¯re getting ready to shoot!¡± Oh Baek Ho quickly nodded his head and got the members ready. Everyone had been alternating between sleeping in a crouched position and being awake. The members were barely able to open their eyes as they unwillingly stretched. Do Wook, who had briefly fallen asleep, woke up and opened the car door. The sleepiness went away as soon as the cold air entered his lungs. On the rooftop of the abandoned factory, the members shot thest scene of the day for the ¡®LAST DANCE¡¯ music video. In Do Wook¡¯s case, additional outdoor filming was scheduled to shoot the scene where he gets kicked out of his house a few dayster, the scene where he gets pickpocketed, and the scene where he gets assaulted while roaming the streets, etc. Anyways, it was thest scene of the shoot. The sky that had been all blue started to show a bright light. ¡°Wow! Beautiful!¡± Kim Won yelled as he saw the sun rising. The sunrise scene was one of the harder scenes to film. The filming team, who had to also consider the CG work, whispered among themselves that even the weather was helping KK. It was because any staff who had heard the song ¡®LAST DANCE¡¯ even once, no matter who they were, predicted that KK would make a huge hit with this album too. With Do Wook as the focus, Director Ji Young captured on camera the touching scene of the members standing with their arms around each others¡¯ shoulders and watching the sunrise. There was no particr need to act. The members were filled with emotions as they looked at the truly beautiful sky. The ¡®LAST DANCE¡¯ song started to y throughout the rooftop. There were now less than 2 weeks left for theeback. The shoot wrapped up as everyone pped. ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°Thank you for your hard work!¡± ¡°Thank you~!¡± The members bowed and thanked the staff who had worked hard alongside them. Do Wook, who separately shook Director Jin Young¡¯s hand and discussed the next shoot, went to every corner of the area to find and btedly thank the staff members. ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡± Do Wook knew very well that they had worked harder than anyone else had done for them in this cold weather. When he thanked the youngest staff member, who had worked hard moving the equipment around all day, they shook their head. ¡°You worked harder than I did.¡± ¡°Not at all. Ah, please allow me! Let¡¯s carry it together.¡± ¡°Sorry? Oh, it¡¯s ok¡­!¡± Before the staff member could stop him, Do Wook took one of the heavy boxes of equipment the staff member was carrying. After putting the equipment away together, Do Wook was on his way back to where the KK members were when he was approached by PD Shin Yoon Ho. ¡°Do Wook.¡± ¡°Ah, yes Mr. PD.¡± Honestly, there was no need at all for PD Shin Yoon Ho to stay at the music video film location until the very end. From the ¡®KK Broadcast¡¯ team¡¯s side, they had sent at least the VJs home so they didn''t get in the way of the set, and PD Shin only had to edit today¡¯s recording at the broadcast station. There was a reason PD Shin Yoon Ho had still specifically chosen to wait at the film site. ¡°Acting¡­Didn¡¯t you say it was your first time?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. I¡¯m sure I was verycking. Although, there were no lines so you can¡¯t even call it acting.¡± PD Shin Yoon Ho frowned at Do Wook¡¯s modest response. ¡°Being too humble can also be seen as a bad thing.¡± ¡°Pardon? Ah, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°After watching you, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re just pretending to be nice, haha.¡± PD Shin Yoon Ho, whose eyes were definitely sleepy and full of fatigue, let out a heartyugh as if saying he lost. ¡°Are you interested?¡± ¡°In you?¡± ¡°Haha. You must be very sleepy too. I meant acting.¡± At that moment, Do Wook understood what PD Shin Yoon Ho meant. ¡®Can it be?!¡¯ PD Shin Yoon Ho continued as he pulled his jacket zipper up all the way to his neck. ¡°There¡¯s a program I¡¯m ambitiously preparing for thetter half of the year and there''s a role there that I think you would be good for. Haha.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the role of a polymath who¡¯s good at studying, athletics, everything. Right now it¡¯s in the nning stages.¡± While watching the variety show ¡®Limitless Challenge¡¯ that Do Wook was on, PD Shin Yoon Ho had pped. A person that had the exact image he had been looking for was smiling and waving hello on the tv screen. And so PD Shin Yoon Ho became interested in KK. As he looked into them, he could feel natural charisma from the members. When the Director said that it¡¯d be good to have an idol-rted program in the first half of the year, he immediately suggested the ¡®KK Broadcast¡¯. And while filming, PD Shin Yoon Ho closely observed Do Wook more than anyone else. The reason he had stayed behind at the music video filming set today was also an extension of that. It was a fruitful day for PD Shin Yoon Ho. Do Wook showed exceptional emotion while acting today. He¡¯d have to do a script reading, but PD Shin Yoon Ho didn¡¯t think there¡¯d be anything to worry about. Do Wook was more perfect for ¡®that¡¯ character¡¯s image than PD Shin Yoon Ho had thought. It was to the point that he couldn¡¯t picture anyone else for ¡®that¡¯ role except Do Wook now. ¡°A polymath¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a drama, not a variety show.¡± Do Wook opened his eyes wide and blinked. ¡°It¡¯s unexpected since I¡¯m a variety show PD, right?¡± Of course it was an unexpected challenge. However, it was hard to be still when he thought about the impact of this challenge. ¡°No. Rather, it¡¯s refreshing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s what we were going for too.¡± The ¡®Get ready 1999¡¯ that PD Shin was nning was a drama that takes ce in 1999. PD Shin¡¯s intent was to portray the love and friendship among five high school friends as they go through life together while demonstrating the family image of that era at the same time. ¡®It is definitely different from the already existing dramas that revolve around the male and female protagonists, and it bes a drama that epasses all generations as it brings about the nostalgia for 1999.¡¯ It was a drama Do Wook had enjoyed. ¡®If it¡¯s a genius role¡­¡¯ Among the five main characters, the polymath role was the main protagonist. When Do Wook had thought about working together with PD Shin Yoon Ho, he had thought that it would have been a good opportunity to gain poprity if he could appear on ¡®Get ready 1999¡¯, no matter what role it might have been. ¡®But the main character is a tremendous opportunity!¡¯ As he looked at Do Wook¡¯s shining eyes and full attentiveness, PD Shin nodded his head, even more certain of his choice. ¡°If you¡¯re interested, let¡¯s give it a try togetherter.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. PD. It¡¯s an honor.¡± ¡°Haha. I¡¯m eagerly anticipating getting you for the role. I¡¯m trying to cast you already when I don¡¯t even have a synopsis. I¡¯ll send the synopsis to yourpany once it¡¯s finished. Please put in a good word at yourpany.¡± KK was expected to get busier and busier. Since group activities took priority, thepany might not let Do Wook do individual activities. On top of that, it wasn¡¯t an official drama but a drama for cable broadcast. Because of that, PD Shin Yoon Ho wanted toy the groundwork with Do Wook directly ahead of time. Of course Do Wook, who knew ¡®Get Ready 1999¡¯ would be a sess, would have appeared on it at all cost anyways if he was offered the opportunity. They could see Manager Oh in the distance looking for Do Wook. Manager Oh Baek Ho saw Do wook with PD Shin Yoon Ho and gestured. Before they knew it, the sun hadpletely risen. It was a clear winter morning. *** The day the rough edit of the music video came out, Do Wook, who had finished the monitoring meeting, asked Manager Oh Baek Ho for a private conversation. Today, they didn¡¯t have anything scheduled besides the performance rehearsal in the afternoon, not even the ¡°KK Broadcast¡±. Manager Oh Baek Ho made instant coffee in a paper cup. It wasn¡¯t to the same extent as the KK members, but Manager Oh Baek Ho was also busy day in and day out with lots of schedule meetings as the day of theeback got closer. ¡°Yaaawn¡­we¡¯re interviewing for one more road manager but there¡¯s nobody suitable,¡± Oh Baek Hoined as he yawned. Manager Oh couldn¡¯t follow KK to all their schedules forever and the number of fans was growing, so they were hiring an official road manager for KK. ¡°Do Wook, do you want water?¡± ¡±Yes.¡± Oh Baek Ho handed Do Wook the water cup. The two of them were in the conference room facing each other. ¡°What was it you wanted to talk about?¡± ¡°I¡¯d¡­like to learn acting.¡± ¡°Huh? Acting?¡± Manager Oh Baek Ho was lost in thought as he stroked his chin. Do Wook was, true to the name, KK¡¯s visual member. He wasn¡¯t picked as the music video protagonist for no reason. Furthermore, the music video shoot confirmed that acting was an option for him. Thepany had some ns to have Do Wook act. However, now wasn¡¯t the time since KK had only been active for 2 years. It would be a little further in the future. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were interested in acting too. I think it¡¯s too early for preparations to be an actor¡­¡± That was what Do Wook expected Manager Oh Baek Ho and thepany to think. ¡°It¡¯s because I want to prepare in advance. Do you think you¡¯d be able to find a teacher?¡± ¡°Getting you a teacher won¡¯t be a problem, but I mean, will you be able to handle it? You¡¯ll be busy enough with activities alone, but you also work on the songs.¡± Oh Baek Ho briefly picked his words as he went ¡°Hmmmm.¡± ¡°As you know, this album is PD Yong¡¯sst one¡­after that, you, Do Wook, would essentially be the producer. I¡¯m not asking you to be the producer. I¡¯m saying that even if someone elsees, that¡¯s what essentially would happen eventually.¡± ¡°Probably. But I¡¯m not a full-fledged producer, and I can learn at the same time.¡± Oh Baek Ho could feel Do Wook¡¯s resolute will. Then again, he still went on morning exercises every chance he got without fail. If he said he could do it, Manager Oh Baek Ho had faith that he could do it. ¡°Ok. Then give it a try and let me know if it¡¯s too hard. For now I¡¯ll tell thepany to get you an acting teacher.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Oh, that work ambition of yours¡­¡± Oh Baek Ho criticized Do Wook in a gentle way. He had given various counterarguments, but he was very worried that Do Wook might push himself too much. ¡°Baek Ho. Regarding college¡­¡± ¡°Yes, what would you like to do about college? Ju Won College can¡¯t see talent. I¡¯m speechless. I shouldwork or something and figure out why you didn¡¯t make it.¡± Do Wook lightlyughed at Oh Manager Oh Baek Ho¡¯s words. It was because he knew Manager Oh Baek Ho genuinely acknowledged him and worried about him. ¡°I want to try applying to the acting program at the Korean National University of Arts.¡± ¡°What? The Korean National University of Arts?¡± ¡°Yes. Even for the acting teacher, I think someone knowledgeable about their entrance exam would be good.¡± Oh Baek Ho seemed to immediately understand Do Wook¡¯s big picture. He nodded his head. ¡°Ok.¡± All of the outstanding performers in Korea were graduates of the Korean National University of Arts. It was the gathering ce and training center for talented performers in Korea. Do Wook was already recognized as a singer andposer. Even if he didn¡¯t go to a practical music program, he could meet topposers at any time and learn from them. After filming the music video and receiving PD Shin Yoon Ho¡¯s proposal, Do Wook thought that it was rather a relief that he didn¡¯t get into Ju Won College¡¯s practical music program. He nned on going down a new path. ¡®Seo Kang Jun will also start acting in due time anyways¡­It¡¯s not too early. I¡¯ll be going one step ahead.¡¯ ¡ª Chapter 62: Expansion Pack (1) Chapter 62: Expansion Pack (1) After a screen of static noise, Kim Won appeared along with a Pop! sound effect. He had just finished showering and came out of the bathroom. He hummed a song as he dried his hair. ¡°Ll,llast, danceeee!¡± He hummed ¡®LAST DANCE¡¯ even after entering the room. He approached the camera on his desk and said hello. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen! I¡¯m Kim Won. Good morning ~ Good morning~! You saw the teaser that was released yesterday right? Only this part was aired right? I¡¯ll sing more of it!¡± At that moment, Park Tae Hyung, who had been sleeping, woke up wiggling. ¡°Kim Won?¡­You¡­can¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Even in his sleep he¡¯s determined to prevent spoilers! Good morning Tae Hyung~!¡± Kim Won grabbed the camera and got closer to Park Tae Hyung. He recorded Park Tae Hyung who had barely woken up and was rubbing his sleepy eyes. ¡°Boy~! Wake up, wake up~!¡± ¡°I¡¯m awake¡­¡± ¡°This is my roommate Tae Hyung. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen him this close¡­he¡¯s adorable.¡± Coming to his senses, Park Tae Hyung realized his face was swollen and tried to hide under the nket, but it was toote. Kim Won had zoomed in the camera all the way to his cheeks. ¡°Oh, Tae Hyung, you have moles on your cheek.¡± ¡°Huh? Yes¡­Kim Won, I haven¡¯t even washed my face¡­¡± Tae Hyung was trying to avoid the camera, but Kim Won followed him with the camera relentlessly. ¡°You have one, two, three¡­seven small moles you can¡¯t normally see.¡± ¡°Se¡­seven?¡± ¡°Yes. Take a good look, viewers. This is the crab constetion Cancer that¡¯s on Tae Hyung¡¯s cheeks.¡± Kim Won had a tendency to see things differently than others. If you were in your own world like that, nobody could stop you. Park Tae Hyung gave up on trying to avoid Kim Won and let him show his cheek on camera. ¡°Seriously, if you connect the moles it¡¯s the crab constetion! How interesting.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°The crab that was stepped on by Hercules is on Tae Hyung¡¯s cheeks. If you connect the four moles here, it¡¯s typically supposed to have the spread-out Beehive Cluster in the quadrteral. It¡¯s a star cluster that Galileo Galilei discovered." Park Tae Hyung became dazed as if he might fall asleep again. ¡®What¡¯s a star cluster ¡­¡¯ Park Tae Hyung thought nkly as Kim Won¡¯s lecture on constetions began. As if reading Park Tae Hyung¡¯s thoughts, Kim Won started to go into a lengthy exnation about star clusters. At Kim Won¡¯s lengthy exnation, the screen fast forwarded along with the caption ¡®Like that, Kim Won¡¯s lecture started early in the morning¡­¡¯ then went back to a screen of static noise. After the screen of static noise, this time Suk Ji Hoon appeared along with a Pop! sound effect looking straight at the camera. ¡°Hello everyone.¡± Suk Ji Hoon, who gave a polite greeting to the camera, frowned when he was done saying hello. ¡°Hyung Seo finally left the room.¡± He grabbed the camera that had been fixed in ce and thoroughly scanned the room, alternately showing Ahn Hyung Seo¡¯s bed and his bed. ¡°This side is Hyung Seo¡¯s, this side is my bed. I¡­¡± Suk Ji Hoon was speechless for a moment. ¡°I can¡¯t stand it anymore.¡± After fixing the camera in ce again, Suk Ji Hoon opened the window and started cleaning the room. At lighting speed, Suk Ji Hoon took out the trash and swept and wiped the room. Suk Ji Hoon put a nket on the bed and straightened it until there were no wrinkles, like bedding in a hotel. and ced the pillow neatly in the center. Suk Ji Hoon¡¯s vanity had a lot of makeup on it considering he¡¯s a guy. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of fans who ask for the secret to my clean skin. The secret is to be born with it.¡± Brief silence. ¡°This is the makeup I use. And this is toner. After putting on the toner, I put on a little bit of lotion, and finish with moisturizing cream. That¡¯s in the morning¡­At night is what¡¯s important. At night, I put on toner, lotion, and essence*. I have sensitive skin so I use organic makeup. And every single day! I do a mask. It¡¯s not here, I put them in the fridge.¡± (*PR note: This is a water-based cosmetic that nourishes the skin, and a K-beauty trend. Not to be confused with essential oils, extracts, and the like.) Suk Ji Hoon exined, angling the camera precisely as he showed the line of cosmetics. ¡°Huh? Why is it like this¡­One moment please.¡± Once he noticed that the cologne he had ced was crooked, Suk Ji Hoon briefly put down the camera and carefully aligned the position of the cologne. Once it was ced in the right position, he saw that there was a little bit of dust. Suk Ji Hoon got a feather duster from his drawer and started to dust. With a static noise sound effect, the scene changed after showing the back of Suk Ji Hoon, who lost himself in cleaning. . . . When the KK Broadcast was aired, the fans¡¯ reactions were outstanding. The broadcast showcased each member¡¯s individuality so distinctly that each member would get dozens of new nicknames every time an episode aired. PD Shin Yoon Ho edited each episode into many subcategories that didn¡¯tst more than 10 minutes each. He boldly edited parts that people might find boring, and the fast-paced scenes made it possible for even non-fans to focus on the program without finding it tedious. There weren¡¯t unnecessarily exaggerated parts, and they didn¡¯t do forced missions or games. The broadcast only gathered scenes people would really want to know about idols, such as how they are during rehearsal or about their dorm life, like a concentrate. Thanks to that, the KK Broadcast¡¯s ratings were over 2%. It had the highest ratings ever among cable idol reality programs. There were more and more advertisement sponsors that targeted teens as the episodes continued. There was especially a lot of PPL* for the cosmetics that Suk Ji Hoon had introduced as they went viral among fans. (TL note: PPL means product cement. Thank you White Rabbit for that info.) The scale of the support for the firsteback performance at the broadcast station that PD Shin Yoon Ho had promised was also nned to be bigger. The broadcast station was considering arranging a special outdoor performance in celebration of theeback. The broadcast was bing a win-win situation for both TBN and KK. *** The ¡®LAST DANCE¡¯ music video was released. The music file would be released in one hour, at 6 pm. Articles rted to the music video along with screen-captured images were springing up as soon as the music video was released. The articles were based off the promotional content that HIT Entertainment had released ahead of time, but there were also a lot of articles that included personal opinions in them. All the reviews were favorable. Following Gae Na Ri¡¯s music video and now KK¡¯s sessful music video, Director Jin Youngpletely secured his position as a music video director. The song, acting, and directing was all perfect in the edited music video. Eachment was full of praises over Do Wook¡¯s acting and said that the song was good. -The song is so good. -T.L.K~ Trust and listen to KK~ -Did Brave Only Childpose it again? or Kang Do Wook? -They¡¯re both coposers. -Kang Do Wook is insane hahaha He¡¯s exceptionally good at acting too -The tears Do Wook cried¡­I cried from heartbreak after seeing that¡­My tears are overflowing like the DaeDong River¡­Do Wook, the bastards who made you cry¡­I¡¯ll go kill them¡­Mr. policemen what are you guys doing¡­instead of catching those thugs¡­? -You¡¯ll be a murderer if you go kill them lol You¡¯d get arrested first;; -National Treasure number 77777 Kang Do Wook -KK rocks T.T -Let¡¯s make it big KK ^^~!!! -The chorus part that was in the teaser is already stuck in my head. Please make it a banned song during the college entrance exams in advance hehe On the other hand, there were opinions that it seemed darker than KK¡¯s previous songs. It was a fun song with a fast beat that made your dance move on its own, but the melody was full of bass that definitely made it poetic. However, Do Wook thought that the not-so-bright parts would resonate more with the public. In Korea, bad music received as much love as dance music. There was something called a Korean person¡¯s sentiment. He was sure that it¡¯d go well with that sentimentality. Do Wook confirmed his thought was correct the moment ¡®LAST DANCE¡¯ made it to number one on the music chart. ¡°Mr. PD, it¡¯s number one.¡± At Do Wook¡¯s words, Yong Soo Chul, who had been leaning against the chair and quivering his legs, lifted his head. He may end up working with Yong Soo Chul again, but it was uncertain when in the distant future it would happen. Yong Soo Chul knew that too. With the music file of their final project, ¡®LAST DANCE¡¯, about to be released, the two of them made time to go eat dinner at a fancy restaurant. It was because Yong Soo Chul had specifically asked to buy Do Wook dinner. He was leaving for a new challenge, but Yong Soo Chul of course felt it was a pity too. Understanding how Yong Soo Chul felt, Do Wook agreed to have dinner with him even though he was very busy preparing for theeback performance tomorrow. When they finished their dinner, it happened to be one hour after the music file would have been released and time for the music ranking to be updated. As they were waiting for their after-dinner coffee toe, Yong Soo Chul was quivering his leg out of nervousness. As the producer, Yong Soo Chul was as nervous as the KK members were every time an album was released. ¡°Haaa¡­that¡¯s a relief.¡± ¡°Yes. Thank you, Mr. PD. It¡¯s thanks to you.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m the one who should be thankful. Thanks to you we were able to sessfully finish it.¡± The employee ced the warm coffee and green tea in front of Yong Soo Chul and Do Wook respectively. The employee also took out a paper and pen from their apron, as if they had been waiting for them to finish dinner. ¡°Excuse me¡­you¡¯re KK member Kang Do Wook¡­right? Could I have an autograph¡­?¡± If it were only Do Wook, they might have felt morefortable, but their voice trembled a little because Yong Soo Chul in front of him looked so threatening. Yong Soo Chul looked even more scary because his expression was hardened from having their conversation interrupted. ¡°Yes. Please hand me a pen.¡± Smiling, Do Wook took the cap off the pen and autographed the paper without hesitation. He was used to it because he was often asked for an autograph or a photo wherever he went. He usually declined photos depending on the situation, but he almost always gave autographs. ¡°Thank you. Thank you. I¡¯m a big fan!¡± Holding the paper Do Wook had signed, the employee thanked him multiple times as they walked away. Do Wook smiled at the employee until the very end. ¡°You¡¯re a real pro now.¡± ¡°Haha, of course.¡± ¡°Do Wook, Thank you very much for everything. Even if I¡¯m leaving thepany, I¡¯d like us to stay in touch and meet up often¡­¡± ¡°Of course, Mr. PD! I wouldn¡¯t have been able to activelypose like this without you. Which also makes me ill at ease too.¡± Do Wook gave his honest thoughts in response to what Yong Soo Chul said. It was Do Wook¡¯s strong belief that the strategies made for KK¡¯s sess worked well because they had a good song. ¡®A singer without a good song might gain brief poprity but cannot achieve perfect sess no matter what.¡¯ Because of that, Do Wook thought a lot about how they¡¯d rece Yong Soo Chul, who had shown outstanding talent in not only lyrics andposition but also production. There were some producers that thepany had selected, but either their skills were a littlecking or they were someone who¡¯d be a problem in the future. ¡°I¡¯m more anxious. KK has nothing to worry about.¡± ¡°That''s¡­¡± ¡°If the producer for the next album hasn¡¯t been decided yet, there¡¯s someone I¡¯d like to rmend.¡± Yong Soo Chul raised his coffee cup and slurped his coffee. It was a normal coffee cup, but in Yong Soo Chul¡¯s hands, it looked small like a miniature. Do Wook asked, his eyes shining. ¡°Who would that be?¡± ¡ª Chapter 63: Expansion Pack (2) Chapter 63: Expansion Pack (2) # 63 ?Expansion Pack (2) ¡°It¡¯s you of course.¡± Yong Soo Chul replied as he put his coffee cup down. He had a more serious expression than ever before. ¡°You mean me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Actually, Album Production Team Leader Shim Joon had also asked Do Wook before if he¡¯d like to take on the role of producer for KK¡¯s next album. ¡°It¡¯s still too early¡­¡± ¡°I heard that Team Leader Shim brought it up too. A 20-year-old producer, it¡¯s something a ruffian like me can¡¯t imagine, but you, Do Wook, are different. Yong Soo Chul responded, adding, ¡°You¡¯re a genius, right?¡± Do Wook vigorously shook his head. However, in this world, Do Wook was already a genius. The knowledge and talent Do Wook had wasn¡¯t that of a 20-year-old, and a tremendous amount of effort was hidden behind it. It stood to reason that they¡¯d call him a genius who is ahead of his time. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be a lot of pressure, you¡¯re basically responsible for an album or team¡¯s sess. Still, if you ovee that pressure it¡¯ll be a good chance to show your talents¡­everyone who¡¯s seen you is thinking that.¡± ¡°Mr. PD.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not trying to force you at all.¡± Do Wook was still at a loss over the difference between the him who had been a nobody and his practically genius current self sometimes. That was the reason he kept trying to step back, even though he was aware that there was currently nobody who could pick up on trends as quickly as he could or make an album with songs that matched KK¡¯s spirit. With good timing, KK¡¯s ¡®Very Sorry¡¯ was ying in the restaurant. ¡°Will I really be able to do it well?¡± Yong Soo Chul grinned at Do Wook¡¯s question. It was a genuine smile but because of Yong Soo Chul¡¯s appearance, it became a somewhat sketchy smile. His skills had already been acknowledged. He had alreadyposed many songs by himself, not just jointly. The reason they were not added to the album was because Do Wook himself had dyed it so he could make the quality better. If the problem was only having a few years of experience, it was the same for Yong Soo Chul. Yong Soo Chul also hadn¡¯t beenposing for too long when he became the producer for KK. Yong Soo Chul exined that he didn¡¯t need to be worried about his age either. On the outside, Do Wook was only 20 years old. Agewise, they weren¡¯t that far apart. ¡°Team Leader Shim is also a capable person. Get help from him, and if you try and try but can¡¯t get it, you can give up. Huhu.¡± Yong Soo Chul¡¯s additionalment was simr to a joke, but it was sincere advice. ¡®Soon there will be idols whopose and produce their own songs. And those types of idols will be the trend.¡¯ Do Wook took a sip of his tea to moisten his dry mouth. ¡®Along with that, the opinion that idols just have to look pretty and smile bespletely shattered. If KK stands in the forefront of that¡­¡¯ No matter how you looked at it, it was currently the best path. Do Wook nodded his head at Yong Soo Chul as if he had made his decision. *** The firsteback performance for ¡®LAST DANCE¡¯ was taking ce at TBN for a special airing of ¡®KK Broadcast¡¯. ¡®KK Broadcast¡¯ had the highest rating in TBN history for an entertainment show, 2.9%. Because of that, the TBN broadcast station ordered for KK¡¯s performance to be actively supported. Therefore, that day, the TBN music broadcast was decorated extravagantly enough to be worthy of KK¡¯seback special broadcast. KK sang not just the full ¡®LAST DANCE¡¯, the title song of the mini album, but also the B-track song ¡®Dancing with sunlight¡¯ as well as a special performance of all their title previous title songs ¡®Sorry but I Love you¡¯, ¡®Very Sorry¡¯, and ¡®Windy Day¡¯posed in a medley format. Behind a sculpture, a huge statue was erected, and more blinding lights and special effects were visualized than ever before. Articles gushed out saying KK¡¯s extravaganteback performance was the best ever. Singing and dancing was a given, but it was also obvious through this performance that the members¡¯ gestures and expressions on stage had also advanced a levelpared to before. Title: When someone here asked how they could get any better from here on out, KK showed what it means to do even better (See title*) (TL Note: For rification, this was saying that the content of the article is pretty much described in the title.) -Rebuttal X -Seriously GOAT performance every day¡­Goosebumps¡­ -Hyung Seo and Do Wook¡¯s ad-lib part at the end was a treat for my eardrums ?? -I¡¯m withdrawing from Do Wooks¡¯ Rolled Tissues¡­It wasn¡¯t a face you could wipe with a lowly tissue¡­Bring out a LX handkerchief -What the heck lol. Is the writer trying to say something wise? So corny lol -More tears! More more tears! They¡¯re corny but¡­it¡¯s so true lol -After watching today¡¯s performance, I was proud to be a Key Ring ??????? Every time their performance on a music broadcast ended, the fans went wild. KK finished their former music broadcasteback performances, and ended with their Life Songeback performance. The active period this time was scheduled for one month, and it was definitely centered around music broadcasts. However, when they needed to appear on entertainment shows for PR purposes, it was thepany¡¯s strategy to send Ahn Hyung Seo and Kim Won to get their faces known. The two of them were even scheduled to appear on a quiz show panel taking ce tomorrow. They were looking forward to Kim Won¡¯s performance, who was very knowledgeable. How long Ahn Hyung Seo wouldst was a subject for betting among the members. ¡°Do Wook, if we send you we¡¯ll get more PR, but you¡¯re busy and¡­you''re already well recognized¡­¡± Do Wook was heading towards thepany conference room with Manager Oh after finishing his schedule. Do Wook was briefly confused by Oh Baek Ho exining and walking on eggshells, but he promptly understood why Oh Baek Ho was being like that. Themon way to promote and grow a group is to push one or two central members first, thenter include the other members in broadcasts after the group bes more popr. From there, divisions in the fandom psychological warfare among members start. Those who have been central members from the beginning feel that they have grown the group while the other members are just benefiting from their work, and feel disappointed because they feel like they¡¯re getting pushed out. The other members will then get angry that they are not being supported. It was also Manager Oh Baek Ho¡¯s job to manage and control those situations. ¡°Baek Ho.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I¡¯mposing songs and will be starting acting soon. I can¡¯t be the only one doing everything when it¡¯s an active period as a group. You don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± Oh Baek Ho awkwardly scratched the back of his head. As expected, Do Wook was mature beyondparison to typical young 20-year-olds. Oh Baek Ho¡¯s concerns, which started from the fact that people change when they gain poprity, werepletely groundless. ¡°Yeah. I was worried for nothing when you¡¯re asking me to find you an acting coach despite how busy it is.¡± Oh Baek Ho muttered as he opened the conference room door. When they knocked and entered the conference room, a woman with long straight hair elegantly down and looking in her mid-tote 30s was sitting down. It wasn¡¯t that HIT Entertainment didn¡¯t have acting instructors, but she was an instructor they specially brought on to be an acting coach for Do Wook, who wanted to get into the ¡®Korean National University of Arts¡¯. ¡°Hello, Instructor Lee.¡± The woman he greeted stood up and turned towards him and Do Wook, who was next to him. Do Wook bowed his head and greeted Instructor Lee. ¡°This is Instructor Lee Kang Yeon, who will be guiding you in acting from here on out. Instructor, this is Kang Do Wook.¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible to not recognize him! He¡¯s so famous these days, haha.¡± Lee Kang Yeon replied to Oh Baek Ho¡¯s introduction as she covered her mouth with her hands andughed. ¡°Hello. I look forward to working with you.¡± When Do Wook greeted her, Lee Kang Yeon had a genuine smile on her face. Her first impression as an elegant person, her way of speaking, and her actions were all very poised and feminine. ¡°Seeing you in person, I can understand why you¡¯re so popr~ I look forward to working with you.¡± When the three of them sat down, the employee who had been outside brought them tea. Oh Baek Ho briefly introduced Instructor Lee Kang Yeon. ¡°She¡¯s a very talented person. Thepany put in a lot of effort to get her. It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that all the actors who are currently big in Chungmuro were taught by her.¡± Lee Kang Yeon was the best of the best among those who graduated magna cumude from the Korean National University of Arts. However, contrary to her school grades, she wasn¡¯t able to find a good project and quit acting after being on a movie board for 2 short years. Also, while making a movie, she realized that rather than she herself doing the acting, being an acting coach fit her more, and that she had a talent for it. With that, Lee Kang Yeon started working as an instructor at an acting academy and her skills as an acting coach were recognized more and more. Currently, she was the private acting coach for well-known stars. ¡°Oh Manager Oh, aren¡¯t you exaggerating too much?¡± ¡°What do you mean? I heard that the rookie actor Joo Yeon Han who starred in and Lim Seung Woo were also your pupils.¡± . By Lim Seung Woo, he meant the excellent actor who made everyone in Korea bawl in . Since then, Lim Seung Woo held the title of top actor, dominating not only movies and dramas, but also even musicals. ¡®So this person is Lim Seung Woo¡¯s acting coach¡­¡¯ Do Wook, who was no different than ayman in terms of acting, couldn¡¯t help but look at Lee Kang Yeon with amazement. After introducing them to each other, Manager Oh Baek Ho left for a meeting regarding the security for KK¡¯s one year celebration fan meeting taking ce in a few days. Instructor Lee Kang Yeon and Do Wook discussed future ns. ¡°I guess the first thing would be the issue of entering KUA, right? Since June is the entrance exam. It¡¯s definitely too tight. Even if your vocalization is reasonably good¡­you have no experience of acting or learning to act.¡± ¡°Yes, Instructor.¡± ¡°And the fact that you¡¯re a famous singer could actually be an obstacle in getting into KUA. The school has a lot of pride¡­they want to find talented people who are crazy about ¡¯acting¡¯. They probably have biases about doing another field at the same time¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m well aware that it¡¯s hard work.¡± ¡°You¡¯re doing well as a singer right now, but you absolutely want to act, right?¡± Do Wook looked at Lee Kang Yeon with a sincere expression. Before she taught him in earnest, Lee Kang Yeon wanted to check his dedication. She was being paid to be an acting coach anyway, but it was true that an instructor''s mentality changes based on the mentality of the person they¡¯re teaching, so nowadays she didn¡¯t just take on anybody as a student. ¡°Yes, I want to. I don¡¯t absolutely have to get in this year. So please don¡¯t feel too pressured about that. Just, please help me so I can truly properly act.¡± ¡°Ok. Acting is up to you, I can only teach you techniques. Still, if you keep up that determination, I think it¡¯s definitely worth trying.¡± Lee Kang Yeon replied as she smiled. Her smile was as elegant as her pearl earrings. ¡°I¡¯ll work very hard.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give it my best too.¡± *** Olympic Stadium Handball Court. The cold snap passed and spring quickly came. The spring weekend weather was clear. RIght before the KK anniversary fan meeting took ce, there was a sea of fans waiting in a long line surrounding the stadium. Because of such fans, the convenience store at Olympic Stadium was always number one in sales in the nation. ¡°I¡¯m hungry, but I¡¯ll have to wait 10 minutes just to buy one samkim*. The line is crazy.¡± (TL Note: A riceball but triangle shaped.) ¡°I¡¯m thirsty too!¡± ¡°Get a drink from that vending machine there. I can¡¯t even buy merchandise, what is this¡­I really wanted to buy a Do Wook hand fan!¡± ¡°These obsessed people. Who lines up at dawn to buy goods?¡± Honestly, the fans who were waiting in line for the fan meeting were lucky. Only the first generation of KK''s fan club ¡®Key Ring¡¯ could attend the fan meeting this time. It was open for general reservation, but there weren¡¯t enough tickets to get to them. It was because all the seats were already sold out during the fan club reservation period even though it was their second performance. Those who became KK fans after the first round of recruitment were pulling their hair out, regretting not bing KK fans sooner. After finishing rehearsals at the concert hall in the early morning, the KK members went back out to get their hair done at the shop and returned to the concert hall after eating lunch. The members lost their vigor when they saw fans had even swarmed the parking lot. ¡°¡­Do you think we¡¯ll be able to get out of the car?¡± Park Tae-hyung, who had been quickly looking out of the window, asked Do Wook. Do Wook was also worried once he saw the situation in the parking lot. It was understandable why Manager Oh Baek Ho signed a new contract with a securitypany and increased the number of security guards to 1.5 times the usual amount. Counting from the ¡®LAST DANCE¡¯ activities, the KK fandom had grown into the Top 5 fandoms in the nation. It was at that moment. Do Wook, who had been surveying the situation through the window, caught sight of a huge performance banner wrapped around the gymnasium. ¡ª Chapter 64: Expansion Pack (3) Chapter 64: Expansion Pack (3) It was a short but powerful message. It was because of the three words written on it that formed the name Seo Tae Joon. ¡®Seo Tae Joon! That¡¯s right, they said Seo Tae Joon ising back, ending his 8 long years of inactivity¡­¡¯ Do Wook recalled the article he saw recently. It was when they were preparing the ¡®LAST DANCE¡¯ album. The name Seo Tae Joon floated around the search trends for over 3 days. Seo Tae Joon released innovative dance music to rece the existing popr music. In less than a year after his debut, he turned the Korean Pop music world upside down. Given the title of President of Culture, he appeared in musical and social studies textbooks. Then one day 8 years ago, when he was at the height of his career, he went to the U.S. after suddenly announcing his retirement and disappeared. Nobody knew the reason for his disappearance, there were only rumors. At that time, Seo Tae Joon was practically a deity to his fans. After hearing about his retirement, some fans threatened tomit suicide, which even made it into the news. Then just as suddenly as he retired, he suddenly held a concert and was said to release an album at the concert. When hiseback was announced, his zealous fans, who had not forgotten him for 8 years, were exhrated. Their solidarity could only be matched by their longing. Even those who were not necessarily zealous fan but had heard his songs back in the day enjoyed listening to his songs to the point that they could all be considered fans of Seo Tae Joon. He was an icon of that time. Because of that, especially people in their 30s felt nostalgia over the news of hiseback and were looking forward to it. That his songs wouldn¡¯t be the same as before or that he resurfaced because he ran out of money. Such criticisms were in the minority, and it wasn¡¯t what people were expecting. ¡®Seo Tae Joon¡­He¡¯s truly amazing. He¡¯s the epitome of genius. He¡¯s doing aeback after 8 years but his songs are never behind the times ¡­¡¯ All of Seo Tae Joon¡¯s albums were very popr, to the point that being even a little worried wasughable. Of course he didn¡¯t give off the same vibe as the dance singer from 8 years ago who shook the hearts of maidens, but he was still popr enough to uphold the authority of someone who had held the title of President of Culture. ¡°They got the area under control for the most part, so get out of the car. Don¡¯t take the time to greet the fans, just walk very quickly!¡± Manager Oh Baek Ho yelled as he opened the car door. Do Wook snapped out of thinking about Seo Tae Joon. The members quickly grabbed their backpacks and exited the car. As soon as they caught a glimpse of the top of the members'' heads, the shrieks from fans became loud enough to burst one¡¯s eardrums. The fans had backed away from the temporary guard line that security had put up, but they were now pushing each other to get to the front and see the KK members from even just a little bit closer. The security guards stopped those fans. The members wanted to greet all of them, but the more their movements were slowed down, the higher the risk of a safety ident urring. Do Wook urgently quickened his steps and only nced over the fans. A fan who made eye contact with Do Wook stopped in her tracks and covered her mouth with her hands. ¡°Wow, seriously¡­¡± Fumbling, the fan grabbed the wrist of the friend next to her. The KK members had entered inside the stadium where the back of their heads were no longer visible. ¡°What? What is it, what is it?!¡± ¡°Uh uh uh uh¡­I made eye contact with Kang Do Wook!!!¡± ¡°What? Are you sure you didn¡¯t just imagine it?¡± ¡°No! I mean it! Really! 100%! Ah, my heart is pounding! The second our eyes met, I thought my heart would stop!¡± ¡°Seriously? Crazy! I didn¡¯t even get a good look at his face!¡± ¡°Do Wook¡­He¡¯s seriously no joke. He¡¯s totally different from when I saw him on the public broadcastst time. I think he got more handsome! It feels like he¡¯s in a ss of his own, it¡¯s like¡­like this!¡± The fan who had made eye contact with Do Wook sputtered on and on like crazy. The expression ¡®renewal of beauty¡¯ came to mind for most fans when they saw Do Wook up close. In reality, the little bit of childish appearance that had remained on Do Wook¡¯s 19-year-old face had disappeared. As the lines on his face became more prominent, he heavily exuded manliness. That kind of appearancebined with Do Wook¡¯s serious vibe created a strong aura. Do Wook was starting to get a strong star aura where people could tell ¡®it¡¯s a celebrity!¡¯ from even afar. Site of the first anniversary celebration fan meeting. On the stage, the KK members were ovee with emotion as they looked at the fans who hade just to see them. They were as happy as when they received the Rookie of the Year award. The fan meeting started with their debut song ¡®Sorry but I Love You¡¯ as the opening song. The KK members gave their all into the performance that they had restlessly prepared for. Additional songs from the albums that they couldn¡¯t perform on music broadcasts were also included in the performance. The fans went wild over the setlist made jusst for them. They had a first anniversary celebration cake cutting, and yed a ¡®speak using five words¡¯ game. They split into two teams and yed a game where they spun around 10 times then ate candy that was hanging. The team who lost the game had to go around to all the seats on the second floor and distribute candy to the fans. ¡°Dongsang* team!!! Dongsang team!!!¡± (TL note: Dongsang is younger sibling) ¡°Hyuuuuuunnnngggg*! Please lose!¡± (TL note: Hyung is older brother) The fans on the second floor were rooting for the team their favorite member was in to lose. It was because they wanted to see them up close. The winners were the Dongsang team. Suk Ji Hoon was a little slow, but they had two people with outstanding athletic skills, Park Tae Hyung and Do Wook, so it was an obvious oue. The members who were part of the ¡®Hyung team¡¯ grabbed arge basket of candy and got onto the elevator at the edge of the stage. The fans went wild over them getting on the elevator. It was also the moment the security guards were most nervous about. The security guards who were given word over their radio that the members were going up to the second floor went on high alert. Ahn Hyung Seo, Kim Won, and Jung Yoon Ki, who hade up to the second floor, excitedly threw candy to the fans on the second floor. At the same time they calmed down the fans who were reaching over each other to get the candy. It was true that Jung Yoon Ki, who typically found it annoying to move, was getting energized after seeing the fans in front of him. They were all people who liked him. They liked him, were fanatical about him, and were the fans who made this current situation possible. As they looked at the members on the second floor waving their hands and distributing candy to the fans, the members on the stage got up, grabbed a candy basket, and dispersed. Do Wook went to the area in front of the center stage and gave candy to the fans, then sat down back on the stage and continued to show the fans his smiling face. ¡®Ahh¡­.I¡¯m happy!¡¯ Do Wook thought as he looked at the fans below. He had fans who sing the songs, dance the choreographies¡­ and enjoy his performance. That someone can be happy with just one smile from him. Those feelings made him happy. *** The happy fan meeting moment came to an end. Looking towards the future, Do Wook had to work hard to be a good singer, to give not only the fans but himself even greater happiness. The members, who had finished the fan meeting, were motivated from the event and were full of determination to work hard. The consecutive 1st ce trophies they won for ¡®LAST DANCE¡¯ spurred that determination. Each member practiced singing and dancing to the best of their abilities. The response to the entertainment show Ahn Hyung Seo and Kim Won appeared on was very good as well, even though they were on a panel that was only briefly shown on-screen, because they put in a lot of effort into their reactions. Kim Won yed a big role in the quiz show and even won 3rd ce. It naturally became known that Kim Won was a great genius. Requests flooded in from entertainment programs for the two of them to appear on their shows, and thepany was going through them little by little. Do Wook had a meeting with Album Production Team Leader Shim Joon. Jung Yoon Ki was also with him at the meeting. Do Wook had discussed his opinion with Jung Yoon Ki first. Jung Yoon Ki, who had been silently listening, had patted Do Wook¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You don¡¯t need to get my opinion from now on. We¡¯ll do everything you want to do.¡± At Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s words, Do Wook hadughed a little. One year had passed since they had debuted, and they¡¯d known each other for a year and a half. Do Wook felt reassured that he was able to build this much trust with leader Jung Yoon Ki during the time they¡¯d spent together. Album Production Team Leader Shim Joon, who was in the conference room, greeted Do Wook and Jung Yoon Ki. Not only Team Leader Shim Joon but also the Production Team staff were there. ¡°Wee. You¡¯re really busy these days, right? Yoon Ki, have you lost weight?¡± After working together for a year, the members had developed a rtively close rtionship with Team Leader Shim Joon. They had also quickly be close through the manypany dinners. After spending time together, they realized that Team Leader Shim¡¯s personality wasn¡¯t particrly prickly and that he was a capable person, someone good to have as an older brother. Because of that, the members, including Jung Yoon Ki, recently started calling him by the odd nickname ¡°Team Leader Hyung¡±. ¡°No. I¡¯m ok.¡± ¡°Ok. I got the general idea from Do Wook. What kind of concert do you want to do?¡± Do Wook nodded his head. He had told Team Leader Shim Joon that he wanted to have a concert, but hadn¡¯t told him the details. Jung Yoon Ki swallowed his saliva. When he first heard Do Wook¡¯s idea, Jung Yoon Ki realized once again that Do Wook was no ordinary guy. Of course KK had now risen to the ranks of popr singers to some extent. They weren¡¯t the most popr group in the nation, but they had certainly be the ¡®hottest¡¯ group. ¡®But the concert he¡¯s talking about¡­is on apletely different level. Is it really doable?¡¯ However, Jung Yoon Ki trusted that Do Wook wouldn¡¯t say something that was impossible. Also, Do Wook was amazing just foring up with this idea. ¡°Yes. I¡¯d like for KK to be invited to perform at Seo Tae Joon sunbae¡¯s concert.¡± Team Leader Shim Joon had an expression on his face as if thinking ¡°what in the world did I just hear?¡± The staff member who had brought aptop and was opening up Notepad to record the minutes of the meeting had the same expression. ¡°Seo¡­Seo Tae Joon? Ah. There was a lot ofmotion that he¡¯s doing aeback this time. I was a fan of Seo Tae Joon when I was younger too, so I¡¯m really looking forward¡­to it. I had a hard time getting tickets to the concert too. You mean that Seo Tae Joon?¡± ¡°Yes, Team Leader. That Seo Tae Joon.¡± A brief silence fell in the conference room. Team Leader Shim looked at Jung Yoon Ki, who was sitting next to Do Wook. His gaze looked like he was asking if Do Wook was in his right mind. Seo Tae Joon was famous for his air of mystery too. There were not many people he interacted with, which is why for 8 long years the public didn¡¯t hear any news of him. KK performing at such a person¡¯s concert. Team Leader Shim Joon couldn¡¯t begin to wrap his mind around what it would mean. Anybody could tell that on the day Seo Tae Joon came out of retirement and held the concert, obviously the entertainment industry as well as the public interest would be focused on Seo Tae Joon. Team Leader Shim Joon was also nning on going to the concert that day. Therefore, if you are invited to perform at Seo Tae Joon¡¯s concert, that invited artist will also get a lot of the spotlight on them. If you perform on Seo Tae Joon¡¯s stage, it means that he has acknowledged your music and it will be like gaining a strong backer. But would that be possible? The same question Jung Yoon Ki had, popped into Team Leader Shim Joon¡¯s head. There was no precedent of Seo Tae Joon having someone else perform at his concert. ¡°There is a way.¡± Seo Tae Joon was an idol to Team Leader Shim Joon as well. KK performing at that very Seo Tae Joon¡¯s concert. Team Leader Shim Joon¡¯s heart started racing at Do Wook¡¯s words. ¡ª Chapter 65: Expansion Pack (4) Chapter 65: Expansion Pack (4) ¡°A way?¡± ¡°Yes. If we y our cards right, we¡¯d have an opportunity to perform at the end of the second half. Please contact Seo Tae Joon¡¯s agency.¡± ¡°Contacting them won¡¯t be a problem¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s been a rumor circting around the inte that they¡¯re looking for a cover dance team for that concert. I guess there wasn¡¯t a suitable dance team¡­what if instead of a dance team, we filled that spot?¡± Although he couldn¡¯t be certain, Team Leader Shim Joon nodded his head right away at Do Wook¡¯s words. If it was for someone at Seo Tae Joon¡¯s level, even being a backup dancer for a one-time event was worthwhile. Trying to contact them didn¡¯t require a lot of time or cost additional money. If there was a n for a dance team to perform with Seo Tae Joon, it was worth trying to get that spot. Do Wook was relieved by Team Leader Shim Joon¡¯s response. Honestly, it was a lie that there was a rumor floating around the inte. Seo Tae Joon considered confidentiality as important as life itself. The fact that he hadn¡¯t been able to find a dance team that he really liked to perform with him so far and finally scrambled to find one a week before the concert was a story only Do Wook knew. ¡°Seo Tae Joon has never had someone perform with him at a concert before. I wonder why he¡¯s looking for a separate dance team.¡± Team Leader Shim Joon muttered to himself. The staff member who was next to him seemed like he was also curious about that. Do Wook already knew the reason but he kept it to himself. Seo Tae Joon was now over 30 years old. It was hard for him to perform live and dance like he had in the past. The songs that he¡¯d release this time were not the Seo Tae Joon songs everyone was thinking of. Unlike the pop dance like he did before, it would be a very fast-tempo rock dance. The singing style would also be changed. There would be a flood of praises for his shocking attempt, saying he is indeed the President of Culture. It would also bring about the revival of the rock dance genre. Despite that, for the fans who would miss his old self, Seo Tae Joon was getting a dance team to perform his old hits. Some of it was for fan service, but since he was only human there was pressure on him over returning after 8 years. Strategically, reliving his past glory by recreating his hits at the end of t he concert would stir up nostalgia in the people who came to his concert and would give them the impression ¡°As expected of Seo Tae Joon¡± after the concert, regardless of whether his new song was actually good or not. It¡¯s easy for people to forget how they felt in the middle part anyways. The excitement they feel as they leave the concert venue will determine their appreciation of the concert. ¡®He truly is a music genius from his debut to his retirement and beyond that too, but besides that he¡¯s also a frightfully strategic person.¡¯ Jung Yoon Ki, who had also been listening, asked, ¡°If it¡¯s a strictly dance team performance, we don¡¯t have to sing, right?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s probably the case.¡± Team Leader Shim Joon replied as he looked at the calendar, ¡°Even if KK was chosen as the dance team for the concert, I think the rehearsal times will be a problem¡­do you think it¡¯ll be ok?¡± ¡°Even if it¡¯s not ok, we have to make it work! It¡¯s Seo Tae Joon.¡± Jung Yoon Ki stepped up and showed his hardened resolve. ¡®This isn¡¯t something I can do by myself. I need help from all the team members. It¡¯s a relief that he actively wants to be in Seo Tae Joon¡¯s concert, and wants to stand on a bigger stage.¡¯ Do Wook was relieved. The ¡®LAST DANCE¡¯ activities would wrap up soon anyways. There was a local festival on the weekend, but Jung Yoon Ki thought it¡¯d be ok. When he said that they would just have to rehearse like crazy for one week, Team Leader Shim Joon shook his head andughed. ¡°When I look at you guys, I can see why you guys are sessful.¡± Other idols were overwhelmed by their busy schedule and wanted to postpone even already scheduled events. However, KK had a strong sense of ambition. It was ingrained in their hearts that if there were an opportunity for them to climb, they''d give it a try even if it were a little difficult. Even when they were told their previous concert ¡®Windy Day¡¯ was going to be live, the members grumbled once or twice then worked hard on rehearsing for it. That was how they grew. Thanks to the KK members¡¯ individual tendencies, and the general team spirit. ¡®The person who made the team¡¯s vibe like this is probably¡­Do Wook. The fact that Yoon Ki, who¡¯s the leader, supported Do Wook without hostility yed a big part too.¡¯ Team Leader Shim Joon gave a satisfied smile as he thought it over. After that, he instructed the staff member to find the contact information for Seo Tae Joon¡¯s manager. *** 4 days after speaking with the Album Production Team. Do Wook and Jung Yoon Ki were dressed the best they could. It looked clean but stylish. KK had two scheduled events. In the morning they had a music broadcast pre-recording, in the evening they had radio recording. Originally Do Wook and Jung Yoon Ki were also supposed to go to the radio event too, but Manager Oh Baek Ho urgently adjusted the schedule to only send the rest of the members. It was because they had an important meeting. That meeting was a meeting with Seo Tae Joon. ¡°Crazy. Wow, why am I so nervous?¡± As he became nervous, Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s ent became thicker. Honestly, it was difficult to say Seo Tae Joon is an idol for Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s generation. Seo Tae Joon¡¯s heyday was when Jung Yoon Ki was in kindergarten, and by the time Jung Yoon Ki started to properly listen to music, Seo Tae Jon had already retired. However, Seo Tae Joon¡¯s fame still affected Jung Yoon Ki. It was simr to the foreign top singer Michael Jackson being an idol to all the KK members despite the difference in generation and country. Jung Yoon Ki had studied music very deeply to be a rapper. Even when listening to Seo Tae Joon¡¯s music after the fact, Jung Yoon Ki was always in awe. ¡°I¡¯m¡­nervous too.¡± ¡°Right? You too, Do wook? I thought it was just me.¡± Jung Yoon Ki was very relieved by Do Wook¡¯s words. It was a reaction Jung Yoon Ki rarely made. ¡°You guys aren¡¯t the only ones who are nervous. I¡¯m nervous too. To think I would live to see the day I will meet Seo Tae Joon in person¡­¡± Team Leader Shim Joon, who was driving, added. With nervous hearts, the three of them headed towards Seo Tae Joon¡¯s mansion. The meeting arrangement had progressed fast. First off, they had to make a decision quickly whether they were going to do the concert or not so KK could start rehearsing. Team Leader Shim Joon immediately contacted Seo Tae Joon¡¯s agency that very day. Luckily they got a response the very next day. Seo Tae Joon had also heard KK¡¯s music before, and Seo Tae Joon¡¯s team didn¡¯t know how HIT Entertainment found out, but it was true they were looking for a dance team. It was a simple cover dance performance, and the image didn¡¯t fit well for well-known singers or they would feel tremendous pressure so they didn¡¯t reach out to them. However, after listening to the situation, they started to think that it would be ok even if it was an established singer. Additionally, they asked to set up a meeting because Seo Tae Joon wanted to meet up personally. They wanted a meeting as soon as possible since there wasn¡¯t much time left until the concert. That was the short and long of it. As requested by Seo Tae Joon¡¯s side, Team Leader Shim arranged it for as soon as possible and scheduled the meeting in two days, which was today. KK¡¯s schedule wouldn¡¯t bepletely free until the next week, and today¡¯s schedule was flexible. Once the date and time was decided via email, Seo Tae Joon¡¯s side sent the personal contact information and address of Seo Tae Joon¡¯s manager. The address was of Seo Tae Joon¡¯s hidden residence/workshop that hadn¡¯t been disclosed yet. ¡°You¡¯ve arrived at your destination.¡± The announcement came from the GPS. Team Leader Shim stopped the car. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Jung Yoon Ki was in awe. Team Leader Shim also looked outside, his mouth agape. Team Leader Shim, who was the driver, knew that it was a rich neighborhood when he entered the address into the GPS, but the ce they arrived at was beyond his imagination. ¡°This is his house¡­¡± Do Wook also couldn¡¯t help but be in pure admiration. There were a lot of nice mansions in the area, but it was so big it was hard to take it all in at one time. The buildings looked newly built. When Team Leader Shim called the person in charge of Seo Tae Joon and told them they arrived at the house, the door opened. Behind the open door, there was an endless green grasnd. The person who had answered the phone walked out and greeted the three of them. ¡°Hello. I¡¯m Manager Seo Sam Won. I was your contact person¡± ¡°Hello. I¡¯m Shim Joon from HIT Entertainment¡¯s Album Production Team.¡± The two of them exchanged business cards. Afterwards, Do Wook and Jung Yoon Ki also exchanged greetings with manager Seo Sam Won. Seo Sam Won introduced himself as a manager, but he was no ordinary manager. Since Seo Tae Joon didn¡¯t interact with the outside world at all, Seo Sam Won was taking care of all the external affairs in his ce. He was the agency¡¯s representative for Seo Tae Joon who took care of all of Seo Tae Joon¡¯s business, both internally and externally. Following Seo Sam Won¡¯s guidance, they were able to enter Seo Tae Joon¡¯s house. The interior was also a sight to behold. It wasn¡¯t surprising since it was the home of someone who had held the title ¡®President of Culture¡¯, but it was in no way an ordinary house. A man with hair down to his chin came out of the inner living room. It was Seo Tae Joon. When they noticed Seo Tae Joon, the movements of the three of them except Seo Sam Won became stiff. ¡°Tae Joon, here.¡± When Seo Sam Won pointed out the three of them, Seo Tae Joon extended his hand to Do Wook who was at the very end. ¡°Hello. I¡¯m Seo Tae Joon.¡± Do Wook swallowed his saliva and held the white, firmly extended hand. ¡°I¡¯m KK¡¯s Kang Do Wook. It¡¯s an honor to meet you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m Jung Yoon Ki.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Album Production Team Leader Shim Joon who is in charge of KK.¡± After shaking the three of their hands in order, the people gathered in the living room took a seat on the sofa for now. Once they sat on the sofa, the housekeeper they hadn¡¯t noticed silently approached them and asked what they would like to drink. There was even a menu, like a cafe. ¡°We don¡¯t often get guests, but we do get them once in a while so making a menu was easier.¡± Seo Tae Joon said lightly to the three of them, who were full of anxiety. Contrary to his reluctance to interact with the outside world, Seo Tae Joon actually had an image of a little shy yet rather energetic young man when he was on broadcasts or speaking to fans. And true to that image, he was treating the three of them in that manner. Still, he was exuding charisma. ¡°I see. Thank you very much for personally inviting us into your home.¡± Seo Tae Joon smiled brightly at Team Leader Shim Joon¡¯s words. "No. I was having a hard time looking for people to perform, but I was d you contacted me first. My acquaintances also like KK very much." They had heard he knew of KK, but hearing it directly from Seo Tae Joon felt different. While looking at Jung Yoon Ki and Do Wook, whose eyes were shining, Seo Tae Joon cut to the chase. ¡°I heard you want to perform.¡± Do Wook kept eye contact with Seo Tae Joon and answered. ¡°Yes. I want to perform together at your concert. I¡¯m confident that we won¡¯t hold you back.¡± *** As the three of them wereing out after finishing the meeting, they took a deep breath before getting in the car. It had barely been one hour, but it felt like five hours had passed. As soon as they stepped out the door, the fatigue they hadn¡¯t noticed because of their nervousness hit them all at once. Team leader Shim, who was warming up his stiff muscles by rotating his shoulders and arms around, said as he headed toward the car. ¡°You guys really prepared a lot for it. I was very surprised.¡± ¡°Of course we prepared. It involves our performance after all,¡± Jung Yoon Ki replied in a confident tone. From the moment they realized they might perform at Seo Tae Joon¡¯s concert, Jung Yoon Ki and Do Wook carved out time to look up Seo Tae Joon¡¯s performances and research them. Even if they would end up not being able to perform with him, they had the mindset that it would benefit KK¡¯s future performances. ¡°Thank you very much for your hard work today.¡± At Do Wook¡¯s words, Team Leader Shim shook his head. ¡°Thanks, to you, there was good¡­¡± Screeeeech__ Team Leader Shim stopped talking. A blue sports car stopped next to Team Leader Shim¡¯s car that the three of them were about to get in to. A woman stylishly wearing a two-piece dress got out of the sports car. An air of wealth overflowed from her to the point that you could tell right away that she was one of the chaebol* families living in the neighborhood. (TL Note: Chaebol is a rich family, often one who owns a conglomeratepany.) The woman started to approach the three of them. ¡ª Chapter 66: Expansion Pack (5) Chapter 66: Expansion Pack (5) # 66 Expansion Pack (5) ¡°Are you Kang¡­Do Wook? You¡¯re Kang Do Wook, right?!¡± Team Leader Shim Joon and Jung Yoon Ki looked at the woman approaching them with a puzzled expression. The woman seemed about 170 cm* tall even though she was wearing low heels. She was a beauty, with distinct, very noble-looking features. (TL Note: 170 cm is about 5¡¯7¡±) She kind of reminded them of someone, but they couldn¡¯t easily recall who. Do Wook was also puzzled. ¡°Yes. I am. I¡¯m sorry, but who are¡­.¡± Do Wook asked carefully in case they knew each other and he didn¡¯t remember, or in case he says something wrong. The woman went ¡°oh, right¡±, took out a business card from her wallet that she was holding in her hand and held it out. ¡®Yoo Sung Fashion President Lee Yoo Min¡­?!'' Lee Yoo Min, who took on the role of Yoo Sung Fashion¡¯s President, was also Yoo Sung Electronics¡¯ President Lee Chul Ho¡¯s younger sister. Do Wook finally started to get an idea of why Lee Yoo Min tried to say hi to him. ¡°Ah! Hello.¡± Team Leader Shim Joon, who got a glimpse of the business card Do Wook received, saw the words ¡®Yoo Sung Fashion¡¯ and finally realized who the woman in front of them was. Yoo Sung Fashion President Lee Yoo Min was someone who quite frequently appeared in fashion magazines, not only doing interviews with women¡¯s magazines but also frequently appearing in newspaper articles. Among the numerous second-generation chaebols, she was one of the young leaders capable of creating a new wave in chaebol families. In reality, Yoo Sung Fashion had gone through an image renewal, a new brandunching, and aggressive marketing after getting a president who had returned after studying abroad in Paris, and had risen from 5th ce to 3rd ce in the nation. That someone like President Lee Yoo Min would be friendly with Do Wook. Team Leader Shim Joon was surprised. President Lee Yoo Min epted Do Wook¡¯s greeting and gestured apologetically. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s nice to see you. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d run into you here. I stopped my car just in case it was you, it¡¯s a relief that it really was you.¡± Lee Yoo Min exined in a fast tone, took a breath, then apologized. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry aboutst time.¡± She was apologizing for running into Do Wook during Lucas¡¯s brandunching event. He didn¡¯t think that Lee Yoo Min was even aware of what happened that day. Do Wook shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m ok. There were no big issues anyways.¡± ¡°What do you mean no issues? Your screen cracked. I was in so much trouble with my eldest brother, telling me to watch where I''m going.¡± President Lee Yoo Minughed awkwardly. Lee Yoo Min, the youngest daughter of Yoo Sung Enterprise¡¯s Chairman, was nu-ttoong-e* with a significant age difference with Lee Chul Ho, whom she called eldest brother. It was such a difference that if Lee Chul Ho had had a child at an early age, the child would have been around Lee Yoo Min¡¯s age. (TL Note: Term used for when someone has a childte in life, usually having a big age gap between that child and other sibling.) President Lee Yoo Min, who was in her mid-tote thirties, looked young enough to pass as someone in herte 20s when she smiled. ¡°I was so busy that day that I left without apologizing. I wanted to treat you to a meal to make up for it. It seems like you¡¯re busier than I am?!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already received enough as an apology.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. Pretty please give me a call when you have time.¡± Lee Yoo Min nced at Team Leader Shim and Jung Yoon Ki in the back and spoke in a way to wrap things up. It wasn¡¯t an order, but there was a heavy tension implying that he couldn¡¯t refuse it. Do Wook replied that he understood, knowing that it wouldn¡¯t be polite to keep refusing President Lee Yoo Min¡¯s invitation. President Lee Yoo Min said to Do Wook as she smiled. ¡°You¡¯re obviously epting it out of courtesy. If I don¡¯t hear from you my team will reach out. Bye then.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see youter.¡± ¡°Ok. Let¡¯s meet up at ater time for sure.¡± President Lee waved her hand and said goodbye to the two people in the back. With a gait overflowing with confidence she walked back to the parked sports car and got in. The sports car made a cheerful engine sound as it quickly left the secluded mansion. ¡°I guess this really is a rich neighborhood. We saw Seo Tae Joon and even the President of Yoo Sung Fashion¡­¡± Team Leader Shim muttered, feeling a little less anxious than before. Then, suddenly bing alert, he asked Do Wook what that was about. Jung Yoon Ki, who was standing next to him, was also curious. ¡°That¡¯s¡­let¡¯s get in the car first and then I¡¯ll tell you. It¡¯s not a big deal.¡± ¡°Ok. Let¡¯s get in the car first! We have to let thepany and other members know about performing at Seo Tae Joon¡¯s concert.¡± Team Leader Shim Joon yelled ¡°fighting¡± at the top of his lungs as he opened the car door. *** The activities for ¡®LAST DANCE¡¯, KK¡¯s second mini album, also wrapped up. Through the recent activities, KK expanded its range of activities by Kim Won and Ahn Hyung Seo going on entertainment shows once in a while. The song took 1st ce again at the music broadcast for the 4th consecutive week, and they held the glory of having every single album and title song they¡¯d released so far getting first ce. With Sa Bang Shin Hwa¡¯seback, KK came down from the top spot. The top idol in Korea was still arguably Sa Bang Shin Hwa. However, it had now been 6 years since Sa Bang Shin Hwa had debuted. Considering the rapidly rotating top idol spot, starting next year, KK would be more than capable enough to ovee them. In fact, Ara Entertainment had also sent M2M to inherit Sa Bang Shin Hwa¡¯s position for that very reason. ¡°Tommy, how do we look?¡± Kim Won asked Tommy in English. Tommy was a choreographer that Seo Tae Joon had met while living in America after his disappearance. Once it was arranged that KK would do a dance performance at Seo Tae Joon¡¯s concert, he was reporting for work at HIT Entertainment¡¯s rehearsal hall to help KK. Kim Won was in charge ofmunicating with Tommy, who was an American. There was not a lot of need for words since they were learning choreography, but there were times when they needed to exchange evaluations or opinions regarding the choreography. ¡°What did he say? Did we do well? Good, good, great?¡± Ahn Hyung Seo asked Kim Won, who hade back after speaking with Tommy. Kim Wonughed as he replied. ¡°Yes. Good, good, great!¡± ¡°I knew it!¡± ¡°¡­yes, but.¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°He thinks it¡¯d be good to express it more fluidly. Right now it feels too forced.¡± The other members, who had been listening to what Kim Won was saying, nodded their heads. Yesterday was thest music broadcast performance for ¡®LAST DANCE¡¯. Without even one day of rest, the KK members immediately gave their all into preparing in earnest for Seo Tae Joon¡¯s concert. The concert was one week away. Even as they went on broadcasts, the KK members familiarized themselves with the video and choreography that Tommy had filmed and sent. The fans were disheartened that KK left after the scheduled broadcast performance without any extension. When they saw the disappointed fans at the goodbye performance yesterday, the members, including Ahn Hyung Seo, were itching to reveal that they¡¯d start activities again soon at Seo Tae Joon¡¯s concert. However, the information was tightly under wraps, kept secret with nobody knowing except those who absolutely had to know. The members started to dance again, following Tommy¡¯s suggestion and doing it a little less stiff this time. Even if you couldn¡¯tmunicate due to differences innguage, you could tell certain things by looking at one¡¯s expression. Tommy¡¯s big lips cleanly formed a smile. The rehearsal clothes of the KK members, who did two dry runs of the three songs straight through like they would during the real performance, were already drenched in sweat. Each member sat down on the floor as they drank an electrolyte drink and let out a rough breath. ¡°Tommy said we did very well. If we keep it up, it¡¯ll be perfect in a few days.¡± At Kim Won¡¯s words, Jung Yoon Ki flopped down on his back and said, ¡°It better be. We¡¯re practicing until we¡¯re about to drop dead.¡± Suk Ji Hoon and Ahn Hyung Seo strongly agreed with what Jung Yoon Ki said. Do Wook was also thinking that it was a relief they were on the right track. Kim Won added, ¡°Tae Hyung, Tommy wants to make you part of his dance team.¡± ¡°Huh? M¡­me?¡± Park Tae Hyung, who was drinking his electrolyte drink, asked, surprised. Jung Yoon Kiughed and praised Park Tae Hyung, who was feeling embarrassed. ¡°Wow Tae Hyung, you got scouted.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t go! Tae Hyung!¡± Ahn Hyung Seo made a fuss and grabbed Tae Hyung¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Anyways, Seo Tae Joon¡¯s stage¡­is this a dream? Someone pinch me. I¡¯m itching to brag about it!¡± ¡°Should I pinch you?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll just pinch myself, Ji Hoon.¡± Watching Suk Ji Hoon and Ahn Hyung Seo bicker, Jung Yoon Ki made a throat-slitting gesture with his finger. ¡°You know you can¡¯t yet, right? If it gets leaked, chhk!¡± Ahn Hyung Seo said he knew that much and cut off Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s nagging. KK¡¯s participation was a secret until the day of the concert. That was one of Seo Tae Joon¡¯s conditions for having KK participate. ¡°We do have one condition.¡± The day they had the meeting at Seo Tae Joon¡¯s mansion, Team Leader Shim, Do Wook, and Jung Yoon Ki all anxiously waited for what Seo Tae Joon would say next. If the condition was too ridiculous or unfair, KK¡¯s side did not intend on trying too hard. ¡°Yes. Please tell me.¡± Seo Tae Joon said to Team Leader Shim¡¯s reply. ¡°We¡¯d like it if nobody knew about KK¡¯s participation.¡± ¡°Do you mean until the day of?¡± ¡°Yes. Until theye on stage. Since KK is also a well known group, it could be mutually beneficial if there¡¯s PR about it, but it¡¯s the first concert in 8 years. If only for this event, I want to hold a concert where only those who want to listen to my music are gathered.¡± Simply put, it meant he didn¡¯t want KK fans mixed in at his concert. Team Leader Shim Joon, who had been thinking it over for a bit, exchanged nces with Do Wook and Jung Yoon Ki, then nodded his head in confirmation. KK would already receive a lot of publicity over just the fact that they performed at Seo Tae Joon¡¯s concert. Even just the articles that the attending reporters would write after the concert was over would be enough. It wasn¡¯t a concert meant as a fan service performance for KK fans anyways. Also, when Seo Tae Joon¡¯s live concert DVD was releasedter, they¡¯d be able to easily get clips of the performance. ¡°We also n on finding a dance team and have them rehearse too. If the news that KK is performing is leaked before then, we will immediately issue a rebuttal article and use our dance team.¡± ¡°Ok. Do you have any other conditions?¡­¡± ¡°We want to send our choreographer. And I¡¯ll take care of remixing and producing the song.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± This much thoroughness was necessary for being able to disappear for 8 years without any news. When you thought about it that way, the conditions weren¡¯t as prickly as they expected. At that moment, Do Wook, who had been listening silently, started to speak. ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯d like to tell you too.¡± Hearing the pleasant baritone voice, Seo Tae Joon looked towards Do Wook. Seo Tae Joon furrowed his eyebrows and asked. ¡°What is it?¡± *** After finishing rehearsal for the Seo Tae Joon concert, the KK members returned to their dorm. Suk Ji Hoon, perhaps feeling that he was the only one whose skills were not up to par, said he¡¯d practice a little longer by himself. Some members were so tired that they went to sleep as soon as they got back. And some members were enjoying their precious rxation time by watching tv in the living room. After showering, Do Wook immediately went to his room and confined himself to the workshop. On the desk there was arge pile of fatigue relief pills and vitamin drinks that fans had sent. As he grabbed one of the vitamins and drank it, he rubbed his drooping eyes. After about an hour had passed, Do Wook called Ahn Hyung Seo, who was in the living room. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°The first round of edits are done. Please give it a listen.¡± Ahn Hyung Seo quickly put on the headphones Do Wook handed him. Do Wook reyed the music. Do Wook was working on it restlessly. They nned on releasing the album immediately, almost without any period of inactivity. Discussions with the album production team were already done and the members were already informed. There was a reason Do Wook was hurrying so much. ¡®Once Seo Tae Joon¡¯s concert is over, KK will get a huge spotlight too. It¡¯s important to take advantage of this good opportunity.¡¯ After 3 minutes and 8 seconds had passed, Ahn Hyung Seo, who had removed the headphones, gave a thumbs up. ¡°It¡¯s amazing. Do Wook you¡¯re really a genius¡­Dozart¡­¡± Do Wook shook his head in disagreement as he epted thepliment. ¡®Ahn Hyung Seo¡¯s high notes are important for this song.¡¯ The voice color he had when singing a high note was undeniably good enough to be called the best. It was a voice like a treasure. Additionally, because his technical skills developed, he was able to make a high note morefortably than before. ¡°What do you think? Do you think you can raise it this high?¡± Ahn Hyung Seo, who had put on the headphones again, focused on the melodying out of the cell phone. ¡°Mmmm¡­¡± Ahn Hyung seo warmed up his voice, going aahhh and mmmmmm. ¡®It¡¯s pitch-perfect!¡¯ Do Wook¡¯s eyes shone. Do Wook gave a thumbs up to Ahn Hyung Seo just as he had done. ¡®If we keep this up¡­we can do it!¡¯ Do Wook emailed the edited file. For the recipient, he addressed it to Seo Sam Won and CC¡¯d Team Leader Shim Joon. It was a song Seo Tae Joon¡¯seback needed. ¡ª Chapter 67: Formula (1) Chapter 67: Form (1) The day of Seo Tae Joon¡¯s LIVE concert. Olympic Park Gymnasium. There were fans who followed the members even to the dormitory andpany, so the members arrived at the gymnasium in two separate cars. It was to decrease the possibility of getting exposed as much as possible. HIT Entertainment made security their top priority to uphold Seo Tae Joon¡¯s request as best as they could. Of course it was inevitable that rumors would circte among fans that the KK members were rehearsing at their dormitory for a concert. However, they hadn¡¯t figured out what concert it was and couldn¡¯t even imagine that it was Seo Tae Joon¡¯s concert. That KK might be doing a solo concert soon was the guess that got the most traction. The rehearsal progressed under tight security, almost as if they were guarding the president. As the members waited until it was time for their about 4-minute-long performance, they had the honor of watching Seo Tae Joon¡¯s rehearsal. ¡°Wow, it was this kind of song¡­¡± Ahn Hyung Seo, who had been looking nkly at the stage, muttered. The members who heard Seo Tae Joon¡¯s new song were in shock as if they were hit in the back of the head. Although it was not a brand new genre, it was part of a genre called mania that hadponents of pop rock marvelously added to it, and a song that could hold its own among popr songs. Despite that, the ¡®hard¡¯ vibe of rock hadn¡¯t disappeared. Even though he had already heard the song in the past, Do Wook was in awe again. ¡®The fact that he can create a song like this in this day and age¡­is really amazing. The skills to write a song like this, and the confidence to do it!'' It wasn¡¯t just his new song. The hit songs he had released previously were definitely good songs no matter when you listened to them. Jung Yoon Ki, who was standing next to Do Wook, was moving to the rhythm and sang along without omitting a single lyric. Afterwards, when it became time for the part of the program where KK performs, the dance group Seo Tae Joon had prepared came on stage. Because fans and reporters were on their way to the concert hall, Seo Tae Joon nned on KK not taking the stage until the main performance. Seo Tae Joon had already verified KK¡¯s level through videos he received every 3 days. They couldn¡¯t talk directly with Seo Tae Joon, but they were able to hear from Tommy that Seo Tae Joon was satisfied with KK¡¯s skills. As they watched the dancers, the members were reassured of their standing. There was some nervousness since it¡¯d be a different vibe once they actually took the stage, but they had rehearsed themselves to the bone with the exception of eating three times a day and sleeping for this performance this past week, so they were confident they¡¯d do well. Once the long rehearsal was over, the main performance started. Once the screen showed a ck and white clip of Seo Tae Joon¡¯s performance apanied by magnificent stage music, the fans in the concert hall, which was filled to the brim, were buzzing. There were even fans who cried within the first minute of the performance. It was an 8-year wait. For fans who had waited for Seo Tae Joon, it was a moment for which they couldn¡¯t help but cry. They thought it was great even during the rehearsal, but the actual great performance was about to begin. At that moment, all the KK members felt that an artist¡¯s performance became the most perfect when he or she meets an audience that loves him or her. As they monitored the concert from the waiting room, the KK members felt partly overwhelmed. The feeling of being in awe over Seo Tae Joon¡¯s genius performance and the sound of fans cheering wildly were engraved in the hearts of the KK members. They couldn¡¯t help but be first and foremost excited that they would be standing on that stage. ¡®One day we¡¯ll be able to stand on a stage like that too, right?¡¯ They didn¡¯t say anything, but they could tell by their eyes. That they were all thinking the same thought. Then it was time for KK¡¯s performance. All the stage lights turned off, and as it cked out, the top of therge stage became engulfed in darkness. The lights in the audience section surrounding the stage shone softly. The audience waited with bated breath for the next performance to start. Soon the next melody started to y. The audience started to shout when they heard the melody of the song that had been most popr among his songs, ¡®GO BACK SCHOOL*¡¯. (TL Note: This was written in English even in the original. GO BACK SCHOOL, not GO BACK TO SCHOOL. The KK members, who were standing in formation on stage, felt thrilled from the sound of yelling that was loud enough to shake the gymnasium. It felt as if an incredible energy was forced into their bodies. At the same time, POP-! The pin light shone on the six members. The members started to move their bodies as they stretched out their arms. When people who weren¡¯t Seo Tae Joon appeared on stage, the audience who had been yelling scrambled to figure out who the people were. At first they thought they were dancers, but the vibe of the six people wearing ck-cored shirt uniforms didn¡¯t seem like simple dancers. The VCR screen that had been showing full shots of the choreography showed Do Wook¡¯s face. Afterwards, it showed the full shot again, then one shot of Park Tae Hyung¡¯s solo dance. Before they knew it, the audience was captivated by the uniformed six-man squad, who moved brilliantly. The reporters in the front row became restless and made a fuss. ¡°What the! They¡¯re not just dancers!¡± ¡°Kang Do Wook? Wasn¡¯t that Kang Do Wook just now?¡± ¡°What is Kang Do Wook doing here, KK? Is that KK?!!!!¡± Each of the reporters started to type on theptops they had ced on theirps as fast as humanly possible. ¡°Are you sure? KK?!¡± ¡°It is, sunbae! That solo dancer there is Park Tae Hyung!¡± ¡°Hey, Reporter Kim! Quick, take pictures and send them as soon as the performance is over.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± The reporter holding the big camera quickly pressed the shutter button. Even within the audience, those who recognized KK were buzzing. ¡°Why is KK appearing at our Tae Joon-jjang*¡¯s concert?¡± (TL Note: His name is Tae Joon. Fans are lovingly adding jjang at the end of it to mean he¡¯s the best.) ¡°Yeah, our Tae Joon-jjang wouldn¡¯t call just anyone either¡­¡± They weren¡¯t particrly happy that a different singer appeared, but the fans had endless faith in Seo Tae Joon. On top of that, KK, who was on stage, was perfectly recreating Seo Tae Joon¡¯s performance from 8 years ago. ¡°They are good though.¡± That was most of the fans¡¯ reaction. ¡®They are good though.¡¯ There were parts that were reinterpreted to fit a six-person choreography instead of for just one person, but those parts boasted outstanding dancing skills enough for Seo Tae Joon¡¯s fans to like it too. When KK¡¯s dance performance was about to end, the chorus for ¡®GO BACK SCHOOL¡¯ started once again and Seo Tae Joon was descending from the ceiling onto the middle of the stage using wires. Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa_The cheers felt loud enough to tear eardrums. ¡°Yeah!¡± ¡°(Yeah¡ª-)!!!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± ¡°(Yeah¡ª-)!!!¡± ¡°No more of that past love!¡± When Seo Tae Joon led off, the fans sang along. It was perfect teamwork. Seo Tae Joon, who was standing on the stage, held the microphone stand and sang. The KK members gave it their all as they finished the choreography. Famous portal sites were stered with Seo Tae Joon¡¯s concert. Even the search trends were all rted to Seo Tae Joon¡¯s concert and new song. Of course KK was among them. *** The day they had the meeting with Seo Tae Joon. What Do Wook meant when he said to Seo Tae Joon he had ¡®something to tell him¡¯ was none other than that he wanted permission to remake Seo Tae Joon¡¯s song. Seo Tae Joon deliberated. Actually, Seo Tae Joon¡¯s songs had not been remade up to now, not even once. At the beginning of his retirement, Seo Tae Joon¡¯s prowess was so incredible that there was no one who dared to step up to do a remake. Later on, Seo Tae Joon often received requests for remakes, but they were all rejected by him. It was because Seo Tae Joon was extremely reluctant, concerned his songs might be damaged by other people¡¯s hands. ¡®Because of that, remakes of Seo Tae Joon¡¯s songs will only start off next year. The song that was remade received a lot of interest and gained a certain degree of poprity.¡¯ Do Wook wanted the title of being the first singer to remake Seo Tae Joon¡¯s song. Aside from the title, he also had a desire to remake Seo Tae Joon¡¯s masterpieces to fit the generation and fit KK. ¡°A remake¡­Is it ok if I make a decision after listening to it?¡± ¡°Is that a rejection?¡± Do Wook asked in response to Seo Tae Joon¡¯s answer. At Do Wook¡¯s bold question, a barely 20-year-old who was much younger than him, Seo Tae Joon burst intoughter. ¡°No. I¡¯m not trying to reject it in a roundabout way, hubae*. I¡¯m open to doing a remake.¡± (TL note: hubae, the opposite of sunbae, is a person who is one¡¯s junior at a school, job, field, etc.) Do Wook nodded his head. Seo Tae Joon continued to speak. ¡°However, with the efforts to remake it until now, the songs people sent me were too simr to the original to call it a remake or it was so different from the original that it wouldn¡¯t remind people of the original.¡± Do Wook understood exactly what Seo Tae Joon meant. With Seo Tae Joon¡¯s words deeply ingrained in his mind, Do Wook progressed with working on the edit. And a few days before the concert, he emailed Seo Sam Won. ¡°Guys! Come here for a second!¡± After the concert, the members, who finally had their first day off in about 2 months, were resting in the dorm. At Manager Oh Baek Ho¡¯s voice, the members, who were in their rooms, came out to the living room one by one. Except for Jung Yoon Ki, who had gone to the broadcast station for an individual event, the members all gathered. ¡°What is this? Manager?¡± Suk Ji Hoon asked, surprised. Kim Won was already standing in front of the object and in awe. ¡°What a wonderful!*¡± (TL note: Once again, this was said in English exactly like this.) What Manager Oh Baek Ho had ced on one side of the room was an ornamental flowerpot. However, unlike a typical flower pot meant for indoor nts, it was as big as a person. Thankfully, KK¡¯s dormitory was spacious enough for six guys to live in, so it fit. ¡°Seo Tae Joon sent this. As a thank you for helping with the concert.¡± When he heard it was a gift from Seo Tae Joon, Ahn Hyung Seo took out his phone and started taking pictures. ¡°I should brag on Facenote!¡± ¡°Yes, this is something you can brag about everywhere. Also, Do Wook¡­¡± They way Oh Baek Ho called Do Wook was a little different than usual. Do Wook waited for what he¡¯d say next. ¡°We got an answer from Seo Tae Joon.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°They said it¡¯s ok to do a remake.¡± ¡°Wow!¡± Ahn Hyung Seo screamed, surprised. Do Wook was also surprised. ¡°That¡¯s big, that¡¯s big!!!¡± As Ahn Hyung Seo said, it was totally ¡®big¡¯. As he was editing it, he was confident that Seo Tae Joon would like it, but getting full permission made him more than a little happy. ¡°Baek Ho, please schedule a recording immediately.¡± ¡°Ok, ok! I¡¯ll discuss it with Team Leader Shim.¡± ¡°As soon as possible.¡± ¡°Of course, There¡¯s a lot of interest in Seo Tae Joon right now, you should strike while the iron is hot! Do Wook, you worked hard, really!¡± Do Wook smiled lightly. The KK members started preparing for the recording right away. HIT Entertainment gave the press release without dy. Fans, who were waiting for KK to be active, couldn¡¯t hide their excitement over KK, who yed the trump card of remaking a Seo Tae Joon song. KK was bing a band fans could really be ¡®proud¡¯ of. *** KK released a digital single album less than a month after Seo Tae Joon¡¯s concert took ce. It was an album for which only the concept picture, sound file, and music video was released. Instead, they prepared a showcase for the fans and reporters. At the showcase, there would be a reenactment of KK¡¯s past songs as well as the ¡°GO BACK SCHOOL¡¯ performance, and a new song would be revealed. The fans were alreadypletely satisfied that they would be able to properly see the members who were wearing the ck-cored uniforms at Seo Tae Joon¡¯s concert. But that wasn¡¯t all. Seo Tae Joon¡¯s song that KK newly remade was a song beyond everyone¡¯s imagination. When the album with the remake of Seo Tae Joon¡¯s song was announced, the remake everyone was thinking of was ¡®GO BACK SCHOOL¡¯. However, KK broke everyone¡¯s expectations, and the song they released was ¡°To A Friend¡±. A song with lyrics about telling your closest friend how you feel in aposed manner, it was the most emotional and lyrical song among Seo Tae Joon¡¯s songs. As soon as it was released, ¡®To A Friend¡¯ was number one on the charts. ¡°Ahh¡­I think I¡¯m going to cry! Was Hyung Seo that good at singing?¡± ¡°Hyung Seo was always good at singing.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to wash my ears. My precious ear that heard Do Wook¡¯s voice¡­¡± ¡°Just wash it and listen to it again as you stream the sound file, stupid!¡± Compared to the past songs, this song emphasized vocals much more. Do Wook¡¯s stable vocals already melted people¡¯s hearts, but people couldn¡¯t help but drop their jaws and listen attentively at Ahn Hyung Seo¡¯s high part. Like that, KK proved themselves to be incredible singers not just in dance, hip hop, and intense performances but also in vocals through the ¡®Windy Day¡¯ acape version and now ¡®To A Friend''. ¡®To A Friend¡¯ captured the hearts of not only 20-year-olds but also 30- and 40-year-olds. One week after ¡®To A Friend¡¯ was announced. Korea was in a craze over ¡®To A Friend¡¯. It was a craze over Seo Tae Joon and over KK. M2M also suddenly announced aeback. ¡°M2M¡¯seback¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± As he looked at M2M¡¯seback teaser video, Do Wook blinked. The teaser video was exactly the same as the one he¡¯d seen before. ¡ª Chapter 68: Formula (2) Chapter 68: Form (2) Since Ara Entertainment had many singers under their agency, each project¡¯s schedule was nned at least six months in advance, sometimes up to one year in advance, so there would be no conflicts between the project schedules. That also went for M2M as a group Ara Entertainment ambitiously created to inherit Shin Bang Shin Hwa¡¯s poprity. M2M¡¯s direction and concept had already been firmly decided before their debut, and this album was also going ording to that n. From Ara Entertainment¡¯s perspective, it must have been a pity that M2M lost the Rookie of the Year award due to the appearance of a dark horse called KK. ¡®Since they probably nned on winning the Rookie of the Year award through a strong fandom and having a hit song with this album that they release afterwards ¡­¡¯ If it weren¡¯t for KK, ¡®You¡¯re Too Pretty¡¯ was a song that could have be the best rookie song. Honestly, Ara Entertainment was more popr and had good songs, so they purposely debuted M2M with the experimental song ¡®You¡¯re Too Pretty¡¯, which was overflowing with elegance that the public might find unique. To give M2M a trendy image that they didn¡¯t have before, they tried to brand them as a special group. It was a strategic choice. They calcted that a truly strong and popr song should be released once they¡¯d reached a certain amount of poprity for it to properly have a synergic effect. If you start off strong, you have to release an even stronger one next, and one all the stronger after that, so this was also a strategy to reduce that burden. ¡®Since I knew that was M2M¡¯s n, I chose popr songs for KK starting with their debut song.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t that Do Wook didn¡¯t have any concerns when he released ¡®Very Sorry¡¯ right after their debut song. ¡®Can we make a song that¡¯s better than this?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t pride, but a concern. However, Do Wook was currently working on releasing a song that he put his all into. To beat M2M, who were taking a more and more aggressive approach, he had no choice but to do that. Do Wook became deep in thought as he listened to the repeating lyrics of the teaser. M2M¡¯s newest album was an album that Ara Entertainment prepared ¡®for real¡¯. With this album, M2M would advance to the same level as Sa Bang Shin Hwa as an Ara Entertainment band. Starting from the following year, M2M would firmly engrave their name in the top spot of the music industry. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s dope.¡± Jung Yoon Kimented from behind as he watched the teaser video, which probably cost a lot of money to produce, with them. They could feel Ara Entertainment¡¯s capital power through the movie-like video as well as through their use of a CGI gxy. HIT Entertainment also had outstanding working and management staff who were practical and even weed a challenge. It was thanks to them that KK was created and that they were able to ept Do Wook¡¯s suggestions. However, when it came to basic capital power like this, they were behind. It was an almost uncontroble factor. If KK gained huge sess, the next group would be able to get even greater support than KK did, just as KK got more support than Monster did. ¡°They really sank their teeth in this time.¡± Manager Oh Baek Ho said with a slightly serious expression. ¡®Sink their teeth in¡¯ was an urate expression. It was probably an album they were preparing anyways, but with M2M losing the Rookie of the Year award they probably put a lot more effort into preparing it. ¡°People will go crazy if they perform this.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± With his arms crossed, Oh Baek Ho nodded his head to what Jung Yoon Ki said. KK¡¯s ¡®To A Friend¡¯ continued to top the music charts without going on a music broadcast even once. Therefore, there was a flood of requests for broadcast appearances, but HIT Entertainment made their position clear that they did not n on doing any broadcast appearances. The song ¡®To a Friend¡¯ suddenly came to be because of their connection with Seo Tae Joon. The concert performance itself had been an unscheduled performance, so there was no break. Thepany decided that if they did ¡®To A Friend¡¯ activities on top of that, the KK members would not be able to handle it. Furthermore, the poprity was substantial with the sound file alone. ¡®To A Friend¡¯ was ying on radios and all throughout the streets. There was no particr need for them to push themselves. KK¡¯s schedule was packed already with preparing for the ¡®Very Sorry¡¯ full length album release and performances that would take ce in Japan next month. ¡°The fans might all go over to M2M.¡± Jung Yoon Ki expressed his honest anxiety as if he were talking to himself. It was true that the members had a sense of rivalry with M2M to a certain degree, but it really was to a normal level that can¡¯t help but arise in their position. It was only to the level that they felt ufortable with them after Ahn Hyung Seo hurt his leg. ¡®If they knew that Ara Entertainment tried to pull something during the Rookie of the Year award¡­¡¯ As he looked at Jung Yoon Ki who didn¡¯t particrly seem to have ill will, Manager Oh Baek Ho stopped thinking that to himself and pushed the thought out of his mind. Manager Oh Baek Ho now automatically frowned when he thought about M2M or Ara Entertainment, but it would cause a lot of chaos if the other KK members knew. ¡®Hmm, on top of that there will be more situations for us to run into them at the broadcast station in the future. I hope nothing happens.¡¯ Manager Oh briefly worried about the rivalry between M2M and KK, which was sure to be more serious. However, in the fight against Ara Entertainment, which was also the most vicious among therge agencies, he could only hope that nothing would happen to the KK members. There was also not much he could do at this time. ¡°You guys have to try even harder too.¡± ¡°Baek Ho! How can we try more than we are¡­¡± Jun Yoon Ki was about toin, but closed his mouth. It was because Oh Baek Ho hardened his expression. ¡°Yes, yes. I understand¡±. Jung Yoon Ki purposely replied especially politely. Jung Yook Ki muttered, concerned. ¡°Anyways, what am I going to do about that?¡± ¡°Yoon Ki, is something wrong?¡± Do Wook asked. Currently at the dormitory, there were only three people: Manager Oh Baek Ho, Jung Yoon Ki, and Do Wook. The rest of the members had gone out for individual engagements. Park Tae Hyung and Suk Ji Hoon had gone to the rehearsal hall, and Ahn Hyung Seo had gone to the shop to get some hair care done. Kim Won had a friend visiting from abroad that he hadn¡¯t seen in a while, and was touring the GyungBok Pce and showing him around. There were posts on the fan cafe here and there about spotting Kim Won around. ¡°Ah. It¡¯s about when I had gone to the broadcast station recently. I don¡¯t know what to do.¡± ¡°The one you got casted for? Which program is it?¡± Jung Yoon Ki was about to exin to Do Wook, who had shown interest. Jung Yoon Ki wanted to ask the other members¡¯ opinions anyways. However, it wasn¡¯t an urgent decision, and it was something they had been putting off since they¡¯d been busy. Oh Baek Ho intercepted Jung Yoon Ki. ¡°Do Wook, it¡¯s your exam soon. Focus on that for now. It won¡¯t be toote to discuss Yoon Ki¡¯s stuff after your exam.¡± It wasn¡¯t that the team members weren¡¯t pulling their own weight, but it was true that Do Wook was carrying too much of the burden. Oh Baek Ho often felt that Do Wook was doing his* share too. He didn¡¯t express it, but Oh Baek Ho was grateful and sorry whenever he thought about it. (TL note: For rification, it''s saying Do Wook is doing things that Baek Ho, as the manager, should be doing.) He didn¡¯t want to give Do Wook another thing to worry about before his exam. At Oh Baek Ho¡¯s exnation, Jung Yoon Ki remembered and also spoke up. ¡°Yeah, man! You said your exam is just around the corner.¡± ¡°Ah¡­It¡¯s ok.¡± ¡°Are you confident? Is there anything I can help you with? Should I be your scene partner?¡± Do Wookughed at Jung Yoon Ki, who pulled up his sleeves to show his motivation. The person that was most helpful to Do Wook in practicing acting for the uing Korean National University of Arts practical test was definitely Suk Ji Hoon. Suk Ji Hoon always practiced with Do Wook when he received practice scripts from Instructor Lee Kang Yeon. ¡°I want to do it with Ji Hoon once hees back.¡± ¡°Wow, are you belittling me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because it¡¯s a Seoul person''s role.¡± Do Wook got up from his seat as he answered bluntly. Jung Yoon Ki huffed over the fact that Do Wook made fun of his ent. ¡°That¡¯s right. I told you that if you¡¯re going to go on more broadcasts, you¡¯ll need to fix your country ent.¡± Laughing, Oh Baek Ho also chided Jung Yoon Ki, then left. ¡°I feel so wronged! That¡¯s my charm. Man!¡± Jung Yoon Ki sat where Do Wook had been sitting and went to the fan cafe website. He put ¡®Jung Yoon Ki¡¯ and ¡®ent¡¯ together in the search box. -Raise your hand if you really like Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s ent ??????? -11112223334444 -I hope he continues to use his ent instead of fixing it¡­?? -It¡¯s so sexy¡­????????? -But it¡¯s funny when he switches between his ent and no ent ?? -I¡¯m not / a Gyeong / Sang Do per son~!* (TL note: The / and were used to show when he switched from a dialect to no dialect) -Raise your hand if you also like it when Jung Yoon Ki speaks Arabic!!! -If it¡¯s Jung Yoon Ki, I¡¯d embrace it even if he speaks a foreignnguage¡­ -The part where he raps in a foreignnguage? -I like that part too ?? Jung Yoon Ki found peace of mind as he read thements from the fans who liked him. *** As expected, M2M¡¯seback was a sess. The title song ¡°elerator¡¯ was a dance song that expressed the feelings of a man who is running toward a woman he loves as if he were speeding on the road. M2M, who catches the eyes of fans through shy videos, even caught the public''s attention with their colorful performance that mobilized arge number of back dancers. An addictive chorus like KK¡¯s ¡®Very Sorry¡¯¡¯s started to flow throughout the streets, and the ending scene where Seo Kang Jun winks became viral. Everymunity had a picture of Seo Kang Jun winking posted. Do Wook¡¯s single tear and Seo Kang Jun¡¯s wink. There were dozens of posts every dayparing the two of them and asking who they¡¯d want more as a ¡®boyfriend¡¯. Thepetition between Do Wook, who was the face of KK, and Seo Kang Jun, who was the face of M2M, had started in earnest. ¡°Did you see Seo Jun on Idol Camp? He¡¯s really good looking. That¡¯s what people mean when they say gorgeous.¡± ¡°But Seo Jun is too thin. Being muscr like Kang Do Wook¡­¡± ¡°Kang Do Wook has muscles?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t know? Look at this! It¡¯s muscles he developed by dancing like this.¡± After getting out of the car that Oh Baek Ho had driven and entering the Korean National University of Arts¡¯s halls, Do Wook was listening to the female students¡¯ conversationparing him and Seo Jun right in front of him, just like the inte posts. He couldn¡¯t avoid hearing it even if he wanted to. Today was the day of the practical that Do Wook had worked very hard to prepare for in a short amount of time. Do Wook was wearing a slightly form-fitting white shirt and jeans. Most of the students that came for the practical exam were wearing simr outfits as him in ordance with the regtions. The female students in front of him seemed to be current students. They were very good at pulling up pictures of Seo Jun and Do Wook on their phones to show to each other while carrying thick textbooks in their hands. ¡°He¡¯s that muscr? He has a good body~ I thought he only had a nice face~!¡± ¡°Right? Kang Do Wook is the best. To me, Seo Joon is just ok. He¡¯s not my type.¡± ¡°Psh, I like both of them.¡± Do Wook briefly looked at the two female students excitedly talking away without even imagining that Do Wook might be right behind them. It wasn¡¯t that Do Wook wasn¡¯t anxious about M2M¡¯s sess. However he wasn¡¯t exactly anxious either. It was something he had expected in the first ce anyways, and unlike before, KK and M2M¡¯s poprity was neck and neck. No, they didn¡¯t have the exact numbers but KK¡¯s poprity was a little higher. It was the opposite situation. The situation was that M2M had to catch up to KK¡¯s poprity. ¡®However, I have no intention at all of getting caught.¡¯ Rather, KK nned on getting even further away. So far away that M2M couldn¡¯t even dream of catching up to them. Do Wook intended to watch what decision the hot-headed M2M will make. Do Wook¡¯s revenge would be taken after Seo Kang Jun had reached a certain point anyways, so that it¡¯d be meaningful when he fell from there. ¡®To do that, I absolutely have to seed as an actor too. If I want to break down Seo Kang Jun¡¯s personal sess.¡¯ The Korean National University of Arts would be the foundation for that. More than ever, Do Wook calmed his nervous heart. After he passed the garden that was full of green leaves, he saw the acting department building. Even though he arrived about 20 minutes early, there was already arge number of students gathered around the building for the exam. ¡°Oh?! Kang Do Wook¡­?¡± A student who was standing at the entrance noticed Do Wook and said his thought out loud without thinking. At the same time, everyone¡¯s gaze fell onto Do Wook. The nces were not those of good intentions. They were all nces of disapproval. Even the ces from female students who would have normally liked Do Wook were not particrly positive. Do Wook checked the practical exam number then sat in his seat. Do Wook could hear the students whispering amongst themselves. ¡ª Chapter 69: Formula (3) Chapter 69: Form (3) About 30 people were allowed to enter the waiting room on a firste, first served basis. It was Do Wook¡¯s turn and he entered the waiting room. The inside of the waiting room was like a marketce. Everyone was busily rehearsing what they¡¯d prepared out loud. ¡°Aaaaaaaak! Let go! Let go! You crazy woman! I didn¡¯t have an affair with your husband!¡± The woman in one corner pulling her hair and pretending to rip her ear off as she screamed the lines she¡¯d prepared caught Do Wook¡¯s attention. It wasn¡¯t a particrly strange sight since everyone was busy focusing on their own thing. ¡®That person is¡­ It is, Park Ko Woon!¡¯ It wasn¡¯t a face that was considered to have distinct features or to be particrly pretty like other actors. However, her innocent vibe was impressive and the feature that distinguished her from the others. That was the reason Do Wook was able to immediately recognize Park Ko Woon who wouldn¡¯t debut until a few yearster. ¡®I hope that one day I¡¯ll be able to act with Park Ko Woon¡­¡¯ Do Wook warmed up his voice while thinking that thought and started to seriously focus on rehearsing for the exam. Korean National University of Arts¡¯s exam was a two-part exam. For the first part, you memorized a short script that they¡¯d give you on the spot and acted it out. Then you demonstrated a song or free acting you¡¯d prepared. After that, there was a simple question and answer session. As a test that demonstrated one¡¯s fundamental acting skills and basic talent, the result was decided within 15 minutes. The true exam was undoubtedly the second exam. The second exam that those who¡¯d passed the first round took, had a written exam as well as an exam where you were given a scene and you acted out your own reinterpretation of it. What Do Wook had prepared for the first exam was a song. ¡°Will it be ok¡­to sing a song even though the fact that I¡¯m a singer could rather be an obstacle?¡± Do Wook had asked when Instructor Lee Kang Yeon had said to prepare a song. Instructor Lee Kang Yeon had answered, ¡°I thought about it as I was preparing. It¡¯s not a brag but I¡¯ve taught a lot of students preparing for admission, and they passed.¡± Perhaps feeling that it was self-praise, Instructor Lee Kang Yeonughed, slightly embarrassed. However, Lee Kang Yeon wasn¡¯t bragging about herself, she was exining how urate her intuition as a teacher was. Do Wook listened attentively. ¡°Students like you who immediately get the hang of it in a short amount of time, or have outstanding vocalization are rare. Truly. No matter what kind of script they give you, your skills will show during the short-script acting exam.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± This time Do Wook became a little embarrassed. Instructor Lee Kang Yeon praised Do Wook every ss. He hadn¡¯t been learning it for long so he was often awkward when acting, but his understanding of the script and ability to empathize was always unshakably exceptional. ¡°If you assume that they are all generally good at acting, the next thing they¡¯ll look at is other talents or skills. You¡¯re good at singing, so there¡¯s no need to hide your special talent. Show them that being a singer is actually an advantage.¡± Lee Kang Yeon, who was exining it, added, ¡°Because arguably, singing is also acting.¡± Do Wook nodded his head. Instructor Lee Kang Yeon¡¯s words were persuasive enough, and even if it weren¡¯t persuasive, Do Wook nned on trusting and following her. Acting was an unknown field that he wasn¡¯t familiar with. Do Wook had no intention at all to haphazardly disagree regarding a field that wasn¡¯t his own. Five people were lined up in front of the examination room door. The assistant handed out the short scripts that they were to act out. You were given ten minutes to rehearse it, which could be heard from the outside so the applicants were not able to practice too loudly. After 10 minutes, the doors opened, and the applications who had been in the examination room exited and those who had been waiting entered the room. Three KNUA professors were in the examination room. They were clearly exhausted from the all-day-long exams. ¡°Choi Min Suk¡­I heard that Choi Min Suk was a professor at this school, but to think that he¡¯d personally proctor the exam.¡¯ Choi Min Suk, who was a renowned actor in Korea, was sitting as one of the examiners. When he made eye contact with Do Wook, his eyes shone and he stroked his beard. Do Wook was the second out of five people to take the exam. He was naturally reminded of the day he auditioned for HIT Entertainment. The person who took the exam before him seemed to have also prepared a song. He was a guy, but he made a deep impression by singing a song from the musical ¡®Reba¡¯. ¡°Reba¨D! My Reba¨D¨D! Hurry back here to Mandali¨D Everything is yours!¡± The man had a naive expression as soon as the song was over with no trace left of the deranged expression he had when singing the song. ¡®It¡¯s very diverse and interesting¡­¡¯ That was what Do Wook had continuously thought as he had looked at the wide variety of people preparing for the exam in the waiting room. Even while preparing to act, as he looked at people acting, Do Wook genuinely felt interested in ¡®acting¡¯. It was because he found it very interesting how acting immediately allows one to transform into a different person and personality. ¡°Next, Kang Do Wook.¡± ¡°Here.¡± It was Do Wook¡¯s turn. Do Wook stood in front of the three professors with his shoulders back. Once he stood up straight, his tall height and amazing body was visible. ¡°Your background sure is unique~ It¡¯s an application our school typically doesn¡¯t receive~!¡± Of course the male professor with white hair and horn-rimmed sses pointed out that Do Wook was a singer as soon as Do Wook stood up. It was a passingment saying that his essence was different. It wasn¡¯t that he was bluntly stating he didn¡¯t like that fact. However, it was hard to know what he was truly thinking. ¡°Do you have good academic scores? It must have been hard for you to study since you''re busy.¡± The female professor in front of him asked. KNUA weighed fairly heavily on school grades in ce of taking the CSAT. "I studied from time to time, and my grades are in the upper middle." ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± Surprised, the female professor looked through Do Wook¡¯s application again thoroughly then asked again. ¡°Why do you want to act?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± At Do Wook¡¯s answer, a brief silence fell in the exam room. When the female professor frowned, Do Wook continued with his answer. ¡°At first I wanted to run away. To a different world than here. To someone other than me.¡± ¡°You wanted to¡­run away? Are you saying you wanted to reject yourself?¡± ¡°It was like that at first. However, I realized it as I started acting. Someone other than myself, simr orpletely different. The more I acted as someone else, the more I ended up learning who I am.¡± Do Wook made eye contact with the professors one by one. ¡°So now I want to do it to find myself. Acting, that is.¡± It felt like a very well-prepared monologue. However, Do Wook meant it. The professors could also see his sincerity. The female professor checked Do Wook¡¯s age again. To their knowledge, KK, who had debutedst year, had one sess after another without much hardship. There was a lot of talk among the faculty about the fact that there was an idol member among the applicants. Because of that, they had looked into it. The professors hadn¡¯t imagined that they would see this much sincerity from Do Wook, an idol member. The female professor realized again that you cannot know what someone is really like just based on age or external circumstances. ¡°Please proceed with the script acting.¡± A heavy low-tone voice instructed Do Wook. It was Choi Min Suk. Choi Min Suk¡¯s big bright eyes were looking at Do Wook as if he were dismantling him. After gulping once, Do Wook began to act out the script received without making a single mistake. KNUA had its own acting style. They hated excessive emotions the most. They wanted to act as real as possible no matter what the situation. Do Wook distorted his expression. "¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Why do I have to endure such pain when the end is the same anyway? Nobody can avoid a search, nor can they not confess. Once branded a criminal, he dies on a set date. So why must fear be firmly embedded in a future we can¡¯t change anything on?!" ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± After the brief act was over, the professors silently wrote down their scores for the act. ¡°Do you know where the script you just acted out is from?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a piece from ¡¯1942¡¯,¡± Do Wook nodded his head to the female professor¡¯s question and responded. The professor adjusted her horn-rimmed sses. Choi Min Suk, who had finished recording his score, instructed him to proceed with the next thing he had prepared. The song Do Wook had prepared was Kim Woo Yeon¡¯s ¡®If It Were a Dream¡¯. Do Wook performed ¡®If It Were a Dream¡¯ more heart-wrenchingly than ever. Do Wook¡¯s singing rang throughout the examination room. *** . After taking the exam, he didn¡¯t know the results yet, but Do Wook prepared for the second round of exams in anticipation of passing. During that time, they were scheduled to record their first full-length Japanese album. The KK members were gathered in the recording studio and worked on the recording. They were each entering the booth and recording, starting with Ahn Hyung Seo who had a lot of parts. ¡°Ah¡­this pronunciation is hard.¡± ¡°I think reading it as a ¡®g¡¯ instead of a ¡®k¡¯ is closer to the original.¡± Suk Ji Hoon helped Jung Yoon Ki, who was weak in Japanese. Suk Ji Hoon was also a novice in Japanese, but he started studying it not too long ago. After studying it for just a few months, he was showing more confidence than he didst time during the recording. ¡°Your brain probably works fast because you''re young.¡± Jung Yoon Kimented although there wasn¡¯t a big difference in their age. Suk Ji Hoon looked at Do Wook, who was also going over the lyrics and preparing for the recording, and gave a sigh that was adult-like instead of a mangnae*. (TL note: Mangae is the youngest in the group/family/etc.) ¡°Do Wook, didn¡¯t you say you¡¯re preparing for your second round of exams?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°If I were you I think my brain would have already stopped working from being overloaded.¡± Do Wookughed faintly. ¡°What y did you prepare?¡± Even at the dorm, Do Wook would always iste himself in his room and prepare for the exam. He looked so busy that it was hard to strike up a conversation. This waiting period they had while preparing for the recording was the most free time Do Wook had. It was something he had wanted to ask for a while so Suk Ji Hoon took this opportunity to ask. ¡°Ah¡­Death of a Salesman. It was kind of dramatized.¡± ¡°Oh Oh! Death of a Salesman!¡± ¡°What is that? Suk Ji Hoon~ Have you read this?¡± ¡°I, I haven¡¯t read it. I¡¯ve only heard of it. ¡°Then what do you mean ¡®Oh oh!¡± Jung Yoon Ki teased Suk Ji Hoon as he cackled. Suk Ji Hoon closed his mouth tight. At that time, the recording director said he was going to the bathroom and to take a break. When Ahn Hyung Seo came out of the booth and Jung Yoon Ki left to talk with Ahn Hyung Seo, Suk Ji Hoon started to talk again. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s ok to trust him as a leader and follow him.¡± Suk Ji Hoon took a jab at Jung Yoon Ki in an harmless way. ¡°What did you do for the assessment? I¡¯d like to see your acting for the y, can you show us?¡± ¡°Uh? Just¡­here?¡± ¡°You have to be able to do it here so that you won¡¯t be nervous during the exam. You said it¡¯s an exam in front of a hundred people.¡± Suk Ji Hoon had a point. Do Wook looked at the members, who were scattered throughout the area and resting, then started to recite the lines he prepared. ¡°I¡¯ve moved from one job to another but¡­the results were the same. Damn it! I¡¯m 34 years old already, it''s time for me to settle down!¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ But it''s all messed up. Maybe I should have gotten married. But you can¡¯t do that without a decent job. It was a mistake to not do that. I''m just like a kid. I''m not married, I don''t have a job. In the end, I''m a kid after all. So are you satisfied? Did you seed? Are you satisfied?" Do Wook¡¯s voice brought all the members¡¯ gazes onto him. Do Wook recalled his life as Kim Bo Myung who had an unfortunate life. At that moment, the person Suk Ji Hoon saw wasn¡¯t the KK member Kang Do Wook, but a pitiful adult man who wasn¡¯t married and had no job. *** Do Wook, who was on the airne to Tokyo for the full-length Japanese album release, received news of his eptance. The news of Do Wook¡¯s KNUA eptance was quickly known to the world. ¡®He applied to Ju Won College¡¯s practical music program but failed. Afterwards¡­Kang Do Wook went on to apply with a big dream.¡¯ By the time Do Wook had arrived in Tokyo, a stream of rted articles had already been released. Below the articles there were manyments filled with question marks. ¡ª Chapter 70: Formula (4) Chapter 70: Form (4) -Is this real??? -He got into the Korean National University of Arts? Wow hehe -I didn¡¯t know that Kang Do Wook was also good at acting lol -People with talent do well no matter what they do! -I was wondering why there was no news about him going to college. I guess after not getting into Ju Won College he was preparing to apply to the KNUA¡­ -To my understanding, it¡¯s hard to get into that school¡­that¡¯s celebrity connections for you lolol -Please stop saying such ignorant things. It¡¯s even harder to get in as a celebrity, it¡¯s famous for not epting celebrities. -I know hahaha He would have easily gotten into a mid-level school hahahaha If the KNUA applicants heard that they¡¯d faint -But who do the people at Ju Won College Practical Music program think they are, denying Do Wook? -Didn¡¯t they use to have a reputation for being terrible at spotting talent? -I guess he¡¯s not as good as Seo Jun lolol -That¡¯s why it¡¯s weird¡­Is Kang Do Wook worse at singing than Seo Jun? -He has so many hit songs, yet he couldn¡¯t get into the practical music program? -Ju Won College must be kicking themselves lol -It¡¯s just Kang Do Wook, why would Ju Won College be kicking themselves? Are you a Kang Do Wook stan? -I am a fan of Do Wook He¡¯s not ¡®just¡¯ Do Wook. Since they let go of someone who¡¯s good at singing andposing, and is totally wless, of course they¡¯d be kicking themselves. -It¡¯s weirder that Seo Jun is Ju Won College¡¯s PR model when even Kang Do Wook couldn¡¯t get in. lol -KK fans, please stop harassing our Seo Jun for no reason;;; -We¡¯re not harassing him, it¡¯s a genuine question Thement section was on fire. It was hotter than ever before. Just as their poprity had increased, interest in KK and Do Wook had significantly increased too. Most of thements were about being surprised Do Wook got into KNUA orplimenting him on being a polymath. KNUA¡¯s acting program was a program whose name alone carried tremendous fame and dignity. They were different from other broadcasting programs in universities where one can get in if they¡¯re popr. Just the fact that he was admitted meant that his skills were acknowledged to a certain degree. Because of that, those who heard the news were curious about Do Wook¡¯s acting skills. At the same time, people started to have doubts about his rejection from Ju Won college¡¯s practical music program. Currently, the face of Ju Won college¡¯s practical music program was M2M¡¯s Seo Jun. People naturally thought of Seo Jun when they thought of Ju Won college. The fact that Seo Jun and Do Wook had a rivalry to a certain degree yed a part in peopleparing them. The opinion among thements started off with ¡®Why can¡¯t Do Wook go to Ju Won when Seo Jun made it in¡¯, only to blur the essence of the matter with the question of ¡®Is Seo Jun or Do Wook better?¡¯. However those types of off-topic responses were the response that Do Wook wanted. Do Wook left the portal site, then went to the ¡®Treasure Ind¡¯ site he had bookmarked on his cell phone browser. A membership-basedmunity, it was an adult*munity site where female fans interested in idols gathered. Because it ran on a strict membership system, the number of people was smaller than that ofrgemunities, but it was a ce where a lot of useful information was gathered because it was mainly for adults. Broadcast officials were also often seen here. Title: GDI* Treasures who were surprised to see the news when he was rejected from Ju Won College assemble (TL Note: GDI = God damn it) -My friend works at Ju Won college and they said corruption at Ju Won college has been rampant for a while. -Doesn¡¯t it seem like something¡¯s going on? -He failed, it¡¯s not like he was epted. What does this have to do with corruption¡­ -I¡¯m saying that the people who were epted are suspicious. -Isn¡¯t this a high-degree backhandedment? -It is referring to singers in entertainment agencies getting admitted to college every year? -It is a backhandedment o.o -Please delete this ridiculous post Do Wook confirmed that he had seeded in raising suspicion to a certain degree. Currently, it was only to the level of raising suspicion, but it was clear that once suspicions are raised, it will be bigger and bigger until it bes a fait apli. It was because corruption really was rampant. If there were a connection between Ju Won college and Ara Entertainment, he would need help to properly dig it up. For now, there was a possibility that evidence woulde up since it was mentioned in the adultmunity here, so Do Wook thought he should continue to check ¡®Treasure Ind¡¯. ¡°Kang Do Wook-!¡± At that moment, the hotel room door opened wide and Ahn Hyung Seo yelled. Do Wook, who was sitting on the bed and looking at his phone, briefly put his phone down and got up. The members, who had arrived at Tokyo, were returning after touring the city as a group. Only Do Wook, who was tired from preparing for the full-length Japanese album and for the exam at the same time, stayed at the hotel. ¡°What is all this¡­¡± Do Wook couldn¡¯t help but feel a little overwhelmed at the members suddenly gathering around him. With a big smile, Manager Oh Baek Ho also joined them. Holding a cake with a single candle, Park Tae Hyung slowly went towards Do Wook. ¡°We have to have a party to celebrate your eptance!¡± At Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s words, Do Wook finally understood what the cake was for. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to do all this.¡± Do Wook muttered, embarrassed. Kim Won shook his head and said that these things had to be celebrated properly. They said ¡°Congrattions~¡± and started to sing. Ahn Hyung Seo urged Do Wook to blow out the candle. Do Wook blew lightly, blowing out the candle. It was Park Tae Hyung¡¯s idea to get him an eptance celebration cake. Of course the college Park Tae hyung was epted to was a college any reasonable person could get into, but it had weighed on his mind that he got into college when Do Wook was rejected. Kim Won was in strong agreement with Park Tae Hyung¡¯s idea of getting a cake. He was next to him when Do Wook got the news he was rejected from Ju Won college. Kim Won was also feeling somewhat indebted. The members all knew how hard Do Wook had worked to get these results. Of course it was Do Wook¡¯s personal business, but the members genuinely considered it a good thing for KK too. The six members were not like best friends who share stories about their lives. Spending all day together, they were like family. Do Wook was touched by the membersing together to congratte him. The members were significantly younger than him. Still, it felt like they were bing true ¡®friends¡¯ more and more¡­Do Wook smiled, his mind at ease. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, I knew he¡¯d be able to do it ever since his good acting in the music video.¡± Jung Yoon Ki boasted, standing next to Do Wook who was cutting the cake. Then, he looked at Suk Ji Hoon and said, ¡°Next year, you should follow Do Wook and get into KNUA too, man.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not confident I can do that. My acting style is a little different than theirs.¡± Suk Ji Hoon shook his head as if saying it¡¯d be difficult to do. ¡°It¡¯d be perfect if Ji Hoon also got in! Two KK members attending KNUA! Then we¡¯d be, what was that called, yungidol*?¡± (TL note: Idols who also act) ¡°Only two of the six members know how to act, is that yungidol?¡± Jung Yoon Ki blocked Ahn Hyung Seo¡¯s fuss. ¡°Ji hoon can go where he wants to go.¡± Do Wook put the conversation to rest as he distributed the cake on tes provided by the hotel. Manager Oh Baek Ho, who had been observing, lightly patted Do Wook¡¯s shoulders. ¡°You worked hard.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be busy bncing school on top of everything, but¡­¡± Manager Oh Baek Ho picked his words carefully. He didn¡¯t intend to unnecessarily break Do Wook¡¯s spirit, but it was also time to face the things he was concerned about. Do Wook silently waited for Oh Baek Ho to continue speaking. Looking at his expression, Do Wook had an idea of what he was concerned about. ¡°Although I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll do well on your own.¡± ¡°Please feel free to speak your mind.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t ever forget that being a singer is your main job. You know that right?¡± Do Wook acknowledged this part of Manager Oh Baek Ho. As expected, he didn¡¯t climb to the position of department head and get scouted by various ces for no reason. He always knew how to manage the agency singers the right way at the right time. He didn¡¯t just manage the schedule. After some time had passed from the debut and they were crazy busy from the fame they received, he even took care of their mental health. He had a lot of outstanding virtues as a manager. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Oh hyung, Do Wook can take care of himself.¡± Ahn Hyung Seo said, taking Do Wook¡¯s side. Even Park Tae Hyung, who was mumbling with chocte cake in his mouth, nodded his head saying Ahn Hyung Seo was right. ¡°On that subject.¡± ¡°Man, You¡¯re not already working on the next album are you? You just finished working on the Japanese album!¡± The members, who were the closest to him, knew best what a workaholic Do Wook was. Ahn Hyung Seo asked, concerned. Do Wook smiled and shook his head. ¡°No, I¡¯m not. But speaking of that, about Yoon Ki¡¯s situation. I wanted to ask what it is.¡± ¡°Ah, that!¡± When Do Wook brought up the subject, Manager Oh Baek Ho thought that this was a good time to talk about it since everyone was gathered. Recently Jung Yoon Ki received an offer from the management team of ¡®Student Rapper¡¯ to appear on a program. It was an offer to appear on the newly nned adult version of rapper survivor program called ¡®Show Me the Honey¡¯. If he made it to the finals, the program would take about two months from the firstpetition to thestpetition. It wasn¡¯t a team activity but a solo activity for Jung Yoon Ki. Since it was a survivor program, it was clear that there¡¯d be a significant amount of stress and a divided debate over your skills. It would be a great help in getting your name known if it went well, but there was just as high a risk that it¡¯d cause you trouble. ¡®Show Me the Honey¡­It¡¯s a program that gains a tremendous amount of poprity.¡¯ Do Wook fell into deep thought as soon as he heard that the program Jung Yoon Ki was offered was ¡®Show Me the Honey¡¯. ¡®He did not get the offer previously because KK wasn¡¯t as popr, or did he reject the offer?¡¯ To Do Wook¡¯s knowledge, Jung Yoon Ki never appeared on ¡®Show Me the Honey¡¯. Because of that, Do Wook couldn¡¯t help but worry. It was a future he couldn¡¯t foresee. The poprity of the program itself was substantial, but it was a program that was just as controversial, which is exactly what Oh Baek Ho and Jung Yoon Ki were concerned about. ¡®It¡¯s, as they say, a high-risk, high-reward program. Will it end up being good, or bad¡­¡¯ Jung Yoon Ki spoke his thoughts frankly. ¡°I did burn the candle at both ends when doing Student Rapper, and I¡¯m concerned that I¡¯ll end up dragging KK¡¯s name through the mud. I have a lot to lose this time around.¡± The other members had a serious expression. It wasn¡¯t an easy situation to determine if it was good or bad. As Jung Yoon Ki said, he might disgrace the KK name, but on the other hand, it was an opportunity to make the name shine even more. ¡°It¡¯s not something I should decide by myself, I thought we should alle to a decision together. Whether to go on it or not.¡± The members nodded their heads. Do Wook searched in his memories. He recalled the participants in ¡®Show Me the Honey¡¯. Currently, Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s rap had progressed significantlypared to his Student Rapper days. ¡®It¡¯s definitelypetitive. Whenparing it to the winner¡¯s skills, it doesn¡¯t seem like he falls too far behind.¡¯ Do Wook said as he looked at Jung Yoon Ki, ¡°Yoon Ki, as long as you¡¯re confident, I think you should just do whatever you want to do.¡± ¡°True¡­I don¡¯t think you¡¯d do bad, in fact I think you¡¯d do well. The problem is that it might be really taxing on you¡­Don¡¯t do it if you think it¡¯d be too much for you.¡± Continuing what Do Wook said, Ahn Hyung Seo also spoke earnestly. Jung Yoon Ki was grateful to the members. The feeling that they believed in him strengthened his resolve. The other members also offered simr opinions. Jung Yoon Ki nodded his head with a troubled expression. ¡°Ok. I¡¯ll give it some more thought.¡± Actually, Jung Yoon Ki was already leaning towards going on the program. As long as the members were ok with it, the rapper in him really wanted the challenge. ¡®If Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s individual recognition increases¡­it¡¯s not bad for KK either. If his skills are acknowledged too, all the better.¡¯ As he thought it over, Do Wook started to picture what the future with Jung Yoon Ki would look like. *** The next day. A group photo of KK appeared on a huge electronic disy board located in a high-rise building at Shibuya Intersection. It was an ad made to actively promote Nakamoto. Before they headed to the handshake event in celebration of the full-length album release, the members had taken a car to check out the advertisement and were mindlessly staring at their picture that was hanging in the center of Tokyo. And in Seoul, Seo Jun, who was selected as the sub-male protagonist of the public broadcast station¡¯s Monday/Tuesday drama "Sun and Moon Lovers," was doing an interview at the production presentation site. ¡ª Chapter 71: Oh past, give a response (1) Chapter 71: Oh past, give a response (1) MVC broadcast station in Yeouido, site of the production announcement. , a historical drama specially organized in celebration of the 50th anniversary of MVC¡¯s founding, was a highly anticipated drama with top-notch casting from its leading roles to its supporting roles. A lot of reporters even came to the production announcement location; there was a lot of enthusiasm from the press. ¡°Mr. Kim Joo Hyun, this is your first attempt at a historic drama. How are you feeling?¡± Of course the spotlight fell on Kim Joo Hyun first, who was the male lead and the most popr among actors in their 20s. Set in the Joseon dynasty, was a drama about love, a curse, and an unbreakable affectionate rtionship surrounding the king and his shaman as well as the king¡¯s half sibling. The cast had Kim Joo Hyun as the role of the king, while the king¡¯s shaman was Ha Yeo In, who was called the world¡¯s most beautiful, and the king¡¯s half sibling was M2M¡¯s Seo Jun. The entire cast was particrly spectacr, such as the lead and the sub lead. Even the warrior role that could be considered as the third male lead was given to an actor who had firmly established himself as a Hallyu* star. It was unconventional that a rookie, Seo Jun, was cast as the sub lead. (TL note: Hallyu refers to the Korean wave, as in the sudden increase in poprity of Korean music/drama/culture etc. on a global scale) ¡°I just need to work hard¡­is what I¡¯m thinking.¡± Kim Joo Hyun gave a short response to the reporter¡¯s question. It was a widely known fact that Kim Joo Hyung had a very shy personality. It was the truth without saying any more, but from the reporters¡¯ perspectives, who had to write as much as possible in their articles, it was a disappointing response. ¡°You¡¯ve finished the table read of the script. What do you think of the chemistry between you and Ms. Ha Yeo In?¡± ¡°Ms. Ha Yeo In is so talented¡­I was able to do well thanks to her.¡± The reporters secretly let out a sigh at the very stereotypical response. However, it was none other than Kim Joo Hyun. The questions from reporters continued to pour in as they tried to get answers from Kim Joo Hyun one way or another. Ha Yeo In and Seo Jun, who were sitting on either side of him, had no choice but to sit quietly and watch from the sidelines as all the interest fell on Kim Joo Hyun. Seo Jun was very unsatisfied with his position as just some decoration. However, even Seo Jun knew his ce in this situation. He knew how to put on airs. It happened around the time the smile of Seo Jun, who was trying to smile as big as possible, was bing more and more stiff. ¡°Mr. Director, the role of the king¡¯s half sibling in is also a very important role. You cast a rookie, idol Seo Jun. Was there a particr reason for it?¡± A question regarding Seo Jun finally appeared. Seo Jun eagerly awaited the director¡¯s response. Of course he was looking forward to it because he knew the director would say something nice. As soon as the casting announcement was made, there were a ton ofments saying ¡®I don¡¯t like idols whose acting skills haven¡¯t even been confirmed¡¯. There were also people saying he was obviously cast because of therge Ara Entertainment agency¡¯s power. It was true. If it wasn¡¯t for Ara Entertainment, it would have been hard for the sub lead role in a masterpiece to be given to Seo Jun. However, even Ara Entertainment couldn¡¯t just push for someone who wouldn¡¯t fit the role at all. ¡°His looks fit absolutely perfectly with the image I was thinking of for the half sibling. Isn¡¯t his face a face that any woman would fall for, with a shy but clean image? Even Ms. Ha Yeo In smiled big when she saw Mr. Seo Jun¡¯s face.¡± The director¡¯s joke made everyone on siteugh. The director looked at Ha Yeo In and asked her, ¡°Isn''t it true?¡±. Ha Yeo In then grabbed the microphone. Ha Yeo In wasn¡¯t part of the Ara Entertainment agency, but she was close with Seo Jun¡¯s father Seo Joong Won, who was the Director of Ara Entertainment. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true. It¡¯s really, what the kids these days would call, gorgeous? He was gorgeous! Mr. Seo Jun is.¡± Seo Jun purposely pretended to be slightly embarrassed andughed. Once the friendly atmosphere formed, the sound of the reporters¡¯ camera shutters grew louder. ¡°He¡¯s also very good at acting. I immediately cast him after I saw him do a script reading.¡± The director¡¯s response obviously meant that Seo Jun was good. Since there were no directors who would say from the beginning that an actor in the drama he was directing is bad at acting, the reporters only partly believed him for now. You could never tell until you looked into it. ¡°Mr. Seo Jun! It¡¯s your first time acting and a historical drama at that. You were chosen for a big role, how are you feeling?¡± A female reporter, who typically liked Seo Jun and thought he¡¯d eventually go into acting based on his looks and Ara Entertainment¡¯s typical course of action, but didn¡¯t expect he¡¯d go into acting so quickly, asked in a loud voice. Seo Jun grabbed the microphone for the first time since saying hello. From the moment he grabbed the microphone, Seo Jun was lightlyughing. ¡°First, I can¡¯t believe I was given an opportunity like this. I think I was very lucky. I''m very nervous, but I¡¯ll give it my all and work hard! I¡¯ll do well¡­so that I don¡¯t disgrace the director who gave me this opportunity! Please look forward to it and give us lots of love!¡± Seo Jun was the youngest among the actors as well as staff and reporters. Seo Jun''s cute "Please give us lots of love"ment made everyone on siteugh again. Seo Jun, who had often benefited from the good looks he was born with, knew exactly what to do to make people happy. ¡®It feels dirty to act cute, but there¡¯s nothing I can do about it yet.¡¯ Seo Jun was internally mocking the reporters standing in front of him, but didn¡¯t stop smiling on the outside. ¡°Seo Jun? He definitely has a good face.¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because he was an idol, but he definitely has a bright vibe. Still, what matters is if he¡¯s good at acting. I¡¯ll at least acknowledge his looks though!¡± ¡°He¡¯s also good at answering.¡± ¡°HIs posing during photo time was good too, good to use on articles.¡± As they left the production announcement site, the reporters were talking amongst themselves about their thoughts on the actors. On the drama side, there was lots of talk about the newbie Seo Jun. ¡°I didn¡¯t like him because he seemed too fake.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the most difficult thing in the world for you to find something you like, reporter Son.¡± One of the reporters who was participating in the conversation scolded the reporter called ¡®reporter Son¡¯. Reporter Son shrugged his shoulders and quickly left the production announcement site. *** Do Wook, who had sessfully finished the first concert of ¡®Very Sorry¡¯ in Tokyo, became expressionless as he read the articles. He became heated when he saw Seo Jun waving his hands with a bright expression, but he soon calmly moved on from the article. Thements had malicious reactions about an idol bing an actor, but there were also many positivements at the same time saying they were looking forward to it. In any case, they seeded in drawing attention. Additionally, Do Wook already knew that the drama would be a sess. had a record of 40% viewer rating and became MVC¡¯s main historical drama. Kim Joo Hyun, the lead role, established himself as the top of the top actors through this project not only among actors in their 20s but also among all actors. The role Seo Kang Jun took on was the typical sub male lead who had a one-sided love for his older brother¡¯s lover. He wasn¡¯t able to get the female lead even at the end, but the sub lead, who solely loved the female lead until his dying breath, captivated the hearts of many women. Seo Kang Jun¡¯s acting wasn¡¯t particrly outstanding, but it was on the level of not getting into the way of the drama. As the director said, his looks that 100% fit the role were a huge help. It was his first project so he had done his part. ¡®That¡¯s right. This drama is when Seo Kang Jun¡¯s individual poprity starts to soar.¡¯ Thinking about this and that left a bitter taste in his mouth. Do Wook took out the bottled water in the hotel refrigerator and drank it. ¡®Sure there was controversy over his next project¡­but the project after that does well.¡¯ Ahn Hyung Seo, who was sharing the hotel room in Tokyo with him this time, was already lying in bed and listening to music with earbuds in. Do Wook also came back to the bed and adjusted the lighting. Ahn Hyung Seo took one earbud out and asked, ¡°Do Wook, are you going to sleep now?¡± ¡°Yes. Should I turn off the lights?¡± ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s go to sleep now. We have events tomorrow too.¡± Tomorrow was the day of the ¡®High Touch Event¡¯ at one of the concert halls in Tokyo. It was an event where they¡¯d meet fans one-on-one and give high-fives. Since it was a face-to-face event, it was one that would take up a lot of physical strength. Still, it was rewarding to see that their poprity in Japan was steadily increasing. Do Wook nodded his head and adjusted the lighting next to the bed. *** ¡°I¡¯m sorry Kang Jun¡¯s father. My son identally¡­¡± ¡°I know they say kids these days are scary, but breaking his arm by ident? What a scary world to live in. One more ident and my child might be crippled.¡± At the principal¡¯s office, Bo Myung¡¯s mother was kneeling in front of Seo Kang Jun¡¯s parents. Bo Myung was watching his mother through the slightly ajar principal¡¯s office door. He wanted to burst in there immediately and have his mother stand up, but it was as if his two feet were glued to the floor. ¡®Helplessness¡¯ crushed Bo Myung¡¯s body. Seo Kang Jun was a monster, but his parents looked like even bigger monsters. ¡°As for the settlement money¡­We don¡¯t have such a big amount right now. If you¡¯d only drop the charges¡­¡± ¡°Are we doing this because we don¡¯t have money? We¡¯re doing this because we¡¯re angry! A child whose family doesn¡¯t even have 500 Won* and he dared to do that to my child¡¯s arm?! I¡¯m so upset!¡± (TL note: 500 Won is $0.37 USD) Seo Kang Jun¡¯s father, Seo Joong Won, stopped his wife when she started going off, heated. ¡°Now now, be quiet.¡± The principal was in the middle and on eggshells around Seo Joong Won, not knowing what to do. It was as if he didn¡¯t see Bo Myung¡¯s mother who was on her knees with her face drenched in tears. ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯re not doing this because we don¡¯t have money. That Kim¡­Bo Min? The issue is whether Bo Min is truly reflecting on his actions.¡± ¡°Sob sob, oh dear, yes! I scolded Bo Myung big time! Our child isn¡¯t that kind of kid but¡­sob.¡± ¡°What do you mean he¡¯s not that kind of kid! Do you think the kid would be remorseful when his mother is making excuses for him like this?¡± ¡°Honey. Be quiet, be quiet.¡± The woman stopped talking and took a sip of water. ¡°Is that true? I was told that that student reported our child to the school violencemittee. Hmm. When it was our child that was the victim of violence.¡± Bo Myung¡¯s mother briefly looked like the sky was falling. It was just two days ago that they were shocked after seeing bruises all over Bo Myung¡¯s back and abdomen, even thigh. It was only then that they knew Bo Myung was a victim of school violence. However the very next day Bo Myung was sued for breaking someone¡¯s arm. ¡°It¡¯s all because I raised him wrong. I was busy trying to earn money¡­I didn¡¯t pay attention to my child¡­sob.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Bo Myung¡¯s mother. I''ll drop the charges without a settlement." ¡°What? Really?! Thank you, sir!¡± ¡°Instead, you have to make a promise.¡± Seo Joong Won smirked, thenughed wickedly. ¡°No, no! Mom! I wasn¡¯t the one who broke his arm!¡± Bo Myung wanted to scream. ¡®If you looked into it just a little you¡¯d know it¡¯s all a lie!! Why is nobody?!! Why is nobody saying anything?!!!¡¯ The principal as well as the homeroom teacher next to him were quietly listening to what Seo Joong Won was saying. There was nobody who would spare a nce towards Bo Myung¡¯s mother who was kneeling. Bo Myung felt as if his world had be dark. . . . ¡°Gasp¨D!¡± Do Wook, who had woken up from the dream, gasped for breath and looked around his surroundings. He had cold sweat all over his body. Inside the dark hotel room, he was KK member Kang Do Wook. Do Wook stopped himself from getting worked up. He probably also dreamt of his dreadful past because he was feeling hotheaded. Back then, there was nobody to topple over Seo Kang Jun. However, now Do Wook was in the process of collecting the cards to reveal Seo Kang Jun¡¯s personality and catch him. At the same time, he was creating KK, a more popr group than M2M that Seo Kang Jun was a part of. He was also working hard to catch up to Seo Kang Jun as an actor. Currently, it was more important to strengthen KK¡¯s position. That way, they could increase KK¡¯s poprity as they did individual activities. ¡®Let¡¯s wait. For that project which will change everything¡­!¡¯ ¡ª Chapter 72: Oh past, give a response (2) Chapter 72: Oh past, give a response (2) The High Touch Event, a fan meeting, and an appearance, albeit a short one, on TV. The KK members were on their way to Fukuoka after finishing their nned events in Tokyo and Osaka. Events simr to the ones they had in Tokyo were waiting for them in Fukuoka too. A full-length album release celebration fan meeting and handshake event. The fan meeting was on the first day, and the second day was the handshake event at the Kitakyushu West Japan Exhibition Center. Once their events in Fukuoka were done, they had events in Nagoya and Yokohama. With the extensive list of eventssting over a week long, the members were struggling with fatigue. There were members who were starting to say they wanted to go back to Korea. However, these were empty words. Once the events started, they gave their all into their performances. ¡°Guess what, I bought cup ramen for you guys~!¡± Jung Yoon Ki said triumphantly, putting down his suitcase on the floor. When he undid the zipper and opened the suitcase, they could see the mountain of cup ramen. The members had been sneaking in ramen, fish cakes, yakisoba bread, etc. as snacks from the convenience store at the bottom of the hotel, and were saying they wanted to eat Korean ramen now anyways. Ahn Hyung Seo grimly muttered that for the next event he¡¯d pack a tube of gochujang* and cup ramen instead of a face pack. (TL Note: Hey, that¡¯s my handle haha. Gochujang is a paste made with Korean chili.) One of the coordinators had said that there should be a store that sold it, but they weren¡¯t in a situation to go out and buy it. ¡°How many are there?¡± ¡°There¡¯s so many of us, I have to bring at least this much.¡± Do Wook agreed. Do Wook¡¯s roommate for the Fukuoka hotel was Jung Yoon Ki. As soon as the fan meeting had been over in the afternoon, Jung Yoon Ki had made a round trip with Manager Oh Baek Ho to Seoul. Jung Yoon Ki had decided to appear on ¡®Show Me the Honey¡¯. There was a meeting with the production staff immediately after. A meeting on top of a packed schedule. Jung Yoon Ki, who had survived through a fan meeting, a flight to Korea, a production staff meeting and a flight to Japan all in one day, had dark circles under his eyes. As he looked at Jung Yoon Ki, who had taken thest evening ne to Fukuoka and had just arrived at the hotel and unpacked, Do Wook said, ¡°You must be very tired. How was the meeting?¡± ¡°Well, it wasn¡¯t anything big. Basically the ¡®let¡¯s work hard together¡¯ kind of thing, Huu¡­¡± Jung Yook Ki replied as he rubbed his eyes. Do Wook nodded. Jung Yoon Ki was probably feeling a lot of pressure. ¡°Once the cup ramen are ready, call the others.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± Do Wookughed and grabbed his cell phone. On the group chat with the six KK members, he wrote for anyone who wanted to eat ramen before going to bed toe over. As soon as he had written it, notifications that his message was read started popping up immediately. A littleter. In less than 5 minutes, the members started toe in one by one. ¡°Here~ This is the room our handsome Do Wook and just in leader are using!¡± Ahn Hyung Seo was holding the camcorder Do Ra Hee from the Fan Marketing Team had given him. They had been given the camcorder to record videos for the fans while in Japan whenever they wanted. ¡°Mr. Do Wook, please show the Key Ring members your face!¡± Do Wook went in front of the camcorder and waved his hands. It was a little awkward to say hello like this when it was just the members without any staff, but Ahn Hyung Seo always went around everywhere saying hi on the camcorder very naturally without any embarrassment, so the other members had gotten used to it. ¡°As expected¡­even his bare face is dazzling!¡± Since his face was a mess, Jung Yoon Ki avoided the camera and pulled down his hat. Not caring at all, Ahn Hyung Seo continued to push the camera onto him. ¡°Today, the leader finally did something leader-like!¡± ¡°What? If you keep that up I won¡¯t give you even one scrap of the food.¡± ¡°Ah¡­! I take it back. Here is the ramen sir Jung Yoon Ki, the best leader ever, has bestowed upon me~ Tada!¡± Excited, Ahn Hyung Seo showed the cup ramen on camera and exined it. ¡°Don¡¯t we need to cover the brand?¡± When Suk Ji Hoon said that, Ahn Hyung Seo yelled for someone to quickly cover the brand. Park Tae Hyung, who was next to it, covered the brand with his hand. ¡°Yes¡­he bought us spicy ramen andfort ramen! In that case, I¡¯ll go with the ramen that makes men cry! Since I¡¯m a man¡­¡± While he was doing that, Kim Won was rustling through the suitcase to see if there was any other ramen. Jung Yoon Ki stopped Kim Won, saying that was where his underwear was. Ahn Hyung Seo fixed the camcorder onto the television. ¡°What if our face gets very puffy tomorrow?¡± Suk Ji Hoon worried as he opened the soup packet and poured it in. ¡°If you enjoy it as you eat it, it won¡¯t get swollen~!¡± Ahn Hyung Seo replied without logic. At that moment, the hotel room doorbell rang. Since all the members were there, there was nobody they were expecting. The members had a confused look on their faces. Park Tae Hyung, who had gone to the door to see who it was, said to the members with a very flustered expression, ¡°Baek¡­It¡¯s Baek Ho.¡± The members¡¯ expressions hardened. It wasn¡¯t as if they could hide the cup ramen they had already started making. ¡°Our manager came. It¡¯s very scary. Then that¡¯s it for now¡­¡± Even in this situation Ahn Hyung Seo said goodbye to the camcorder then turned the power off. Jung Yoon Ki got up and opened the door instead of Park Tae Hyung. He opened the door just enough to see one eye and asked what was going on. Oh Baek Ho answered mysteriously, ¡°I have something to tell you guys¡­¡± Suspicious, Oh Baek Ho looked through the door opening and said, ¡°Open the door more. Is everybody here?¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯re all here and strengthening our bond.¡± ¡°What¡¯s this smell¡­?! There was no way Jung Yoon Ki could win against Oh Baek Ho¡¯s strength. Oh Baek Ho opened the door wide. He looked at what was going on in the room and frowned, stopping in his tracks. ¡°You guys! You have a performance tomorrow, what are you doing sote at night?!¡± At Oh Baek Ho¡¯s scolding, Park Tae Hyung, who was up against the wall, started to tear up. Kim Won ran to him and stopped Oh Baek Ho. ¡°Baek Ho, we did it because we were so hungry. And we miss Korea¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re always going on about Canada, what do you mean you miss Korea?!¡± Since Kim Won¡¯s words weren¡¯t working at all, Ahn Hyung Seo gathered his courage. ¡°Don¡¯t you even feel sorry for us? Let''s just eat one cup noodle. Baek Ho,e join us too. We¡¯ll give you one!¡± Oh Baek Ho shook his head as if he couldn¡¯t believe what he was hearing. ¡°We¡¯ll just eat the noodles, only noodles. Won¡¯t it be ok if we just don¡¯t drink the soup?¡± ¡°Yes, Baek Ho. Let it go just this once.¡± ¡°You too Do Wook¡­.Wait, where did you get all this ramen?¡± Feeling guilty, Jung Yoon Ki feigned ignorance and avoided his gaze. When Suk Ji Hoon and even Do Wook stepped in, Oh Baek Ho seemed to have realized he couldn¡¯t stop them. ¡°It¡¯ll get soggy, just eat,¡± Oh Baek Ho said as he sighed. Excited, the members yelled, ¡°Ohhh, yes! Thank you for the food!¡± The members gotfortable and made slurping noises as they ate the ramen. Oh Baek Ho had his arms crossed as he watched them eat. Not minding Baek Ho at all, Ahn Hyung Seo said he thought he¡¯d get indigestion. Honestly, if the members were eating ramen before their debut or during the debut album activities, he would have poured the ramen down the toilet as soon as he caught them. Oh Baek Ho had actually thrown the bread Kim Won had been eating into the trashcan before. Traumatized from that event, Kim Won said he didn¡¯t want to eat custard bread anymore. However, Oh Baek Ho felt that you had to be lenient at times. A lot more idols than expected had a hard time when doing activities overseas and got stressed. They had staff waiting on them hand and foot, but there was still argenguage barrier. Even if it were the same concert or fan event, the fatigue was much higher. ¡°You said you have something to tell us¡­slurp, what is it?¡± ¡°Hyung Seo, finish eating before you speak.¡± ¡°Still, I¡¯m curious.¡± Ahn Hyung Seo replied, muttering. ¡°The Japanese music video views were very high and¡­the album sales were very good. It looks like it¡¯s being well received, so I was going to tell you guys to keep up the good work.¡± Oh Baek Ho Had a wry smile as he looked at the members who were eating ramen. He meant that it didn¡¯t seem like he had to particrly encourage them. *** The KK fanmunity was abuzz over the video that was uploaded in the morning. -Tae Hyung is super cute even when eating ramen¡­T.T -From now on I¡¯m only eating spicy ramen too! Since I¡¯m a fan of manly Hyung Seo!¡± -Do they not let them eat ramen often -When I listened to them on the radio before, I heard Won only ate chicken breast before theeback -My heart feels full even when I just think about them!!! -They¡¯re in Japan for a long time this time¡­I¡¯d like Korean singers to stay in Korea¡­ -Still, at least they give us direct photos and often release a treat like this ¡­;; Inactive period is too hard T.T -Their poprity is rising in Japan, maybe next time they¡¯ll even do an arena tour -How has the reception in Japan been? Is it good? I don¡¯t know¡­they worked hard so I hope KK bes popr in Japan too -The reception is probably very good? -The song and choreography is important in Japan. They¡¯re good at live performances, and they¡¯re exceptionally good to fans, so the reception can only be positive *nod nod* -Speaking of, there¡¯s a review posted! This person is a famous K-POP fan and it seems like this time they went to KK¡¯s Fukuoka handshake event. (Please be understanding of the terrible trantion) KK fans who know how to speak Japanese looked all over for Japanese fans¡¯ reactions. There were definitely positive reactions from Japan. [Long time no see! £Ü(^o^)£¯ Today is the handshake event for KK, the rising powerhouse in K-POP!!! I¡¯m back with a review!!! I was on D TV Mezamashi yesterday too! It¡¯s nice to see you! Friday, the day of the handshake event¡­The weather was gloomy¡­ I grabbed the new umbre I bought and went on my way~¡î Advertisement of KK¡¯s album in the subway! (Picture) The trip to get there was rough but I¡¯m ok (??¡¦_¡¦??) The thought that I¡¯ll be able to shake Do Wook¡¯s hand inevitably makes everything ok! This is the Kitakyushu West Japan Exhibition Center! (Picture) People waiting in line¡­ It seems like KK¡¯s poprity these days among Japanese people who like K-POP is really substantial~! There was a group panel and individual member panel so I took a picture in front of it! ¦×(£à?¡ä)¦× With my heart racing, I bought Do Wook¡¯s personal merchandise! After waiting a long time¡­ I was finally able to meet Do Wook. My thoughts are¡­Do Wook is definitely beautiful and shining ¡î This face is out of this world! When I held Do Wook¡¯s hands, they were very warm. As rumored, he was very good at Japanese, and for the final goodbye they sang a Japanese pop song Somehow¡­I almost cried. Ah, the other members all gave good answers! Everyone was nice~~~~! Hyung Seo is really good at winking! It was a precious time ? the best Friday ? I wanted to maintain my good mood aftering back from the handshake event so when it was over I ate limited sushi] Then the next day, KK¡¯s first full length Japanese album climbed to first ce on the Oricon weekly chart. *** ¡°A lot of people can get on the daily, but getting on the weekly is really amazing~ Thank you all for your hard work in Japan!¡± The members, who had returned to Korea, were greeted by Do Ra Hee, who was in charge of KK. At Do Ra Hee¡¯s words, the members stood proud. They had expected the response from Japan to be good. For starters, if a group is popr in Korea they¡¯d obviously be popr among overseas K-POP fans too. Furthermore, the type of sharp group choreography that KK demonstrated in their ¡®Very Sorry¡¯ performance was one Japanese fans preferred. M2M was getting positive response with ¡®elerator¡¯ back in Korea, but the public understandably put more weight on overseas fame. HIT Entertainment released arge-scale article about the incredible response they were getting in Japan. ¡°It¡¯s a relief that we¡¯re seeing results.¡± Everyone agreed with what Do Wook said. Now, for the time being, it was time to focus on preparing for the next album. In the meantime, Jung Yoon Ki was scheduled to appear on Show Me the Honey. Do Wook had to follow the curriculum of KNUA that he¡¯d be starting at shortly. You could call it a break since it was their inactive period, but they didn¡¯t have time to rx. ¡°By the way, Manager Oh.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Oh Baek Ho responded to Do Ra Hee in a tone that asked her if something was wrong. ¡°Team Leader Jo wants to see you. Do Wook too. She said she has news to tell you¡­¡± ¡°Ohh~ I bet Do Wook is filming another ad!¡± Jung Yoon Ki said in response to Do Ra Hee¡¯s words. Park Tae Hyung also asked if that was the case. Do Ra Hee lightly waved both her hands. ¡°It¡¯s not an ad¡­¡± Do Wook waited for Do Ra Hee to continue. There was an event Do Wook was waiting for. ¡°They said it¡¯s a drama.¡± At Do Ra Hee¡¯s words, the members started to buzz. Do Wook gripped his fist tight. ¡®It¡¯s here!¡¯ ¡ª Chapter 73: Oh past, give a response (3) Chapter 73: Oh past, give a response (3) ¡°Hmm¡­It¡¯s not a drama is it?¡± When Do Wook and Oh Baek Ho arrived at the Fan Marketing Team Conference room, it wasn¡¯t just Team Leader Jo Anna in there but Instructor Lee Kang Yeon was with her too. After exchanging greetings, Manager Oh Baek Ho immediately cut to the chase. Team Leader Jo replied to Oh Baek Ho, who had asked if the proposal that came in for Do Wook was a drama, that it wasn¡¯t that exactly. ¡°It''s a si. Here, this is the project proposal.¡± Team Leader Jo Anna ced the project proposal documents on the table. It really was ¡®that¡¯ drama that Do Wook had been waiting for. It was a new drama that would rewrite TBN Broadcast station¡¯s, no, cable broadcast drama¡¯s history. Team Leader Jo Anna exined further, ¡°You know PD Shin Yoon Ho who did the KK broadcast with you guys, right? I¡¯m told it¡¯s a si PD Shin is preparing.¡± ¡°A si?¡± When he heard that it was a si, Manager Oh Baek Ho¡¯s expression, which had been frighteningly serious, became more rxed. Drama and si, between the two of them there definitely was a difference in prestige. At one point, viewers used to pick the si genre regardless of weekday or weekend evening. However at a certain point sis disappeared from the broadcasting industry. As anticipated sis consecutively flopped, reality programs took their spot instead. ¡°It turns out PD Shin and several of the broadcast station writers are working on it together.¡± Furthermore, broadcast station writers and drama writers arepletely different career fields. A si wasn¡¯t a good genre to properly showcase one¡¯s acting. Manager Oh Baek Ho, who had been looking through the proposal, asked as he stroked his chin, ¡°What¡¯s the role they want for Do Wook?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the role of the male lead Kim Min Ki.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­It¡¯s the lead, but doing a si in this day and age¡­I¡¯m not too sure.¡± At Oh Baek Ho¡¯s skeptical response, Team Leader Jo Anna quickly nced at Do Wook then nodded her head. Do Wook was thoroughly looking through the proposal page by page. [Program type: Weekly si Run time: 60 minutes (30 minutes ¡Á 2 episodes) nning intent: The days of reminiscing over the 80s have ended. Now we will return to the 90s! Seoul in 1999: after rebuilding from oveing the IMF crisis*, the young people were excited to face the uing millennium. (PR note: the IMF crisis is another name for the Asian financial crisis of 1997) And it was glorious. We, currently 30-somethings, who have be ordinary workers. Right now we¡¯re disillusioned because the world wore us down, but it was different in 1999. Get ready! To relive our lives of the turbulent 1999s!] The format was different, but looking at the proposal, it was definitely PD Shin Yoon Ho¡¯s ¡®Get ready 1999¡¯ that even Do Wook had enjoyed watching. ¡®I guess the first n was a si¡­¡¯ As he continued to think, Do Wook glossed over the content more. Maybe it was because it was a proposal, but there were many aspects that were different from the content he knew. When Do Wook raised his head, Team Leader Jo and Manager Oh continued the discussion. Manager Oh Baek Ho gave another reason why he couldn¡¯t help but be skeptical. ¡°Sure, Yoon Ki is also going on Show Me the Honey, but if Do Wook also starts doing individual activities¡­¡± HIT Entertainment understandably tended to restrict individual events during the first half of group events. Individual events had aspects that were out of one¡¯s control once they started in full swing. Group events would inevitably be neglected. ¡®Show Me the Honey¡¯ that Jung Yoon Ki would be appearing in was at least a rapping contest, so it was highly likely that it would be a single-runpetition. Even if he became popr, Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s activities would only expand as a singer. Even if he went on additional shows, they would only be entertainment shows. However, acting was different. When idol group members get even a very small acting role, they get something called ¡®acting disease¡¯. There¡¯s a reason why fans of the other members will start to fret over that member who¡¯s acting. The vibe, which ispletely different from the vibe of the music or entertainment industry, would cause the fans worry. That said, it wasn¡¯t that Oh Baek Ho didn¡¯t believe in Do Wook. He didn¡¯t think that Do Wook would change to the point that it¡¯d negatively affect the group activities just because he did one si. ¡°Once you start, you¡¯ll probably get casting offers flooding in. It¡¯ll get harder to turn down if a good project or broadcast studio sends a strong offer¡­I have the feeling it¡¯s too soon. Even as an actor, you can¡¯t really say he¡¯s had enough preparations. And he¡¯s just about to start school.¡± Oh Baek Ho believed in Do Wook¡¯s abilities. He had no doubt that when Do Wook started acting, Do Wook himself would be acknowledged regardless of the project¡¯s sess or that the viewers wouldn¡¯t want to miss seeing Do Wook as an actor. It didn¡¯t matter if others thought he was getting ahead of himself and started worrying. ¡°Rather, dipping your toes in acting at si level might be good since he¡¯s not ready.¡± When Team Leader Jo Anna said that, Oh Baek Ho immediately refuted, ¡°It¡¯s too much of a major role for that. They¡¯re going to badmouth him from the start for being an idol going into acting anyways.¡± ¡°Sounds like you¡¯repletely against it then, Manager Oh.¡± ¡°For now, yes.¡± ¡°Honestly I was thinking along the same lines. We have to be especially careful since it¡¯s his first official attempt at acting. The first image you get willst a long time.¡± It wasn¡¯t that HIT Entertainment had no ns to get Do Wook into acting. That was what they had in mind after they saw him y the lead in the music video and he expressed that he wanted to apply to the KNUA¡¯s acting department. They wanted to properly raise him into an actorter. Their goal was to debut him in a traditional drama and raise him to eventually get a lead role in a mini drama. Thepany fully understood that talented people like Do Wook were rare. At that moment, Instructor Lee Kang Yeon started to speak, ¡°As you both have said, it is possible that the acting might be light since it¡¯s a si.¡± The three of them focused on Instructor Lee Kang Yeon. When it came to acting, Instructor Lee Kang Yeon, who had raised well-known stars, was undeniably the expert. ¡°Even if it¡¯s a si, the character is very good.¡± ¡°Character¡­¡± Team Leader Jo Anna nodded her head as if in agreement. Do Wook turned to the page of the character descriptions that had an exnation of the role of Kim Min Ki that was offered to him. ¡°We won¡¯t know until we see the manuscript, but it¡¯s a role that Do Wook would be able to perform very well. They say a charismatic male lead ismon, but if you really look for it, it¡¯s not thatmon.¡± Instructor Lee Kang Yeon focused on internal factors of the project rather than the external factors. [ A studious type who hasn¡¯t missed getting top of his ss even once. He¡¯s not a typical model student who only knows how to study. A perfect being: genius type, attractive, good at anything and everything. A seemingly perfect life, but he lost his parents at a young age. It was just him and his older brother. He became a well-rounded person who¡¯s good at everything so he wouldn¡¯t disappoint his older brother. Because he¡¯s busy being good at everything, he¡¯s not interested in girls even though the top of his desk is filled with love letters and drinks every day. His body is fully grown, but he¡¯s still a child and not yet a man. There is one girl who is close to Min Ki though. A childhood friend that he has grown up with since he was very little, tomboy Lee Yeon Joo. Yeon Joo is only interested in idols. Unbeknownst to himself, unbeknownst to anyone, Min Ki has started to love Yeon Joo, whom he never knows where she might run off to. ¡®Let¡¯s stop being friends now!¡¯ ] It was definitely a perfect character. If it felt like he¡¯d be losing his charm by being too perfect, there was the pain of losing his parents at a young age. On top of that, the setup of falling in love with his longtime best friend was a character situation female viewers would like. ¡®He wasn¡¯t popr for no reason. Still¡­¡¯ Do Wook frowned as he looked through the rtionship between the characters. It was the first draft, and maybe it was because it was a si for now, but the character rtionships were different from what Do Wook knew. To Do Wook¡¯s knowledge, a suspenseful, romantically tense rtionship formed between Yeon Joo, the female lead, Min Ki, the male lead, and Min Ki¡¯s older brother, making people wonder who her current husband was. However, in the currently written character rtionship, Min Ki didn¡¯t only have eyes for Yeon Joo, but also built a subtle rtionship with Yeon Joo¡¯s friend. ¡®This part needs to be taken out. The male lead¡¯s charisma bes halved.¡¯ However, that was a problem for after it was confirmed he¡¯d do the role. Team Leader Jo Anna, who had the final say, and Manager Oh Baek Ho¡¯s concerns had to be cleared first. Still, it was a relief that Instructor Lee Kang Yeon responded positively. ¡°Do Wook, what are your thoughts?¡± Team Leader Jo Anna asked Do Wook. ¡°Mmmmm, just as Instructor Lee said, I think the character is really good so I want to give it a try. I got along well with PD Shin in the past too.¡± Manager Oh Baek Ho seemed like he was about to say something, but Do Wook continued first. ¡°Of course it was a reality show at that time. I think it¡¯d be good to make a decision after meeting with them and getting maybe the first and second draft of the manuscript. Would that be difficult to arrange?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Even if it¡¯s a si, it¡¯s hard to make a decision before receiving the script.¡± Team Leader Jo Anna agreed and wrapped things up. ¡°I considered today to be just for sharing opinions rather than to make a decision anyways. For now we confirmed my concerns and Manager Oh¡¯s concerns are aligned. But we also understand that it¡¯s a good role.¡± Oh Baek Ho nodded. It wasn¡¯t that Oh Baek Ho waspletely against it either. If the pros outweighed the cons, of course Do Wook appearing on it would be the right decision. ¡°Let¡¯s give it some more thought. We¡¯ll try to set up a meeting with PD Shin¡¯s team next week or so.¡± Team Leader Jo got ready to leave. Do Wook privately expressed his gratitude to Instructor Lee Kang Yeon as he left the conference room. He contacted her after he got epted to the KNUA, but he hadn¡¯t been able to pay her a visit because of the Japan activities. Lee Kang Yeon smiled brightly at Do Wook who was thankful to her and fully respected her as a teacher. ¡°Good luck picking the project for your first acting debut.¡± ¡°Yes, Thank you.¡± After they left the conference room and were headed to the dormitory where the rest of the members were gathered, Do Wook struck up a conversation with Oh Baek Ho. ¡°Baek Ho.¡± ¡°Yes, Do Wook?¡± ¡°Have you by any chance heard that one of the M2M members will be on ?¡± ¡°Huh? Yes, I¡¯ve heard. That Ara Entertainment sure got him into an incredible role. It¡¯s a sub role, but one for a historic drama on public television even though it¡¯s his first time acting.¡± Oh Baek Ho received most news regarding the entertainment industry, but he paid even more attention to news involving M2M so he checked regrly. Oh Baek Ho wondered if Do Wook had been spurred on by Seo Jun going into acting. ¡°But there¡¯s nothing for you to be too hasty about. I looked into it and if it doesn¡¯t do well, he¡¯s only ruining his image. It might only make people criticize idols going into acting even more.¡± Do Wook nodded. ¡°The first episode will air soon, so I think it¡¯d be ok for us to make a decision after seeing how that¡¯s received.¡± ¡°Ahh¡­that¡¯d be good!¡± As expected, Do Wook wasn¡¯t just impatiently saying he wanted to act. Oh Baek Ho gave a satisfied smile when Do Wook said, on the contrary, he¡¯d wait to see how it turned out for Seo Jun, and patted Do Wook¡¯s shoulder. Do Wook smiled as he looked at Oh Baek Ho. ¡®Sun and Moon Lovers will also be a hit, and Seo Jun¡¯s image will increase. He¡¯ll break the negative stereotype held against idols going into acting for me. And I¡¯ll make use of that.¡¯ *** At that moment. HIT Entertainment¡¯s main Director, Production Director Kwon Heung Jo, was at an upscale Japanese restaurant in ChungDamDong waiting for his guest. The thought that today¡¯s meeting might change HIT Entertainment¡¯s future made Director Kwon¡¯s throat burn. Then the straw door opened and his guest entered. ¡ª Chapter 74: Oh past, give a response (4) Chapter 74: Oh past, give a response (4) # 74 ?Oh past, give a response (4) ¡°Hello.¡± Production Director Kwon Heung Jo stood up and weed his guest. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you. I¡¯m Tae Hwa Group¡¯s Korean branch¡¯s Hong Un Yeong." ¡°I¡¯m HIT Entertainment¡¯s Kwon Heung Jo. Nice to meet you.¡± Director Kwon Heung Jo and Branch Manager Hong Un Yeong exchanged business cards. The two of their secretaries closed the door and gave them privacy. Once the two of them sat down, a neatly dressed waitress quietly approached them and took their orders. ¡°What would you like to order¡­¡± ¡°Please order me the same thing you¡¯re having, haha.¡± ¡°Ah, is there anything you¡¯re not able to eat?¡± ¡°There¡¯s none.¡± Production Director Kwon Heung Jo told the waitress to bring them whatever was most popr on the menu. It was something that often happened at these types of settings, so the waitress smiled and nodded her head without feeling overwhelmed. ¡°Would you like any alcohol or soda?¡± When the waitress asked, Director Kwon Heung Jo also casually asked Branch Manager Hong Un Yeong . ¡°How about some light alcohol? Considering the time too.¡± ¡°Sounds good. Are you ok with sake?¡± ¡°Great! Sake.¡± Again, Director Kwon Heung Jo asked the waitress to pick the softest sake for them. The waitress backed away out of the room. Branch Manager Hong Un Yeong was often called a general. His thick eyebrows andrge facial features gave off the impression of a virtuous person. He was in his mid-tote 50s, but his physique was so outstanding that he gave off a powerful vibe even when just sitting down. His voice was also a little husky, but his tone was energetic. This was the first time the two of them had met in person, but they had spoken on the phone a couple times to arrange this meeting. Director Kwonplimented him first, saying that his voice sounded as good as it did over the phone. ¡°Hahaha!¡± Seemingly a nicepliment to receive, Branch Manager Hong Un Yeong smiled brightly. ¡°What about you Director Kwon? You¡¯re, what do you call it, a gentle type that¡¯s popr these days!¡± Director Kwon alsoughed at the returnpliment. Around the time the two of them had eased the tension by telling personal stories, the food started to arrive one by one. ¡°It¡¯s my first time here, but the sashimi is very good!¡± Branch manager Hong Un Yeong was content as he loudly chewed the sashimi. The atmosphere wasn¡¯t stiff and it was morefortable than they expected. Director Kwon Heung Jo rxed a bit. Based on branch manager Hong Un Yeong¡¯s tone, it felt like he could get a positive response. Their conversation went in full swing as they refilled their ss little by little. ¡°I wonder, have you ever heard of ourpany¡­¡± ¡°Ah, Honestly, it was an unfamiliar name, so at first I wondered why the document made it all the way up to me, haha.¡± Director Kwon had spoken humbly, but Branch Manager Hong Un Yeong¡¯s response was definitely disrespectful. However, even Director Kwon knew that it hadn¡¯t been on purpose. Tae Hwa Group was gap and, for now, HIT Entertainment had no choice but to be eul*. (TL Note: Gap and Eul shows a superior/inferior or top/bottom rtionship) Director Kwon smiled as he replied, ¡°Probably since a lot ofpanies want Tae Hwa to invest in them ever since the rumor circted that Tae Hwa Group is investing in entertainment agencies.¡± Branch Manager Hong Un Yeongughed as he replied, ¡°Haha, that is true.¡± Tae Hwa Group was a Chinesepany. An investmentpany with their headquarters located in Shanghai, China, it was among the top 50 Chinesepanies and had a tremendous amount of capital. That very Tae Hwa Group mainly invested in the entertainment field, such as games, movies, dramas, etc. There was a rumor going around that this time, they were looking to expand their investments in Korea. Production Director Kwon Heung Jo moved quickly as soon as he heard those rumors. HIT Entertainment¡¯s CEO was skeptical, thinking it was a little absurd, but Director Kwon thought it was worth trying. ¡®Once they see KK¡¯s current growth they¡¯ll definitely¡­see our value.¡¯ With that thought, Director Kwon submitted an investment proposal to Tae Hwa Group. Director Kwon¡¯s idea to look for an investor was influenced by KK¡¯s fast growth. KK was a little more popr than M2M, who was from Ara Entertainment, arge agency. Director Kwon firmly believed that they shouldn¡¯t slow down or step back even a little at this time. Director Kwon had pondered, ¡®In that case, what is the thing HIT Entertainment is mostcking in currently?¡¯ The answer was clear. It was none other than money, funds. Depending on how much money they were able to spend, the quality of the music video would go up or down. Until now, KK had maintained a certain level of album quality with their own skills and help from professionals who could make the best quality out of minimum funds, but there was a limit to that. Branch Manager Hong Un Yeongughed again, proud. He was originally from headquarters. Although he was Korean, he joined the Tae Hwa Group after studying abroad in China and rose to a high position through hispetence. Afterwards, he even ended up marrying the Tae Hwa Group President¡¯s youngest niece, a Chinese person. Heunched a branch in Korea and had been working as the Branch Manager since 5 years ago. ¡°Our employees said you¡¯re apany with a lot of potential. All thanks to that ¡®KK¡¯ group.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Thank you for noticing.¡± ¡°Haha. Working at an agency means if you raise one star, you¡¯d have made it!¡± At Hong Un Yeong¡¯s words, it was Director Kwon¡¯s turn to smile proudly. ¡°I also heard you worked with Yoo Sung Electronics.¡± ¡°Yes, we were lucky.¡± ¡°HIT Entertainment even runs a designated socialwork ount in China. I looked at it and the response in China is also outstanding.¡± That part was Fan Marking Team Leader Jo Anna¡¯s hard work. Team Leader Jo Anna thought that they had to use the Chineseworks to their advantage to grow in the Chinese market. Team Leader Jo Anna was the type to look at the big picture. As soon as KK started to gain some poprity in Korea, she set out to develop Asian markets, including Japan and China. She also thought along the same lines as Director Kwon Heung Jo, so she was thinking beyond Asia into North and South American and even European markets. ¡°Then does that mean¡­¡± Director Kwon asked carefully. ¡°I really liked the investment proposal too. It seems like it has marketable value. But the investment amount part didn¡¯t quite match with us.¡± ¡°Ah, which¡­.¡± ¡°I saw you had asked for around 8 billion*.¡± (TL Note: this is in Korean Won, about $5.9 million) ¡°Yes. You¡¯ll know from the business proposal, but profits are maximized in the long run when you have that much capital.¡± Director Kwon patiently exined. Branch Manager Hong Un Yeon nodded. ¡°Even if it¡¯s Tae Hwa Group, it¡¯s hard to pour that much money in all at once.¡± He thought it sounded like groaning, but Director Kwon gave the impression of backing off, saying, ¡°is that so?¡± However, Branch manager Hong Un Yeong then exined their n. ¡°You know the entertainment business is too vtile for long-term investments, haha.¡± ¡°That¡¯s how it goes.¡± ¡°So we want to invest in increments.¡± Branch manager Hong Un Yeong inspected Director Kwon¡¯s expression. Director Kwon tried hard to have a calm expression. ¡°How so?¡± ¡°We n on investing about 4 billion* first¡­¡± (TL Note: About $3 million.) Director Kwon¡¯s mouth dropped before he knew it. Honestly, even 4 billion was a lot of money to the current HIT Entertainment. Director Kwon Heung Jo had confirmed that while looking for investors everywhere and contacting Tae Hwa Group after pulling all-nighters with the employees over thest month to prepare a proposal that was not in vain. ¡°And after looking at the returns on the investment, if we get 80% or more of our goal back, we¡¯ll reinvest 4 billion more the next year.¡± Branch Manger Hong Un Yeong continued, ¡°There¡¯s nothing further to discuss if we don¡¯t recover our investment.¡± Director Kwon Heung Jo saw Branch Manager Hong Un Yeong¡¯s ss, grabbed the sake bottle, and refilled the ss. The ss became full with the clear liquid. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about getting a return on your investment,¡± Director Kwon gave a pleasantugh as he responded. ¡°In return, Branch manager.¡± ¡°Please speak freely.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to add conditions and invest in increments anyways, how about 4.5 billion*? It¡¯s a smaller amount than the 8 billion we initially proposed, isn¡¯t it?¡± (TL Note: About $3.3 million) It was a roundabout way of saying it, but together it would be 9 billion*. (TL Note: About $6.7 million) However, From Tae Hwa Group¡¯s point of view they would be able to pull out if the profits weren¡¯t good. From Director Kwon Heung Jo¡¯s perspective, he was expressing that he was that confident. Branch manager Hong Un Yeong drank the cup that Director Kwon had filled with a pained look. ¡°Let¡¯s go back and discuss it toe to a positive conclusion.¡± ¡°Thank you, Branch Manager.¡± Director Kwon politely thanked him and bowed his head. ¡°You sure have a very good business personality!¡± Branch Manager Hong Un Yeong yelled in a loud voice. *** The news that Tae Hwa Group was investing 4.5 billion in HIT Entertainment as the firstpany spread through economic magazines. It meant that KK''s marketability and value were on track for the most part. Director Kwon Heung Jo issued orders regarding KK¡¯s next album after the investment was confirmed. The overall idea was that they would acquire more distributionworks and the production scale of the next album would be increased, targeting overseas markets. Thanks to that, the album production team staff had no choice but to work hard. It was because it seemed like they would have to start again from scratch, including the album concept they were originally preparing. However, having capital meant that there were more things they could try now. The ability to n it however they want¡­in other words, it was an enjoyable struggle. ¡°Then the schedule for the next album¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no change to the schedule and theeback is nned to be in October. I think that it would work if we go into production right after Yoon Ki finishes Show Me the Honey.¡± Team Leader Shim Joon was discussing the ns regarding the next album with Do Wook in the conference room. It was because discussing it with Do Wook, who was first and foremost the album producer before being a member, came first before discussing it with Manager Oh Baek Ho or Jung Yoon Ki, who was the leader. ¡°Do Wook, you¡¯re the problem. I heard there¡¯s talk about you acting too.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not confirmed yet. Though we did have a meeting recently.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Do Wook recalled the meeting they had with PD Shin Yoon Ho. It was a si, but PD Shin emphasized that it waspletely different from any previously existing sis. They could feel PD Shin Yoon Ho¡¯s desire to cast Do Wook. When Do Wook expressed that he¡¯d like ¡®Kim Min Ki¡¯¡¯s characteristics tweaked a little, he said that he was also thinking about that and happily eximed that it seemed Do Wook definitely understanded the role perfectly. ¡°But even if I start acting, it¡¯s prerecorded so doing aeback in October shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡± ¡°The schedule is one thing but¡­do you think you¡¯ll also be able to work on the songs?¡± Do Wook had been endlessly preparing even on his days off in preparation for this. There was a reason why he was living as if the 24 hours in a day were 48 hours. ¡°I can do it.¡± ¡°Ok, If you say you can do it I know you can do it¡­but don¡¯t push yourself too hard. Right now we¡¯re looking for someone to work on the project with you.¡± ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t worry too much.¡± When Do Wook responded, Team Leader Shim Joon nodded his head. ¡°Then let¡¯s n for theeback to be in October¡­¡± At that moment, Team Leader Shim Joon¡¯s doorbell rang. After saying, ¡°Just a minute¡± and excusing himself, Team Leader Shim Joon opened the conference room door and stepped outside. While Team Leader Shim Joon briefly stepped out, Do Wook opened the inte browser on his phone. The first episode of wasst night. It was a ¡®hit¡¯ from the first episode. The acting of the children in the first half touched the hearts of the viewers, and the visuals and acting from Kim Joo Hyun, who appeared in the second half, stole the show. After that, with 2 minutes remaining, the scenes Seo Kang Jun was in were also all pristine. Seo Kang Jun, dressed well in silk clothing, had viewers seeing him in a new light. It was a sessful acting debut. He figured that Manager Oh Baek Ho probably also checked the reaction. That seemed to be the case. With perfect timing, a message came from Manager Oh Baek Ho. [Do Wook, are you still in the meeting with the Album Production Team?] [Is something wrong?] [You have toe to Team Leader Jo¡¯s office once you¡¯re done. The format of PD Shin¡¯s project you received changed.] [What?] [We got news that they¡¯re officially editing it into a drama.] Do Wook smiled as he read Oh Baek Ho¡¯s message. Filming would start at the beginning of next month. ¡ª Chapter 75: Oh past, give a response (5) Chapter 75: Oh past, give a response (5) TBN Broadcast Station It was the day of the all cast meeting for ¡®Get Ready 1999¡¯ before filming started in full swing. It was also the day they would be doing a table reading of the first half of the script after exchanging light greetings. One by one the cast entered the prepared room inside the broadcast station. ¡°Hello, Mr. PD.¡± ¡°Do Wook! You¡¯re here early.¡± PD Shin, who had been sitting in the middle seat and discussing the script with the writers next to him, stood up and weed Do Wook. Except for three or so young actors who yed critical roles, Do Wook was able toe the earliest among today¡¯s attending cast. ¡°I felt I shoulde early and prepare.¡± PD Shin pretended to apud, replying to Do Wook that he¡¯s already perfect. PD Shin Yoon Ho had been in charge of the meeting with Do Wook up to the point he agreed to appear on the drama, so the writers, who were seeing Do Wook in person for the first time, couldn¡¯t hide their joy as they weed Do Wook. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s your first time meeting. These are our writers.¡± ¡°Hello. Thank you for writing a good script.¡± At Do Wook¡¯s words, the writers blushed and asked for a handshake. Do Wook of course shook the hands of the two main writers, but also didn¡¯t exclude the other two assistant writers when shaking everyone¡¯s hands one by one. ¡°PD Shin praised you so much, and went on and on about how perfect you are for the lead~!¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve heard. Thank you, Mr. PD.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the one who¡¯s thankful you decided to ept the role!¡± ¡®Get Ready 1999¡¯ was a program TBN had ambitiously nned. It was also a program that was changed from a si to a drama by the end of the meeting because the script was written so well. However, contrary to TBN¡¯s grand ambitions, its branding as ¡®a new type of drama on cable broadcast¡¯ wasn¡¯t particrly appealing to established actors. That was also the reason why the cast wasn¡¯t as shypared to other dramas. On the other hand, it was also PD Shin Yoon Ho¡¯s ambition. Its lead characters were wless characters whose mothers were friends, but ¡®Get Ready 1999¡¯ was a drama based on empathy regardless. Even though the ¡®Kim Min Ki¡¯ role was a wless male lead just like in other dramas, the focus was that he¡¯s an umchiah* who feels like a next door neighbor. (TL Note: umchiah is one¡¯s mother¡¯s friend¡¯s son) The main purpose of the drama was to create nostalgia by portraying a family you¡¯d often see around in your neighborhood. PD Shin Yoon Ho came to the conclusion that such a premise would be difficult to achieve with an actor who is already well known. Therefore, except for a few main characters, he cast actors from ys and independent films for the supporting roles, and actively recruited actors with excellent acting skills but little-known faces. They were all outstanding actors who were also hellbent on getting their faces well-known. It was guaranteed that they¡¯d give it their all. Behind Do Wook, the two male actors who would be ying the friends of Kim Min Ki, the role which Do Wook would be ying, arrived at the same time. ¡°Hello, sunbae*.¡± (TL Note: Sunbae is a term used for one¡¯s senior) ¡°Oh, our lead actor. Nice to meet you.¡± Park Dong Hui, who epted the greeting naturally, was someone who was renowned in the live theater world. Even if he looked like he was enjoying himself, once he started acting he¡¯d suddenly change. ¡°Now that I think about it, you really are my hubae* aren¡¯t you?¡± (TL Note: Hubae is a term used for one¡¯s junior) ¡°Are you already acting like you¡¯re close with him? Oh you.¡± The person who teased Park Dong Hui was Ahn Jae Hyung. They were both actors attending KNUA. That might have been the reason why they acted more friendly towards Do Wook. Do Wook already knew information about the cast inside and out. They were all people who¡¯d gain substantial poprity through ¡®Get ready 1999¡¯ andter get cast as supporting roles in other dramas. They were also all sunbaes to Do Wook when it came to acting. Do Wook exchanged greetings with the other cast as he called them sunbae. There weren¡¯t any star actors who were famous for being stuck up so it was a friendly atmosphere without anyone muddying it. The female lead who would be acting opposite Do Wook soon arrived. She was the lead actress who had been chosen over hundreds of others in the audition. She was six years older than Do Wook, but she had such a youthful figure that she could easily y a high school student. Later, the middle-aged actors who¡¯d y the parents of the younger cast arrived one after another and sat down where the name of the character they would be ying was written. Except for a few people, the entire cast was sitting around a circr table facing each other. The actors'' agency representatives were behind them, either leaning against the wall or sitting on a small chair. Even though only absolutely necessary agency representatives were permitted, including them, the number of people present was rather big. The table reading room that had seemed very big was packed. The actors who already knew each other chatted pleasantly as they waited for the table read to start. Do Wook glossed over the script he had alreadypletely memorized one more time. ¡°Hello¨D!¡± Greeting everyone in a high voice, Joo Min Ah, who was cast as the female sub lead, entered the table reading room. Joo Min Ah was also an idol going into acting like Do Wook. The group that Joo Min Ah was a part of, Sweetie Girl, had debuted 2 years earlier than KK and was one of three girl groups Ara Entertainment had managed up to now. Although they weren¡¯t doing as well as Ara Entertainment¡¯s other two girl groups, they were quite popr. The leader of that group was Joo Min Ah. More than through singing, she became popr through her acting projects. She was very active, to the point that people would say ¡°what drama isn¡¯t she in?¡±. The broadcast station TBN knew very well the benefits of having a celebrity from Ara Entertainment in their drama. Of course it¡¯d be good for the OST business, but it¡¯d also be a substantial help for PR activities. PD Shin Yoon Ho also calcted that, since it was weird they had only fresh faces as the main characters, it would be good to add someone like Joo Min Ah. Of course Do Wook already knew that Joo Min Ah was the female sub lead. It was true he had bad feelings towards Ara Entertainment, but he didn¡¯t hold bad feelings towards all of their agency¡¯s celebrities. However, when it came to the guy who came in after Joo Min Ah, it was a different story. Do Wook looked at the man and gripped the script tight. It was Director Seo Joong Won. *** 3rd year of middle school. It was when the school violence that Seo Kang Jun¡¯s gang inflicted on Bo Myung was at its peak. He lived life praying everyday that today would be less lonely, that it would hurt less. He even imagined how nice it¡¯d be if Seo Kang Jun got hurt in a car ident on the way to school and was absent for a while. Bo Myung, who was so inherently nice to the point of foolishness, felt guilty just thinking about it. Was it because he was having bad thoughts of wishing someone getting hurt? Bo Myung got beat up a lot that day. It was because Bo Myung couldn¡¯t withstand the pain and screamed and resisted. Seo Kang Jun, who typically found it more fun to give orders from the back, kicked Bo Myung¡¯s abdomen for the first time in a long time. It happened at night in the alley behind the school. Bo Myung threw up blood. Even after his aggressors left, he had toy down on the cold ground for about an hour. It was hard to get up. ¡®If this goes on¡­really¡­I might die.¡¯ Only after an hour and a half passed did someone who was passing by discover Bo Myung and shake his body awake. That day Bo Myung¡¯s mother saw Bo Myung, whose entire body was messed up, and screamed almost to the point of fainting. He ran into his mother, who had been working at the restaurant untilte at night, in front of the screen door that was rusted all over. It was a situation that he couldn¡¯t hide from her. ¡°What, what in the world happened?!¡± Bo Myung couldn¡¯t say anything in front of his mother, who was scared out of her mind and crying. ¡®Mother¡­found out.¡¯ His mother was crying because of his pathetic self. Sadness turned into rage. Bo Myung thought that he needed to break free from these chains quickly. Bo Myung dragged his badly bruised body the next day to the teacher in charge of the school violencemittee. The teacher saw Bo Myung, who hade to see her in the counseling room, and was initially so shocked that she urgently treated Bo Myung. With a sorrowful expression, the teacher encouraged Bo Myung, asking how he kept it to himself all this time. ¡°Who in the world did this to you? Huh?¡± ¡°¡­teacher, if I tell you¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry Bo Myung. There will have to be an investigation, but the kids who did this to you will either be forced to transfer or be expelled. " There was no way there would be no retaliation. So he was incredibly fearful, but he couldn¡¯t just stay this way out of fear. He thought he should do whatever he can. ¡°ss 8 Park Jun Soo, Jo Jin Hyuk¡­¡± The teacher wrote down the names andforted Bo Myung. ¡°ss 9 Seo Kang Jun.¡± At Seo Kang Jun¡¯s name, the teacher¡¯s hand briefly stopped. Seo Kang Jun, who had been clever about his bullying until now, was thinking that he had gone too far two days ago. However, he had been very stressed recently because of his father pressuring him. He couldn¡¯t help it. Seo Kang Jun was only worried to the degree that if the issue became bigger, he would get a beating from his father. Sure enough, Kang Seo Jun heard the news that Bo Myung had reported him to the school violencemittee. The principal personally delivered the news to Seo Kang Jun¡¯s father, Seo Joong Won. Seo Kang Jun¡¯s father was outraged, saying ¡°what kind of future will you have if you keep acting like this?¡±. However, Seo Kang Jun knew his father¡¯s anger was only brief and that he would cover this up for him by any means necessary. ¡°ording to the principal, there wasn¡¯t particrly any evidence, is that right?¡± ¡°Of course. I know how to cover my tracks at least that much, father.¡± ¡°How is that covering your tracks! Geez, tisk tisk. Ok. I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± There was evidence that he was a victim, but there was no evidence that ¡®Seo Kang Jun¡¯s gang did it¡¯. There was only Bo Myung¡¯s statement. Although he figured it¡¯d end like that, Seo Kang Jun bit his lips out of anger towards Kim Bo Myung. ¡®You dare try to screw me over?¡¯ When Seo Kang Jun ran into Bo Myung in the hallway, he picked a fight with Bo Myung. ¡°I heard you reported me?¡± Without being able to even make proper eye contact, Bo Myung tried to get away from Seo Kang Jun. ¡°Yes, you should take it as far as you can. So does your mother know about this?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°Does your father not know since he¡¯s busy picking up trash?¡± As he hit a nerve with Bo Myung by talking about his parents, Seo Kang Jun grabbed Bo Myung¡¯s wrist. ¡°I asked if they know.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Let go!!!¡± Bo Myung shook off Seo Kang Jun¡¯s hand, which restrained his wrist and was pressing down on his arm tightly. As he shook it off, he pushed Seo Kang Jun who was stuck to him. He had only used a little bit of power, but Seo Jun, who was one step lower on the stairs than Bo Myung, lost his bnce. As his center of gravity moved lower, Seo Kang Jun rolled down the stairs. ¡°Gasp!¡± ¡°Kyaaa¨D!¡± ¡°Hurr, isn¡¯t that Seo Kang Jun?¡± ¡°Kang Jun? Are you ok?!¡± The hallway became abuzz. With an expression full of pain, Seo Kang Jun was holding onto his arm. Bo Myung stared at Seo Kang Jun with a nk expression, unable toprehend what was going on. Seo Kang Jun, who made eye contact with him, snickered nastily. There was nobody who saw Bo Myung get hit, but there were numerous people who saw Seo Kang Jun fall down the stairs and break his arm because Bo Myung pushed him. Seo Kang Jun¡¯s side shamelessly got a medical report and sued Bo Myung. Bo Myung¡¯s mother came to the principal¡¯s office, got on her knees and begged in front of Seo Kang Jun¡¯s parents. In return for not getting treatment fees and dropping the charges, Seo Joong Won got a promise from Bo Myung¡¯s mother. It was a promise to never use Seo Kang Jun¡¯s name in unsavory things like school violence ever again. *** Do Wook became lost in thought, vividly recalling the dream he was having recently once he saw Seo Joong Won¡¯s face. However, he couldn¡¯t act on it further in this setting. PD Shin Yoon Ho got up and greeted Director Seo Joong Won. His reputation was substantial, to the point that everyone who worked in the entertainment industry knew Director Seo Joong Won. ¡°What brings you all the way here, Director Seo?!¡± ¡°What do you mean? It¡¯s our agency¡¯s celebrity¡¯s first table reading so I came to encourage her.¡± ¡°Haha, Min Ah must feel very supported.¡± Joo Min Ah smiled shyly. The other cast members were also with managers or other agency representatives. Still, everyone thought Director Seo Joong Won¡¯s attendance felt out of ce. Looking around the room, Seo Joong Won spotted Do Wook and said towards Do Wook, ¡°Is this who is ying the lead?¡± ¡°Yes, It¡¯s KK¡¯s Kang Do Wook.¡± PD Shin Yoon Ho introduced Do Wook to Seo Joong Won. Getting up from his seat, Do Wook made eye contact with Seo Joong Won. ¡ª Chapter 76: Onslaught (1) Chapter 76: Onught (1) ¡°I¡¯m Kang Do Wook.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you. I really wanted to meet you, and here you are.¡± Director Seo Joong Won shook hands with Do Wook. The moment his hands touched Director Seo Joong Won¡¯s, Do Wook felt goosebumps all over his body. ¡®If Seo Kang Jun is the devil, this person gave birth to that devil. To think that I have to shake hands, though briefly, with such a person.¡¯ It felt like his hands were rotting, but Do Wook didn¡¯t show his feelings. He was simply more expressionless than usual. He greeted him politely as he would any other adult. Seo Joong Won observed Do Wook sharply. M2M, a group Ara Entertainment ambitiously produced. KK who was getting in the way of M2M. No matter how much he thought about it, the reason KK got ahead of M2M and won the Rookie of the Year award couldn¡¯t be any other than because of this person Kang Do Wook. ¡®It¡¯s a shame that we missed out on someone like this. How did he end up in HIT Entertainment¡­¡¯ That was the first thing he thought of as Ara Entertainment¡¯s Director and de facto President. He¡¯d watched KK¡¯s performance and had seen them in the Yoo Sung Electronics advertisement, but now that he was seeing him in person, Do Wook was much more impressive. Of course he was more handsome than the camera could do him justice, but he had some kind of ¡®spirit¡¯ with a gaze that seemed to be focusing on something. It was a presence that was hard to feel in his son Seo Kang Jun. ¡®I heard heposes too. It¡¯s true that it¡¯s a shame we missed out on him.¡¯ Seo Joong Won thought after exchanging greetings with Do Wook. ¡®But even if he were in our agency¡­with Kang Jun¡¯s personality, he wouldn¡¯t be able to stand the sight of someone better than him.¡¯ Seo Joong Won knew his son well. He had raised him that way. It was ok if he were conceited. However, if he wanted to be conceited he would have to be the best. And even if it was a shame, he couldn¡¯t turn back time. Kang Do Wook was HIT Entertainment agency''s celebrity. He was simply one of the countless people they had to step on for Seo Kang Jun to be the top celebrity of his generation. The gaze of Seo Joong Won, who had turned around, was like a snake. Looking at Seo Joong Won from behind, part of Do Wook¡¯s heart felt burning rage. ¡®Seo Kang Jun, ¡­ It¡¯s not just Seo Kang Jun¡¯s downfall. I have to destroy the source that gave birth to that devil too.¡¯ The back door opened and TBN Broadcast Studio¡¯s President and the Director of the Drama Department came in. ¡°Oh¡­Mr. President, Mr. Director!¡± PD Shin quickly walked to the door and greeted them. Based on how PD Shin greeted them, the cast couldn¡¯t help but know the identities of the two elderly middle-aged men. All the cast members were overwhelmed by the major figures showing up and hesitantly got up from their seats. Director Seo Joong Won, who happened to be in front of them, exchanged greetings with the two of them. ¡°I guess Director Seo has beaten me here.¡± ¡°Yes sir. He came with Ms. Joo Min Ah.¡± ¡°Ah ha! Ms. Joo Min Ah. It¡¯s been a while.¡± Joo Min Ah, who was standing on one side of the room, tactfully approached them and exchanged greetings with the President. She seemed to be on friendly terms with the Director too. The cast who didn¡¯t have any connections with the higher-ups were nkly watching the scene unfold. Do Wook, who hade to the table read without a manager, and the female lead, who was chosen through auditions, were the most out of the loop. ¡°What brings you here, sir¡­¡± Only once PD Shin asked, did the President greet the cast and say, ¡°There are very high expectations for this drama. So I came to say hello.¡± PD Shin greeted him, then the writers expressed their gratitude, then the cast followed. It seemed like it was such an anticipated project that even the President came to visit. After the President greeted Do Wook, the female lead, the main cast, and a few of the veteran actors, he asked them to give it their all. It was like a courtesy greeting. Do Wook felt a little tired. ¡°Then I¡¯ll stop bothering you and head out. Thank you all again.¡± Once the President said his final goodbyes, the Director of Drama helped him and opened the door. Director Seo Joong Won joined them. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Director Seo.¡± ¡°Yes. I made reservations for lunch today.¡± ¡°Ah. Any restaurant you rmend always tastes great!¡± The three of them could be heard talking in the hallway as they got further and further away from the room. It seemed like Director Seo Joong Won was treating the TBN President and the Director of Drama today. After the uneasy vibe had settled, the table reading started in full swing. ¡°This is Part 1 Scene 1!¡± The Assistant Director yelled and started reading the script. Inside a loud ssroom. Male high school students are rambunctiously ying. In the back of the ssroom students are ying leapfrog, and there¡¯s even a student with his head down on his desk and sleeping. After showing the entire ssroom, a close-up of a student with his head down, sleeping. ¡°Hey, Min Ki! Min Ki! Wake up!¡± The first line was said by Kim Min Ki¡¯s friend. He read the script, pretending to shake his shoulder. Because he was famous as a theater actor, everyone naturally expected Park Dong Hui to be good at acting, and they were proven right. Even though he only said one line, he brought a mischievous male high school student to life. Do Wook swallowed hard. His voice had to sound like he had just woken up. He said his first line as if he were clearing his voice so it wouldn¡¯t sound hoarse. ¡°Why, what¡¯s going on?¡± A low voice as if having just woken up flowed out from Do Wook¡¯s mouth. ¡®Oh?¡¯ The cast, who were seeing Do Wook act for the first time, were a little surprised deep down. ¡°This isn¡¯t the time to sleep. Things are crazy in the ssroom next door!¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on in the ssroom next door?¡± ¡°Yeon Joo, your best friend, is¡­¡± ¡°What, did she hop a fence again following an idol?¡± Han Dong Hui and Do Wook¡¯s dialogue progressed smoothly like flowing water. It wasn¡¯t a part that required much skill, but everyone could feel it. ¡®They¡¯re good!¡± Kang Do Wook was very natural and could hold his own against Han Dong Hui. Additionally, his low voice was very pleasing to the ear. The cast, who were decently good actors, could already tell that the drama would be sessful, no, that actor Do Wook would be sessful one day regardless of the drama¡¯s sess. *** Do Wook, who had made headlines recently when he was epted to the KNUA, made headlines again with his first attempt at acting. (TL Note: An idol who goes into acting.) As Do Wook expected, thanks to the favorable reviews Seo Kang Jun gained through , the public¡¯s opinion on idols going into acting wasn¡¯t bad. Additionally, there were already expectations established that Do Wook must be good at acting to a certain degree because he was epted to the KNUA. A majority of thements in every article was cheering for Do Wook¡¯s drama filming. However, it was only regarding Do Wook himself. Expectations for the drama itself were not very high. It was because, looking at the characters and nning intention, you could tell it was close to a family drama instead of the mini series dramas with young male and female leads that were popr these days. Do Wook didn¡¯t particrly dwell on the fact that the drama didn¡¯t draw a lot of attention. ¡®It¡¯ll snowball after the first broadcast airs anyways. Every day will beat the previous day¡¯s rating record.¡± He felt that knowing the future could sometimes make a personcent. To avoid that, Do Wook always reflected on himself after gaining some mental stability. ¡®I can¡¯t make a drama that¡¯s supposed to seed be a flop because of me.¡¯ So he put in a lot of effort. He was busy because it was pre-production. Still,pared to other dramas that were filmed in front of a live audience, the schedule was better. ¡°Do Wook, they said the next scene is thest scene for today¡¯s shoot.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± One corner of the set that was an exact replica of a 1999¡¯s neighborhood. Gu Chul Min approached Do Wook, who was sitting on the staff chair and going over the script in preparation for the next scene. Gu Chul Min was a road manager that Hit Entertainment had newly hired. His physique wasn¡¯t big for a manager, and he was rather on the meek side, but he was also someone who had passed Manager Oh Baek Ho¡¯s rough interview. Contrary to his spaced-out appearance, he was known to be a very capable person when it came to security. In any case, Manager Oh Baek Ho was less burdened since hiring Gu Chul Min. It was really fortunate that he was hired before Do Wook or Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s individual schedules started ramping up. The newly hired Gu Chul Min was assigned to manage Do Wook¡¯s drama filming for now. ¡°It looks like we¡¯ll be done around 10?¡± ¡°It seems so. That¡¯s a relief.¡± Do Wook thought as he checked the time. Today was the first broadcast of ¡®Show Me the Honey¡¯ that Jung Yoon Ki was in. The members had decided to gather in the dorm and watch it together. The group chat room on Do Wook¡¯s cell phone was bustling in anticipation of the first broadcast. Do Wook also had high expectations for Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s show. It hadn¡¯t aired yet, but Jung Yoon Ki was currently participating in the broadcast with a live audience. The results were decided through voting in the concert hall during the live broadcast, and even if he were eliminated at the first performance next week he would still be in the Top 10. ¡®As long as there aren¡¯t big changes, he has a chance of making it to even runner-up¡­¡¯ Do Wook smiled proudly as he thought about it. ¡°You don¡¯t have filming for the drama tomorrow, but you have a different urgent shoot scheduled.¡± ¡°A shoot?¡± ¡°Yes. The chicken ad with all KK members that Manager Oh has mentioned before. When they were trying to figure out the schedule, tomorrow was the only day that worked so they set it for tomorrow.¡± ¡°Ah¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Do Wook nodded his head. He felt like he had heard about it in passing. Like the school uniform advertisements, chicken advertisements had recently be an ad popr idols had to film at least once. Gu Chul Min felt sorry even though it wasn¡¯t his fault. He hadn¡¯t been working with Do Wook for long, but he could feel the weight of Do Wook¡¯s busy life even within that short time. Even when Gu Chul Min was resting while they waited, Do Wook tirelessly looked over the script again or worked onposing while listening to music. It was his first job after getting discharged*. Like most Korean men, Gul Chul Min had believed idols had it easy. However, looking at Do Wook, he realized it wasn¡¯t easy for them. (TL Note: In Korea, males have to do 2 years of mandatory service in the military.) Gu Chul Min could see why he was so sessful. ¡°I¡¯m sorry when it¡¯s your first day off in a while.¡± ¡°Huh? Why are you sorry?!¡± ¡°Haha. Just. I¡¯m just sorry.¡± Gu Chul Min scratched the back of his head. The Assistant Director then approached them and told Do Wook filming would start soon. It was when Do Wook was getting up from his seat. From one side of the filming site a staff member¡¯s cellphone ringtone started to go off. ¡°Who left their ringtone on when we¡¯re about to start filming? How unprofessional!¡± It was the Camera Director who yelled. The Camera Director was the oldest and most experienced person on site. As the Camera Director, who was on edge because of the continuous filming, yelled, the staff scrambled to find the source of the sound. In the meantime, the ringtone continued to y. The ringtone was a famous Chanson. Contrary to the chilling atmosphere, it was such a famous Chanson that Do Wook was singing along with the ringtone without realizing it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry!¡± One of the filming staff yelled and quickly turned their phone off. ¡°We¡¯re starting Scene 43! ces everyone!¡± The Assistant Director yelled. Do Wook handed the script to Gu Chul Min and went on to the set. Pop, a passing thought came into Do Wook¡¯s mind the same time the lights that were off switched on. ¡ª Chapter 77: Onslaught (2) Chapter 77: Onught (2) ¡°Wow! My breath stinks!¡± ¡°Please don¡¯te close, Hyung Seo!¡± On set at a studio in Gangnam. The KK members gathered to shoot the chickenmercial. It was the first official schedule the six of them had together in a long time. They nned on filming individual scenes first, then group scenes after. Ahn Hyung Seo, who had just finished his individual scene, was bickering with Suk Ji Hoon who was waiting for his turn. The members each had a different type of chicken they were filming with. Do Wook had fried chicken, Jung Yoon Ki had marinated chicken, Kim won had spicy chicken, Park Tae Hyung had soy sauce chicken, and Suk Ji Hoon had cheese garlic chicken. The chicken Ahn Hyung Seo was assigned was green onion chicken. ¡°I think I shouldn¡¯t have said I like green onion chicken.¡± ¡°Does¡­does it not taste good?¡± Park Tae Hyung asked quietly, concerned the people around them might hear. ¡°It tastes good. But my breath smells so much. Haaah¨D!¡± ¡°Bleurgh.¡± His breath was bad enough to make even kind Park Tae Hyung step back. ¡°Kim Won, we¡¯re starting your shoot!¡± When the staff called him, Kim Won, who had finished fixing his hair, overreacted as he stood up. ¡°Oh My God, what should I do?! I think it¡¯s going to be too spicy. I can¡¯t handle spicy food. Why!¡± Kim Won, who was not good with spicy food, was assigned the spicy chicken because of his image. On the entertainment show he went on a few times, he had a spirited image so the advertisers had determined that spicy chicken would fit his image well. ¡°Good luck.¡± Ahn Hyung Seo, who was handed a toothbrush and toothpaste from a coordinator, mumbled words of encouragement while he brushed his teeth. After finishing his shoot, Do Wook, who had received praise during his shoot that he was even good at eating, was sitting on the sofa waiting for the group shoot. Jung Yoon Ki, who wasst to go for the individual shoot, was also sitting on a sofa in the waiting room. ¡°¡­Yoon Ki, Jung Yoon Ki!¡± It was Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s turn to get the finishing touches on his hair, but he had earphones on and was focused so he didn''t hear the coordinator call him several times. Jung Yoon Ki only came back to reality and took the headphones out when the coordinator was right in front of his face and calling him. ¡°Ah, did you call me?¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t listen to music to the point that you can¡¯t hear people! You¡¯ll ruin your ears if you keep it up. Geez, get in the chair already. It¡¯s your turn.¡± The coordinator hurried Jung Yoon Ki up while nagging him. Jung Yoon Ki gathered his belongings and sat in front of the mirror. Do Wook watched Jung Yoon Ki and felt that it was a bit of a pity. Yesterday was Show Me the Honey¡¯s first broadcast. Because he had an assignment, Do Wook wasn¡¯t able to watch the broadcast together with the other KK members. Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s part in the broadcast was very short, less than one minute. The Show Me the Honey production team seemed to think of Jung Yoon Ki as someone who would hold the attention. Edited in a way that kept you guessing whether it¡¯d show rapper Jung Yoon Ki or not, the KK members were on the edge of their seats. Even Jung Yoon Ki didn¡¯t know how it would be edited. Eventually the judges shouted ¡®Get It!¡¯ telling Jung Yoon Ki to rap, and the second Jung Yoon Ki started to rap it cut to the next week¡¯s preview. ¡°That¡¯s evil editing!¡± Kim Won pulled his hair in anguish after watching the broadcast. ¡°That¡¯s not considered evil editing but¡­how can it end there?¡± Ahn Hyung Seo also shook his head. It was edited in a way that you couldn''t help but watch next week¡¯s episode. In the preview the judges were giving high praise as well as harsh criticism. There was no way to tell which evaluation was about Jung Yoon Ki. Of course, even though they already knew because they heard from Jung Yoon Ki that he got a good review, they were still curious. Anyways, it seemed like the Show Me the Honey production team had made the right decision. Inte sites were full of talk about Show Me the Honey. A heated debate ensued over Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s skills, arguing back and forth between how Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s rap would be a mess and how it¡¯d be good. There were lots of people who were cheering for him, reminiscing of his skills during Student Rapper, but there were also a lot of baseless usations saying what an idol group rapper who wascking in typical rap repertoire could do. These were usations that would disappear once they saw Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s rap skills in earnest starting next week anyways. However, Jung Yoon Ki, who had to hear these idle criticisms for a week, might feel wronged. Furthermore, characteristic of the hip hop genre, thements from hip hop fans also had a lot of high-level swear words. Still, what was giving Jung Yoon Ki a hard time wasn¡¯t the response ofizens who hadn¡¯t heard anything yet. It was the pressure that he had to beat the growingpetition every episode. Jung Yoon Ki colored his short hair with a disposable dye spray. The bright blond hair suited him very well. ¡°You must be tiredtely,¡± When Do Wook asked Jung Yoon Ki, Jung Yoon Kiughed as if saying that was silly. ¡°I think you¡¯re one to talk, man.¡± ¡°Me, well. I just have to act out well the script someone else writes. You have to write lyrics yourself.¡± At Do Wook¡¯s words, Jung Yoon Ki shook his head and said, ¡°The contestants¡¯ skills were on a different level than during Student Rapper.¡± Because of that, Jung Yoon Ki was motivated to do better. There was a significant amount of stress, but Jung Yoon Ki was also improving. ¡°Anyways, you¡¯re suited for acting.¡± ¡°Yes, well.¡± ¡°There¡¯s talk everywhere that you¡¯re good at acting.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Even the Show Me the Honey Directors somehow knew. Word spread everywhere among broadcast stations, especially the cable side.¡± Do Wook, who had been practically trapped on set, hadn¡¯t heard about that before. Anyways, it was a relief if positive rumors were spreading. ¡°Once both of our filming is over, we¡¯ll immediately go into album production. I¡¯m going to be worked to death, man.¡± Jung Yoon Ki groaned as he sat down and sprawled on the couch. Do Wook knew that despite what he said, Jung Yoon Ki would do well, so Do Wook didn¡¯t worry anymore about Jung Yoon Ki. When they first met, Jung Yoon Ki was honestly not someone who had this much willpower. However, it seemed position made the man. As KK gained poprity and his role increased, he felt a strong sense of responsibility as the leader. After Jung Yoon Ki also finished his shoot, the group shoot started. It was a shoot where everyone had to look with a surprised expression at the box that seemed normal, but which would go through CGter as if there was a lighting from the box. From Ahn Hyung Seo, who put his fist in front of his mouth in an exaggerated way, to Park Tae Hyung, who went from an awkward expression to a surprised expression after a lot of effort. Once they gathered and did a group shoot the different charms of the members appeared all at once. ¡°For thest part, we¡¯ll do a snapshot!¡± When the staff shouted, Ahn Hyung Seo asked excitedly, ¡°This picture, will it go on the chicken box?¡± This was the part that Ahn Hyung Seo was most excited about when the chicken ad came in. Now, if someone would order ¡®Fun Chicken¡¯ from anywhere in the nation, that box would have their faces on it. ¡°Ahaha, yes that¡¯s right!¡± At Ahn Hyung Seo¡¯s question, the person in charge of the ¡®Fun Chicken¡¯ ad replied. As he monitored today¡¯s filming set, the person in charge thought to himself that it was the right choice to pick KK as the ad model over other idols. The unit price was a little more expensive than other idols. It was currently a period when their value continued to grow, so one shoot for a 6-month modeling period cost them almost 100 million won* for modeling fee. On top of that, the contract included additional incentives based on operating profit. (TL Note: Around $77k.) Still, they got their money¡¯s worth. The members were all working hard for the ad. They also did the autographs and selfies that were requested of them for a fan event withoutint. Of course they were getting paid to do it so it was a given, but there were many people who put on airs that they were going the extra mile while doing the job they were supposed to do. The person in charge, who hoped their revenues would increase so they could contract KK again for more ads, looked at KK, who was getting their picture taken, in a satisfied way. *** Do Wook, who had returned after finishing the ad shoot, took time to soothe his body and soul, though only for half a day. That was also brief. Do Wook recalled the thought he had on the set of ¡®Get Ready 1999¡¯. The famous Chanson that was the staff¡¯s ringtone. When he heard the melody he automatically thought of France. Then he immediately thought of Frenchposers. ¡®Ah! Was thatposer French?!¡¯ That was the passing thought that crossed his mind. It was true that Anglo-Americanposers had the strongest influence in the pop music market. However, around this time, the sensational and sophisticated world of European music would create a new mainstream. Fall of this year had been its starting point. The influence also spread to the Korean music industry, and songs by Europeanposers would get used a lot in the Korean music industry, especially idol music which always looked for thetest thing. One idol group would receive a song from a European, specifically French,poser, which became very popr. ¡®Of course they¡¯re not able to release hit songs after that and get forgotten¡­That was the only song popr enough to stick around.¡¯ Do Wook sent a message to Album Production Team Leader Shim Joon. [Team Leader Shim, are you still at work?] It was currently 9 pm. HIT Entertainment¡¯s official work hours were from 10 am to 7 pm. However, due to the nature of the industry, it wasn¡¯t possible for management to follow normal work hours One or two hours of overtime was a given, and working on weekends was frequent depending on the team. At least when you were at Team Leader Shim¡¯s level, you could work flexible hours such asing in in the afternoon if you workedte the previous night. Even when he was working with Brave Only Child, Team Leader Shim was in the studio and discussing things with him until past midnight. Not long after sending the message, he received a call from Team Leader Shim Joon. ¡°Yes, Hello?¡± -I haven¡¯t left work yet, what¡¯s up? ¡°I had something to ask you. Are you busy?¡± -I¡¯m always busy. I have to pick at least some songs before you¡¯re done filming, so we can discuss it and put the tracks together. Team Leader Shim Joon¡¯s voice was full of fatigue. There wasn¡¯t anything he could do about being tired, but he was always full of passion so Do Wook considered it lucky that he got to work with Team Leader Shim Joon. ¡°Then were you by any chance working on the search for songs?¡± -Yes yes, I was. What did you want to ask me? Is it urgent? ¡°It¡¯s nothing big. Do you happen to have any European songs? If you don''t, I think it¡¯d be good to look into it through European sites or through your connections.¡± -Europe? Why Europe all of a sudden? ¡°I think that people have been saying their songs are goodtely.¡± He could hear the sound of Team Leader Shim Joon typing on the keyboard and clicking on the mouse. -Is that so? Is it because you¡¯re young? I can¡¯t keep up with a 20-year-old! Team Leader Shim Joon turned it around and praised Do Wook. Do wook smiled slightly. ¡°Especially France¡­¡± -Ah, there was a song that seemed novel among those I gathered to possibly be used; looks like it¡¯s from a Europeanposer. What is this name, it¡¯s French or German. ¡°There¡¯s a song?¡± -Yes. But I think it might be too novel. I was going to have to listen to itter since you''re busy, but do you want to listen to it now? ¡°Yes! Please send it to me. That song. And if you find any songs that you think are good from Europeanposers, please rmend them to me.¡± -Alright. You said it¡¯s good, so I¡¯ll look intoposers from there. ¡°Thank you, Team Leader. Also¡­¡± -Yes? ¡°Go home soon.¡± Do Wook said as he suddenly recalled his days as an agency employee. During that time Do wook also had long days and had no choice but to work overtime. Of course Team Leader Shim Joon¡¯s situation was different from Do Wook¡¯s. Team Leader Shim Joonughed happily. He has been working on albums with agency celebrities for many years, but Do Wook was one of the most genuinely caring celebrities even at a young age. He didn¡¯t call without notice, and he asked the other person¡¯s situation first through text. The majority of celebrities didn¡¯t keepmonsensical decorum. -Ok. I was going to get off work anyways. I¡¯ll send this file to you then take off.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± The notification on Do Wook¡¯s mail app went off immediately. It was an email from Team Leader Shim Joon. After downloading and listening to the file that was attached to the email, Do Wook¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®This song is¡­!¡¯ ¡ª Trantor''sment: Oh my gosh, is it the song he mentioned earlier by that one hit wonder idol group? Is he going to steal their song? Chapter 78: Onslaught (3) Chapter 78: Onught (3) The song had the exact vibe Do Wook was thinking of. ¡°Could it be¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Do Wook couldn¡¯t hold back his excitement and checked theposer¡¯s name. Yarol. Do Wook searched in his memories. He wasn¡¯t sure, but theposer for the song by the idol group that would be a hit in Korea had a simr name. At the time, after making a hit, theposer was even interviewed by a music specialty magazine. ¡®After befriending a Korean person who hade to study abroad in France, he became very interested in Korean culture. Korean people, Korean food; he was enthusiastic and full of curiosity about everything. Since he is aposer he naturally became interested in K-POP music, and he wanted to work on a project with Korean singers.¡¯ Even originally, Yarol was based in France andposed and wrote lyrics as a new artist in the UK. ¡®He sent songs to famous Korean agencies as much as possible.¡¯ Do Wook remembered the general content of the interview from back then. It was possible that Yarol had sent a song to HIT Entertainment originally too and they didn¡¯t pick it at that time. Or there was also a chance that Yarol hadn¡¯t sent it to HIT Entertainment since KK wasn¡¯t as popr as they were now. Either way, what was important was that Yarol sent a song to HIT Entertainment this time and Team leader Shim Joon, as well as Do Wook, didn¡¯t miss out on listening to his song. The song, which he had put on rey, was so exciting that it automatically made you want to bob your head. The rhythm was light yet the base was heavy, bncing it out. The melody line had significant weight too. Do Wook immediately messaged Team Leader Shim Joon. [Team Leader, it¡¯s the song I¡¯ve been looking for. I absolutely want to make an album with this song.] Do Wook was in high spirits, excited about the next album. The next album was a full-length album with lots of non-title songs. They¡¯d also coborate with theposers Team Leader Shim Joon found, but in general they nned on putting songs Do Wook hadposed himself for the non-title songs. If it were Do Wook¡¯s song and Yarol¡¯s song, they went well together so they should be able to make a good album. *** While Team Leader Shim Joon started discussions with Yarol and was negotiating schedules and other conditions, Do Wook was on the set of ¡®Get Ready 1999¡¯ most of the time. KNUA sses had also started, so Do Wook was pretty much fully living the life of an actor. Of course, when he had free time here and there he was also working on songs without fail. Today Do Wook was filming the scene where he runs after the angry female lead Han Yeon Joo, turns her around, and tries to kiss her. Han Yeon Joo backs away so he fails in trying to kiss her, but the focus was that their lips almost touch. Kim Min Ki¡¯s sorrow from his unrequited love towards Han Yeon Joo and Han Yeon Joo being taken aback from his actions because she only thought of him as a friend were the central scene of today¡¯s shoot. While shooting, Do Wook tried to channel Kim Min Ki¡¯s feelings as best he could. Truthfully, when he was Bo Myung he had never properly dated. He had never liked the opposite sex like Kim Min Ki does either. He was trapped in his own negative world. However, awkwardly liking someone and trying to get close to them was a feeling Do Wook couldpletely empathize with. Thanks to that, Kim Min Ki¡¯s, or Do Wook¡¯s, gaze as he looked at Han Yeon Joo was more sorrowful than anyone else. PD Shin Yoon Ho, who had yelled ¡°cut¡±, had a bright expression. After finishing one scene, Do Wook was at one side of the set waiting to film the next scene. It seemed like he¡¯d have to wait a long time, so Do Wook gathered his ss assignment. ¡°Do Wook ¨C What are you looking at with such focus?¡± Park Dong Hui, who was also waiting, started a conversation with Do Wook. He had been waiting longer than Do Wook so he had a very bored expression. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤I have an assignment.¡± ¡°Assignment? Ah. Let me take a look, what assignment?¡± Do Wook handed the content of the assignment he had put together on hisptop to Park Dong Hui. ¡°Acting out an animal? Is this by any chance for Professor Lee Chul¡¯s ss?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Professor Lee is very strict. Whew, have you picked an animal?¡± Park Dong Hui knew what it was and shook his head. When Do Wook said he hadn¡¯t picked an animal yet, he rmended thinking towards insects since lions, tigers, and dogs were toomon. ¡°What did you do?¡± ¡°Me? What was mine..I think it was a spider.¡± ¡°S¡­spider.¡± It was hard to understand how he acted out a spider, but Do Wook also felt that Park Dong Hui was amazing for doing that. Anyways, Do Wook was often able to get help like this because he had sunbaes on set who already graduated from KNUA with good grades. Because they worked together and spent a lot of time together as they filmed, they naturally went beyond fellow actors and started to feel like close neighborhood friends. Everyone interacted positively with Do Wook because of his straightforward personality and eptance of all people. That allowed them to be closer automatically. ¡°Also, about that earlier scene.¡± ¡°Yes. Did you see it?¡± ¡°Yes. I saw it as I was passing by, but when you grab the female lead, rather than grabbing the shoulder like this, I think it¡¯d look better to grab it on this side like this.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Park Dong Hui demonstrated by grabbing Do Wook¡¯s shoulder. Do Wook immediately understood what Park Dong Hui was saying. Angle-wise, the way Park Dong Hui grabbed him looked much better. When Do Wook was thinking that it was a pity the scene was already done with, Park Dong Huiughed and said. ¡°You learn as you go. Do it like that next time.¡± ¡°Yes. Thank you for letting me know.¡± ¡°Yes yes, be thankful. Anyways, what¡¯s your next project going to be? Have you decided on anything?¡± Park Dong Hui asked about Do Wook¡¯s next project. ¡°Not yet¡­I don¡¯t have anything in mind.¡± After this project ended, Do Wook¡¯s only thought would be on the next album. He would probably get lots of offers once ¡°Get Ready 1999¡¯ was over, but Do Wook nned on waiting. He was able to do the current Kim Min Ki role without a problem because it fit very well with his image. However, the more he acted, the more he felt his own shorings. He thought it¡¯d be good to study a little more and properly start another project next year. ¡°It¡¯d be nice if we could work on the next project together too.¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯d like it too if we were working together.¡± ¡°You mean it, right?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± At that moment, Gu Chul Min appeared, both hands full of bags of ice cream. He started distributing the ice cream, starting with the directors. ¡°Are you treating us, Do Wook?¡± ¡°Yes! He is.¡± Gu Chul Min replied when the staff asked. ¡°Lead actor! Thank you for the food!¡± ¡°Thank you for the food!¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Do Wook was showered with expressions of gratitude all around him. Park Dong Hui also opened the ice cream packaging and winked at Do Wook as he took a bite. The weather was starting to get hot. The shoot was alsoing to an end. *** Do Wook had had several discussions with Team Leader Shim Joon to start the album preparations in earnest. The album production team built concrete album concept and activity strategies with the concept that Do Wook presented as the focus. The Fan Marketing Team also actively helped establish activity strategies. The overall concept was KK wearing a school uniform, but with the hard-bodied figure of a young man. It was ¡®Muscr men in school uniform¡¯ so to speak. When they heard from Manager Oh Baek Ho that they¡¯d have to build up their bodies a little, the members cried. It was because they got a sad feeling that they¡¯d have to eat chicken breast and protein shakes every day for about a month before theireback. After the concept was decided on, Do Wook had a new suggestion for Team Leaders Shim Joon and Jo Anna. Upon hearing Do Wook¡¯s suggestion, Team Leader Shim and Team Leader Jo couldn¡¯t help but briefly look at him dumbfounded. Especially Team Leader Jo Anna, who wasn¡¯t simply the Fan Marketing Team Leader but would soon be the nning Director, was more surprised. Do Wook had suggested one of the ideas she and Production Director Kwon Heung Jo had often considered for the future of HIT Entertainment. Do Wook had a private dinner meeting with Production Director Kwon Heung Jo to discuss the uing album production. Team Leader Shim Joon was there too. ¡°Do Wook, is filming going well?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s almost done.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be broadcast soon, huh?¡± Do Wook nodded in response. Director Kwon Heung Jo smiled happily. ¡°Honestly you¡¯re busier than I am, Do Wook¡­so I wanted to talk business after you¡¯re done filming.¡± ¡°It might have been toote if we waited until then.¡± Every time he saw Do Wook¡¯s eyes, Director Kwon thought that he could see a fire burning inside them. It wasn¡¯t just youthful passion. If it were, it would go away after a certain amount of sess or it could cause problems to those around him. However Do Wook¡¯s fire was always burning inside, and when brought to the surface it was always serious and cautious. The steaks they ordered were ced in front of the three of them. ¡°So how did you say the album preparations are going?¡± Director Kwon asked after eating a few bites of the steak. Team Leader Shim Joon drank a sip of water and reported the status of the album production for which a written report had not beenpleted yet. What Director Kwon was curious about was probably the title song, so he continued with an exnation about the title song. Once the rough concept was exined to him, Director Kwon nodded his head. It meant that he liked it. Team Leader Shim Joon was inwardly happy that it looked like he didn¡¯t have to worry about theeback. ¡°But Do Wook suggested making two different versions of the album.¡± ¡°Two different versions?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Do Wook replied to Director Kwon¡¯s question. It was something he had been thinking about ever since they officially released an album in Japan. Currently most singers¡¯ goal was expanding into Japan. First of all, the Japanese music industry market was bigger than Korea¡¯s. Furthermore, Japanese fans¡¯ consumption pattern brought in a lot of money from the singers¡¯ perspective. However, the fact that the Japanese music market was big meant that Japanese singers¡¯ position was just as solid. Korean singers could achieve a certain amount of sess, but that pie was limited. Do Wook thought it was now time to aim for China. ¡®Hanryu¡¯* had already started in China too. However, perhaps because of the belief that Chinese fans would like and look for Korean singers even if they didn¡¯t do anything, there weren¡¯t many singers trying to officially expand into China unlike Japan. (TL Note: Hallyu/Hanryu is the ¡°Korea Wave¡±, the increase in interest in Korean culture/K-POP, kdrama, etc.) China was arge region. On top of that, China would soon grow economically big enough to go toe to toe with America. It was already showing incredible growth. They couldn¡¯t miss out on such a market. Rather, Do Wook firmly believed they should stay one step ahead and aggressively expand. ¡°I¡¯d like to make a Chinese version.¡± Coincidentally, HIT Entertainment had secured an investment from Tae Hwa Group, a Chinesepany. When Do Wook had heard the news, he thought that maybe Production Director Kwon Heung Jo was thinking beyond simple investment and into activities in China. At Do Wook¡¯s words, Director Kwon had the same slightly surprised expression that Team Leader Jo Anna had had. ¡°Team Leader Jo mentioned that you¡¯re no ordinary guy, but you¡¯re really surprising, Do Wook.¡± Director Kwon put down the knife and fork he had been holding. ¡°We were thinking about expanding into China too, but¡­¡± ¡ª Chapter 79: (Coming 11/30) Chapter 79: (Coming 11/30) Superstar will be taking a break this week in observance of Thanksgiving in America. Chapter 79 will be posted next Thursday 11/30. See you all next week! Thank you for your continued support of When I opened my eyes I was a superstar! ¡ª Chapter 80: Run towards the future (1) Chapter 80: Run towards the future (1) The day of KK¡¯s 2nd full album and sound file ¡®Howl¡¯ release. The music video was pre-released first at midnight. There were two versions of the music video: a Korean version and a Chinese version. The release of the Chinese version was also a deration that they were going to attack the Chinese market. When the music video was announced, the articles started being posted at lightning speed. The fans couldn¡¯t contain their admiration over the announced music video. The concept for this album had a clear difference from the concept of thest album ¡®LAST DANCE¡¯. Unlike ¡®LAST DANCE¡¯, which expressed freedom, they all wore matching school uniform cardigans with gray T-shirts, emphasizing unity. Concept-wise it was closer to ¡®Very Sorry¡¯, but emphasized masculinity much more than that time. The members all put in frantic effort to build their bodies, and they shined in the music video that had little editing. Furthermore, in the music video that was produced in one take with no cuts, KK demonstrated a vivid performance as if they were having fun with the rhythm. A rhythm that made you subconsciously shake your shoulders and an addictive sound. The sound file that was released the next day effortlessly imed first ce, showing off KK¡¯s power. Thanks to the capital they got from Tae Hwa Group¡¯s investment, they boasted a fuller sound than ever before. It was evident that they paid close attention to every little bit of the album. Experts were surprised by KK¡¯s musical growth. There was also a series of articles published about producer Do Wook¡¯s skills, saying he was an idol and artist that they were looking forward to seeing even greater things from in the future. -Kang Do Wook is too good to be true¡­shudder -I thought he was a new actor because he was good at acting. I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s an idol group member¡­ -Who is that showing their abs at 2m 18s. I¡¯m about to start liking KK -It¡¯s Kim Won!!! Hehehe Please continue to give KK lots of love~! -Fighting, Min Ki¡¯s group!!! -Listening to the Chinese version gives it a whole new feel~! -Are they not gonna go to the army*? (TL Note: Males in South Korea have to go to mandatory army service.) -They all probably worked very hard to build their bodies, I want to washundry on their abs! -Is Ahn Hyung Seo the type where he can¡¯t build muscle easily? Hahaha -They¡¯re much younger than me but make my heart flutter¡î -They¡¯re real men~ While current idols emphasized their youth during activities, KK¡¯s strategy to go with a tough guy image was enough to capture the public¡¯s interest. As they had already differentiated themselves from other groups, KK started to get a style that was unique to just them. ¡°Huff¡­huff, hyung, can I have some water please?¡± ¡°Yeah, here!¡± When Ahn Hyung Seo asked for water while panting, Gu Chul Min quickly handed him water. The KK members, who had just finished a performance on ¡®Life Song¡¯, werepletely drained. The choreography for ¡®Howl¡¯ was a fierce, continuous choreography without a second to rest. ¡°How does it get harder each time?¡± Ahn Hyung Seo grumbled amiably. ¡°I know¡­¡± Even Park Tae Hyung, who didn¡¯t find most dancing difficult, felt his staminacking while doing this choreography. They had a very hectic schedule since theireback, including music broadcasts, fan signing, radio appearances, and even a idol-specialized cable tv variety show, so their physical fatigue was severe. As KK¡¯s poprity increased, there were more ces looking for KK, and unlike the previous activities that focused on music broadcasts, thepany¡¯s strategy for activities this time and onwards was to do a lot of TV exposure in earnest. ¡°Take good care of your bodies. You can¡¯t get sick.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not something we can control.¡± Jung Yoon Ki replied curtly to what Manager Oh Baek Ho said. He spoke like that because the physical exhaustion was significant, but the members were all thankful for the situation. As they went on music broadcasts, they saw many groups who debuted the same year as them but still hadn¡¯t made a name for themselves. The members tried not to forget that they were able to gain their poprity because they were lucky. ¡°Quickly wipe off your sweat and get up. They¡¯ll announce first ce soon.¡± Do Wook, who was sitting in the waiting room chair and catching his breath, also got up at Manager Oh Baek Ho¡¯s words. KK had already gotten first ce the week of theireback. If they get first ce today too, it¡¯d be two consecutive weeks of first ce. Since there were no big singers making aeback for the time being, fans were getting hyped up over how many consecutive weeks they could get first ce. *** ¡°I heard you got first ce again yesterday? Congrattions!¡± The Fan Marketing Team Conference Room. When Do Ra Hee congratted them, the members thanked her with a triumphant expression on their face. The number of KK first ce trophies on thepany trophy disy was already getting so big that it was difficult to count how many there were. ¡°I heard you became assistant manager. Congrattions on your promotion.¡± At Do Wook¡¯s words, Do Ra Heeughed awkwardly. ¡°Oh ho, Assistant Manager Do!¡± ¡°Assistant Manager Do!¡± When Ahn Hyung Seo started to p, the other members went even more overboard and pped. It was true that when they said ¡®Assistant Manager Do¡¯, it sounded like they were saying ¡®flounder¡¯*. That was a very small part of the reason the members wereughing. (Trantor note: They¡¯re saying do dae ri, a flounder is do da ri.) ¡°Whooooo¨D!¡± Kim Won whistled and made a big fuss. Do Ra Hee, who was initially embarrassed, put on a serious face and settled everyone down when the apuse went on for too long. ¡°Then, shall we discuss business now?¡± ¡°Ah¡­yes¡­¡± When Ahn Hyung Seo replied, a little embarrassed and expression hardened, Jung Yoon Ki, who was next to him, looked at him and quietly giggled. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about the album first~!¡± Do Ra Hee said brightly, almost as if she had never put on a serious face. ¡°Hahaha,¡± the members answered,ughing for no particr reason. ¡°The current album had 110,000 initial sales.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± ¡°Unbelievable!¡± The members, who had been too busy with their hectic schedule to check the album sales, were surprised and couldn¡¯t help but drop their jaws. Do Wook already knew because he had already checked it, but it still felt good to hear it again from someone else. Do Ra Hee had a proud smile on her face. ¡°This is something really remarkable. Since the music market started, really only Sa Bang Shin Hwa was able to get over 100,000 in initial sales.¡± M2M, who was called the powerhouse of Ara Entertainment, had sess with theirst album, but the initial sales were 90,000, and 140,000 in total sales. If the pattern kept up, KK¡¯s ¡®Howl¡¯ album would definitely hit a higher number of sales than that. ¡®The gap is definitely getting wider,¡¯ Do Wook thought. He nned to diligently continue getting ahead of Seo Kang Jun. Of course SBSH and, eventually, Ara Entertainment Director Seo Joong Won were included in that. ¡°The results from releasing a Chinese album are good! They said there were over 10,000 sales from China.¡± ¡°That¡¯s overseas for you!¡± Ahn Hyung Seo yelled, excited. ¡°It¡¯s a relief that the effort you put into learning the Chinese lyrics paid off, huh?¡± ¡°Haha, I guess so.¡± Jung Yoon Ki agreed the most because he was the one who worked the hardest whenever they recorded an album in a foreignnguage. It was also the case when they recorded the Japanese album. ¡°We reported it to Tae Hwa group and they connected us to a Chinese variety show, so it looks like we¡¯ll be able to perform there¡­¡± ¡°Is that true?¡± Manager Oh Baek Ho, who had been silently listening, asked. It was because he thought it was an incredibly good opportunity. "Yes, it''s a song in their ownnguage, it¡¯s definitely possible to appear on TV. Response to KK these days are good too." ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± ¡°The problem is that it takes a while to prepare for traveling to and from China, so we¡¯ll have to pick from one of the Korean variety shows that we got offers from. However, they¡¯re all good programs, so¡­.¡± In other words, it was a happy dilemma. ¡°For now, the Fan Marketing Team had an internal meeting and narrowed it down to a few. The first candidate is Life Together, a talk show.¡± ¡°Life Together, I really like that show!¡± Suk Ji Hoon, who was the youngest, must genuinely like the show because he became really excited, unlike his usual self. ¡°The second one is Run Man.¡± The program Do Ra Hee mentioned was a famous satellite variety show. Jung Yoon Ki said, ¡°It really feels like we¡¯re superstars. Life Together and even Run Man¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean? We were even on Yuhan Challenge.¡± ¡°That was just a brief interview.¡± ¡°True. It¡¯s really awesome.¡± Ahn Hyung Seo gave a couple of short ps. Assistant Manager Do Ra Hee continued to talk, ¡°You probably know, but with something like Life Together, it¡¯s a talk show so it¡¯s a program that focuses on their guests. They could talk about the members, or exin their characteristics. However, if there¡¯s no fun episodes¡­¡± ¡°it¡¯s nojem*¡­¡± (TL note: nojem is a ng for something that¡¯s not fun or interesting.) Kim Won, who learned a new word somewhere, muttered. ¡°That¡¯s right. It can be ¡®nojem¡¯. Run Man is something you do with your body so a certain level of fun is guaranteed, but it¡¯s not a guest-centered program so the spotlight may not be on the KK members. Although, that¡¯d depend on how you do.¡± Do Ra Hee finished exining and asked for Manager Oh Baek Ho¡¯s opinion. After thinking about it for a bit, Manager Oh Baek Ho replied, ¡°This is the first official variety show so I think Run Man would be good. The risk is low too.¡± Manager Oh Baek Ho was thinking that if they went on a talk show, it¡¯d be easy to say something wrong and get caught up in rumors. Furthermore, these days there were a lot of people whopared Do Wook and Seo Jun. There was bound to be a question regarding that. ¡®A littleter, Run Man officially airs in China and gains a lot of poprity. If we go on Run Man it will definitely help.¡¯ As he thought it over, Do Wook agreed with Manager Oh Baek Ho¡¯s opinion. ¡°I also think that Run Man would be good.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Both programs were popr problems. The members, who hadn¡¯t been in favor of one or the other, said there was nothing more to discuss if both Manager Oh Baek Ho and Do Wook were for Run Man. ¡°Run Man! Run Man!¡± ¡°Can I take my clothes off and run around? I worked so hard to get this six pack so I want to show it off more¡­¡± ¡°I think Won has gone crazy after eating only chicken breast!¡± Ahn Hyung Seoughed like crazy at what Kim Won said. Anyways, KK decided to appear on ¡®Run Man¡¯ in unanimous agreement. *** The day of the SVS ¡®Run Man¡¯ shoot. Today¡¯s Run Man was done on a campus as a special. At the Hyun Sae College campus, they had an opening speech weing the very popr singing group, then introduced KK to the stage. Once the KK members came out, there was a flood of apuse weing them. Wearing the Run Man uniform, the members shyly walked to the center. Everyone looked excited even though they were nervous. The filming had just started, but the Hyun Sae College students who saw the equipment and heard that Run Man was filming there gathered and were spectating the shoot. Furthermore, after hearing that KK was the guest, KK fans were flocking to the Hyun Sae College campus too. Because of that, the staff had to work very hard to keep the crowd under control. The filming had just started after getting the crowd under control to a certain degree. Today''s Run Man was a campus special. On the campus of Hyun Sae University, an announcement was made saying that the school had invited KK, a popr band, and introduced KK. ¡°¡­then, since member introductions are over, today¡¯s mission will be introduced! The real mission will be revealedter, please tell us the pre-mission first.¡± At the MC¡¯s words, the PD revealed the mission through the loudspeaker. ¡°This is today¡¯s pre-mission. Find a Hyung Sae College physics student, spin in a circle 10 times, and p your hands five times in a row.¡± The Run Man members were buzzing once the mission was revealed. The KK members were fired up even though it was just a pre-mission. ¡°Ready, set, go!¡± Without long winded instructions, the mission started immediately. At the signal to go, everyone quickly started to run off. The cameras followed each cast member individually. Do Wook first started running towards where the school directory was to find the building where a physics student might be. Do Wook looked at the directory and was busily looking for the physics department. A few of the female students, who hadn¡¯t been able to approach him because the cameras were around, gathered up a lot of courage to start a conversation with Do Wook. ¡°Excuse me¡­are you looking for the physics department?¡± ¡°Yes! Are you a physics student by any chance?¡± Delighted, Do Wook asked as he turned around. And when Do Wook saw one of the female students among the group of students, he couldn''t take his eyes off her for a moment. ¡ª Chapter 81: Run towards the future (2) Chapter 81: Run towards the future (2) He felt like he had seen this female student before somewhere. ¡®Who is this? Where have I seen her¡­¡¯ After searching his memories, Do Wook remembered that he had seen her in a picture that Kang Seo Hyun had sent him in the past. ¡°No way!¡± While Do Wook had briefly stopped in surprise, the girl who had started the conversation replied. ¡°No. I¡¯m not a physics student. But I am friends with a physics student.¡± When the long-haired female student said that, the camera started to film Do Wook and the female student together. Do Wook was incredibly bothered by the short-haired student standing next to her, whose name was most likely ¡®Kim Bo Myung¡¯, but they were in the middle of a shoot right now. ¡°Ah! Is that so? Then please contact her for me!¡± ¡°Yes yes! One moment please!¡± The long-haired female student bashfully called her friend on her cell phone. After the call connected, the female student pestered the physics student to quicklye to the front of the library. She urged her without exining the situation properly, saying that it was something important, and that if she came it¡¯d be to her benefit too. Ha Myung Hoon, one of the ¡®Run Man¡¯ main members, passed by. Ha Myung Hoon had interacted with Do Wook over the denim jacket issue during the Limitless Challengest time. ¡°What¡¯s this, what¡¯s this? Could it be that the students are helping you?¡± ¡°Ahhh.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not fair!!!¡± When Do Wookughed, Ha Myung Hoon yelled and quickly went past Do Wook. While that was happening, the long haired girl, who had finished her phone call, initiated a conversation with Do Wook again. ¡°My friend is on their way but¡­before theye, could I have an autograph¡­¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll do it!¡± ¡±Kyaaa¨D Can you please give it to us too?¡± The other students who were next to the long haired female student asked. Do Wook happily nodded his head. ¡°Of course I¡¯ll do it for all of you. I¡¯ll give it to everyone.¡± ¡°Thank you! Thank you!¡± The female students continuously thanked him as they each took out a notepad from their backpacks one by one. Other students, who started to crowd around them, became raucous out of jealousy. ¡°What major are you guys?¡± ¡°English Literature!¡± ¡°Ah. Are you all the same major?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Do Wook casually asked the students about themselves. The long haired student and her friend took turns answering. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Lee Yoo Ri.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Seul Soo Jung!¡± Scribble scribble, Do Wook nodded his head while writing their names and the signature he could now sign with his eyes closed. Now there was only the short-haired student left. Do Wook asked, feeling slightly anxious. ¡°¡­What about you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Kim¡­Bo Myung.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Scribble, scribble, As he wrote the name and signed the notepad like he did for the rest of them, Do Wook looked at Bo Myung¡¯s face again closely. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was because of what he was thinking or if it was just his imagination, but he thought the face somewhat looked simr to his past self. Even the quiet, not being able to say a single word properly personality was the same. Do Wook silently looked at Bo Myung. ¡°Hey Yoo Ri!¡± A female student wearing horn-rimmed sses and a checkered shirt called out to the student who had introduced herself as Yoo Ri. It was the female physics student that Lee Yoo Ri had called. ¡°Oh, heye here quick!¡± ¡°Gasp. Kang Do Wook.¡± The female physics student started to say Do Wooks name including hisst name without even thinking, then covered her mouth. ¡°I told you it¡¯d be something good for you.¡± ¡°Gasp, oh man! I¡¯m a fan!¡± The pre-mission was to spin in a circle 10 times and p your hands five times in a row with a physics student. It was a mission with a time limit, so the earlier they started the better. ¡°Are you a physics student?¡± ¡°Yes, I am!¡± To verify, the Run Man staff checked the student¡¯s student ID. She was a physics student. As soon as the verification was done, Do Wook asked, ¡°Ok, thank you. By any chance¡­would you be able to y a game with me?¡± ¡°A game? Yes, yes. I¡¯ll do it!¡± The physics student answered excitedly and energetically said she¡¯d participate. ¡°Then first, let''s go to the small gymnasium over there!¡± ¡°Ok!¡± It was a strange coincidence, as if it was fate. Do Wook looked at the short-haired Kim Bo Myung onest time then started walking away, disappointed. *** Those who sessfullypleted the pre-mission besides Do Wook were Ahn Hyung Seo, Kim Won, and ¡®Run Man¡¯ member Kim Dong Gook. They were given a chance to yell ¡®5 second timeout¡¯. ¡®Run Man¡¯ was a game where people usually got others out by taking off a name tag on their back, and the person who was able to guard their name tag until the end would win. The ¡®5 second pause¡¯ chance could be used to buy yourself time to run away when someone was about to take your name tag or to try to persuade them. It wasn¡¯t an incredibly useful thing, but if utilized well it could be useful. The darkened campus. Once things calmed down and a lot of the students had gone home, the filming progressed in earnest. ¡°Today¡¯s main mission is ¡®find the spy¡¯. Among the KK and Run Man members, just one person has received the role of spy today.¡± The members became riled up at the word spy. ¡°The person assigned as the spy was notified by the production team in advance. The rest of you have to find out who that spy is.¡± ¡°How do we find them?!¡± Na Jae Suk asked. ¡°Every 30 minutes we¡¯ll make an announcement. Who was eliminated and whether they were the spy or not. The spy will secretly shoot your name tags with a water gun and get it wet. You won¡¯t know you¡¯re eliminated until you hear the announcement.¡± Meaning they couldn¡¯t thoughtlessly take off the opponent¡¯s name tag like before. Thest person standing might be the spy. As many non-spies as possible had to survive. Everyone quickly started to rack their brains. Do Wook also nodded his head once he understood the mission. He thought that he would need to try it first then judge on his instincts. It wouldn¡¯t have been odd if someone among them were the spy. It could be that the production team chose someone who seemed like they¡¯d be good at espionage as the spy, like Nae Jae Suk or Kim Dong Gook, or they could have chosen a KK member that people wouldn¡¯t expect. The KK members looked at each other. Jung Yoon Ki frowned at Ahn Hyung Seo as he raised his hands as if saying it wasn¡¯t him. ¡°Don¡¯t start suspecting each other just yet! I heard KK¡¯s teamwork is good, what is this?!¡± Bae Kwang Sooughed as he teased for no reason. ¡°What do you mean, we have a good rtionship.¡± Jung Yoon Ki replied using an awkward Seoul ent. ¡°Then, we¡¯ll start the mission!¡± At the production team¡¯s signal, the main mission started. The first 5 minutes were used for each of them to hide or get far away. The game started in full swing after 5 minutes. Do Wook somehow ended up going the same direction as Suk Ji Hoon, the youngest, and Nae Jae Suk. ¡°You two couldn¡¯t be¡­right?!¡± Na Jae Suk asked even though he was running with them. ¡°No, we¡¯re not!¡± Suk Ji Hoon replied that it wasn¡¯t him, flustered. He was so flustered that one couldn¡¯t help but get more suspicious, but Na Jae Sukughed. ¡°Mr. Youngest is super nervous.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it either!¡± Because all Suk Ji Hoon could say was ¡°no¡±, even Do Wook started to get a little suspicious. However, they were soon able to figure out that he was just very nervous and wasn¡¯t the spy. That was because the person eliminated in the first announcement 30 minutester was none other than Suk Ji Hoon. ¡°Suk Ji Hoon, out! Suk Ji Hoon was not the spy.¡± It hadn¡¯t been long since he went a different way than Do Wook. He probably got eliminated during that time. Do Wook opened the door of an empty lecture hall to hide. The muscr Kim Dong Gook approached him and reached out his hand to take off Do Wook¡¯s name tag. ¡°5 second chance!¡± Do Wook was faster to yell for the chance. Do Wook yelled as he ran away as far as possible. ¡°Sunbae, it¡¯s really not me! Unless you¡¯re a spy, you shouldn''t take my name tag off!¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re trending the mosttely, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯m certain the production staff picked you as the spy!¡± ¡°What?¡± It meant that it was purely a gut feeling. The 5 second chance ended, but persuasion was impossible from the start. Do Wook started to run away since he was able to put a distance between them. Kim Dong Gook frantically chased after Do Wook, who was quickly going down the stairs. He felt like a fowl being chased by a savage beast. However, from an outside perspective, it looked like a match between two savage beasts. They were so quick and nimble that the cameramen were out of breath. Do Wook ran around the campus, one step faster than Run Man member Kim Dong Gook. In the end, Kim Dong Gook got exhausted first and gave up on Do Wook. Do Wook made an alliance with Kim Dong Gook and formed a n to find the spy by taking other people¡¯s name tags off first. At that time the second elimination announcement was made. This time it was three people, Ahn Hyung Seo and Jung Yoon Ki, and even Bae Kwang Soo. It seemed that the three of them were suspicious of each other and took off the other¡¯s name tag. Of course all three of them were not the spy. There weren¡¯t many people left now. Wondering who among the people left was the spy, Do Wook was wandering here and there, sweating. Do Wook running around campus dripping in sweat was a nicer picture than they imagined. The cameraman in charge of Do Wook was working harder than ever before trying to film Do Wook, but he was sure that they would make the best shots. And as time passed, it was down to three people. Do Wook and Kim Dong Gook, and Park Tae Hyung who was able to survive by staying quiet and out of sight. Do Wook and Kim Dong Gook met again in front of the central library. This time, the two of them were certain that one of them was the spy. The two of them didn¡¯t back down and tried to take off each other¡¯s name tag. The final announcement was made. ¡°We¡¯ll announce who was eliminated. Kang Do Wook, Kim Dong Gook, out. The survivor, Park Tae Hyung. Victory goes to the spy.¡± Those who were waiting after getting eliminated, and Do Wook and Kim Dong Gook who were tightly gripping each other¡¯s name tags, couldn¡¯t help but be speechless. At that moment, Park Tae Hyung, who had hidden the fluorescent water gun on his chest, walked out from behind Do Wook and Kim Dong Gook with a calm expression. Because Park Tae Hyung just ran away without really trying to attack anyone, everyone had stopped being suspicious of him a long time ago. ¡°Tae¡­Tae Hyung, you?¡± ¡°Hurr.¡± ¡°Park Tae Hyung, man.¡± The KK members were as shocked, if not more, as the Run Man members. Jung Yoon Ki even suspected Ahn Hyung Seo and asked Park Tae Hyung to take off Ahn Hyung Seo''s name tag. So while Jung Yoon Ki was holding on to Ahn Hyung Seo, Park Tae Hyung took off Ahn Hyung Seo''s name tag. For the rest of the people¡¯s name tags, Park Tae Hyung eliminated them by secretly approaching them and shooting them with the water gun. ¡°You showed a truly surprising performance today.¡± The production staff said and apuded Park Tae Hyung. The Run Man members, including Nae Jae Suk, said their closing remarks, impressed. They seriously hadn¡¯t guessed it in their wildest dreams. Everyone was making a fuss that they hadn¡¯t seen the water gun until now. ¡®I knew that Tae Hyung was good at moving his body but¡­The finished product is going to be amazing.'' Do Wook thought as he pped for Park Tae Hyung, who was receiving a gift certificate as a prize. The filming wrapped up with the cast pping. Do Wook felt that as long as at least one member left an impression, it was absolutely worth all the sweat they shed. Furthermore, for Do Wook it had another meaning apart from the broadcast. *** Even after they finished filming and had returned to the dormitory, the members were constantly asking Park Tae Hyung how he couldpletely trick them like that. Suk Ji Hoon, who was the first to get eliminated and had to wait in the elimination area the whole time, protested to Park Tae Hyung that he was too cruel. Suk Ji Hoon didn¡¯t get his name tag taken off. He didn¡¯t know that he was hit by the water gun and was running away without realizing he died. He didn¡¯t figure out he was eliminated until he heard the announcement. ¡°You were too open¡­¡± Suk Ji Hoon seemed to have run away the best he could, but from Park Tae Hyung¡¯s perspective he was too open. The other membersughed at what Park Tae Hyung said. Do Wook, who had finished showering as he heard the membersughing, went to his room. He then went on the inte to the Hyun Sae College English Literature Facenote page. ¡ª Trantor''sment: As a reminder, Kang Seo Hyun is Do Wook''s cousin who found information on this world''s Bo Myung for him. Chapter 82: Run towards the future (3) Chapter 82: Run towards the future (3) Once it was revealed that Park Tae Hyung was the spy, the cast was shocked. An edited video with Park Tae Hyung¡¯s entire active performance was released, including how he was able to secretly shoot the other cast with the water gun, moving quietly while pretending not to know, etc. Once it was broadcasted, it was a hot topic among ¡®Run Man¡¯ viewers. ¡®Run Man¡¯ was a program that had as strong of a fanbase as ¡®Limitless Challenge¡¯. Furthermore, since the Run Man members had a lot of determination to win, the die-hard fans showed just as much animosity towards the guests invited for different special features. Due to the nature of the missions given on Run man, the fun was definitely halved if that day¡¯s guest either didn¡¯t fully understand the game or wasn¡¯t able to adapt to it. Before this episode¡¯s campus special featuring KK was even broadcasted, the reaction of die-hard fans were all negative. Those who were looking forward to the episode were only KK fans. Even among KK fans, ¡®Run Man¡¯ wasn¡¯t apletely weed program. Of course, appearing on an entertainment show on public tv meant KK¡¯s poprity had increased so most fans were excited about it, but there were even more people who had wished for a different program if they were going to go on a public tv entertainment show anyways. In the case of Run Man, it was hard to appeal to individual members¡¯ charm, and if they ended up not doing well on the games they¡¯d get a lot of criticism when it wasn¡¯t a particrly helpful program to idols. However, the situation changed once the broadcast aired. -Invite KK again lolol -Where are the people who said, ¡°Not idols again¡± and were opposed to it? lol -It was an episode truly fitting of Run Man. They were running around everywhere lolol -I think they need to get some herbal medicine for the cameramen, looks shaky¡­they had to run a lot-they turned the Hyun Sae College campus upside down -I didn¡¯t even know who Park Tae Hyung was because he¡¯s so quiet but I guess being quiet came in handy -Spy¡­It didn¡¯t even cross my mind. He killed it¡­maybe he got special training? -What¡¯s this what¡¯s this, is our Dong Gook going up against Kang Do Wook? Is this real? Really true? -Do Wook was superior -It sure is nice to be young¡­ -Do Wook¡¯s Rolled Tissue? Do they only wipe Kang Do Wook¡¯s tears? What are they doing, they need to wipe Do Wook¡¯s sweat too¡­all his makeup is getting erased -It¡¯s nice to see KK giving it their all~ -Look at them all sweating¡­just Suk Ji Hoon¡­lol Tae-mes Bond is so cruel to his fellow members -Tae-mes Bond lolol -It was really GOAT water gun skills -Kim Won seemed good at archery when I watched the Idol Olympics. Kim Won as the spy would have been good too -I made Tae-mes Bond! (Picture).jpg -Woah lolol -The water gun details lolol -Is Park Tae Hyung going to be on the next season of 007?? haha?? The viewer message board was full ofpliments about KK. You could tell that every KK member gave it their all on the program. Perhaps it was because of the effort the members put into it, the Run Man fans were alsopletely satisfied. They even went on to say that KK shoulde on the program again. In Park Tae Hyung¡¯s case, he even got the nickname ¡®Tae-mes Bond¡¯. Of course there were posters made, but an edited video of PARK TAE HYUNG¡¯s performance was also shared through Mytube, making even people who weren¡¯t Run Man viewers aware who Park Tae Hyung is. Do Wook¡¯spetition with Kim Dong Gook was also being shared around and causing a stir. It was hard for fans to hide their joy over KK¡¯s sessful entertainment show appearance. Furthermore, fitting ¡®Howl¡¯¡¯s concept of showing off masculinity, the response to the ¡®Howl¡¯ performance got better and better. It was also associated with their image from the Olympic Idol Competition where they briefly demonstrated that they were good at sports. They were given additional nicknames such as PE-dol, Ry-dol etc. The response was so good that HIT Entertainment had a hard time from having to turn down the requestsing in from entertainment programs one after another. It was because they had scheduled events they couldn¡¯t push back. *** ¡°Tae Bon(d)! What are you up to?¡± ¡°Huh? Uh, uh. I was in the middle of¡­ reviewing our performance.¡± Park Tae Hyung took out one earbud from his ears and replied when Ahn Hyung Seo called out to him. After Park Tae Hyung was named Tae-mes Bond, his nickname became ¡®Tae Bon(d)¡¯ among the members. It was Taemes Bond shortened, and had a feeling of calling him a ¡®Division Head¡¯*. (TL Note: Tae is his name, ¡®Division Head¡¯ is bonbujang. First letters together would be Tae Bon) He got the name after going on an entertainment show, so he was called Entertainment Division Head. Park Tae Hyung was simply bewildered by the situation. ¡°Hyung, I asked you not to call me that.¡± ¡°Why, why?! You saw that edited video too, didn''t you?!¡± Park Tae Hyung couldn¡¯t say anything back to Ahn Hyung Seo¡¯s question. It was true that Park Tae Hyung also felt really happy when he saw the video. He didn¡¯t think in his wildest dreams that it¡¯d be this viral. ¡°Anyways, I¡¯m worried about China,¡± Ahn Hyung Seo said as he sat next to Park Tae Hyung. The KK members were currently at the airport lounge getting ready to head to Beijing. They had significant fatigue even before leaving the country because of all the pictures taken of them by fans, who swarmed them at the airport trying to take pictures of the KK members. Because of the fans who stuck to them like glue, even saying they were going to get on the same airne as them, the members gave up trying to shop at the duty-free store and came to the lounge to rest. ¡°It¡¯s my first time in China too¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been there on a family vacation before when I was little, but the food didn¡¯t fit my taste so I suffered a lot.¡± Park Tae Hyung made a concerned expression over what AHN HYUNG SEO said. ¡°Will you be ok?¡± ¡°I packed a ton of gochujang and ramen. I also told Chul Min too.¡± Park Tae Hyung nodded his head. KK, who had never been aboard excluding Japan, had a 5-night 6-day schedule in Beijing this time. During the almost week-long time, every day would be a busy day for KK in Beijing and surrounding areas. As soon as theynded, they first had a press conference and ¡®Howl¡¯ album showcase. They also ended up performing at a city festival held in Beijing. Of course they had an interview with a local magazine, but they were also scheduled to appear on an entertainment tv program. It was a program where K-POP stars were introduced. It was a schedule they had been slowly nning ever since they were preparing the Chinese version album. On top of that, they were gaining poprity locally, so it was clear that it was an opportunity to gain momentum and increase fame during this visit. Rather,pared to the poprity they were quickly getting, it felt like it was getting a little dyed because of the activities in Korea. ¡°I know fewer words in Chinese than I do in Japanese. I have some studying to do.¡± Ahn Hyung Seo was only now anxiously opening a Chinese conversation book. When Ahn Hyung Seo, who was sitting next to him, did that, Park Tae Hyung also started to get anxious, so he took out the paper of responses that Fan Marketing Team¡¯s Assistant Manager Do Ra Hee had prepared and studied it. The paper was already wrinkled from looking at it several times. On the other hand, Jung Yoon Ki, who would have to talk the most, was wrestling with his hair again. Do Wook, who was quietly on his phone across from Ahn Hyung Seo and Par Tae Hyung, said, ¡°Hyung Seo, let¡¯s all take a picture together on the Aibo ountter and post it before we leave.¡± ¡°Huh? Sure.¡± Ahn Hyung Seo was one of the members who had been diligently active on the social media ounts from the beginning. He was a member who found the most joy in interacting with fans through social media. ¡°But why all of a sudden?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know, but we have over a million followers on the Aibo ount,¡± Do Wook muttered, unable to shake the bewildered feeling. Aibo was the main social media ount Chinese people used. Because it wasn¡¯t as easy to use as Micenote, the Aibo ount was periodically maintained by the Fan Marketing Team instead of the members themselves. Nevertheless, they had over a million followers. ¡°What? One¡­one million?¡± ¡°Yes. One million.¡± It was a tremendous number. Do Wook had to reflect on China¡¯s poption. ¡°Oh oh. Let¡¯s definitely take er. If we send it to Assistant Manager Do, she¡¯ll post it for us, right?¡± ¡°I think she would,¡± Do Wook replied to Ahn Hyung Seo¡¯s question. Manager Oh Baek Ho, who was next to Do Wook, said as if he had just remembered, ¡°You guys getting over a million followers on there is amazing, but your poprity on Haidu is no joke either.¡± Do Wook, Ahn Hyung Seo, and Park Tae Hyung¡¯s eyes shone. Haidu was thergest web portal in China. How one ranked on Haidu¡¯s search trend was also indicative of how popr one was. ¡°I could count on one hand the number of Korean celebrities who have aplished that.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Park Tae Hyung asked, his mouth agape. The number of views for the Chinese version video was also continuing to rise exponentially. KK¡¯s recent steps had definitely been a series of surprising moves. It had always been surprising, but they were increasing that scale more and more recently. ¡®Releasing an album targeted at China at the right time was definitely a good choice.¡¯ Do Wook thought about the China market that would continue to grow moving forward. Compared to therge financial capital it had, China currently had ack of content they could pour their capital into. It would take some time for singers as big as current Korean idols to appear in their own country. He nned to take full advantage of that gap until then to dominate the market. ¡®Let¡¯s go there and give them a proper performance.¡¯ Do Wook thought and nned to use the Chinese market as a stepping stone to raise capital he could one day use to beat Ara Entertainment. *** Entrance of Beijing Airport. As expected, a great deal of Chinese fans were waiting for KK at the airport. Each of them held cards cheering on the members and started shouting out the names of the members. ¡®Run Man¡¯ hadn¡¯t officially been exported, but it had spread through the inte and their poprity in China was already amazing. There was even a fan who brought a ¡®Tae-mes Bond¡¯ poster they had made by putting Park Tae Hyung and 007 together. Ahn Hyung Seo and Suk Ji Hoon pointed at the poster andughed after noticing it, but that was brief. Once the KK members started to move, the Chinese fans who were outside the guard lines started to ruthlessly push forward. There were a significant number of staff dispatched in the airport, but it was not enough. KK had also hired a Chinese security team. One by one they marked the member they were in charge of and were on their way out of the airport. It was chaos. The chaos they went through when they were leaving Incheon Airport couldn¡¯t even be called chaospared to this. The members, who were squeezed between people, started to slowly move forward even in the suffocating situation. They heard a woman¡¯s ear-piercing scream. It was a different sound than calling out for the members. ¡°Í´ !!! (It hurts!!!)¡± ¡°ÕâÀïÓÐÈËÊÜÉËÁË! (There¡¯s an injured person here!)¡± The members immediately stopped in their tracks. A woman was on the floor, slumped over. The woman¡¯s body kept being moved around because of the people who kept pushing even during that situation. A deep male¡¯s voice was speaking to the woman. It seemed like he was swearing at her, but the KK members couldn¡¯t understand what he was saying. ¡°W¡­What do we do?¡± Park Tae Hyung muttered, worried. Oh Baek Ho, who had been standing in front of everyone, pulled Park Tae Hyung, who was right behind him, towards him. It meant that for now they shouldn¡¯t get involved and should follow him quickly. However, it was obvious that the woman had fallen like that because of the private security KK had hired. Regardless of whose fault it was initially, it was not a good sight to see. It could be a big ident. Do Wook looked back again. ¡ª Chapter 83: Run towards the future (4) Chapter 83: Run towards the future (4) ¡°Are you OK?¡± Kim Won, who was walking in the back, asked the female fan who had fallen. He stopped, bent down on his knees, and held out his hand. The private security guard yelled something at him, but Kim Won waited for the fan to grab his hand. The fan, whose hair had be messed up, didn¡¯t really know what to do and took his hand. Behind them, the fans continued to scream and push each other, but there was less pushing around Kim Won and the fan who had fallen. Once the female fan grabbed Kim Won¡¯s hand, he helped her up. Kim Won was famous for always being good about remembering fans¡¯ names, making eye contact without fail, and having a kind personality. As such, he couldn¡¯t just leave it be and simply pass by when a fan was on the ground in front of him. After grabbing her hand and raising her up, he asked her again if she was ok. Even amid the chaos, the fan nodded her head when he asked. Relieved, he smiled. After checking how the fan was doing, he quickly started walking again. It was clear that there would be more ruckus if they dyed even a little. They couldn''t say it was a relief considering the situation, but now that a fan had fallen, there was less pushing and pulling in the chaos. After forcing their way through the crowd, the members made it safely to the van that was parked in front of the airport. ¡°Wow.¡± ¡°Whew¡­¡± As soon as they got into the van, the members, who escaped from the airport with difficulty, kept sighing without saying a word. They felt as if all the energy had been sapped from them. ¡°That was the worst mess ever¡­¡± ¡°I almost died,¡± Suk Ji Hoon muttered as if talking to himself, and Jung Yoon Ki let out a groan. Manager Oh Baek Ho asked the interpreter to have the driver start the car quickly. Fans who had followed them all the way stuck to the car and were pestering them to open the windows. They were overflowing with a different level of passion from Korean fans. Feeling as if their souls had left their bodies, the members watched through the windows as the fans faded away in the distance. ¡°We¡¯re going to head straight to the press conference site. It¡¯ll take about 2 hours to get there. Once we get there, you¡¯re going to get your makeup done and do the press conference.¡± Manager Oh Baek Ho was also exhausted so he left it at that. The members nodded their heads. They had to quickly replenish their strength on the way there. ¡°The situation almost got really bad earlier. Are you ok?¡± Jung Yoon Ki. asked Kim Won who was sitting next to him. ¡°Ah. Well. I¡¯m not hurt,¡± Kim Won answered lightly. ¡°Still. Something bad could have happened to you while unnecessarily helping the fan. Next time, leave it to the security guards and just move on. Got it?¡± Oh Baek Ho said sternly. Kim Won nodded his head. Do Wook¡¯s thoughts weren¡¯t that different from Manager Oh Baek Ho¡¯s. The fan was able to get up safely thanks to Kim Won, and the fans did calm down a little, but it could have gotten out of hand. However, Kim Won¡¯s body moved on its own when he saw the fan that fell from being pushed by the security guard. ¡°Did the security guard push you?¡± When Suk Ji Hoon asked, Kim Won shook his head. When he heard that the fan fell because of the security guard KK hired instead of from fans pushing from behind, Do Wook thought that the issue might blow up. In the past, there were many cases where popr celebrities got bacsh because their security guard was trying to protect the artist and pushed a fan. Security guards also had a professional obligation to block fans who were charging head-first, which is probably why they did that, but once in a while even Do Wook felt it was unreasonably excessive. Because of that, if a controversy over a security guard came to light, the associated celebrity¡¯s image was also tainted even if they weren¡¯t directly involved. ¡°Take a look at this, Won,¡± Ahn Hyung Seo, who was frustrated because the inte was slow, held out the cell phone towards Kim Won. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°A video of Won was posted!¡± Ahn Hyung Seo answered when Jung Yoon ki asked out of curiosity. When he heard that a video of Kim Won was posted, Oh Baek Ho, who was sitting in the passenger seat, turned around. ¡°What? What video is it?¡± ¡°A video from just now at the airport.¡± ¡°Man, they even filmed that.¡± Kim Won and Jung Yoon Ki took turns watching on the cell phone, then gave the cell phone to Oh Baek Ho. The video was of KK as they arrived at Beijing airport. It was taken on a cell phone so the quality wasn¡¯t good, but you could at least tell who was who. All the chaos at the airport was also captured. The screaming back and forth, a private security guard KK hired in China pushing a fan, the fan falling onto the floor, and even Kim Won extending a hand to that fan. The edited video that contained the series of events was quickly getting shared around KK¡¯s Chinese fans through Aibo. ¡°Looking at it again, it really was super chaotic.¡± Suk Ji Hoon, who was thest to be passed the phone, saw it and shook his head. Since it was spreading in Aibo, it would quickly spread in Korea too. Do Wook wanted to look into what Chinese fans were currently saying, but he could only really tell the general vibe of fans with hiscking Chinese skills. Do Wook copied the words that repeatedly appeared on the Aiboments and looked them up on a trantor. He was able to tell that words like ¡®What a relief, security guard, I¡¯m angry, discipline, good manners, cool.¡¯ were being used together. The general consensus was Chinese fans expressing concern about the chaotic state of the airport. At the same time, there was anger about the security guard pushing the fan. There were also a lot of fans who admired Kim Won for helping the fan in that situation Considering that the word ¡®sweet¡¯ showed up a lot, Kim Won¡¯s image in China would probably be captured as such. ¡®Thanks to Kim Won¡¯s response, it smoothed over well. What a relief.¡¯ Do Wook held his hand over his chest. *** The press conference site at a hotel in the middle of downtown Beijing. The KK members, who finished getting ready, entered the press conference area wearing outfits that matched the ¡®Howl¡¯ concept. Their stage costume had a loose school uniform vibe, but for today¡¯s press conference they were dressed neatly as was appropriate for the formal event. Once the members came on stage, several camera shes went off everywhere at the same time The members, who had heard that there would be ¡®quite a few¡¯ reporters, couldn¡¯t help but be surprised at how many reporters there were. Over a hundred, closer to two hundred, reporters had their cameras ready and were looking intensely at KK. ¡®This many¡­?¡¯ Do Wook was also feeling bewildered. Do Wook, who had been looking around, found a familiar face. In the audience area a little away from the reporters, Production Director Kwon Heung Jo, who hade to China first and finished his business meeting-filled itinerary, was sitting down. Through Hong Un Yeung, the branch manager for the Korean branch of Tae Hwa Group that had invested in HIT Entertainment, Director Kwon Heung Jo was introduced to Department Head Hwang Hun, who was in charge of entertainment investments in China. They had received a lot of help from Department Head Hwang Hun with KK¡¯s current entrance into the Chinese market, so Director Kwon Heung Jo felt he should at least arrange to meet him in person and say hello. Kwon Heung Jo thought that it¡¯d be good if he could also present KK to him at the same time. That was why he purposely arranged a meeting around the time of the press conference. Director Kwon was also confident that Hwang Hun, who was in charge of investments in China, would see the charm of KK better if he saw the KK members in person. Director Kwon and Department Head Hwang Hun, who had already finished their meeting at the restaurant located above the hotel, casually walked towards the press conference site. Department Head Hwang Hun knew that he¡¯d get to see KK in person at the press conference. The new investee the Korean branch chose was HIT Entertainment. Branch Manager Hong Un Yeung excitedly spoke with Hwang Hun over the phone saying he thought it¡¯d be a profitable investment. Because of that, Department Head Hwang Hun had helped Branch Manager Hong Un Yeong with KK¡¯s entrance to the Chinese market for the sake of thepany¡¯s profits. It might be temporary, but now that they were in the same boat as investor and investee, it would obviously be a good thing for Tae Hwa Group if KK was sessful. Especially if they were sessful in China, it would raise Tae Hwa Group¡¯s reputation as the one who invested in them. Department Head Hwang Hun said indirectly, ¡°We invited a few more reporters.¡± Director Kwon Heung Jo, who was informed through an interpreter, had a shocked expression. ¡°The shier you start, the better, don¡¯t you think? Haha!¡± Department Head Hwang Hun said as heughed. Director Kwon Heung Jo bowed his head and thanked him. Initially, there were over a hundred reporters who wanted toe to the press conference. Of course there were some reporters from Korea mixed in, but those numbers alone showed that KK had already established itself as a rising star in China to a certain extent. However, due to Department Head Hwang Hun¡¯s influence, there were currently almost twice that number of reporters gathered. The number of reporters gathered was worthy of making headlines in Korea. Thanks to that, KK¡¯s first press conference in China was proceeding very extravagantly. ¡°How does it feel to be in Beijing?¡± As expected, the first question was easy. The members were sitting in chairs with a red carpet underneath that was hard toe across in Korea. Next to them was an interpreter. Jung Yoon Ki grabbed the microphone as the representative and talked about his feelings ofing to China. He didn¡¯t forget to say his thanks for weing them to China. Later on, there were questions regarding KK¡¯s music style. Jung Yoon Ki, who was always in charge of exining their albums, answered that question as well. ¡°¡­especially when ites to the current album Howl, there¡¯s a lot of choreography that¡¯s fun to watch, so I hope people in China will also give it lots of love.¡± When Jung Yoon Ki finished answering, there were requests to show them the choreography. The KK members were momentarily overwhelmed, but they quickly regained theirposure and sent out Park Tae Hyung. Park Tae Hyung ced his microphone down in his seat, got up, and demonstrated some of the choreography¡¯s highlights. Behind him, the other members sang to the rhythm. It was a moment where their teamwork shone. ¡°We watched Run Man and it looks like your body is really flexible. Please show us other cool moves too.¡± With this additional request from a reporter, Park Tae Hyung, who was about to sit back down, got up again. His earlobes red, Park Tae Hyung danced freestyle, moving to the rhythm for 16 bars. It must have been a difficult task to dance in front of 200 reporters, but he focused on dancing. Afterwards, there were requests saying that they wanted to hear Ahn Hyung Seo sing high notes. Ahn Hyung Seo sang the high part of ¡®Sorry but I Love You¡¯ while he winked at the audience about 5 times in a row. The reporters burst intoughter. The press conference was heating up. Since there were a lot of reporters, there were a lot of varying requests, and there were some questions that were seemingly friendly but sharp. And when it was time for questions about a specific individual, the questions were all aimed towards Do Wook. As expected, Do Wook was popr in China too. There were a lot ofpliments regarding Do Wook¡¯s clear facial features, calling it a blessed face. The shutters went off every time Do Wook smiled. ¡®Get Ready 1999¡¯ that Do Wook acted in wasn¡¯t that huge a sess in China. However, perhaps because they knew he was also doing acting gigs, there were requests for him to show them his acting in Chinese. Of course he didn¡¯t have ¡®Chinese acting¡¯ he had specifically prepared, but Do Wook managed with emotion acting and a script that basically said ¡®I love you¡¯. And inevitably since he was a singer from abroad, lots of questions about what Chinese fans were like, what he thought about China, etc. were pouring in. Do Wook said that China was a country that he always liked, and that he liked Chinese fans because they were passionate, but, at least to that part, the reporters did not respond to it positively. ¡°Please tell us what you like about China.¡± The reporter dug into Do Wook as if trying to judge whether Do Wook was being sincere or not. ¡°Uh¡­I¡­¡± Do Wook, who was picking his words carefully, replied. ¡ª Chapter 84: Go Higher (1) Chapter 84: Go Higher (1) ¡°China is a country that invented gunpowder,pass, paper, and printing. It¡¯s the ce that gave rise to one of the four civilizations, and it continues to lead big trends even in modern times. I think those are not easy things to aplish. I think it¡¯s natural for Chinese people to have pride in their country.¡± The interpreter who was tranting what Do Wook was saying started to talk faster. The reporters who were writing down what the interpreter was saying also started to type faster. ¡°Because of those things, I always held a good image of China. It¡¯s also good to have a nearby friend to learn from.¡± The reporter who asked the question nodded his head when Do Wook finished answering. It wasn¡¯t a simple response like ¡®I like the food¡¯ or ¡®I like sightseeing here¡¯. It was a response that was overflowing with respect to the country of China. It was enough to satisfy the reporter. At the same time, by saying the word ¡°friend¡± he didn¡¯t dismiss himself or his country too much. His way with words also made the members, who were listening, think, ¡®as expected of Do Wook¡¯. He didn¡¯t show signs of having prepared anything beforehand, but the members wondered if he had. Department Head Hwang Hun, who had been observing it unfold, also nodded his head. Feeling he¡¯d seen all that he needed to, Production Director Kwon Heung Jo suggested to Department Head Hwang Hun that they go up to the meeting room. There was no particr reason to make Department Head Hwang Hun, who wasn¡¯t even a fan, stand through the whole press conference. When Director Kwon Heung Jo said that, Department Head Hwang Hun dly started walking. Meanwhile, the questions pouring onto Do Wook wrapped up to a certain extent. Afterwards, there were more trivial questions. The designated time was alreadying to an end. ¡°You guys came all the way to Beijing, do you have anywhere you want to visit?¡± ¡°The Great Wall of course! We don¡¯t have a chance to do it this time, but I definitely want to see itter. I heard you can even see it from a satellite,¡± Kim Won answered enthusiastically to the reporters¡¯st question. Amid lightughter, KK was able to sessfully wrap up the press conference. ¡°Good job, good job. You worked hard,¡± Manager Oh Baek Ho encouraged the members who had returned to the waiting room, which had been arranged behind the press conference site. ¡°The interpreter was also praising you guys, saying that you did very well.¡± Gu Chul Min went around and distributed water to the members. The coordinators wiped the sweat off the members¡¯ faces and touched up the makeup that had smudged. There were a lot of fans gathered in their route back and in the hotel lobby, so they couldn¡¯t go out as they were. They had simply sat down and answered questions, but the barrage of shes constantly going off and the hot lighting had made the members¡¯ backs soaked with sweat. Manager Oh Baek Ho told the members, who were catching their breath, the next event on their schedule. The press conference was theirst event for the day. Their lodging was also on the upper level of this hotel. However, Manager Oh Baek Ho told them they had to say hello to the business partner who was with Production Director Kwon Heung Jo before they went up to their lodging. ¡°Business partner¡­who is it?¡± Jung Yoon Ki asked, slightly anxious after hearing the words ¡®business partner¡¯. ¡°I don¡¯t know too much either. Just that it¡¯s an investmentpany in China,¡± Oh Baek Ho didn¡¯t know the details either so he replied as such, but it contrarily made the atmosphere regarding the investor more tense. ¡°It¡¯s just to briefly have some face time and say hello. Don¡¯t be too nervous.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± The members looked for the room on the top floor that Director Kwon Heung Jo and Department Head Hwang Hun were in. The room, where the two people and the interpreter Director Kwon brought along were in, was not the kind of hotel room that people would usually think of. A junior suite room, it had two separate rooms and when entering there was a parlor that was like a living room. Director Kwon and Department Head Hwang were lightly enjoying some wine. When Manager Oh and the KK members entered the room, the two people stood up from their seats. ¡°ÄúºÃ£¡(Hello!)¡± ¡°ÄúºÃ£¬¼ûµ½ÄúºÜ¸ßÐË¡£(Hello, nice to meet you.)¡± With the basic Chinese phrases they prepared beforeing to China, the members greeted Department Head Hwang Hun. Department Head Hwang Hun smiled at the Chinese greeting and held out his hand for a handshake. After finishing shaking hands with the members, Department Head Hwang Hun spoke. The members were told what Department Head Hwang said through Director Kwon¡¯s interpreter. ¡°I¡¯m Tae Hwa Group¡¯s Hwang Hun. I was very impressed by the press conference.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Jung Yoon Ki stepped up as the representative and greeted him. ¡°You¡¯re the first Korean entertainmentpany we invested in so our expectations were high, and seeing you for myself I was given the certainty that you were worth investing in. Haha,¡± Department Head Hwang Hun said as heughed. The members, whose shoulders were hunched over from anxiety, rxed a little. ¡°The Department Head says that he prepared a gift for you guys.¡± ¡°Huh? A gift?¡± Surprised by what Director Kwon Heung Jo said, Ahn Hyung Seo asked back. Director Kwon Heung Jo smiled and nodded his head. Department Head Hwang Hun hade up to the hotel room a little earlier and had the secretary prepare a gift for the KK members. Director Kwon Heung Jo, who had heard him give the order to the secretary, had said it was ok and had tried to stop him, but Department Head Hwang Hun had said refusing it would be being inconsiderate of his feelings and had turned the tables on Director Kwon. Department Head Hwang Hun was in an extremely good mood after seeing the press conference. He had started to have affection towards the group hispany was investing in. Of course that affection was out of his conclusion that KK would earn him money. ¡®They¡¯ll expand to be a bigger star in this country than they are now.¡¯ Department Hwang Hun had a feeling. He felt that if they were managed right, he could earn more money than investing in a decent movie. Hwang Hun gave the gifts on the table to the KK members. The members epted the wrapped, heavy, slight-bigger-than-one¡¯s-palm case. ¡°·Ç³£¸Ðл! (Thank you very much!)¡± Do Wook replied in Chinese and epted the gift. Department Head Hwang Hun patted Do Wook¡¯s shoulders in particr as he gave him the gift. Do Wook¡¯s response during the press conference was one of the main reasons Department Head Hwang Hun felt a strong star power from KK. After receiving the gift and saying ¡±thank you¡±, the members stood around unsure what to do. They weren¡¯t sure whether they were supposed to open the gift immediately or not. ¡®I think I heard that in China, it¡¯s impolite to open gifts immediately.¡¯ Do Wook recalled the things he learned when he received education on business from his previouspany. He held onto the gift and waited for Department Head Hwang Hun to continue speaking. After briefly ncing at Do Wook, the members grasped the gift tight in their hands and stood there. Because the members considered young Do Wook to be as good as most office workers when it came to manners and work life, they thought they could just follow what Do Wook did. ¡°You guys must be tired, it¡¯s ok for you to head out. This old man shouldn¡¯t keep you guys here,¡± When Department Head Hwang Hun said that, the KK members thanked him one more time and then left the room. Director Kwon Heung Jo added that he¡¯d see them back in Korea. After returning to their lodging on a lower floor, the members wondered what the gift was and returned to their respective rooms to open it, puzzled. Today, Do Wook was in the same room as Park Tae Hyung. Do Wook and Park Tae Hyung opened up the gift as soon as they got back to the room. ¡°Ahhh!!!¡± There were loud thumping noisesing from the next room. It was hard to tell if the sound proofing in the room was bad or if Ahn Hyung Seo in the next room was being too loud. ¡®What the¡­¡¯ Do Wook, who was in the middle of opening the gift, stopped moving. The heavy high-end case had the words Gartier engraved on it. ¡®Ga¡­Gartier?¡¯ Gartier was such an expensive brand that normal people would only get it when buying a wedding gift. Actually, even the essories for the brand were too expensive to give as a wedding gift. Even if you went with the cheapest essory, it would cost at least hundreds of dors. ¡°Do Wook¡­ Is this really Gartier?¡± Park Tae Hyung, who had been opening the gift on his bed, asked Do Wook nkly. Do Wook nodded his head. When he opened the case, the gold bracelet was shining. ¡°He¡­he really has deep pockets¡­¡± ¡°This is my first time owning a Gartier too.¡± ¡°Is¡­it okay to ept this? It¡¯s a little overwhelming.¡± Do Wook¡¯s hands were shaking too. However, he came to the conclusion that gifting an almost 10,000,000* Won gold bracelet was nothing to a person like Department Head Hwang Hun. (TL Note: About $7600) ¡®They were right when they said the richest people in this country are a different ss.¡¯ Do Wook replied to Park Tae Hyung, who was admiring it while wearing a grim expression, that it should be ok. *** ¡°Still, are you sure it wasn¡¯t too extravagant of a gift to the kids¡­¡± Director Kwon Heung Jo, who was continuing to have a drink with Hwang Hun after sending the members away, said cautiously. Department Head Hwang Hun shook his head, saying it was nothing much so not to worry about it. ¡°Director Kwon.¡± ¡°Yes, go ahead, sir.¡± ¡°From now on, you¡¯ll be able to work as much as you want without worrying about the money that goes into producing KK.¡± Director Kwon was briefly taken aback by Department Head Hwang Hun¡¯s rather unexpected remarks, but soon understood what he meant. There was a smile on Production Director Kwon Heung Jo¡¯s face that he couldn¡¯t hold back. He felt that it would be a sessful China business trip. It wasn¡¯t just a feeling anymore, but a fact. *** After the China events, some of the members had stomach aches for 2 days. They were suffering because of the different water and food. Even Ahn Hyung Seo, who had prepared for various things, was no exception and had to constantly go to the bathroom. Still, none of the members said that they¡¯d never go back to China again. That was because in their individual ces that each of them kept their own precious items, there was a Gartier bracelet. Besides receiving the Gartier bracelet, going to China was very fruitful. Thanks to the polite and hardworking demeanor KK showed in China, the Chinese fans were giving lots of support to KK. Kim Won was also given the individual nickname ¡®Sweet Guy¡¯. The sales for the Chinese version album also increased a lot. It had already been over a month since the album was released, but it continued to sell a lot. With this momentum, they couldn¡¯t help but look forward to this year¡¯s end of the year awards. There were a lot of fans who were expecting a repackage of the ¡®Howl¡¯ album, but there were no ns to release one. It was enough that they had published two versions of the album. Do Wook, who had returned from school, briefly sat at his desk and took the time to organize his schedule. If they followed the activity n that was set earlier in the year, they would be releasing one more album. However, Jung Yoon Ki and Do Wook¡¯s personal activities pushed it back a little. They would be holding a concert at the end of the year as nned, so thepany decided KK wouldn¡¯t release any more albums this year. ¡®If we consider a slightly tighter schedule, I think we might be able to do it¡­¡¯ A vacation was nice, but Do Wook wanted to push it a little further. It was important to be active while you had momentum. ¡®In this industry, timing is half the battle.¡¯ However, the members were probably very exhausted. Do Wook couldn¡¯t push it by himself. Do Wook thought about the way KK could continue to get exposure without burdening the members too much. ¡®I¡¯ve already done an entertainment show and a drama this year. It¡¯d be nice if I could show a little more music-wise.¡¯ Do Wook closed his eyes as he thought, then opened his eyes. At the same time, Do Wook producing and releasing an album again was definitely too much for him as well as for the members. Do Wook was also tired. He was just as exhausted as the other members, if not more. His mind was simply oveing his body. At that moment, Kim Won knocked on the door and entered Do Wook¡¯s room. ¡°Bro, are you busy right now?¡± When he looked at Kim Won, who was smiling brightly without showing any signs of exhaustion, it created an illusion that his own fatigue was going away a little. ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious, but¡­¡± Kim Won handed Do Wook the cell phone. ¡ª Chapter 85: Go Higher (2) Chapter 85: Go Higher (2) On Kim Won¡¯s cell phone screen was a notes app with lyrics written on it. Do Wook looked down at the screen, quiet. ¡°What is this? Did you write it?¡± Kim Won scratched the back of his head, embarrassed unlike his usual self. ¡°Yeah. I tried writing it by myself and I wanted you to look it over to see if it¡¯s good. Yoon Ki is sleeping¡­¡± Do Wook was puzzled. Like Jung Yoon Ki, Kim Won was someone who had always made rap by himself. Of course he came up with the lyrics himself too. Noticing that Do Wook was puzzled, Kim Won exined, ¡°I¡¯ve only been doing English rap until now. I thought that my Korean rap wascking.¡± ¡°It¡¯s notcking. You¡¯re doing great.¡± ¡°No. Still,pared to Yoon Ki or you who have always lived in Korea, I don¡¯t understand the Korean nuance as well when writing lyrics.¡± Do Wook looked at Kim Won¡¯s cell phone screen, then at Kim Won¡¯s eyes that were full of sincerity, then nodded his head. Kim Won urately understood the few limitations he had. Honestly, he was doing well in understanding the ¡®nuance¡¯, it was just that sometimes he missed the very subtle ones. Do Wook thought he should give a lot of thought into looking over the lyrics since Kim Won was so sincere. It would be proper etiquette towards the person who asked. ¡°Mmmm¡­¡± While Do Wook was looking at the screen, Kim Won sat on the chair next to him and waited for Do Wook¡¯s evaluation. Kim Won was sincerely grateful to Do Wook, who agreed to this sudden request and was going over his lyrics line by line even though he was probably busy. He was younger, but Do Wook was always reliable. ¡°The ones you write in English definitely feel smoother. Although, I don¡¯t know English too well.¡± ¡°Ha. Just as I thought.¡± Kim Won replied to Do Wook as he sighed once then let out a sadugh. ¡°Also, this part here with the flower expression is a little clich¨¦. What if you think of something else?¡± ¡°Is that so? Ok.¡± Kim Won checked where Do Wook was talking about, then wrote a note. Do Wook pointed out a few more rough lines in a way that wouldn¡¯t hurt his feelings. ¡°Thank you for looking it over.¡± ¡°No problem at all. You really are doing well¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that I want to do the best I can. Seeing Yoon Ki do better and better gave me motivation.¡± As expected, friendlypetition was the foundation for development. Seeing Jung Yoon Ki go on Show Me the Honey, Kim Won inevitably felt thepetition as a fellow rapper. He didn¡¯t want to get left behind. He wanted to do well too. It was that kind of positivepetitiveness that spurred on Kim Won. Do Wook said as he nodded his head, ¡°But you do things that Yoon Ki can¡¯t do.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true!¡± Kim Won agreed as heughed. ¡°By the way, what kind of beat have you been using as the background for these lyrics?¡± ¡°You know, DREKE¡¯s Still Dreke!¡± ¡°Ahh. I think it¡¯ll be a good song once it¡¯s finished.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. You could release itter as a mixtape or something¡­¡± ¡°Ah, there¡¯s no need to go that far. If I release a mixtape and it doesn¡¯t go well, I¡¯ll be ripped apart on the site that even Yoon Ki barely survived. Your praise is too high!¡± Kim Won patted Do Wook¡¯s shoulders, going a little overboard with his statement. Do Wook simplyughed. He meant it. Except for the few parts that Do Wook had indicated, the lyrics Kim Won had written would have done well even if they were released immediately. There were a lot of things he felt while doing KK activities, and the content of the lyrics contained a little more of the ¡®real¡¯ Kim Won. If his past lyrics were written to match KK¡¯s style so he could get the song in the album, the lyrics Kim Won was writing now had a free soul that showed the real Kim Won. ¡°Then, sorry to bother you when you¡¯re busy. Get back to what you were doing.¡± ¡°Ok¡­.Oh, Won!¡± Do Wook stopped Kim Won, who had turned around and was about to leave. Hand on the doorknob, Kim Won turned around and asked what was up. Do Wook thought about it briefly, then shook his head. It was an idea that just popped into his head. He had to think about it a little more thoroughly. ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°Are you bored? Tell me if you¡¯re bored. Anytime, I¡¯m ok for you*.¡± (TL Note: Kim Won says ¡®Anytime, I¡¯m ok for you¡¯ in English.) ¡°No. I¡¯ll get back to what I was doing.¡± After sending Kim Won off, Do Wook organized the ideas he thought of. It was about KK¡¯s hip hop unit activities. *** Day of thest performance for the ¡®Howl¡¯ activities. The TBN Music Broadcast had a 70-minute special arranged especially for KK. It made sense if it were for aeback, but it was extremely rare to have a special for a goodbye performance. They nned to perform unedited full versions of three songs for the goodbye performance. They were ¡®Howl¡¯, the title song of their second full album, and the B-track songs ¡®Yummy¡¯ and ¡®Summer Night¡¯. ¡®Yummy¡¯ and ¡®Summer Night¡¯ were pre-recorded. The audience seating for the pre-recording was made up of only KK fans, almost like a concert. 500 KK fans filled the arena. ¡®Yummy¡¯, which was a dance song that had a popping beat, was a song that lots of fans requested to make into a follow-up song. It was a song that had apletely different vibe from ¡®Howl¡¯ that was done in a school uniform style of clothing and intense dancing. The KK fans enjoyed a delightful atmosphere as they watched KKe out in colorful stage outfits and perform excitedly. It was a performance that made the suffering the fans went through getting to the pre-recording site at dawn just to get in and waiting in line all disappear immediately. ¡®Summer Night¡¯ was a bad performance. Chairs were prepared for the six of them to sit down, and each of the members performed their parts in order. Their vocal skills that had improved overall since ¡®Windy Day¡¯ stood out. The content of the song was thinking about the person you love as you feel the night air blowing under a dark sky after getting through a scorching hot day. It was a lyrical song that expressed the ambience of a summer night well. The expression ¡®eyes and ears are prosperous¡¯ was urate. It could get tedious since it was a performance where they just sat down in one spot and sang, but for the fans it was an opportunity to get a better look at the members¡¯ faces. The members, who had finished the pre-recording before noon, ate the support box lunch the fans sent and then got ready for the live broadcast. Knowing that it was thest event for the ¡®Howl¡¯ activities, the members were feeling a variety of emotions ranging from excitement to sadness. ¡°The activities for the second album are alreadying to an end¡­¡± ¡°It was really hectic this time too, huh?¡± Jung Yoon Ki said in response to what Do Wook said. Do Wook nodded his head. Because they had been swamped by events from the moment they had started preparing for the 2nd album, he felt it had progressed even more hectically. Right after finishing the drama, he had to go back to being Kang Do Wook without having time to get out of the mindset of drama character Kim Min Ki. ¡°You all worked hard during this active period too, man.¡± ¡°There¡¯s still the broadcast left.¡± ¡°He¡¯s saying it¡¯s pretty much over.¡± Jung Yoon Ki said to the members in a very leader-like way, ¡°Let¡¯s give it our best until the end.¡± ¡°Yas!¡± ¡°Yes, Yes!¡± The members responded as they shoved the grilled eel rice bowl from the boxed lunch into their mouths. ¡°Are there any more boxed lunches?¡± When Suk Ji Hoon, who had already finished his boxed lunch, asked, Gu Chul Min replied as he looked around, ¡°You already finished it? These came in exact quantities, so there are no more of the same type of food you guys had. All that¡¯s left is just the boxed lunches for the staff.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, please give it to me.¡± Lately, Suk Ji Hoon had a very big appetite. He wasn¡¯t short, even so he had always been frustrated he couldn¡¯t pass 180 cm*, but before long he was about to pass it. (TL Note: 180 cm is around 5¡¯11¡±) ¡°They say you grow until your 20s, so give it your all until the end. Our mangnae*,¡± (TL Note: Mangae means the youngest.) Ahn Hyung Seo said as he looked at Suk Ji Hoon, who took out a new boxed lunch and started eating. ¡°Come to think of it, next year our team won¡¯t have a me-ja anymore.¡± ¡°Me-ja? Who is the me-ja?¡± ¡°A minor. Won, you¡¯re smart but not good with ng like this. Hehe.¡± When Ahn Hyung Seo started cackling, Jung Yoon Ki told him off, ¡°That¡¯s ng? That¡¯s just abbreviated.¡± ¡°Ah, well. You know.¡± It didn¡¯t bother Kim Won but the two of them were bickering. Watching this, Park Tae Hyung silently shook his head. ¡°Do Wook. Did you not eat all your food¡­?¡± Park Tae Hyung, who had seen Do Wook next to him quietly put down his boxed lunch, asked. There were about two bites of food left. ¡°Huh? Yeah. I¡¯m full.¡± ¡°Really? It felt like it wasn¡¯t that much food¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have an appetite. It¡¯s not good to be too full when we perform anyways.¡± Park Tae Hyung nodded his head to Do Wook¡¯s response but then pushed the fruit they were given as dessert towards him as if telling him to eat more. Do Wook found it hard to decline Park Tae Hyung¡¯s sincerity and ate a few cherry tomatoes. ¡®Is he feeling sick¡­?¡¯ Even Do Wook thought it wasn¡¯t the same amount of food that would normally make him full. However, he had no desire to eat at all. He felt that maybe because it was after they finished the pre-recording, he was very tired and his body had no energy. ¡®Once today¡¯s broadcast is over, there¡¯ll be a break for a while. I should rest and build up my strength.¡¯ Do Wook thought as he stood up from his seat. He thought it might be good to briefly get some shut eye on the waiting room sofa before they went up and performed. ¡°Do Wook, shouldn¡¯t you charge your battery?¡± ¡°Huh? My cell phone still has battery power.¡± ¡°Ho ho, no. Not the cell phone, I mean you~!¡± The coordinator, who was doing his makeup since it was almost time for the live broadcast, said as sheughed. Do Wook didn¡¯t understand what she was saying and closed his eyes as she instructed him to do. ¡°We called you a robot because you don¡¯t get tired even though you¡¯re the busiest, but today you keep nodding off.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Do Wook understood what she meant and gentlyughed as he opened his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m especially tired today. I think I¡¯m feeling less tense because it¡¯s thest broadcast.¡± Seeing himugh as he said that, the coordinator felt her heart sinking, though only briefly. It was a face she saw up close every day, but once in a while she couldn¡¯t believe how handsome Do Wook¡¯s face was. ¡°Make sure you rest once this is over.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ll have to.¡± Along with the MC remarks that it was a shame, KK¡¯s second full album goodbye performance was on its way. When the pre-recorded ¡®Yummy¡¯ and ¡®Summer Night¡¯ started ying on the VCR, fans attending the live broadcast cheered. After the VCR yback ended, the live final performance of ¡®Howl¡¯ began. The members burned their passion with their whole bodies. From the intro to the first verse, even up to the chorus they performed the song and choreography without shaking even once. ¡°Kyaaaaa¨D¡± The fans burst out screaming, responding to the KK members¡¯ passion. There was a roar from the fan section when Kim Won stepped to the front of the stage and slightly lifted his shirt and revealed his abs. As Ahn Hyung Seo hit the high notes, the song was reaching its climax. In the chorus, Do Wook stood in the center and danced, exuding a charisma that seemed to lead the group. When there was a close up on Do Wook¡¯s face, which frowned as if it were going to eat the camera, everyone grabbed their chests as if it took their breath away. Do Wook, who had finished his part in a cool way, was heading to the back formation. ¡®Huh?¡¯ Do Wook felt like his surroundings were spinning around. His head was swimming. ¡®I¡¯m dizzy¡­¡¯ However, he had to continue walking to the back. One step, two step, every time he took a step he wasn¡¯t sure if he was walking properly. At that moment Suk Ji Hoon, who stood in the same back formation as Do Wook, noticed Do Wook¡¯s walk was not normal. It was a particrly fast-paced choreography with no break so it was hard to notice, but Suk Ji Hoon was able to tell since he typically saw Do Wook¡¯s movements from the same ce many times before. It was much heavier than usual. ¡®Do Wook.¡¯ Suk Ji Hoon mouthed to Do Wook in a way that wouldn¡¯t get picked up by the microphone. Suk Ji Hoon was supposed to stand in the middle, but was standing on Do Wook¡¯s side on the left. Do Wook saw Suk Ji Hoon who was standing next to him. ¡ª Chapter 86: Go Higher (3) Chapter 86: Go Higher (3) Do Wook grabbed Suk Ji Hoon¡¯s shoulder. It was to endure the dizziness. If Suk Ji Hoon weren¡¯t standing next to him, he might have fainted from dizziness on the spot at that moment. He wondered if mangnae* Suk Ji Hoon, who was pretty much like a nephew to Do Wook, had ever been more reliable than he was at that moment. (TL Note: mangnae means the youngest) The members that were on the other side nced over and noticed that Do Wook and Suk Ji Hoon were off. It reminded them of the microphone sound ident from the past. It was scary then too, but this time it wasn¡¯t a simple equipment malfunction. Suk Ji Hoon was supporting Do Wook. It was really lucky that it wasn¡¯t a solo performance, but a performance they were doing as a team. Do Wook realized once again how important teamwork was. The members finally felt relieved when they saw Do Wook bring the microphone to his mouth and lip sync the part where they sang as a group. ¡°Huh? The position is different today. ¡° ¡°Right? What¡¯s going on? Our visual line was moved to the left.¡± Fans who noticed that the ending formation changed wondered what happened, but it wasn¡¯t too odd. Do Wook¡¯s unpleasant expression could be exined as exhaustion from an intense performance. With that, the final performance for the ¡®Howl¡¯ activities was able to end sessfully. *** As soon as the KK members came off the stage, Manager Oh Baek Ho, who had been monitoring the stage, ran to Do Wook. He had already told Gu Chul Min to go to the parking lot and get the car ready. The car that Do Wook got into immediately headed to the hospital. The name of the illness was, obviously, umted fatigue due to overworking which caused gastrointestinal issues. Do Wook had to get an IV line in his left hand and was told by the doctor that it¡¯d be good for him to be hospitalized for about 2-3 days to rest. The members, who arrived at the hospitalter after getting changed, saw Do Wook in his hospital room and sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t have to go as far as getting admitted¡­¡± Do Wook said first, embarrassed. Manager Oh Baek Ho clicked his tongue. ¡°Locking you up at the hospital is the only way you won¡¯t work. You won¡¯t rest if we tell you to rest at the dormitory. The dormitory is just a workshop to you.¡± Do Wook kept his mouth shut because it was all true. Do Wook recalled the dizzy spell from a little while ago. It would have been a big issue if he had fainted like that on stage. ¡®I almost messed up the performance they worked so hard to prepare for¡­although I already messed it up a little.¡¯ As Do Wook reflected, he had an apologetic expression towards the members and Manager Oh Baek Ho and Gu Chul Min. ¡°You couldn¡¯t do the performance properly because of me¡­My apologies, sirs. Sorry, guys.¡± At Do Wook¡¯s apology, the members showed an expression indicating he was being ridiculous. Jung Yoon Ki said with his eyebrows raised, ¡°Man. There¡¯s no need to be sorry. The performance isn¡¯t the problem right now.¡± ¡°Hey, Do Wook!¡± Ahn Hyung Seo jumped in and yelled Do Wook¡¯s name. It seemed to really frustrate him that Do Wook was apologetic. ¡°There was nothing we didn¡¯t get to perform anyways. We¡¯re worried about your body, not the performance.¡± Do Wook nodded his head at Ahn Hyung Seo¡¯s heartfelt words. He could tell how much the members cared about him by the expressions the members were looking at him with right now. Do Wook was touched. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sorry for worrying you¡­¡± When Do Wook apologized again, Ahn Hyung Seo shook his head. ¡°You should be sorry. Yes.¡± When Manager Oh Baek Ho said that, shaking his head as if telling Do Wook to keep being repentant, the members shot him an angry look. However, Manager Oh Baek Ho stood his ground. Manager Oh Baek Ho seemed to have finished dealing with Do Wook in his own way. It was clear that wIth his personality, he¡¯d continue to think of today¡¯s events as his ¡®mistake¡¯ even if they told him not to be sorry. He had a strong sense of responsibility. Manager Oh Baek Ho felt that to someone like that, telling them ¡°it¡¯s all your fault so take better care¡° would get through to them better. ¡°Take as much care of your body as you¡¯re feeling sorry. You should know now what happens if you don¡¯t take good care of your body.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± Do Wook replied with a pale face. His condition definitely recovered after getting the IV, but he still looked pale. ¡°Do Wook, please make sure to get plenty of rest. We don¡¯t have any events for the time being anyways.¡± Do Wook nodded his head to what Suk Ji Hoon said. ¡°Thank you Ji Hoon.¡± He didn¡¯t say a long thank you such as ¡°I survived because of you¡±. He just said one thing, thank you, but Suk Ji Hoon could fully feel how grateful Do Wook was. ¡°You guys take good care of your bodies too.¡± ¡°Of course. There¡¯s no other member who does as much as Do Wook, so don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°You think those words areforting?!¡± Ahn Hyung Seo yfully responded to what Manager Oh Baek Ho said. Oh Baek Houghed and told Ahn Hyung Seo off. Do Wook was thinking as he looked at the members who were gathered in the hospital room. He thought he had been taking good care of his body, but there were definitely moments that were difficult for him to endure. However, he also wasn¡¯t in a situation where he could stop. An idol group¡¯s lifespan was set in stone to a certain degree. You had no choice but to push yourself if you wanted to produce the best results in that limited time. ¡°It¡¯s all pointless if you¡¯re sick. You know that, right?¡± Manager Oh Baek Ho said, looking at Do Wook onest time, then got ready to leave. ¡°Let¡¯s get going now. If you guys are here he can¡¯t rest properly.¡± The members, who were pressured by Oh Baek Ho, said they¡¯de again soon and rushed out of the hospital room. ¡®It¡¯s true what they say¡­none of it matters if you¡¯re sick,¡¯ Do Wook, who was left alone in the empty hospital room, thought. Moving forward they might or might not get busier, but they definitely wouldn¡¯t get more downtime. Do Wook¡¯s goal wasn¡¯t just to be a slightly sessful idol singer, but a higher standing position. He had already expanded his career activities to not just a singer but also an actor. He nned on expanding his scope more and more. ¡®It¡¯s been over a year now since the debut. It¡¯s definitely the time to keep producing good results without resting.¡± However, Do Wook felt that it was necessary to adjust his tempo. He was already in the middle of mulling over the idea when he almost fainted on stage. ¡®As expected, is it time to be decisive and focused?¡¯ Do Wook also thought that a small but impactful activity could be beneficial at any moment. Even now he was picking good, high-quality activities on his own rather than following whatever the HIT Entertainment¡¯s course of action said. However, since they were rookies that just debuted, they inevitably had no choice but to appear on cable broadcasts or local events as they had done until now to get their name known. Furthermore, since HIT Entertainment itself was a mid-sized agency, there were many activities they couldn¡¯t turn down. ¡®Now we can reduce that type of activities¡­since, even when ites to album production, lots of pretty good songs have beening in now that KK started to be recognized as singers.¡¯ Do Wook felt it¡¯d be good to take some of the energy he had been using to write lyrics andposing, and put it into producing. HIT Entertainment now had enough capital power and they had followed Do Wook¡¯s ambition so far, so if he talked to thepany those were the things they would be fully capable of adjusting. It might be because of the IV therapy he was getting, but he became very sleepy. He definitely had to rx while he was hospitalized and regain his strength. *** Do Wook wanted as little information as possible to go out, but inevitably there were articles about Do Wook¡¯s hospitalization from overworking. As soon as the article came out, KK fans¡¯ reactions were very rough. I knew it ever since they forced Do Wook to do things. As expected, I knew this would happen since they had them going abroad to Japan and China already. They¡¯re working KK like a dog too much. I wonder if the other members are ok. Give them a medical checkup. If you look at the ¡®Howl¡¯ choreography, there¡¯s no way they¡¯re not having a hard time. Come out President of HIT Entertainment that¡¯s having KK work to death. If you¡¯re blinded by money, I¡¯ll make it so you¡¯re blind in real life¡­ As he read the rough reactions from fans, Do Wook felt bad for thepany employees in many ways. Especially Fan Marketing Team¡¯s Assistant Manager Do Ra Hee and her subordinates were working hard. There was a flood of calls from fans toin. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of things you stepped up for and aplished, Do Wook¡­we want to make a public announcement saying that that¡¯s the case.¡± Do Wook couldn¡¯t help but smile in a pleasant way when Assistant Manager Do, whose expression was full of exhaustion,ined when she came to visit him in the hospital as the representative of thepany. Of course Assistant Manager Do Ra Hee soon collected herself, pped her own cheeks, and told him to get well soon. At the same time, there were a lot of messages of encouragement sent by Do Wook¡¯s fans. Health-rted gifts such as health food and supplements arrived at thepany dozens of times a day. Honestly, Do Wook knew well that organizing those gifts was also a Fan Marketing Team task, so he felt remorseful to Assistant Manager Do Ra Hee. KK¡¯s goodbye performance became a hot topic again along with the article about Do Wook¡¯s hospitalization. Do Wook feeling dizzy and Suk Ji Hoon handling it. It was a performance where the KK members¡¯ teamwork shone. There were also a tremendous amount of gifts being sent to the hospital. Of course they were from people in thepany who heard the news, but also Kim Woo Yeon and Kim Soom, Brave Only Child, Lucas, PD Shin Yoon Ho and the ¡®Get Ready 1999¡¯ cast, etc. Gifts from people who had worked with Do Wook continued toe. Assistant Manager Do Ra Hee was permitted because she was a visitor from thepany, but Manager Oh Baek Ho didn¡¯t allow hospital visitation from anyone else. Thanks to that, Do Wook simply sent thank you messages and was truly able to rest properly. After getting treatment and resting at the hospital for about two days, his body definitely felt like it had gotten better. He had worked on songs and other activities without even a day of proper rest, so it now felt like all the fatigue that had umted had been relieved. By the third day, his whole body was restless. He wanted to go out and do some kind of activity. He was undeniably a workaholic. The next day, as soon as it was light outside, Do Wook got his discharge orders after being examined by the doctor. Gu Chul Min, who had helped Do Wook get discharged, had a hard time moving the mountain of drinks and fruit from the hospital room. Lastly, Gu Chul Min loaded a giant flower basket in the car passenger seat. Do Wook silently looked at the flower basket. Perhaps having seen the article, Yoo Sung Fashion President Lee Yoo Min had sent the flower basket. *** A few dayster, at a fine dining establishment that specialized in French cuisine, Do Wook met up with President Lee Yoo Min. It was dinner time, but it was a ce where only a limited number of parties could get reservations a day so it had a quiet atmosphere. ¡°Thank you for the flowers you had sent. That you¡¯d think of me to this extent¡­I feel I have to pay you back somehow.¡± ¡°I knew because I happened to see the article. It was nothing, you don¡¯t need to repay me.¡± ¡°Still¡­¡± ¡°I told you I¡¯d treat you to a meal. Well, I told you I¡¯d treat you to a meal without knowing you¡¯re busy to the point of almost copsing. I felt I had to apologize for that.¡± ¡°Ah. Not at all!¡± Do Wook shook his hands, taken aback by what Lee Yoo Min said. The appetizers for the course meal they ordered came. ¡°Eat up. But, is it ok for you to be out and about already? I would have been ok meeting up at ater day.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t too sick. I rested plenty in the hospital so I¡¯m fine now.¡± ¡°Your group is the hottest group currently, right? My niece is in middle school and she was singing a KK song. She¡¯d probably faint if she knew I was meeting you like this.¡± President Lee Yoo Min remarked idly as she ate the sd that came on a palm-sized te. ¡°Please give me an autograph before you leave. I¡¯ll tell you my niece¡¯s name. That¡¯d be enough to repay me or the flower basket.¡± ¡°Yes yes, of course.¡± Do Wook dly replied. As the meal progressed, conversation about work naturally came up. It started with talk about the time he was a model for Lucas¡¯s fashion show. Do Wook had left a deep impression on President Lee Yoo Min that day. ¡°To be honest, it wasn¡¯t just that I wanted to have a meal with you. I wanted to work with you¡­ are you interested in fashion? These days singers are more interested in fashion than in modeling.¡± Do Wook¡¯s eyes shone. ¡°I do. I am interested.¡± She wasn¡¯t at the level of Yoo Sung Electronics President Lee Chul Ho, but President Lee Yoo Min was also a very busy person. Time was money, and it was natural for a meeting with someone to turn into business. It was a request he had somewhat expected when President Lee Yoo Min said she wanted to meet up. It was a great blessing and opportunity that he had caught President Lee Yoo Min¡¯s eye. Do Wook had also note here only to eat. He nned on taking advantage of that blessing and opportunity to the fullest so all his effort wasn¡¯t in vain. ¡°On that note¡­there was something I wanted to ask of you too, ma¡¯am.¡± President Lee Yoo Minughed with an expression showing, ¡®as expected¡¯. ¡°Is that so? Please go ahead.¡± ¡ª Chapter 87: Go Higher (4) Chapter 87: Go Higher (4) Before meeting with President Lee Yoo Min, Do Wook had suggested to the KK members and Manager Oh Baek Ho about trying hip hop unit activities. The type of hip hop unit Do Wook was thinking of had Kim Won and Jung Yoon Ki as the main members, and featured Ahn Hyung Seo or Do Wook. Do Wook couldn¡¯t help but tread carefully when speaking. A unit activity, like individual activities, could mess up the overall bnce of the team. It was also possible that the members not included in the hip hop unit would feel alienated. Also, the determination of members included in the hip hop unit was incredibly important. ¡°Wow, Do Wook is working again!¡± As soon as Do Wook finished talking, Ahn Hyung Seo was astonished about it. The other members shook their heads. There didn¡¯t seem to be anyints about the memberposition, which was the part he had worried about. ¡°It¡¯s a unit activity and not an official activity, so it¡¯s an opportunity to show the KK members have this side to them too. We can slowly¡­¡± Ahn Hyung Seoughed, thinking Do Wook anxiously exining was funny. Feeling that the members¡¯ reactions were not positive, Do Wook quickly added, ¡°If you all think it¡¯d be too difficult¡­¡± He had absolutely no intention to cause other people hardship over his greed. Kim Won interrupted and said, ¡°Bro, I¡¯m okay*. I¡¯m fine. And it made me want to try it as soon as I heard it.¡± (TL Note: this part is said in English) Do Wook¡¯s expression immediately became brighter. ¡°The problem is you overworking.¡± Do Wook was about to say ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it¡± in response to what Kim Won said, but Jung Yoon Ki interrupted. ¡°I¡¯m all for it too. It¡¯s definitely a good n for me and Won.¡± ¡°Right?!¡± ¡°Thank you for thinking of it. But I have a condition, man.¡± ¡°A¡­condition?¡± Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s ¡®condition¡¯ was very unusual. It wasn¡¯t a discussion that usually happened between members. Slightly nervous, Do Wook listened to what Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s condition was. ¡°Will you be producing the album, Do Wook?¡± ¡°Yes. If by any chance you don¡¯t like that¡­¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine with that part. There¡¯s no producer that knows us as well as you do. But we¡¯ll write the lyrics, all the parts, the entire song.¡± That was Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s condition. Jung Yoon Ki wanted to lessen Do Wook¡¯s burden even just a little. Do Wook was grateful for Jung Yoon Ki stepping up and saying they¡¯d do the lyrics. ¡°Hip hop is my specialty.¡± He was right. Do Wook had thought to better utilize other members¡¯ talents for this album anyways. It was a relief the two of them didn¡¯t see this n as an annoyance, but enthusiastically saw it as an opportunity. ¡°Of course. You¡¯re more knowledgeable than I am.¡± Jung Yoon Ki smiled brightly at what Do Wook said. Kim Won was also fired up. ¡°I think it¡¯d be good if you guys were involved in not just writing the lyrics but also from the concept all the way to the song selection.¡± ¡°Sure, man. We need to try it too so we can get better.¡± Jung Yoon Ki and Kim Won were proactive about it since it was an album that had them as the focus. If it were Jung Yoon Ki, who had been on a fairly steady track, and Kim Won, who had been working on polishing his skills, working together, it¡¯d be enough. There was no need for Do Wook to carry all the burden by himself like when he produced KK¡¯s second full-length album by himself. ¡°I have a condition as well.¡± Everyone looked at Manager Oh Baek Ho with a puzzled look when he suddenly spoke. It was actually Oh Baek Ho who had gathered all the members. Because Do Wook had brought up the topic first since everyone was gathered anyway, It became a meeting about doing a unit album. ¡°Schedule-wise, if we were to make a hip hop unit album, you¡¯ll have to prepare for at least 2 months, right?¡± ¡°Yes¡­most likely,¡± Do Wook responded to Oh Baek Ho¡¯s question. ¡°Then let¡¯s do what thepany says for one week next week and then go into preparations.¡± ¡°Wow. Do Wook has more events scheduled? Ourpany really is demandi ¨C¡± Manager Oh Baek Ho raised one eyebrow when Ahn Hyung Seo got riled up. ¡°Not just Do Wook but all of you.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What¡­what is it?¡± Park Tae Hyung, who thought there were no activities scheduled other than preparing for the concert and the asionalrge festivals, asked, a little surprised. ¡°You get a vacation for one week.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°To Guam.¡± The members¡¯ jaws dropped. ¡°You guys haven¡¯t had a break in over a year. Thepany is sending you on an all-expense paid vacation to Guam so you can rest properly. It¡¯s like a reward vacation.¡± ¡°Is that true?¡± Jung Yoon Ki asked as he swallowed hard. ¡°Why would I lie? And if we gave you a vacation in Korea, you wouldn¡¯t be able to really rest. Go to Guam for about 4 days and go home for the other 2 days.¡± ¡°Oh my gosh!¡± Kim Won yelled with a voice full of joy. Do Wook also nodded his head over how thoughtful thepany was being. Both people¡¯s conditions were out of consideration for Do Wook. After discussing it further with Album Production Team Leader Shim Joon and Production Director Kwon Heung Jo, KK¡¯s hip hop unit album activities that Do Wook nned were decided. Director Kwon Heung Jo even told them he only saw this album as something that would diversify their music color and help their skills grow, so they didn¡¯t have to work too hard on it. It wasn¡¯t something easy to say for apany whose goal was to generate revenue. However, Director Kwon¡¯s calction that there would be no deficit since Do Wook and KK members already had a certain amount of poprity was also an underlying factor. Regardless, he meant that they didn¡¯t have to put too much pressure on themselves. The album announcement was nned for two monthster. They decided to do activities such as music broadcasts for one week so that it wouldn¡¯t ovep with events like the concert or the award ceremony. As for fan service, they only nned to do one or two fan autograph sessions. The name for the hip hop unit was decided as ¡®OKAY¡¯. They decided on that name because it had the initials from Kim Won (One)¡¯s ¡®O¡¯ and Jung Yoon (Yoon) Ki¡¯s ¡®Y¡¯ as well as the letter K from KK. The meaning and vibe from the word ¡®Okay¡¯ was good too. The idea for the unit name came from Suk Ji Hoon. The other KK members who weren¡¯t the focus of the album also readily stepped up to help the hardworking members with misceneous things. *** While the discussions were progressing little by little, Do Wook met with Yoo Sung Fashion President Lee Yoo Min. And he brought up KK¡¯s hip hop unit OKAY to Yoo Sung Fashion President Lee Yoo Min. They didn¡¯t have a concrete n. ¡°A hip hop unit¡­.that¡¯s fun.¡± ¡°We wanted to try something different.¡± ¡°What I wanted to work with you on was actually to revamp our brand image.¡± President Lee Yoo Min brought up the details first. Since Yoo Sung Fashion also had multiple brands under them, someone on a Department Assistant Manager or Manager level who dealt with projects usually came up with the proposal, nned out the project, and recruited models, not someone on the level of President. The standard work President Lee Yoo Min did was giving them a general direction and leading the project. However, President Lee Yoo Min would step up once in a while ande up with specific projects. She lived up to her reputation as the President who gave new life to Yoo Sung Fashion¡¯s brands. The n she came up with after seeing Do Wook was one such example. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you know but there¡¯s a brand called ¡®7 days¡¯ in our SPA brand.¡± ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡± It was a brand that Yoo Sung Fashion quickly prepared andunched once the SPA brand gained strength in foreign countries. They hadn¡¯t been around for long, but riding on the back of argepany like Yoo Sung Fashion, they were getting their name known through die-hard fans. ¡°We¡¯ve been expanding our stores with Seoul as the focus sincest year, and our goal is entering the global market of course. ¡° Do Wook took a sip of water as he listened to what President Lee Yoo Min was saying. ¡°But it¡¯s been hard trying to make it stand out from the other SPA brands. It doesn¡¯t have a concrete brand image yet either. So I was thinking of making you the face of ¡®7 days¡¯.¡± What President Lee Yoo Min brought up was very enticing. Being the face of a brand was a huge deal. Even though it was new, it was a Yoo Sung Fashion brand. ¡°I think a young but not too light image would go absolutely perfect with our brand. I came up with it while watching the Rendez-vous project. I think I also heard that you guys are doing well in the Chinese market these days¡­¡± ¡°Thank you for thinking favorably of us,¡± Do Wook politely thanked her. President Lee Yoo Min saw Do Wook¡¯s reaction andughed. She could see why her brother thought highly of Do Wook. It was already near the end of the course meal. ¡°It¡¯s hip hop¡­there isn¡¯t a ton of cussing, is there?¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± Do Wook quickly answered President Lee Yoo Min¡¯s provoking question. ¡°Are you saying you want to do a cob with our 7 days and KK¡¯s hip hop unit?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t necessarily have that brand in mind, but since we forged this rtionship it¡¯d be a huge help if we got to work with you.¡± It wasn¡¯t a bad option for President Lee Yoo Min either. She would have to tell the strategic nning team to analyze it before getting into the details. President Lee Yoo Min answered readily, ¡°Ok, sure! I don¡¯t think a young image would be bad. You¡¯re there, so I¡¯ll trust you with the other stuff.¡± ¡°Ah¡­Thank you.¡± ¡°KK wll give us a positive image, we will heavily promote KK along with the brand. As you said, I hope this will grow into a strong rtionship.¡± Do Wook nodded his head. President Lee Yoo Min¡¯s ruby ring sparkled on her finger. Do Wook hoped this partnership would turn into something valuable like that ring. *** The faces of the KK members, who returned from their reward vacation in Guam, were all tanned. The members hadughed together, had talked together, and had rxed together as they recharged. They focused again on their shared dream. During this time, Do Wook¡¯s mind also had a moment to rx. He¡¯d continue to work hard, but it was an opportunity to look back at the year that he had spent charging forward only focused on revenge like a rhinoceros charging with its horn. He started to think about how he wanted to live his life as the current Kang Do Wook. Of course there was the uncertainty of not knowing when something might happen to his soul or the timeline, so he couldn¡¯t think about it too deeply. As the clear autumn weather continued, KK¡¯s hip hop unit ¡®OKAY¡¯ entered thetter stages of album production. A tracklist with a total of 3 songs was made. The title song ¡®Go High¡¯ featured Do Wook. One song featured Ahn Hyung Seo, and one song was solely Kim Won and Jung Yoon Ki rapping. For the week-long activities, Do Wook and Ahn Hyung Seo would take turns performing. As the promotion went in full swing in anticipation of the album sales, the response from young people of the idol fandom and even the hip hop scene was intense. Yoo Sung Fashion¡¯s ¡®7days¡¯ design team was in charge of all of OKAY¡¯s styling, and OKAY became models for the new line ¡®7 days¡¯ that wasunching. Furthermore, along with theeback for OKAY, they nned on having OKAY¡¯s songs y in all of the ¡®7 days¡¯ stores and national TV advertisements. Sa Bang Shin Hwa¡¯seback was also scheduled. ¡ª Chapter 88: Scope (1) Chapter 88: Scope (1) When OKAYs album hit the market, responses came out one after another. The hip hop genre wasnt a genre that only people who were a little manic about it could enjoy after a certain peak point. In the music market, it was one of the genres that led the trend. Even among hip hop albums, OKAYs album stood out. It was on the same level as albums made in America, which produced the mainstream hip hop music. There were some critics here and there who judged that there were some unsatisfactory aspects, but those were ultimately just the critics opinions. Even those critics didnt hesitate to call it the most popr hip hop album released this year. OKAY wasnt a group in the idol genre, but the hip hop genre. Their conclusion that it could be seen as hip hop was expected. They only had three songs, but the variation among the three songs was significant. Go High, which featured Do Wook, was an exciting song about jumping together and reaching a high ce. It had easy lyrics, fast rapping, and Do Wooks refreshing voice chiming in in between. It was a song that couldnt help but appeal to the public. As for Dont Go Back, which featured Ahn Hyung Seo, it was a song about not looking back on the past. It had a slower tempo than Go High and the literary lyrics from the two rappers Jung Yoon Ki and Kim Won were excellent. Furthermore, the high notes Ahn Hyung Seo showed off with his sorrowful voice soaked the ear like autumn rain. Ahn Hyung Seos almost overly emotional singing method, which he didnt dare try in KKs album because it was a lot of pressure, was also new. The final song, Talk To You, was Jung Yoon Ki and Kim Wons story. The two rappers used all of their skills to make a song that belonged to only them. It was also the song that was most likely to excite hip hop maniacs. This perfect songposition was born in the hands of Do Wook as the producer, but it was also thanks to recruiting Tendi, a rapper from a famous hip hop group who had recently started to pursueposing. Is there a currentposer thats decent? Tendi Jung Yoon Ki had asked while thinking about the albums title song. Do Wook had casually brought up Tendis name. Do Wook knew very well that Tendi had the most popr and sophisticated music when it came to the hip hop genre. He would eventer be a maker of hit songs that were on par with Brave Only Childs songs. It wouldnt be bad for OKAY to be his starting point. Jung Yoon Ki reacted to Do Wook bringing up the name Tendi. Tendi was also a judge on Show Me the Honey. Jung Yoon Ki actively used his Show Me the Honey connection to contact Tendi and got a song. The song Tendi had sent fit unbelievably well with the image OKAY had in mind for their title song. And so Tendi became involved in OKAYs album. The reactions arevery good. Its still trending, Jung Yoon Ki muttered with a dazed voice as he looked at his cellphone. 3 days had passed since the album release. After the recorded music broadcast aired yesterday, OKAYs group name, KK, Go High, etc. started to trend again. For a few days it often showed up on the trending list. It wasnt something that would briefly be a hot topic then disappear. Exciting*! Exciting! (TL Note: The first time is said in Korean, the second time is said in English.) Kim Won yelled, excited. Today was the day OKAY was having a public fan autograph session at the 7days store in Myungdong to celebrate the album release. It was a fan autograph signing involving the OKAY members Jung Yoon Ki and Kim Won as well as Do Wook who was the main 7days model. The three of them were in the area of the store that was closed off for todays autograph signing, waiting for it to start. It seemed like a lot of people were gathered when I looked as we entered from the back earlier, Do Wook said in a worried voice as he nced outside. Gu Chul Min nodded his head and replied that the security team were on high alert too over the swarm of people that came for the public fan autograph session. As the OKAY activities started, Do Wook was suddenly sensing that their recognizability had gone up one level ever since their 2nd full-length album. They realized aftering to Myungdong today that it was true that OKAYs songs were ying in clubs, clothing stores, and on the street no matter where you went. The expectation they have for KK probably directly transferred to OKAY as well Furthermore, OKAY included people of the public who were resistant to idol music through the genre of hip hop. Lets head out now. Its time. Do Wook, Jung Yoon Ki, and Kim Won got up from their seats when Gu Chul Min spoke. They could see the outside of the store from the stairway that led to the 1st floor where the fan autograph session would be taking ce. Oh my gosh. There were as many people gathered in front of the 7days store as during the Christmas season when there are the most people in the streets of Myungdong. All that is Jung Yoon Ki was speechless as he looked down. They had seen articles that had titles like The crowd gathered for OKAY fan autograph session that were being posted in real time, but it was strange seeing it with their own eyes. Will we be able to do the autograph session? The fans as well as people passing by are going crazy trying to see you guysI think we should end this as soon as possible It was a big enough crowd to cause concern for idents. The nearby police had already been dispatched. Do Wook nodded his head. It seemed that the autograph session with the 150 people who were picked after buying 7days clothes had to progress swiftly. He was also thinking that he should give as much fan service as possible so that the fans wouldnt be disappointed in the fast-paced autograph session. Lets head down quickly. Yeah, lets. When Do Wook said that, Jung Yoon Ki and Kim Won quickened their steps. In front of the 7days store, which was a 4-story building, a picture of OKAY was hanging. OKAY started their autograph session in front of a picture of themselves that was hung in the center of Myungdong. It wasnt just Myungdong that had arge picture of OKAY hanging up. An OKAY picture was also hanging in the middle of Gangnam. If it were a ce that had a 7days advertisement, there was arge cutout of OKAY included regardless of where it was. The effect of the publicity they received after partnering with 7days was tremendous. Of course, the advertising 7days enjoyed thanks to KK was also astounding. The 7days sneakers that the members wore anytime anywhere throughout the OKAY active period for things like music broadcasts and fan autograph sessions were gaining sensational poprity. The high top sneakers came in two different versions, white and ck, and were popr enough among students and people in their 20s to be called the nations sneaker. When walking down the street, you could see one in five people wearing the 7days high top sneakers. It was a surprising situation for 7days, which was not a brand that specialized in shoes. Of course they hadunched these sneakers because demand for high top sneakers was increasing like a trend, but the reason 7days sneakers dominated as the main brand among countless high top lines was because OKAY was the very first to perform on stage wearing high tops. Also, the phrase will be OKAY that was on every clothing released by 7days for the OKAY line spread like a trend, and you could see clothes with the same phrase being sold all throughout the shopping mall. Especially the sweater Do Wook was wearing already sold over 100,000 units. It was a job that demonstrated that the group OKAY as well as Do Wook could take on the role of a fashion leader. With that, the short but strong week-long OKAY activities came to an end. As for Kim Won and Jung Yoon Ki, the response was at the peak of its hype, so they were disappointed the activities couldntst longer. The three songs continued to be ranked first, third, and 10th on the music charts, respectively. Fandom was important, but they realized once again how impactful it was if the public was moved. However, KK had their first concert tour starting at Seoul and going all the way to Japan and China, so it wasnt possible to do any more activities. It seems like the songs will continue to maintain their rankings even if we dont have activities. The set list for the first concert had juste out. The members gathered to practice the songs choreography that they hadnt had before to familiarize themselves with it. Ahn Hyung Seo said to Jung Yoon Ki, who was looking at the music chart during the brief break while choreographer Noh Yoon Tae left the room. Yeah, I think thatll be the case too. Jung Yoon Ki scratched the back of his head. Im amazed and happy that Dont Go Back is continuing to stay at 2nd and 3rd ce too. Right? Ahn Hyung Seo said as he pointed to the song he was featured in. The OKAY unit album had a different purpose than KKs normal album. It demonstrated the music style the members wanted to do a little more clearly. Their affection for the album definitely increased significantly as their involvement increased. As he looked at Ahn Hyung Seo and Jung Yoon Ki, Do Wook thought about the next KK album that they would be releasing next year. Well probably emphasize the fact that its a group, but I think itd be good if it were made into an album that shows a little more individuality. Park Tae Hyung handed Do Wook something. It was a red ginseng drink. Ah. Thank you. Smiling, Do Wook epted the red ginseng drink. Park Tae Hyung looked after Do Wooks health, often offering red ginseng packs or nutritional supplements to him even though it had been a while since he got better. He didnt say anything in particr, but Park Tae Hyung, who was able to debut with Do Wooks help, was always thankful to Do Wook. Do Wook understood how Park Tae Hyung felt so he epted the things Park Tae Hyung offered him without hesitation and with a grateful heart. But Sa Bang Shin Hwas album releases today. I think well fall behind on the rankings, Jung Yoon Ki muttering could be heard. Ahn Hyung Seo couldnt say much against his statement of falling behind in rankings because of Sa Bang Shin Hwa. Im sure itll be super cool this time too. I saw the teaser. It was dope. Sa Bang Shin Hwa was a group that devoured the idol fandom with their powerful performance. Do Wook thought quietly, Sa Bang Shin Hwa will go downhill around next year anyways. Bad rumors started to surround Sa Bang Shin Hwa as the discord among the members grew. The discord of the members soon led to a division in the fandom. They were arge group that won the grand prize for two consecutive years after all. If there were an uphill path, there was a downhill path. However, Sa Bang Shin Hwa did note down slowly. Their poprity dropped so rapidly to the point that it could be called a plunge. Sa Bang Shin Hwa brought it upon themselves. Ara Entertainment was trying to ce M2M in a position to seed Sa Bang Shin Hwa, so they didnt feel a need to further invest into Sa Bang Shin Hwa. However, currently M2M is not able to perfectly im their ce because of KK. As a matter of fact, depending on how M2M would go about their next album, it would decisively divide KK and M2M. And in that regard, Do Wook was certain of KKs victory. KKs current rise wasnt one that could be stopped by conventional methods. As actors, the personal fight between Seo Kang Jun and Do Wook still didnt have a winner, but there was one in the case of M2M and KK. Even Sa Bang Shin Hwaitd be good if KK could surpass them before they trip over their own foot. Do Wook thought as he tossed the red ginger drink he finished into the trash can. Sa Bang Shin Hwa, who was first in fandom strength and size even with the current album but was slightly losing poprity, would soon fall behind OKAY in the music charts anyways. However, Sa Bang Shin Hwa had an unclimbable wall that was their album sales volume. Well see whos the winner after next years KK album. Do Wook nned how to gradually take down Ara Entertainment, Seo Kang Jun and Director Seo Joong Won as he thought. He had thought of something to achieve that. At that moment, the members cellphones rang at the same time. It was a group message from Manager Oh Baek Ho. It said that KK was to be the sub model in an advertisement for L Duty Free Shop that Sa Bang Shin Hwa was the main model for. Chapter 89: Scope (2) Chapter 89: Scope (2) L Duty Free Shop?! Really?? Wow! Crazy! The members, who were surprised after checking the message, all shouted. As it happened, they had previously heard that they were receiving advertisement offers one after another recently. Thepany was painstakingly choosing among the flurry of advertisement requests that wereing in. They also had to consider how to raise KKs value. Among them, L Duty Free Shop was an advertisement they absolutely had to do regardless of pay. L Duty Free Shop was a ce that didnt typically pick you as their model unless you were a big Hanryu* star. (TL Note: hanryu/hallyu refers to the Korean Wave, the global rise of Korean culture) Of course Sa Bang Shin Hwa was not the only model for L Duty Free Shop. Theyd historically used a lot of Hanryu stars like Sa Bang Shin Hwa as models. However, they were mostly actors, and Sa Bang Shin Hwa was the only idol model for L Duty Free Shop. It wasnt enough to simply be popr in Korea. You had to have significant poprity abroad to be a model for L Duty Free Shop. Those who caught the quickest that KK was gaining poprity in Japan and China were marketing teams of businesses where overseas sales were important, like duty free stores. Even though they were just a submodel for a photoshoot without a video, it was a good example to prove that KK had reached a certain position. With this, in less than 2 years since debuting KK achieved all three of the top advertisements an idol could do: a school uniform, chicken, and duty free stores. [Then when is the shoot?] Jung Yoon Ki asked Manager Oh Baek Ho as the representative. [The shoot is around December and youll do the New Year advertisement first.] [The concept is giving a New Year greeting wearing hanbok.] [There will be another shoot in March depending on the response.] Manager Oh Baek Ho, who was at an external meeting, sent them a concise response summarizing just the important content. Excited, Ahn Hyung Seo sent an emoticon of a rabbit drawing a heart without thinking. I think Manager Oh will say something about that Suk Ji Hoon, who had been looking at his cellphone, said. Sure enough, Manager Oh Baek Ho sent a message scolding Ahn Hyung Seo. Not caring at all, Ahn Hyung Seo excitedly hummed. The other members looked at Ahn Hyung Seo doing that and smiled. It was true that everyone was in a good mood. Theres nobody who can stand in our wayyyyy! Ahn Hyung Seo sang the theme song of a sports cartoon as he spun around in circles. Pretending to cover his ears, Jung Yoon Ki, who was trying to stop Ahn Hyung Seo, made eye contact with Do Wook . Do Wook was thinking of how Ara Entertainment, who had probably already heard the news, must have reacted when they heard the news KK was doing an ad for L Duty Free Shop. Im sure they had considered M2M, who will be seeding Sa Bang Shin Hwa, as the model too Jung Yoon Ki, who was making eye contact with Do Wook, muttered, Honestly, Im kind of scaredtely. Do Wook asked what do you mean with his eyes, and Jung Yoon Ki quietly started to speak, Think about it. It cant continue to be one sess after another like this forever Do Wook understood the uneasiness Jung Yoon Ki was feeling. It was natural to feel uneasy. Even Do Wook, who knows the future and can get ahead, didnt know if everything would work out or not. Every day was a challenge and adventure for Do Wook too. However, he was certain of one thing. You could properly get to your destination if you walked the set path without going off-track. That was why you had to give it your best every day. Dont care, bro*. We just need to keep working hard! (TL Note: This was said in English.) Kim Won said what Do Wook wanted to say. When Kim Won said that, Jung Yoon Ki nodded his head. Park Tae Hyung, who was quietly listening from the side, felt the same. At that moment instructor Noh Yoon Tae, who had stepped out, returned. They started the concert rehearsal again. *** In the midst of busily preparing for the concert, Do Wook had a short meeting with Yoo Sung Fashions President Lee Yoo Min. It was at a quiet caf near Dosan Park. Gu Chul Min, who brought Do Wook by car to the meeting ce, sat at the next table so he wouldnt get in the way of their conversation. Hello maam. Why are you greeting me so stiffly? Please rx. Long time no see. Yes. Have you been well? Yes, thanks to you. President Lee Yoo Min replied,ughing. President Lee Yoo Min was extremely satisfied with the result of the brand 7days and OKAYs coboration. It was such a perfect result that it would be weird if you werent satisfied no matter how greedy you were. You could have spoken with our Team Leader, but isnt it better if I tell you directly? President Lee Yoo Min said bluntly after ordering coffee. And I wanted to see you again too.* (TL Note: To rify, Yoo Min is saying this to Do Wook.) President Lee Yoo Min was perfectly put together today too. A manner of speaking that didnt have any gaps yet wasnt too stiff and felt rxed. Do Wook learned those things as he looked at President Lee Yoo Min. Thank you for looking after me. Sure. I want to use KK as the model for 7dayss next season. It wont be a coboration like with OKAY, just simple modeling. After the recent coboration, HIT Entertainment and the 7days marketing team had felt it had been a win-win situation and had already discussed things a little further. President Lee Yoo Min simply set up a formal meeting so she could take extra care of Do Wook. It was what was called managing your connections. Of course I consider it an honor any chance I get to work with Yoo Sung Fashion. President Lee Yoo Min took a sip of her coffee when Do Wook responded. Im thankful that thats how you feel. I heard KK was just selected as the model for L Duty Free Shop too. Ah, you heard? Yes, I happened to. President Lee Yoo Min replied vaguely then added with a smile. I have a personal rtionship with the President of L Duty Free Shop. Do Wook realized that fact btedly and eximed ah. President Lee Yoo Mins rtive was President Lee Yoo Jin, who owned L Hotel. He had thought President Lee Yoo Jin was only the President of L Hotel, but recalled a step toote that he owned L Duty Free Shop too. I heard youre rivals with M2M in your industry. Ahh Do Wook felt he might be able to get some information from President Lee Yoo Min so his curiosity was getting the best of him, but he was careful with his words. As if she had noticed how Do Wook felt, President Lee Yoo Min continued to speak, I heard their agency pushed for that. Is that so? Just as he thought. There was no way Ara Entertainment was keeping quiet. Yes. But, well, KK is extremely well received overseas. The hard work paid off. Do Wook replied as he seamlessly put on a smile. President Lee Yoo Min liked how he was not overly humble and pointed out things he should point out. Still, M2Ms Seo Jun? They became models because he was well-received in China for his drama. I didnt know. Thats good, Do Wook replied, trying to not harden his expression. We were also looking for a model and his name came up, so we were looking into him. I see But we have you. When President Lee Yoo Min said that, Do Wook didnt know what to do so he drank the coffee in front of him. President Lee Yoo Mins expression hardened a little and became sharp. Thats what I think. Do Wook looked at President Lee Yoo Min with a serious expression. A star from the sky is more valuable than a cut diamond. The two of them quietly looked at each other. Do Wook understood the overall meaning of what President Lee Yoo Min said. He was able to tell clearly that Ara Entertainment had pushed M2M to Yoo Sung Fashion and L Duty Free Shop, and that doing so made President Lee Yoo Min be against it instead. Do Wook started to think that if he kept up a good rtionship with President Lee Yoo Min, she would be a stronger ally than he thought. *** KKs first concert itinerary was already announced before KK started preparing for the concert. When posters, ticket reservations, and performance dates were announced, the fandom was restless. The fanmunity was full of talk of the concert every day. The first concert had a total of 3 performances: one performance a day for 3 days, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, at a handball stadium. Considering the current poprity of KK, the size of the concert hall was rather small. However, they clearly couldnt amodate all the fans since there were only three performances. The reason they couldnt rent a bigger ce was because they had already rented a concert ce at the beginning of the year. They had already taken into consideration that KKs poprity would increase, but the trend of increasing fans was faster than expected. Most of the fans expected there to be a ticket war. There were even fans who quickly gave up and decided to wait for the encore concert that would most likelye to Seoul again after the Japan and China concert. There were talks within thepany about adding additional performances, but since it was the first concert there was a consensus that one performance a day would be sufficient so that they could focus more on quality. -They did a national tour in Japan, why arent they doing it in Korea? Why?! -Im poorhow can I raise the money? Will I be able to save up my allowance in time for the ticket reservation? -Im really looking forward to the first concert! KK live will be freaking awesome. -Seeing Prince Do Wook in person for the first time D-31 -Will I be able to keep my sanity??? -Im a working person and the Friday 8 pm performance is cutting it too close. I want to go to all the performancesdo I need to use my PTO? -Are you a Key Ring? If youre not a Key Ring you wont be able to go to all the performances even if you wanted to. -First Generation Key Ring -Its a golden spoon At least fans who quickly joined the Key Ring fan club could rest easy. They were worried about getting good seats, but they didnt have to worry about tickets being sold out. That was because presales for the fan club took ce the day before the general tickets. On the day the concert ticket reservations took ce, Suk Ji Hoon was using theputer in the dormitory living room trying to reserve tickets on the ticket reservation site while Jung Yoon Ki, Kim Won, and Do Wook were away for an OKAY activity. Park Tae Hyung was watching from behind. Why.are you reserving a ticket? Its just, every time I go to the fan caf, theyre alwaysining that its a ticket war. I was curious how fans reserve tickets. Park Tae Hyung was also curious. Suk Ji Hoon, who entered the ticket reservation site on time, pressed the F5 key right at the reservation time, 8 pm, as fans said, to refresh the page. Huh? Park Tae Hyung, who was looking at the monitor from behind, absentmindedly made a sound. Suk Ji Hoon, who was confident he could move the mouse quickly, also stared at the monitor, bewildered. The refreshed screen didnt appear, only a white screen. No matter how many times he pressed the button he couldnt get in. After 10 minutes had passed he was finally able to get to the seat selection, but the tickets were already sold out. Within almost 5 minutes, all the presale tickets were sold out. The few tickets that were left for general tickets the next day disappeared in 2 minutes. It was sold out. The fans are really something Yeah. It was also the day Suk Ji Hoon and Park Tae Hyung had a big realization. *** The sold-out concert was fast approaching. The members, who had been rehearsing for the concert as usual, were called to the Fan Marketing Team for the first time in a while. There were so many things to prepare with the concerting up. There was also a change within the Fan Marketing Team. The change was that the previous Fan Marketing Team Leader Jo Anna changed departments when she was promoted to Department Head of the nning and Operations Team, and there was a new Team Leader for the Fan Marketing Team. The KK members looked at the tall man entering the conference room. He was tall and handsome enough to be a celebrity. Hello, Im Lee Dae Hyung. Im the new team leader for Fan Marketing. I look forward to working with you. With that energetic introduction and greeting, the KK members went ohhhh in admiration. Their first impression of Lee Dae Hyung was very good. Do Wook frowned as he sat in his seat after shaking hands with Lee Dae Hyung. Why is Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung, who should be with Ara Entertainment, here Trantorments: Hello everyone! I just wanted to pop in and say Happy Lunar New year~~ Hope you are all enjoying the story so far. Thank you for all your support. Chapter 90: Scope (3) Chapter 90: Scope (3) Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung gave a simple introduction of himself and said he was able toe to HIT Entertainment thanks to Department Head Jo Anna, who was now the Department Head of the nning and Operations Team. Did Department Head Jo Anna scout him? Do Wook thought to himself, but focused on the content of todays meeting for now. Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung introduced the project, saying it was his first project with HIT Entertainment so hed like a lot of help. The project Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung was trying to start was a KK merchandise business. Currently KK, like other singers, had basic goods prepared for sale each time an album was released. The type of goods that were included in the fanclub kit and the cheering stick designs all based on Do Wooks ideas were produced in an unusual way, but it didnt feel like it was full-fledged. Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung, who had inherited the idea that Department Head Jo Anna had nned, was looking to increase profits by selling merchandise in earnest. So, starting with this concert, were nning on starting arge-scale merchandise business. The members nodded their heads as they listened to Team Leader Lee Dae Hyungs exnation. First of all, well still sell the small goods that weve already been selling, like photocards, notepads, or hand fans, butwere thinking of turning the members into characters. Character? Ahn Hyung Seo, who enjoyed cartoons, reacted to the word character. Yes. Well turn the members into characters while highlighting their individualities. I think we couldmercialize it in a little more diverse way if we turn those characters into merchandise, starting with dolls. Woah The members nodded their heads. Honestly, if the goods did well it would be as good for the members as it would be for thepany. Compared to things like music files, broadcasts, and festivals, the money the members personally received from album sales or merchandise was significantly better. This was even more so when it came to personal merchandise that had their name or face stered on it. What style will the characters be in? Do Wook, who had been listening quietly, asked. For now were thinking of something simple like a cartoon or an animal character. Actually, Ara Entertainment had already tried a character project with Sa Bang Shin Hwa previously. However,pared to Sa Bang Shin Hwas fame, it ended up not being a very profitable business. It might have been different if it were a picture of the actual Sa Bang Shin Hwa, but the Sa Bang Shin Hwa-based characters didnt appeal much to the fans. It was also a big issue that the characters had a negative vibe and not a positive vibe. It was a memory he had from his time at Q Entertainment, where he studied it as one of the failed cases. He was sure Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung, who was a part of Ara Entertainment, was aware of that problem. Do Wooks gaze became a little sharp. I think the art style will be important. Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung nodded his head. As it happens, there was a time at mystpany where the character business failed. At that time, the feedback we received the most was its not pretty. Thats why this time, we n on making it as cute as possible so it will appeal to the fans, who are the main target audience. Oh, then I think animals would be good! Ahn Hyung Seo yelled in response to what Lee Dae Hyung Team Leader said. There are a lot of fans these days who say they want to do OrCo, so I think if we turned it into animals and made it not too noticeable Jung Yoon Ki asked further, OrCo? What is OrCo? Ordinary cosylike pretending not to be a fan, Suk Ji Hoon, who had been sitting next to him, calmly exined. Lee Dae Hyung gave a thumbs up to Ahn Hyung Seos suggestion. As expected, the members know the fans well. I also thought that going with animal characters would be good. Assistant Manager Ra Hee, you have the list of people who were picked to work on the project together, right? Yes, we picked about three people and organized the data along with images. Please take a look and choose which style you guys think will be good. Wed like your opinions too. Itd also be helpful if you included which animal each of you would like to be or the animal you think you look like. Assistant Manager Do Ra Hee distributed the papers she had prepared to the members and Manager Oh Baek Ho. ording to Department Head Jo, HIT Entertainment tries to follow what the members want as much as possible. Yes. The members are very involved. It was Manager Oh Baek Ho who answered this time. Of course Manager Oh Baek Ho knew that the newly scouted Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung was from Ara Entertainment. Since it was the number one agency, there were no disagreements over Team Leader Lee Dae Hyungs skills. However, people from Ara Entertainment were stuck up just as much. Department Head Jo Anna would most likely overlook it herself just fine, but there were some concerns that HIT Entertainments ideology or casualpany culture might get ruined. Therefore, Manager Oh Baek Ho wanted to drill in the importance of exchanging ideas with the members or other teams from the beginning. Thankfully, Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung seemed to have understood well what he meant. Continuing on, they discussed the uing concert, such as its marketing. For now, KKs schedule was focusing on the concert and the award show. Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung wrapped up, saying today was meant for lightly discussing the project as a whole and that hed like to discuss it in further detail next time. I heard that you especially have a lot of ideas regarding fan marketing, Do Wook. Please help me out a lot, Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung stated further specially to Do Wook, who was heading out of the conference room. Do Wook replied as he stared quietly at Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung, Yes. I also look forward to working with you from here on out. After speaking with him a little and based off his response to what Manager Oh Baek Ho said, Do Wook could tell Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung was scouted from Ara Entertainment after he was offered extremely good conditions from Department Head Jo Anna. Do Wook recalled stories about Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung, whom he had only heard rumors of during his time as an employee in Q Entertainments PR team. Hes a person with a lot of ambition. Even if he came simply because the scouting conditions were goodhe left arge agency like Ara Entertainment toe to HIT Entertainment? It doesnt make sense. Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung was eyeing at least a Director level position even in the highlypetitive Ara Entertainment. HIT Entertainments status was also changing as KK was gaining poprity, but Do Wook couldnt tell what Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung was thinking inside. Is it that he simply saw more potential in HIT Entertainment? Do Wook looked at Assistant Manager Do Ra Hee who was next to Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung. I feel like itd be good to keep an eye out for any leaks. However, since Assistant Manager Do Ra Hee was there, Do Wook trusted that the project wouldnt gopletely wrong. Assistant Manager Do Ra Hee was Department Head Jo Annas trusted staff member as well as a HIT Entertainment staff member. Even if Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung tried to sabotage the project from the inside, Department Head Jo Anna would hear about it from Assistant Manager Do Ra Hee. Then, please take care, Do Wook greeted Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung politely, and took special care to give a greeting to Assistant Manager Do Ra Hee. Assistant Manager Do Ra Heeughed shyly as she waved her hand. Ok, See youter Do Wook~! *** It was finally the day of KKs first concert. Friday. Despite it being a weekday, when the temporary store selling KK merchandise in front of the concert hall opened, the KK fans lined up from early morning and started buying merchandise. From photocards with the members autographs printed on it, postcards, to slogan towels, merchandise like hoodies with the KK logo inscribed on it sold out one after another even before it was afternoon. If you thought about the products that would be released Saturday and Sunday, it was going to be a tremendously profitable weekend. The character panels of the six members that were set up next to the store were also gathering a lot of attention. Animals representing each member were expressed in a cute way with the help of a famous illustrator. There wasnt an official exhibit yet, and the panels were set up to see the fans reactions before the exhibit. In front of the panel, there was an announcement posted that KKs official online merchandise shop would be opening soon. Ahhh, Im so nervous. Me too, me too. The fan meetingst time was nice too. I cant believe its a concertit was possible to hear them rehearsing earlier. Did you hear them? Of course. Ah, but Im sad this was all the merchandise I was able to buy. What did you buy? Me? I bought a Do Wook badge and Hyung Seo photocard and hoodie. Hurrrr. You bought a Do Wook badge? I didnt even get to see Do Wooks face. I was in line since dawn. Do Wook merchandise sell out instantly. Yeah. Ever since Do Wook did Get Ready 1999, auntie* fans were added to the mix, so its impossible to buy any Do Wook-rted merchandise. They said theyll open an online shop, so to buy it from there. Geez. Ill have to. Do you see the character standing there? Its cute. They made all sorts of stuff to take all my savings. Tell me about it. Man. But if they be even bigger superstars, would we even be able to get concert tickets? Its hard these days because Chinese fans are swarming here. If it werent for the fan club presales, I probably wouldnt have been able to see them. Yeah. Ah, theyll probably be more popr by the next concert, huh? It IS good that theyre gaining poprity, butwhat if we wont be able to see them anymore. Tell me about it. As they waited for the concert, the fans were easing their tension by frantically talking about various things. The fact that it was their first concert was also making the members, who were getting ready, nervous, but it was the same for the fans who were waiting. After waiting for a very long time, the concert hall doors opened and the endless lines of fans started to enter. From the standing area to the 3rd floor audience area, the concert hall was jam-packed without even one open spot. With their cheering sticks firmly in their hands, the fans waited for KK to make their appearance. The lighting became dark and at the sound of the beat going boom boom the fans anticipation was at its peak. Kyaaaaa to the sound of ear piercing cheers, KK came on stage. On top of the darkened stage, the members saw the wave of shining cheer sticks cheering them on. The sound of their heart beating was getting louder. They had encountered it already during the fan meeting, but the concert was something else. Their first solo concert. KK started by performing their debut song Sorry but I Love You, then Very Sorry, even LAST DANCE, and theirtest song Howl. Do Wook, along with Ahn Hyung Seo, even performed two of their songs from the hip hop unit album. Additionally, album subtracks were turned into performances that had never been broadcasted before and performed for the first time for the fans. Unlike during the fan meeting, the concert continued without many remarks. The KK fans werepletely engrossed into the performances that went on without a moment of rest. KK was performing so well that it was hard to believe that it was the first solo concert. Of course because they were so nervous, during time for remarks Jung Yoon Ki forgot his cues, or Suk Ji Hoon who wasnt used to the changed choreography briefly made a mistake, but it was such a small mistake that it was difficult to notice. As the concert wasing to an end, not only the KK members but also fans who were enjoying the performance in the standing seats were drenched in sweat. The concertsst song was an acape version of Windy Day. The members set up a standing microphone, stood in a line and started singing Windy Day. Paper pollen that were prepared in stage equipment began to blow. The lyrical melody made their minds calm down. As the membersmitted the sight of the fans to their memories, they recalled the hectic days they had endured until now. They still had a long road ahead of them. At that moment, the VCR screen that had only been showing the KK members started showing unknown figures one after another. The fans were buzzing. And the members, who had checked the VCR screen, started to cry. Do Wook turned around while holding the microphone and stared nkly at the screen. Chapter 91: Scope (4) Chapter 91: Scope (4) On the screen were the family members the members had invited. Ah. Do Wook made a sound into the microphone without realizing. Jung Yoon Kis parents, Ahn Hyung Seos mother, Suk Ji Hoons parents and oldest brother, Park Tae Hyungs father, Kim Wons older sister were shown on screen one after another. There were people in the members families who were busy since it was a weekday, but they said they woulde during the weekend. However, the family members tried their best toe to the first concert performance. Among the people they were showing one by one, Do Wooks mother and father were there too. Do Wook swallowed hard as he looked at the screen. The songs MR* was ying, but most of the members who were supposed to sing were barely holding back their tears so a proper performance was impossible. (TL Note: MR is music recorded, the instrumental music that ys in the background as the artist sings.) However there was not one person who was paying attention to that. Thank you. On the verge of tears, Ahn Hyung Seo struggled when saying thank you to his parents and to the fans that helped him get to where he was. As they looked at the members crying, the fans also became heartbroken. There were many fans who were already sniffling from empathizing with the members. The concert halls vibe was getting hotter in a different way. The fans wanted to go up on the stage and give the members a hug, but the distance between a fan and a singer was significant. All they could do was cheer them on in their hearts. Do Wook lowered his head towards where his parents were and bowed. They were reserved seats yet there was quite a distance so he wasnt sure if theyd receive the greeting properly, but thankfully the parents who had been looking solely at Do Wook were waving their hands after receiving the greeting. The eyes of the two people waving their hands were shining. Do Wooks mothers eyes were a little teary. Its a really odd feeling Honestly, even if he called them his parents, Do Wook, who used to be Bo Myung, had only seen them for a very short time. Soon after he started living in their house he was busy running around trying to be a trainee. Having a meal together the few times he came home while living in the dorms was about the extent of it. He did contact them on the phone or through text to share how he was doing, but he did it sort of out of a sense of duty. Still, he felt strange when he saw the two of them look at him with genuinely proud expressions. I have been doing so until now, but theyre people I really have to continue honoring as my parents. It was a relief that it seemed like he was being a really good son to them. And at the same time, he recalled the parents he had when he was Bo Myung. Im sure they would have liked it tooI really wanted to show it to them as well. Tears fell down Do Wooks eyes. When Do Wook crying was captured on the VCR, his fans wailed. But Kim Bo Myung, who is now a normal college student, is probably making them happy. Do Wook recalled the female college student Bo Myung that he met on campus. Its rather a relief. They didnt go through a sad and hard time because of me. Do Wook, who had quietly closed his eyes then opened them, pushed down the emotions that were welling up. That was thest song. Thank you. Along with Do Wooks words, the song Windy Day ended. In the quietened concert hall, the sound of the fans screaming Encore rang out. Encore! Encore!!! Kyaaa Do Wook! Encore!!! Encore! *** After finishing their sessful and emotional concert in Korea, the Japan Arena tour came soon after. Kobe, Nagano, Fukuoka, Yokohama, Shizuoka, Nagoya, Chiba, Tokyo, and even Osaka. KKpleted concerts all over Japan. As expected, it wasnt easy going abroad and traveling around putting on concerts, but the members could feel their skills growing the more they performed. They could see why solo concerts were called a dream stage for singers. The members and the fans had the utmost confidence that they would both win: the fans already knew theyd get a good performance, and the members knew that it would be reciprocated with cheers. When they stood on stage, they felt somewhat like a screw in their head loosening among the cheers. They demonstrated incredible focus, and they were fully in the moment when performing. These were the moments when their joy of being on stage was at its peak. After the performances in Japan, China was next. Chongqing, Qingdao, Shanghai, Nanjing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and even Taiwan. KK pushed through without stopping. Since the concert schedule for China was spread out to one concert a week, they were able to prepare for the award ceremony as well while saving their strength. Honestly, the performance they had prepared for the concert was already so diverse that they questioned if it was even necessary to prepare for the award ceremony separately. However, they had to prepare another performance with a different vice for an award show that not only KK fans but also the public could watch, so that they could imprint onto the public KKs performance skills once more. Instructor Noh Yoon Tae, who was the choreographer, worked on it day and night to put together KKs performance, and the members practiced for the award show any downtime they got when in Korea. Oh, Do Wook. Youre here. Yes. Hello. Team Leader Shim Joon called Do Wook around the time the China concert tour was almost over. There were just the Taiwan and Hong Kong concerts left, and afterwards was the start of the award ceremony season. KKs preparation for the award ceremony was already set for the most part. The members were now overflowing with confidence when it came to performing. Do Wook thought that this might be one of the reasons thepany had arranged for performances in different sized venues in various locations. Experience is very important in performing. That must also be the reason why ones skills improve rapidly after debutingpared to trainee days. Team Leader Shim Joon was very sorry that he had to call Do Wook who was resting aftering back to Korea. Yet he asked him to pleasee quickly. The tour was difficult, but they didnt have any side schedules and only had to get through the concerts, so it was ok. Did you lose weight? Team Leader Shim Joon, whom he hadnt seen in a while, concernedly asked. Ah. No, I didnt. Yeah, I guess its not your physique that changed. Team Leader Shim Joon tilted his head and looked Do Wook over. It had been a while since Do Wook had turned 20, and he was about to be 21 soon. He wasnt fat, but he still had had some baby fat on his face. When he recently lost some fat in his cheeks, Do Wooks facial shape became even more defined. Even his jawline became sharper than before. You got even more handsome. Ahaha. Team Leader Shim Joon shook his head when Do Wookughed awkwardly. Stop getting more handsome. How is it possible that you keep getting more handsome. Its hard, but you did it. Do Wook smiled at what Team Leader Shim Joon said and thought something silly to himself. Its a saying in a drama that became a trend a few yearster He suddenly started to wonder if hed be able to appear in the drama then shook his head. If he could appear in the drama and get cast as the lead, he would then truly be a superstar. Its amazing that there was any room left for you to be more handsome. Anyways, the reason I called you here today is Yes, please go ahead. Once Do Wook sat down and fixed his posture, Team Leader Shim Joon, who had been beating around the bush, started speaking. Do Wook, you know Lee Jin Ri, right? Do Wook, who was blinking his eyes, replied that he knew her. Lee Jin Ri was someone you knew even if you didnt want to. In Korea, if you watched TV for even just one day you would know who Lee Jin Ri is. 8 years ago, she debuted with the idol group Ruby and became the first girl group to win the top award. That was not all. After Ruby dissolved, Lee Jin Ri became even more active. She gained nationwide poprity by being active not only as a singer but also being especially active in entertainment shows. Looks and physique you couldnt take your eyes off of as well as an honest and easygoing personality. Men and women both became interested in Lee Jin Ri and felt her charm. Lee Jin Ri was also a fashion star, so whatever she wore, from her hat to her clothes, essories, and shoes all became trendy. A few years ago could be considered the peak of Lee Jin Ris poprity. Citizens of Korea wanted to look into and copy her every move to the point that it could be considered a phenomenon. Her album was also sessful and she was the first female solo singer to win the top prize from one of the broadcasting stations. Additionally, she even won the top prize at the entertainment awards. At the time, Lee Jin Ri was so popr that she couldnt even go out properly, but these days it had at least calmed down. However, people still think of Lee Jin Ri when they say top star. Actually, she had also tried acting, but that didnt go over well. After that, the wave of Lee Jin Ri craze subsided. Lee Jin Ri revealed in an interview that she was rather relieved that she got a beating early on. If not, she would have been caught up in the poprity and be arrogant and would have lost everyone around her. She was a very honest person. Since then, Lee Jin Ri was currently only focusing on entertainment shows. Do Wook recalled Lee Jin Ris work history and wondered why Team Leader Shim Joon brought her up. Was it around now that she releases her 3rd solo album? The timing seemed to be right. Its just that we received a call from TBN. Im sure youre busy, but I think this is a good opportunity. Manager Oh also said he thinks itd be good. Yes. Im ok with it. There you go again! You didnt even hear what it is. What kind of gig is it? Theyd like you to do one extra solo performance at the award show. Alone? Ah, not alone. Together with Lee Jin Ri. Do Wook was briefly stunned. Two of us? Yes. Lee Jin Ri was a dream star to Do Wook too. Seo Tae Joon, whom he worked with before, was a legendary figure to him, but Lee Jin Ri was a star Do Wook dreamed of working with in real life. A star that you can see if you just look up at the sky, but is hard to meet. He thought to himself that that was why they called a star a star. Lee Jin Ri rmended you. When he heard that Lee Jin Ri had personally rmended him, Do Wook smiled without realizing it. Even though she was still doing mostly entertainment shows, Lee Jin Ris impact as a female solo singer was significant. Lee Jin Ri put on a lot of popstar-like performances that you didnt often see in Korea. For Do Wook, being able to go on stage with someone like Lee Jin Ri was a good opportunity to learn a lot. Rascal! I guess you like Lee Jin Ri too. I thought you wouldnt care too much because her Ruby activities were when you were young. AhLee Jin Ri sunbaes poprity is exceptionally outstanding. That IS true. Anyways, I was told your schedule is open tomorrow so I set up a meeting immediately for tomorrow. I thought the sooner we prepare for it the better. Immediately tomorrow? Yes. Honestly, it was Team Leader Shim Joon who was more excited. Team Leader Shim Joon had also been working in agencies for a long time, but he still had never met Lee Jin Ri face to face. Seeing her sitting at a cafe near the agency on his way to lunch from afar was it. Do Wook, Im meeting all of our nations top stars thanks to you. Geez. Do Wook smiled at what Team Leader Shim Joon said. Her 3rd album will be released early next year. I think theyre trying to raise her image as a singer again by doing a special performance at the award ceremony. If Lee Jin Ri performs, there will be articles about it stered everywhere. Its a good opportunity for us to lean on Lee Jin Ris name. I see. So well probably have to match the concept to them. Yes. Well, were the hubae* by far so we have to be amodating to them. We can also adjust it to a certain degree. (TL Note: A junior to someone in rank. experience, etc.) Yes. I think itll be ok. Lee Jin Ri was a dance genre singer that mainly gave sexy performances. Do Wook could imagine to a certain extent the kind of performance Lee Jin Ri was aiming for. He determined that doing a performance with that kind of vibe wouldnt be bad for his current image. He was already past the simple youthful image, but he had to show a little more mature image if he wanted to get further in acting. But there was one point of concern. Chapter 92: Spotlight (1) Chapter 92: Spotlight (1) But sir. Hmm? Yes, go ahead. The details of performing together. By any chance, will there be an article released ahead of the performance? Huh? I havent talked with them yet, but probably so, dont you think? Whether its TBN or Lee Jin Ris agency, and honestly us too, I think the more heavily its promoted the better. Ahh If you thought of it simply, what Team Leader Shim Joon said was correct. For an idol group, one of the sensitive issues was a scandal. Therefore, the KK members avoided unnecessary interactions with female celebrities as much as possible. Do Wook had gotten alongfortably with other actors while filming Get Ready 1999 and made a lot of friends, but he was still careful when speaking with actresses. There was about a ten-year age difference between Lee Jin Ri and Do Wook. Compared to Lee Jin Ri, Do Wook was too young and too far behind as a hubae, so there was little concern about a scandal. But the public is more curious than one might think and has a wild imagination. Do Wook felt that he had to be careful in any case. When you considered the kind of press that could arise if you threw them even just a little bait of a man and woman meeting up, that was for the best. Furthermore, it hadnt happened yet in this timeline, but there was a time when Lee Jin Ri was involved in a scandal with an idol group member who was more than 2 years younger than her. Lee Jin Ris image was extremely sexy and charming, so it was possible that something like that might really happen. Also. Do Wook predicted that rather than giving them something to talk about however they wanted ahead of time, announcing it on the day of the award ceremony would have a bigger impact. Why? Is there something bothering you? Its just Do Wook told Team Leader Shim Joon that he thought announcing it on the day itself would be better. Thats honestly out of my jurisdiction. I think itd be better for you to talk to the Fan Marketing Team Leader. Itll naturally be brought up when you discuss tomorrows performance. Yes, Ill talk with themter. Do Wook nodded his head. First, getting the broadcast station and Lee Jin Ri to agree was an important issue. Ok. The new Team Leader gave off a good impression. Team Leader Shim Joon mentioned Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung. Do Wook answered ambiguously, saying, Is that so?. Do Wook was still reserved about Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung. He could totally be a celebrity. He was handsome. Yes. Of course, not as handsome as you. Maybe as handsome as me? Haha. Do Wook made an embarrassed expression at Team Leader Shim Joons joke. Oh, sir. *** The next day, Do Wook went to Lee JIn Ris agency with Manager Oh Baek Ho and Album Production Teams Assistant Manager Kwon Woo Chan. Assistant Manager Kwon Woo Chan was the Album Production Team employee that was in charge of performances. In the case of the KK concert, they were outsourcing to a professional concert team, but they were working to connect them to an internal team within HIT Entertainment. If HIT Entertainment became arger agencyter, thepany would be looking to have a concert nning team break off from the Album Production Team into its own department. When that time woulde, Assistant Manager Kwon Woo Chan would naturally be the Team Leader. Anyways, when Manager Kwon Woo Chan was nning out the concert, he had had a meeting with the KK members and he had already be acquainted with Do Wook. Lee Jin Ris Double V Entertainment was an agency that was established when Lee Jin Ri had left the group Ruby and went solo. Lee Jin Ri wasnt the President, but her influence in thepany was so great that it could be said that thepany revolved around her. It means that shes amazing enough to keep an entirepany afloat. While thinking that, Do Wook headed towards the office he agreed to meet Lee Jin Ri at. The Double V Entertainment employee, who had already been waiting for them, guided them inside. When they opened the office door, Lee Jin Ri, a staff member from her agency and a representative from the TBN Music Awards were already there and greeted Do Wook. Oh, youre here?! Ah. Hello. Do Wook bowed his head and greeted her. Lee Jin Ri smiled brightly when she saw Do Wook. Wow, youre as handsome as Ive heard! The office totally lit up when you walked in. As easy-going as the rumors said, Lee Jin Ri greeted Do Wook with an exaggerated tone. Joon Ho, please bring me some sunsses~! Everyone in the office couldnt help butugh when Lee Jin Ri made a fuss as she called her manager. Do Wook could immediately see why people liked Lee Jin Ri who made the vibefortable. Sorry to have youe personally when youre the busiest person in the world these days. I should havee to you. Not at all. Its an honor to meet you. Youre still so disciplined. I had heard your Manager is strict. Arent you being too hard on the kid? Manager Oh Baek Ho shook his head when Lee Jin Ri said that. No no. Our Do Wook has always had good manners. Lee Jin Ri shrugged her shoulders at what Manager Oh Baek Ho said, as if saying she couldnt believe him. After everyone settled down, the TBN Music Awards representative started exining about the performance. He exined itd be a coboration between the hottest stars. About 3 minutes would be set aside for a special performance. Do Wook nodded his head. Before discussing the concept or content of the stage in detail, Lee Jin Ri asked Do Wook a question. I dont think its time for me to relinquish the title of sexy female singer yet. What do you think, Do Wook? Huh? Of course not, sunbae. Dont give me lip service. Id like you to tell me honestly. Were going to be performing together. We have to get along. After briefly thinking about it, Do Wook replied with a sincere expression, I mean it. Although, its a little different than the typical sexy that idol groups these days do of course. different? Lee Jin Ri asked back. Rather than being offended, she was asking purely because she was curious what aspects were different. You have a vibe that only you can give off. Like maturity He really knows his stuff. Thats it. Thats what I was trying to do, Lee Jin Ri said,ughing. That was one of the reasons why I wanted to perform with a young person like you. I want to give off a certain amount of tension between a man and a woman, but I dont want to be called cheap again. Ahhh I thought itd be good to emphasize a more mature vibe since Im going for a sexy concept in a ssy way so I purposely looked for someone with a straight image like you. Do Wook, who understood what Lee Jin Ri meant, nodded his head. But at the same time, I have to show my masculine appeal. Lee Jin Ri already had a strong aura. If he were just pushed around by her aura, it wouldnt help Do Wook nor would it create the performance Lee Jin Ri wants that is overflowing with tension. For the song, we n on doing a pop song, then doing a remix with my new song for thest 20 seconds or so Lee Jin Ri said as she observed Do Wook and his teams reaction. Im fine with that. Lee Jin Ri nodded her head, happy with how firmly Do Wook answered. We will go with whatever you want. As long as its not too extreme. We dont want to overwork either~! Lee Jin Ri said in reply to what Assistant Manager Kwon Woo Chan said. The TBN Music Awards representative, who honestly had expected some conflict between the two singers, was relieved that the discussion was going smoothly. Lee Jin Ri was a top star among top stars, so of course shed voice her opinion. However, KK was currently the hottest idol group. For outward appearances itd look good for KK as the junior to give in, but in reality it happened every day that people would be blinded and act stubborn, thinking they were a big shot after gaining a little poprity. Thankfully neither Do Wook nor HIT Entertainment showed any intention of proceeding like that. Ah, but Ihave something Id like to suggest. The TBN Music Awards representative subtly raised his eyebrow when Do Wook said that in the middle of a conversation that had been flowing like water. The broadcast station representative seemed to be thinking, Is it going to go that way again?. His mouth became dry, wondering what Do Wook would say. For now, Lee Jin Ri was maintaining a cheerful atmosphere andughing, but it was a known fact that her personality was not easy. If Lee Jin Ri became offended and the coboration performance between Do Wook and Lee Jin Ri ended up falling through, the person itd cause the biggest headache for was the TBN representative. It was a special performance that he had nned. Thinking of having to go through the recruitment process all over again made him dizzy. What is it? Please speak freely, Lee Jin Ri said readily. Do Wook had already finished discussing it with Assistant Manager Kwon Woo Chan and Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung beforeing here. Id like this performance to be a secret until the award ceremony. Hmmm? Itd probably be helpful if it were promoted ahead of timeis there a problem? Lee Jin Ri as well as the TBN representative were puzzled. *** Do Wook, are youing back from meeting Lee Jin Ri? Tsk, how can you say Lee Jin Ri? Its Lee Jin Ri sunbae. Ok, did you just meet sunbae? As soon as Do Wook got back to the dormitory, the members gathered around Do Wook. Ahn Hyung Seo and Jung Yoon Ki in particr showed a great deal of interest. The members were in the middle of packing to leave for Taiwan. The schedule in store for KK was leaving for Taiwan on an evening flight today, a concert tomorrow evening, then going to Hong Kong the very next day. Yes. Do Wook had wanted to go to his room and pack immediately, but was stopped in the living room by the members blocking him. Since Lee Jin Ri was a top star and the opposite gender on top of that, it was the number one topic among them. How was itDo Wook? Even Park Tae Hyung, who had seemedpletely uninterested in female celebrities, asked Do Wook. How was it, is she really morous? Well be able to see her at the award ceremony too, right? Youll be able to see her before the award ceremony too. When Do Wook answered Ahn Hyung Seos question, the other members eyes became big. Before? When before, how? Wellshell being to our rehearsal hall. To rehearse together. Lit! Even Suk Ji Hoon, who was a little too young to have known Lee JIn Ri when she was at the height of her poprity, dropped his jaw and said Woah!. Close your mouth, bugs will go in, Manager Oh Baek Ho, who came in behind Do Wook, scolded the members. Just pack your bags already. Its almost time to head to the airport. Man, Lee Jin Ri Not really listening to Manager Oh Baek Ho, the members muttered, dazed. Oh, also! You guys cant tell anyone about this performance. What? This will be strictly kept a secret until the day of the awards ceremony. The members blinked their eyes. In a meeting a little earlier, Do Wook had suggested to Lee Jin Ri and TBN that it be a secret. Assistant Manager Kwon Woo Chan had exined the reasoning. Along with the exnation that this would make it more shocking when it was announced on the day itself, he had added that Do Wook was an idol so they wanted to avoid any unnecessary risk. Lee Jin Ri, who had been silently thinking it over, had soon replied to Do Wook okay. Alright. Im not sure if itll be possible to keep it a secret, but well try as much as we can. Lee Jin Ri, who was once an idol, understood Do Wooks perspective. She also thought that Do Wooks team was right that announcing it the day itself would be impactful. Also, the fact that she liked the content of the performance that Do Wook had suggested afterwards very much was another reason. While the members scattered around trying to pack, Manager Oh Baek Ho checked his cell phone then looked up. Hey, Do Wook. Yes? Do Wook, who wasing out of the room and dragging his suitcase, replied. The nominees have been announced. What? The nominees for the Best New Actor Award Chapter 93: Spotlight (2) Chapter 93: Spotlight (2) Do Wook was puzzled. Acting awards? TBN doesnt have a separate award ceremony for it, right? This was one of the consequences due to the belief that a cable station inevitably had a lower brand valuepared to a public television station. TBN, which was a cable broadcast station, had established a music award show, but they didnt have enough programs or fame yet to have an acting or entertainment program award show. Well, its not you Manager Oh Baek Ho awkwardly showed Do Wook the cellphone screen. On the screen, there was an article stating Seo Jun was nominated for the MVC Acting Awards Best New Actor award. Ah It was something he could have easily predicted. Among the MVC dramas this year, the most sessful drama was Sun and Moon Lovers. Most of the MVC acting awards would definitely go to the cast of Sun and Moon Lovers. Among the Best New Actor award nominees, Seo Jun was the most popr. On top of that, his acting wasnt bad, so him winning the Best Actor award was as good as guaranteed. There was a reason why Manager Oh Baek Ho called Do wook as soon as he saw the news of Seo Jun. Manager Oh Baek Ho now knew to some extent that Do Wook was keeping tabs on Seo Jun. M2M was one of the groups Manager Oh Baek Ho was keeping a close eye on as the person in charge of KK. Furthermore, Do Wook and Seo Jun were especiallypared by the public that went deeper their their groups. Manager Oh Baek Ho exchanged a look with Do Wook. We can just win the Best New Actor award at the Baeksong Award Show next spring. Baeksong Art Awards, Baeksong for short, was an award show for pop culture people including TV and movies. Especially when it came to the TV division, unlike each broadcast stations award ceremonies that only gave awards to their own programs, it was an award ceremony covering the best shows and actors from all the channels so it, in a way, held a lot of prestige. Itd be great if I could win it. Anybody can tell itll be you. After Seo Jun gets the Best New Actor award, Ara will propagandize like crazydont pay too much attention when that happens. Of course. Manager Oh Baek Ho nodded his head at Do Wooks response. Manager Oh Baek Ho knew that Do Wook wouldnt get discouraged by something like that, he said it in advance just in case. If Seo Jun got the Best New Actor award before Do Wook when M2M was falling behind KK, they would be able to release articles outright saying Seo Jun crushed Do Wook. Even if it werent said outright, it was absolutely possible that theyd publish articles that had one or two lines to subtly imply it. What a shame. Next time lets go with public tv, Do Wook! But Get Ready 1999 was incredibly popr, so this year was Do Wooks year! Everybody knows it even if you dont get the award. Kim Won and Ahn Hyung Seo, who had been listening from nearby, each interjected. They were trying to cheer Do Wook up, but it wasnt baseless. Even in reality, most people probably thought that. *** It wasnt just the people around Do Wook who thought that. It started with the fact that Lee Jin Ri wanted to perform with Do Wook. Additionally, a littleter, Do Wook was invited to be a presenter at < Biryong Film Festival >, the most prestigious film festival in Korea. It meant a lot that Do Wook, who was an idol group member and a rookie actor who just debuted in a drama, was chosen as a presenter for < Biryong Film Festival >, a festival for filmmakers. You could see that Do Wook was recognized as this years hottest topic in all fields. After finishing the KK concert in Hong Kong, Do Wook had to buy a new ticket for an earlier flight than the other members and return home early. It was the day he was to attend < Biryong Film Festival > and present the Poprity Award. Film festival Movies were very unfamiliar to Do Wook. He was always very interested in music, and drama was a genre that even Do Wook could easily enjoy at home. However, movies had a different feel. The only films Do Wook had seen were movie specials shown on Korean Thanksgiving or Lunar New Year, or movies shown at thepany as a group during his time at Q Entertainment. He had no interest in independent films, and movies felt like they had more of a barrier than dramas. He at least was starting to understand movies a little more these days after attending KNUA andpleting differing assignments. Honestly, the more he learned about movies the more he couldnt stop thinking that it was a profound form of art. There were definitely areas, especially in the acting world of his professors and its values, that were hard for Do Wook toe across for now. In the end, however, Do Wook thought that the basic framework of dealing with people was the same whether it was a song, drama, or movie. After checking his wardrobe at the shop and getting his makeup done, Do Wook arrived at the movie festival venue. Today Do Wook was more dressed up than ever before. He had worn a suit many times living the life of a singer, but this suit was different from the suit he wore as an idol that tried to y up his youth, starting from its shape. His hair also had pomade without a single bang missed. HIs clearly defined features were shining even more. When he looked out from the van, he could see the road with the red carpetid out. In front of it were many reporters and fans waiting to see the red carpet. Regardless of what actor was standing on the red carpet, shes were going off restlessly. Soon after, Do Wook got out of the car and got ready to walk on the red carpet. Its your first time on the red carpet, right? Yes. Its interesting to see it in person after only seeing it on screen. You have toe backter as an award recipient. Itd be nice if that happened. After having a light conversation with Manager Oh Baek Ho, Do Wook got out of the van. shes started to go off in Do Wooks direction. Cameras from the broadcast station that came to cover the event were on him too. When Do Wook appeared on the red carpet, the fans who had gathered got twice as loud. It was mostly fans of actors, but there were also quite a few KK fans who came to see Do Wook. Even fans of other actors became interested in Do Wook, so the response was inevitably bigger than when other actors had arrived. Why is he so handsome? What the, his face is totally epic. Who is that? What? You dont know him? Its Kang Do Wook! KK! Hurr, Seeing him like this, its hard to recognize him. Hes an idol? He could be a normal actor. Yeah. The drama he didst time was a hit, is he not going to do another project? Everytime Do Wook walked down the red carpet, the nearby bystanders dropped their jaws in admiration. The reporters were also admiring Do Wooks looks, which put most actors to shame, while they pressed their camera shutters. There were people who worked on entertainment broadcasts and entertainment reporters who had seen Do Wook many times already, but there were also many movie reporters who were seeing Do Wook in person for the first time. People were also thinking that if Do Wook could also act, his looks were more than enough to expand into movies. Kang Do Wook? Was he in any movies? When the person from the movie magazine Daily Move who was in charge of the camera asked, the editor and journalist next to him replied, Ah, hes a presenter. For the Popr award. The view is picture perfect. Hell probably get recruited for movies too. Although he has the barrier of being an idol Hes going to do movies? But I heard hes attending KNUA. Hes even got into KNUA, theres no reason he cant do movies. While the photographers were getting over their surprise that he was attending KNUA, actor Choi Min Suk, the most renowned actor from KNUA, and Do Wook ran into each other in front of the red carpet photo wall. Please stand together~! Two of you next to each other! Over here! Please look this way too! Do Wook! The shutter sounds started to get to an incredibly fast speed. The reporters predicted that the picture they were taking right now would result in the highest click count among the pictures from todays red carpet. Choi Min Suk didnt particrly have a lot of young fans on the inte, but he was a national actor. And Do Wook was currently one of the most popr celebrities on the inte among young people. The harmony between the two of them was very unusual and was enough to arouse interest. The person who greeted Choi Min Suk when he was about to move on after taking pictures at the photo wall was Do Wook, who had arrived a littleter. Do Wook went towards Choi Min Suk and greeted him warmly. Choi Min Suk, who initially looked at Do Wook oddly when Do Wook greeted him, eased up and weed Do Wook. For a brief moment he didnt recognize who it was, but he soon realized that it was the person he had chosen from the interview and a student in the ss he was teaching. Youre here too? Didnt you say you hadnt done a movie yet? With a stiff expression, Choi Min Suk had a Tiger Teacher kind of look, but Do Wook, who was already used to Choi Min Suks expressions, could tell that Choi Min Suk was happy to see him in his own way. Do Wook replied with confidence, Yes. I was given the opportunity to attend as a presenter. Really? Thats good. Choi Min Suk nodded his head and was about to leave the photo wall. He was just trying to give Do Wook a turn but reporters insisted they stand next to each other. After taking a picture together, the two of them headed towards the award ceremony venue out of consideration for the actors behind them. Before even 10 minutes had passed, articles with pictures of the two of them and pictures of just Do Wook started to get posted on the inte. Photos of the stars who attended the film festival and stood on the red carpet were constantly being posted. Nevertheless, the photos of Do Wook were recording high clicks as the reporters predicted. < Master and student on the red carpet, a national actor and an idol meet! > < Getting involved in movie festivals too! Kang Do Wook attending as a presenter > < Was Kang Do Wook this handsome? > On top of that, the content of the articles were all positive. Do Wook walking down the red carpet with his hair slicked back became one of the rare pictures KK fans saved to keep forever. It wasnt just the fans. Even other people noticed Do Wook was drawing more attention than most of the movie actors. -Choi Min Suk a bauss, chills. Kang Do Wooksworking is impressive -He attends KNUA haha -What the heck Kang Do Wook. How did he get more handsome? -Is it because of his wardrobe? -He slicked all his hair back but hes still like incrediblyhe could even shave his head -He could be Kim Won Bins protg -Totally overreacting lolol -You dont know Kim Won Bin during his prime? -Hes not handsome as a sculpture like Kim Won Bin, but dont you think with Kang Do Wooks level, he has a shot at aiming for Kim Won Bins position? -Why was Kim Won Bin suddenly brought up? Kang Do Wook fans stopmenting -Im a guy butits true that Kang Do Wook is good-looking -Im notparing them but he is as handsome as Kim Won Bin -Kang Do Wook isnt on the same level as Kim Won Bin, dont you think? -Nobody said he is. Were saying hes that good-looking. -Its an undeniable fact that hes handsome -Its not like I can make him my husband -No fun -Choi Min Suk..sirThank you for your always incredible acting.. Thements on the article even brought up top actor Kim Won Bin, who was well known for being as handsome as a sculpture, out of the blue. Opinions were divided, but regardless, it was honestly not bad that an actor of Kim Won Bins level was mentioned. Afterwards, when Do Wook presenting the Poprity Award was broadcasted, Do Wook dominated the trending search along with the winner of the poprity award. Do Wook, who was the presenter, was getting as much interest poured onto him as the actor who won the award at the movie festival. Even from the perspective of the directors or actors who attended the movie festival, Do Wooks looks and vibe was enough to attract attention. And thus, his first time as a presenter was sessfullying to a close. *** Two dayster. Do Wook went down to the rehearsal hall and was warming up in preparation for his performance at the award ceremony with Lee Jin Ri. Today was the day Lee Jin Ri was toe to HIT Entertainments rehearsal hall. It had been determined that for the sake of confidentiality, rather than Do Wook going out in public, where he had fans constantly following him, Lee Jin Riing to him would be better. Gu Chul Min told Do Wook, who was stretching alone in the rehearsal hall, that Lee Jin Ri would arrive soon. Do Wook stopped warming up, took out his cell phone, and sat on the chair as he waited for Lee Jin Ri. Do Wook, who was looking at his cellphone, saw his face adorning the home page. Yesterday Seo Jun received the New Actor award at the MVC Acting Awards as expected. And, as Manager Oh Baek Ho expected, Do Wooks name was also mentioned in the article. However, what was posted on the home page wasnt Seo Juns face, but Do Wooks face. A column posted with the subject Stars who will make this award show season hotter went viral and even made it on the home page. The column was referring to several stars, but the main star was of course Do Wook. And on the trending list was Lee Jin Ri. Surprised, Do Wook clicked on Lee Jin Ri that was trending on number 1. In second ce was another famous person, an M2M member. < Lee Jin Ri, this time 12-year age gap! > < Call me nuna* Lee Jin Ri, in a rtionship with a famous younger M2M member? > (TL Note: Nuna is what guys call older women. Literally means older sister but it is not only used for actual family.) < Lee Jin Ris new beau is... famous idol group M2M member...! > Lee Jin Ris scandal article had been published. Chapter 94: Spotlight (3) Chapter 94: Spotlight (3) When Do Wook first got the award show performance proposal from Lee Jin Ri, he recalled his memories. He tried hard to remember who Lee Jin Ri originally did the award show performance with. He then quickly remembered that M2Ms Yoo Myung Jae performed with Lee Jin Ri at that time. It was when M2M was at the peak of their poprity. The award show performance with Lee Jin Ri drew a lot of attention as two hot stars working together. The scandal was a bonus. In an article covering the process of them getting ready for the award show performance, an affectionate picture of them together was released. The problem was that the two of them were so good together. He was young, but Yoo Myung Jae looked like he could be in histe 20s. Since he had that kind of appearance, word started to spread that they had, as they say, chemi* when he started to hang out with Lee Jin Ri. That part was fine. (TL Note: Shortened from chemistry.) In the midst of those rumors however, the two of them, who had be friends, were photographed eating dinner after rehearsal, causing more talk. Honestly, even though they revealed numerous times that they had be friends from working on the performance together, people who had decided for themselves that they are good together were suspicious that the two of them were dating. Reporters also spun the story in that way to write a provocative article. Ara Entertainment tried to block the articles, but there was no clear way to do it. If a photo hadnt been taken, they could have blocked it with money as they were just spective articles. The two of them had a meal together. They get along well. It was difficult to use money to stop even articles with simple content like that. Lee Jin Ri had often had scandals arise with incredibly good-looking male celebrities. Also, Yoo Myung Jun had an image among fans as someone with a lot of women. Because it involved two such people, there was smoke even though there was no fire. Of course, lots of other issues came up after the award show performance, so stories about the two of them naturally went away. The reason I wanted to keep the award show performance preparations a secret was just in case something simr to this happens The rumors went away, but Yoo Myung Jae was left with a small connection to Lee Jin Ri that neverpletely went away. Therefore, Do Wook only wanted to be seen with Lee Jin Ri on stage, and intended to leave the public with only the memory of the performance. If an article came out about the two of them, reporters would follow them around. They concluded that, if them doing day-to-day things like rehearsing, going to and from rehearsal, or having a meal together were publicized, people would immediately think that their rtionship was ordinary. Ah, sorry Im a littlete. Did you wait long? Lee Jin Ri and her manager arrived at the rehearsal hall. Gu Chul Min, who had been in the corner, got up and greeted them. Do Wook also put away his cell phone and got up. No no. Im sorry to make youe all the way here. No. Im happy I get to see the rehearsal hall of a famous idol. I should soak in some of that young energy! Do Wookughed at Lee Jin Ris joke. He was certain she must know about the scandal, but Lee Jin Ri seemed fine. Instead, Lee Jin Ris managers cell phone kept on vibrating. Lee Jin Ris manager, who checked the caller ID, frowned and looked very tired. Turn off the phone! We released an official announcement, why do they keep calling? When Lee Jin Ri muttered in a slightly irritated tone, her manager turned the cell phone to silent and then put it in his pocket. Oh, did you see it by any chance? Huh? My article. Lee Jin Ri noticed Do Wook was careful and unable to bring it up first, so she asked him first. Lee Jin Ri continued when Do Wook cautiously nodded his head, Its just, in my album thats about to drop, theres a song with Myung Jae. Ah We became a little close because of that so we had a meal together, but an article like this was published over that. Do Wook nodded his head as he listened to Lee Jin Ri. Is it that even if the future changed a little, things that were meant to happen still happen? Lee Jin Riughed as if it were funny. I mean, I know my image is what it is, but with a guy whos more than 12 years younger? Arent they going too far? I gotfortable with him because I thought the idea was too ridiculous. Although, Im ttered by the misunderstanding. Ah, youre in quite a pickle. The fans are going absolutely crazy. We did make a public statement that its not true. Its not like there are other photos, so Im sure itll die down soon. Yes. I hope thats what will happen. Yeah, especially since we also revealed that we recorded an album song together. Do Wook quietly heard her out. Lee Jin Ri, feeling wronged and tired, vented her grievances. Whos going to want to work with me now? I was trying to take advantage of my hubaes poprity and just caused trouble for myself. Try not to think like that too much. I try not to, butah, Im whining in front of a young person. Im sorry. Not at all! Still, with you its just one performance and done, so it should be ok. Yes, itll be fine. Furthermore, since a scandal with a M2M member already happened, in a way, Do Wook was able to shake off the little bit of anxiety that was left. Then lets start rehearsing! Sure! When Do Wook answered, Gu Chul Min got ready for the rehearsal. While he was doing that, Lee Jin Ri started stretching so she could dance. Lee Jin Ri, who had been doing different movements in front of the mirror, said, By the way. Yes? Please go ahead. Now that I think about it, for someone who was trying to be careful of a scandal, isnt the performance you suggested too strong? Do Wook smiled at Lee Jin Ris question. Do Wook had put together a performance that could put all the spotlight on them. Honestly, the performance was on the strong side, so Lee Jin Ri was also right. However, Do Wook thought the public would clearly distinguish between onstage and offstage. Its a performance. Theres a bold side to you. Ok, lets give it our all! Yes. Soon, music started to resonate throughout the rehearsal hall. *** Day of the TBN Music Award Show. Lee Jin Ri and M2M Yoo Myung Jaes scandal had calmed down to a certain degree. However, people were nning on keeping a close eye on them because the two of them would be onstage together during the award show closing ceremony. As the cue sheet moved around the fans, they learned that one of thest performances would be a joint performance from Lee Jin Ri and Do Wook. The fans had no way of knowing what kind of performance it was. The fan cafe was full of excitement. Rather than the fact that a man and a woman were performing together, the response was that they were looking forward to what kind of performance it would be. Since Lee Jin Ri was a female singer known for her sexy dance, they expected the performance to have a sexy concept. The fans were about to lose their minds over Do Wook in such a performance. At the same time, TBN also released promotional information about Lee Jin Ri and Do Wooks joint performance on the afternoon of the award show. The article stated that they prepared for it in secret and that the two of them were going to perform a sexy dance with perfect teamwork, so to please look forward to it. Since it were two people already well-known by the public working together, there was a lot of attention on them as soon as the article was published. The KK members had finished rehearsal and were heading to the waiting room. Today, KK had prepared a Howl remix version performance. The Howl choreography was already hard since it was nonstop, but adding a part in the middle with thirty or so backup dancers for a group dance made it a more exhausting performance. I think Im going to faint once were done with this. Ahh We might be too exhausted to ept awards. Man, thats ridiculous. Jung Yoon Ki and Ahn Hyung Seo practically fainted onto the waiting room sofa and bickered. The group dance with about 30 backup dancers was truly spectacr. When the rehearsal was over, the staff all apuded. Everyone on stage was in sync without a single person making any mistake. It was a powerful performance. Additionally, Park Tae Hyung did a somersault, which was one of the big attractions in the KK performance. While the members were passed out on the floor, Do Wook changed his outfit after taking a breather. There was quite a bit of time until the performance with Lee Jin Ri, but because it was his first performance with her and not with the members he had always performed with, he was a little nervous. The award show performance order was almost in reverse order of debut. KK, M2M, then a few other groups, then Sa Bang Shin Hwa and Lee Jin Ri. The TBN award show started among loud cheering. KK was to be awarded a Best in category award today. For other awards, it was hard to say whod win because they were based on voting results and evaluation. M2M was also confirmed to win a Best in category award. I think that M2M still has a chance to turn the tables Do Wook thought as he watched the opening performance from the singers waiting area. The gap between M2M and KK was definitely getting bigger. Still, it wasnt to the point that M2M couldnt turn it around and catch up, so he was anxious. The Rookie of the Year award was announced soon after. The group who won the Rookie of the Year Award, which KK had wonst year, was the female idol group that Brave Only Child had produced and had now made their entrance. Wow! PD Yong. When the leader who was epting the award mentioned Brave Only Child, Kim Won pped, happy. For 2 years in a row, the group Brave Only Child produced won the Rookie of the Year Award. Delighted, Do Wook smiled and looked proudly at him. After that were the Best in category awards. KK won the award in the third round of the Best in category. Right after them, M2M won a Best in category award. However, afterwards, KK went on to win the New Hanryu Award, Leader in Promotion of Korean Culture Award and Performance award one after another for a total of 4 awards. KKs and M2Ms performances were back to back, but there was a big difference even in the cheering. Of course part of that was because KKs performance was such a surprising performance that people couldnt help but cheer. It was a performance where even the viewers at home and not at the site couldnt help but stop what they were doing for a moment, to watch KK and the stage full of dancers move. We just need to keep this up. Do Wook was certain when he heard the difference in cheering. Then it was the grand award announcement. It was the moment that should be the most nerve-wrecking, but currently it was oh so obvious that Sa Bang Shin Hwa would receive the grand award. However, the public was unanimously saying that since KKs poprity had increased this much, it was hard to tell if Sa Bang Shin Hwa would win the grand award next year too. On top of that, there was also some controversy. It was because KK was actually ahead in things like music chart performance. There was some talk that it didnt make sense Sa Bang Shin Hwa won the grand award just because they had much higher album sales. Anyways, the winner of the grand award was Sa Bang Shin Hwa. The moment the MC yelled out Sa Bang Shin Hwa, the celebratory booms went off. Loud cheering filled the hall. Next year Do Wook thought as he watched Sa Bang Shin Hwa receive the award. Do Wook was resolute in his will to get the award in KKs name next year no matter what. *** The next day, what was stered all across not only the portal site home page but also the front page of the sports newspaper was not Sa Bang Shin Hwa, who had won the top award. It was a picture of Do Wook in a loose white shirt after he finished his performance with Lee Jin Ri. To be precise, it was a photo of sexy-looking Do Wook and Lee Jin Ri so close to each other that it looked like they might kiss. < Shocking performance! Lee Jin Ri - Kang Do Wook heated up the stage! > < KK, shining with 4 awards, even did a performance > < Epic! TBN Award Show broke their all-time ratings record > DId they really do that? There was a lot of controversy. At the same time, people who discovered a new side of Do Wook went wild. The reaction was that it was too sexy. There were a lot of opinions that said they had only seen him as someone with a straight image, but seeing him like this was new. There were fans who were shocked by the unconventional performance, but the majority of the fans opinion was that a performance is just a performance. The reactions were that their heart hurt, but they were happy they got to see a sexy Do Wook. Yesterdays star wasnt Sa Bang Shin Hwa who won the top award. It was Do Wook. Dude, the reactions are no joke. I know. Wowbut I was surprised too. There wasnt a part like that in the rehearsal. The members watched the performance over and over and were in awe. Do Wook simplyughed shyly. While they were busy chatting, someone opened the rehearsal door and entered. Huh?! Mr. PD?! Ahn Hyung Seo, who had noticed him first, ran to him. Radiating hisrge presence, the person who opened the door and came in was Brave Only Child. Chapter 95: Issue maker (1) Chapter 95: Issue maker (1) Mr. PD? Also surprised, Do Wook looked at PD Yong Soo Chul. It was definitely an unexpected appearance. It was the dead of winter, but Yong Soo Chul was wearing a rider jacket embedded with spikes. It was an image that was reminiscent of the first time they met. Of course, since Yong Soo Chul had earned a lot of money now, his current rider jacket had a different price tag than his previous jacket. The jacket he had bought at Nam Dae Moon was now an Italian brand jacket. Still, there didnt seem to be any change in Yong Soo Chuls characteristics, and Do Wook and the members were overjoyed to see him. Long time no see. PD Yong Soo Chul greeted the members as he looked them over. Excited to see him, the members approached PD Yong Soo Chul and shook his hand. He acted naturally, but Suk Ji Hoon, who was the youngest, had some bitter feelings towards PD Yong Soo Chul. The PD had grown with them, so when he had said he was going to a differentpany he felt like he had been abandoned. However, he was feeling that way because there was also some affection there. Congrattions on the Rookie of the Year Award. As they shook hands, Do Wook congratted Yong Soo Chul. But Im not the one who won the award. Its the group that you raised. I heard that this time you did everything, starting with nning. Haha. Well I knew youd do well with a female group album too. But what brings you here? Do Wook asked as they chatted. There was something I requested from HIT Entertainment so Im here for a meeting. I stopped by on my way to see you guys. When Yong Soo Chul answered, Do Wook became curious what that request was. Were about to go have dinner,e with us Mr. PD, Jung Yoon Ki said to PD Yong Soo Chul as the leader. Yong Soo Chul shook his head. No. I have to get going. Your performance yesterday was truly the best. I came because I really wanted to tell you that. Yong Soo Chuls praise made the members smile. Im proud to see KK progressing further and further. Its all thanks to you. What do you mean all thanks to me? Its because you all worked hard. Ahn Hyung Seo, who had previously been too scared to properly talk to PD Yong Soo Chul, was casually having a conversation with him. They were very happy to hear that the producer who worked on their debut album with them was proud of them. It would have been nice if PD Yong Soo Chul was still producing KKs albums, but KK already had a producer named Do Wook. Thanks to PD Yong Soo Chul moving to a different position, they had to work even harder, which probably is what allowed them to progress. Well, hope Ill see you guys around. Ill get going now. Ok. PD Yong Soo Chul said goodbye and left. On his way out, he faced Do Wook and specially gave him a pat on the shoulder. Do Wook had always been special to PD Yong Soo Chul. But what brings you? As he saw PD Yong Soo Chul out, Do Wook privately asked him. PD Yong Soo Chul grinned and said hed find out soon. Do Wook. I look forward to working with you. His words only made Do Wooks curiosity grow. After the quick visit from PD Yong Soo Chul, the KK members had dinner by themselves. There were quite a few people who recognized them now and there were a lot of fans even when they just stepped out of thepany building, so they had to eat in a separately prepared group area even when they went to the family restaurant by thepany building. Instead of Manager Oh Baek, who was out of the office, Gu Chul Min had to manage the members. They ordered a steak for each person for a total of 7 orders, 3 orders of pasta, and 2 orders of sd. Along with an order of french fries topped with a lot of cheese, the group table was full to the brim. is it ok if we eat all this? Suk Ji Hoon, who had already finished the soup that came out as an appetizer, asked as he looked nkly at all the dishes on the table. Eat up, eat up. Dont worry, man, Jung Yoon Ki replied as if it were no big deal. Yeah. You have to eat when you can. Its ok if you eat like this for one day. Reward Day! Ahn Hyung Seo yelled. They werent being as strict about controlling the diet as when they were preparing for an album, but they still had award show performances one after another and it wasnt an exaggeration to say the members had to take care of their bodies almost 365 days a year. However, there was no way they could survive on just eating chicken breast every day. Ahn Hyung Seos argument was that they had to have days like this once in a while. Of course, even Manager Oh Baek Ho and the trainer knew that it was ridiculous to restrict food 365 days a year. In that regard, before activities started or when it was their inactive period, the rules were rxed to a certain degree and they took care of their bodies through exercise. Still, this didnt feel right. There was too much greasy food. Even on their way to the family restaurant, Gu Chul Min had nned on letting the members have steak only. As Ahn Hyung Seo said, they worked very hard preparing for the award show performance until yesterday, so this was like a reward. However, as soon as they grabbed the menu, the members ordered food like crazy and Gu Chul Min had no means of stopping them by himself. He looked at Do Wook, who had always helped him with the members when this kind of thing happened, but even Do Wook pretended not to see him. Gu Chul Min had been in charge of KK for a much shorter time than Manager Oh Baek Ho had. He was a neer amongst neers who hadnt been in charge of a celebrity before, but there was one thing he knew for certain. It was that KK had a good personality iparable to other groups, and had great teamwork. Even though they each had their unique characteristics, they got along well. In fact, because they were different, they made up for what each othercked. Even Gu Chul Min could see that. And among them, Do Wook had such an upright personality that it left people speechless. Do Wooks skills were so perfect that he almost seemed wless. One reason there was no discord even though one member was outssing them was because the other members didnt have a mean side, but also because Do Wook himself had not once been arrogant about that. Furthermore, when their packed schedules made the other members exhausted, irritable, and go off the path a little, Do Wook was unshaken and endured it, which made the other members unable to act out. It was like how iron is pulled along by a ma. Gu Chul Min realized that fact soon after he started managing KK. Because of that, if they had to make a decision in an unexpected situation and Manager Oh Baek Ho wasnt around, he would follow Do Wooks decision. It was the best he could do as a new manager who still had difficulty making executive decisions. And for the most part, it was always the right answer. Ill keep it a secret from the manager. Rx and eat. Gu Chul Min felt that if Do Wook wanted to eatfortably for today, he should be allowed to. After Gu Chul Min said that, the members, who nned on eatingfortably anyways, ate even morefortably and went as far as undoing their pants zipper. Do Wook was human too. For today, he scarfed down the pasta, which was full of carbs. The members even devoured the cake that was served as dessert after the meal. Park Tae Hyung and Do Wook, who didnt like sweets, put down their forks and were on their cell phones. [Sunbae, are you resting well?] [Of course, Im resting well! Everyones been going on and on about how great yesterday was! Haha. Thepany is also excited since the response was good, haha. Im totally getting overshadowed by you, haha. Lets perform together again sometime.] [Its an honor, haha. Id absolutely like to meet with you again. Thank you.] After the award show was over yesterday, Do Wook was preupied trying to avoid fans while escaping from the award show venue that had gone wild as an aftermath of the performance. He felt bad that he didnt get to say a proper goodbye to Lee Jin Ri because of that, so he sent her a text. Lee Jin Ris words made Do Wook smile a little. Lee Jin Ri and Do Wooks name was still on the trending list. A video of KKs sharp group performance was also uploaded on themunity site. The members were about to get up from their seats, patting their full bellies. The employee who had been their server approached them. Excuse me It was something that happened all the time when they went to a restaurant. Gu Chul Min, who had realized immediately that the employee wanted an autograph, frowned. It was hard to eat properly when they ate out because other customers there asked for autographs. Employees at least asked for autographs before or after they ate. They couldnt amodate every person every time, so whenever possible, Manager Oh Baek Ho or Gu Chul Min stopped them. However, the members were in an extraordinarily good mood today. The thrill from all the cheers they received yesterday hadnt died down yet. Excited, Ahn Hyung Seo asked before the employee even asked, An autograph? Ah yes! Yes. May I ask you for one? When even Jung Yoon Ki, who was usually the most conservative about autograph requests, nodded his head, the employee excitedly held out the pen and paper she had been holding. It was going to be posted at the restaurant. All six of their autographs were packed onto one paper. As she was getting Do Wooks autograph as thest one, the employee said shyly, Do Wook. Im such a big fan. Ah, Thank you. When Do Wook smiled sweetly and answered, the employees face became bright red. Flustered, her hand that was holding the paper was trembling. Youreyoure.youre so sexy! The employees face looked like it was about to explode when she said that. The employee left, walking backwards and thanking them repeatedly. He could definitely see that the impact from yesterdays award show performance was strong. He had heard youre cool and youre handsome many times, but it was pretty much the first time he directly heard thepliment that hes sexy. Its a good thing to be able to broaden ones image. Do Wook got up with the other members as he thought that. *** A few dayster, Do Wook had a meeting with album production team leader Shim Joon. Oh, Do Wook. Youre here. Team Leader Shim Joon seemed extremely tired. Of course it was a team that was always busy doing preliminary research and studying trends in preparation for the next album, but right now wasnt actually a very busy period, since they werent in the middle of an album production in full swing. Are you ok, sir? You look Is this what they call a happy dilemma? Sorry? Yaaaaaaawn Shim Joon Team Leader yawned. There were lots of drinking engagements over the holidays anyways for both business and personal reasons, buttely there were so many that it was too much even for Team Leader Shim Joon, who liked drinking, to handle. It was thanks to KKs sess. The industry was overflowing with people who wanted to do whatever they could to work with KK, and the number of people who reached out to Team Leader Shim Joon doubledpared tost year. He often had to drink in the process of turning them down carefully in a way that wouldnt hurt their feelings, since you never knew what would happen in the future. Do Wook had a slightly pitying expression when Team Leader Shim Joon was drinking until dawn yesterday too because of that. Maybe you should at least drink a hangover cure drink? I did, I did. Team Leader Shim Joon replied as he shook an empty bottle of Dawn 500, I called you because among the people who want to work with you, one of them is PD Brave Only Child. Sorry? Ah Do Wook nodded his head, recalling when they recently met up at the rehearsal hall. Did he say hell produce for us again? No. Theres no way he would when hespletely independent now and even making a productionpany. Then Team Leader Shim Joon was one of the people who thought PD Yong Soo Chul left at the right time. Looking back, it was true result-wise. Honestly, if he had left earlier I might have felt sad. haha. Exining further, Team Leader Shim Joon got to the point. That girl group One Minute that PD Yong Soo Chul is raising. Yes. They want to work on a project with you. What project? They n on having one of the girls in the group go solo, and he wants to do the production with you. Since the results were really great when you guys worked together beforeIm telling you because I dont think this is something thepany should decide, since its a request that came in specifically to you. Do Wook thought it over. If it was a member from One Minute that was trying to go solo, it was easy to know who it was. Furthermore, theyd have a lot of sess as a solo artist. Do Wook thought quickly. Then he shook his head. Im not sure. Hmm? I think itd be better to turn it down. For now. Chapter 96: Issue maker (2) Chapter 96: Issue maker (2) Team Leader Shim Joon had a slightly surprised expression from the unexpected response. Of course Team Leader Shim Joon intended on following Do Wooks decisionpletely. This was a production proposal that came in for Do Wook directly. If Do Wook helped PD Yong Soo Chul and made a name for himself, that in itself would be good. From thepanys perspective however, if Do Wook was going to work on a song for a different singer anyways, it would be better if he gave the song to Monster or Milky Way rather than him helping the production for a differentpanys group. Still, Team Leader Shim Joon thought Do Wook of all people would want to work on a project with PD Yong Soo Chul, if only out of consideration for their history. Is that so? Yes. Id just like a little more time to think about it Team Leader Shim Joon nodded his head in response. Ok, Ill let PD Yong know. Thank you. But whats your concern? Is it because we have to start preparing for the KK album? Do Wook shook his head. KKs next album was scheduled for next spring. There was talk of extending their inactive period, but Do Wook was seeing the next album as a chance to change KKs position once again. Therefore, he was nning on taking his time to think about the various factors. The timing was good, since HIT Entertainment was also thinking of using the members as individuals more since they had started to make a name for themselves. Anyway, not having enough time because he had to prepare for the next album was not the reason. No, its just. I dont know what kind of project it is, but itll mean Ill have a project to work on again. I think itll be good to think it over. Ok. I understand Yes. Please let him know. Do Wook said that then left the Album Production Team conference room. There was one reason Do Wook decided to sound like he was rejecting the offer. PD Yong Soo Chul is flying high right now. On top of that, at the time he had worked together with PD Yong Soo Chul, Do Wook had been a minor and he had been releasing the first song he ever produced to the world, so there was a lot that had beencking. Do Wook had given PD Yong Soo Chul a good idea, but when it hade to things like technique, Do Wook had gotten more help from PD Yong Soo Chul than the other way around. It wasnt a clear teacher-student rtionship like with Kim Woo Yeon, but it could be considered as a simr rtionship. Even if we work together again, its very likely that itll revolve around PD Yong Soo Chul. It didnt mean he wouldnt take any of Do Wooks suggestions at all. PD Yong Soo Chul would definitely be the main and Do Wook would be the sub. Do Wook could guess for the most part what woulde out of that. Itll be sessful, but if someone would ask if its a good albumthats hard to say. Do Wook thought as he recalled when PD Yong Soo Chul previously tried to make a solo album for one of the One Minute members. At that time, the One Minute member solidified her position as a sexy star who would seed Lee Jin Ri through her solo album. However, it was an overly sexy concept. It was inevitable that shed walk a different path from Lee Jin Ri, who was sexy but still acknowledged by the public. You have to push the limits a little. If you can do that, youll gain poprity and get good reviews, Do Wook thought. Do Wook wanted to take on projects once he had more influence, so, although he felt bad, he decided to tell Yong Soo Chul that hed have to think about it some more. PD Yong Soo Chuls proposal in itself was a good opportunity for Do Wook too. An opportunity to produce for a group other than KKand its with PD Yong Soo Chul, so theres low risk. Itll be a good opportunity for me to think about my skills as well as my future path. *** Yong Soo Chul, who received the news from Team Leader Shim Joon, invited Do Wook to a restaurant near his studio a few dayster. It was just a lunch invitation to grab a meal together, but the meet up location was near Yong Soo Chuls studio. It was pretty clear what his intentions were. During the meal, Yong Soo Chul asked Do Wook if it was too overwhelming to work with him. Yong Soo Chul wanted to know if Do Wooks answer that hed think about it was a roundabout way of turning down the proposal, or if he genuinely needed some time to think it over. Me producing for another singer is a little With your skills it shouldnt be a problem. I think youre worrying too much. Since its not a KK project, I might have a different opinion than you on things like the concept. PD Yong Soo Chul nodded his head when Do Wook slowly started to open up. I think its something we could easily resolve by talking it over. Do Wook responded to what Yong Soo Chul said with a vague expression. PD Yong Soo Chul understood the dilemma Do Wook currently had. At the same time, he wanted to do what he could to convince Do Wook. While nning the One Minute solo album, Yong Soo Chul put his all into trying to make it popr. He nned on highlighting the One Minute members sexy appearance as much as possible. At the same time, he nned on recruiting Do Wook, who was the hottest star right now, to co-produce so he could ride the coattails of Do Wooks fame. In the middle of all that, PD Yong Soo Chul did have a question: if Do Wook would be good at doing sexy music too. However, when he saw Do Wook and Lee Jin Ris performance, he was able to confirm that Do Wook had plenty of understanding of that type of concept too. That was why he went to HIT Entertainment with the proposal. As expected, after they finished their meal, Yong Soo Chul offered to show Do Wook the studio and invited him over. Yong Soo Chul nned on casually bringing Do Wook over to the studio and ying songs for him as well as introduce him to the One Minute member. Yong Soo Chul calcted that if Do Wook listened to the beat he had been working on, Do Wook would also realize its potential for sess and want to be involved. He was that confident in his current music. WowMr. PD. Do Wook was genuinely in awe as he entered the studio. This was Do Wooks first time visiting the studio that PD Yong Soo Chul had newly acquired. He had heard the rumors, but after seeing it in person, it was even more incredible. It felt like arge exhibition hall, not a simple studio. PD Yong Soo Chul had records and CDs of artists he liked disyed in a showcase on one side of the room. He also had his cherished things, like shoes and jackets from those artists, ced in ss cases like a museum. Do Wook looked around and checked out the studio. The ck wallpaper was suited PD Yong Soo Chul well. The studio is incredible. Its the first studio I got thats really mine, so I put in a lot of care. PD Yong Soo Chul subconsciously started to smile. The extravagantly decorated studio was PD Yong Soo Chuls pride. He used to be a night DJ, now a former producer for KK, and currently nner and producer for One Minute. Other people probably couldnt imagine the pride he felt for making it to this point. Do Wook already knew that PD Yong Soo Chul wouldter copy his own songs and be shunned by the public. It was in the not too distant future. Because of that, even though Do Wook admired the studio, he was worried that when it would happen, his currently-heightened pride would take a big hit. At the same time, it wasnt something he could tell him in advance. Even if he told him, it would only hurt his rtionship with Yong Soo Chul. I should be able to just bring it up in passing There is a saying that a rich person can survive 3 years even if they get ruined. Even if PD Yong Soo Chul ended up receiving a little bacsh, it would happen after releasing the songs that received love. Since it was after enormous wealth and steady music ie were guaranteed, Do Wook simply hoped Yong Soo Chul would be able to get through that patch well. Before that, he hoped that the solo album Yong Soo Chul was currently working on would go in a better direction and that theyd be able to work on it together. Itd be nice if you got a studio like this one day too. Haha, well Is thepanypensating you well? Maybe it was because they werent at HIT Entertainment, but PD Yong Soo Chul asked Do Wook a little more freely. Do Wook replied, I havent receivedpensation from the group yet. Since I have music ie. I see Yes. Ill probably be able to get properlypensated around next year. Since the agency had invested in them since their trainee period and even more afterwards, it was difficult for group members to get properlypensated within the first year. Therefore, by Do Wooks calction, starting next year they should get properpensation, and the members were expected to have earnings. You have to make sure you receive uratepensation. There are so many agencies that dont do it properly. After leaving, Ive noticed that thats the case. Do Wook nodded his head to what Yong Soo Chul said. Do Wook also knew very well that there were manypanies like that. Since Ive seen a few idols break up over that However, Do Wook wasnt too worried. HIT Entertainment wasnt arge agency, but it wasnt an agency that dyed or withheldpensation. Department Head Jo Anna, who bes the Presidentter, will be widely known for being solid when ites to that. For Do Wook, who was a part of KK, it was certainly lucky. Otherwise I would have had to use all sorts of methods to fight for it While he was in the middle of that thought, the studio door opened and a female with long, straight, ck hair entered. One Minute member Lee Hyun Ji had arrived. Hello Mr. PD. Hello, Lee Hyun Ji greeted PD Yong Soo Chul and Do Wook in turn. Hi, youre here, Hyun Ji. Do Wook, this is Hyun Ji. Shes a member of One Minute. Im not sure if you two have met before. Ah, hello. We met at a music broadcast once before. You remember~ I said hi to you back then~! Yes. Nice to see you again. Hyun Ji, who had removed her stage makeup and only had light makeup on, looked exactly like a 21-year-old, the same age as Do Wook. Of course, she was wearing ck leather hot pants and fis stockings that would be difficult for typical 21-year-olds to wear. On top of that, she had a t-shirt so tight that her ample bosom might pop out and it looked like itd expose her belly button It seemed it wasnt an outfit trying to appeal to someone, but just Hyun Jis personal style of clothing. Do Wook was thinking to himself that he didnt know where to look. Shes the member whos working on this solo album. Hyun Ji. Do Wook, are you really working on the project with Mr. PD? Its not for sure yet, Hyun Ji. PD Yong Soo Chul looked at Hyun Ji with a pleased expression as he said that. A personality overflowing with affection and a sexy body. It was a body that men couldnt help but like. Thinking the timing was right, PD Yong Soo Chul yed the beat he had prepared for Do Wook. After getting some distance from Hyung Ji who had stuck to him like glue, Do Wook attentively listened to the beat Yong Soo Chul yed. PD Yong Soo Chul was definitely in his prime. The beat was so good that it made you want to nod your head to the rhythm at once. You could add any melody to it and itd be good. It was also definitely the style of music Yong Soo Chul wanted to do. Thats the basic ideawhat do you think? I like it. As expected of you PD Yong. PD Yong Soo Chuls face lit up when Do Wook said that. Suddenly there was a thought that crossed Do Wooks mind. Thats right, if we did that.! It was a way to stop the overly sexy concept and help KK at the same time. But Mr. PD, Yong Soo Chul had a puzzled expression from Do Wooks words. Hyun Ji also blinked her eyes and focused on what Do Wook was saying. If its a song with this concept, rather than a solo, I think a duet would be good. A duet? Yes. With whom? Hyun Jis expression darkened a little. It was an opportunity for her to get all the attention alone, she didnt like the idea of sharing that with another member. Hyun Jis expression, that had slightly soured, brightened again at Do Wooks response. However, PD Yong Soo Chuls expression darkened instead. Would hebe a good fit? Chapter 97: Issue maker (3) Chapter 97: Issue maker (3) Initially, PD Yong Soo Chul showed a positive response to the idea of a duet with a KK member. It waspletely understandable, considering that what he wanted out of working with Do Wook was to make something viral. However, when he heard the name of the member Do Wook nominated, his initial response was to tilt his head. It meant he didnt like the idea. With Tae Hyung Yes. Doesnt Tae Hyung have a younger image? And pretty shy. I think I heard he has an image thatevokes motherly feelings. And the image I got from seeing Tae Hyung in person is like that too. Thats definitely the case. Then why PD Yong Soo Chul furrowed his brows. His expression looked very threatening as he racked his brain. Hyun Ji, who had a pleased expression when she heard the name Park Tae Hyung, promptly became mindful of PD Yong Soo Chul and tried to keep her expression in check. If she works with someone with an image like Tae Hyung, I think there will be a synergic effect PD Yong Soo Chul had an expression urging Do Wook to continue. Furthermore, Tae Hyung changes once hes on stage. You know that too. Park Tae Hyung had always cautiously greeted him whenever they ran into each other, like at the recording studio orpany hallway. He was a member that never made a big impression. However, Yong Soo Chul knew to an extent that, on stage, Park Tae Hyung danced with a different look in his eyes, carrying out the concept better than anyone else. Mmm. That IS true. And trying to pull off this kind of concept by yourself is too Too? Do Wook picked his words carefully. It couldnt be something that insulted Hyun Ji who was here with them. Do Wook truly thought highly of Hyun Jis skills. Her singing skills were a littleckingpared to her pretty appearance, but her dancing skills, if nothing else, were remarkable enough to immediately captivate people. Hyun Ji demonstrated a performance that was as powerful as any good male singers. She was also outstanding at controlling the stage. As such, it was a waste to have her wear a practically naked stage outfit and only emphasize the sexy image. Of course, emphasizing only a sexy image was a matter of nning by PD Yong Soo Chul and One Minutespany, but another reason was that the vibe Hyun Ji gave off was very simr to that. You couldnt ask Hyun Ji to change her vibe, so it was necessary for the n to refine that image. That was a task apany or producer could do. I think Hyun Ji might get stuck with just the sexy image. Sexy is exactly the image I want. As expected, PD Yong Soo Chul definitely had his own firm position. I think this is an opportunity to show an outstanding performance beyond that. Not just simply sexy PD Yong Soo Chul thought about what Do Wook said as he rubbed his scratchy beard. Hyun Ji, who had been listening quietly, spoke up, He dances really well, right? Do Wook nodded his head. Yes. I think that if Tae Hyung and you perform together, itll be a high-quality performance. PD Yong Soo Chul replied, his expression still sour, Itll have a simr vibe to the performance you recently gave then. I think itll have a little more powerful vibe. Since the dancing will inevitably be the focus. Im having a hard time picturing it. Do Wook had an expression as if he understood. Do Wook wasnt nning on forcefully convincing PD Yong Soo Chul. He just wanted to convey to Yong Soo Chul that that was the kind of performance he was picturing. The choice was up to Yong Soo Chul. Its just my opinion. Once Do Wook backed off a bit, Yong Soo Chuls expression became more contemtive. Even if you say youre ok with it, thepanys and Tae Hyungs opinions are important too It was Do Wook who was speaking, but Yong Soo Chul already knew Do Wooks position within KK. If it were a project Do Wook was pushing, it was very likely that itd be sessful. He also knew that Do Wook wouldnt have brought it up in the first ce if the conditions or workload didnt make sense. Do you truly think that a two-person duet would be better than Hyun Jis solo, Do Wook ? We dont know what the results will be, but I think that that will be much less of a risk to you, Mr. PD. He was right. Before he knew it, PD Yong Soo Chul was agreeing with Do Wook. Ah, also, Do Wook added as if he just remembered. I think calling it a duet was a little inurate. The correct thing would be Hyun Jis solo featuring Tae Hyung. Mr. PD! I think itll be good~! Once PD Yong Soo Chul showed signs of agreeing with Do Wook, Hyun Ji quickly added. She said it in a cute way, but Hyun Ji was also a singer, so she had some greed. At first nce, if they had Park Tae Hyunge in instead of a solo, the hype would be bigger, and it was an opportunity to demonstrate a lot of things through the performance. *** Do Wook, who had returned to the dormitory, privately asked Park Tae Hyung toe to the living room. The other members were either out of the dormitory taking care of personal business, or resting in their own rooms. Do Wook thought that it was important to ask Park Tae Hyungs opinion first. Currently, Park Tae Hyungs recognizability was a little weakerpared to the other members like Do Wook himself or Jung Yoon Ki. He nned on really raising Park Tae Hyung by having him involved in Hyun Jis album. Park Tae Hyung definitely has the capability to do it. Park Tae Hyung had a puzzled look on his face as he sat down. Is something wrong? No. I just have something to ask you. Its been rough recently, huh, preparing for the award show. Performance? Huh? Noits fun being on stage. Do Wook smiled. Park Tae Hyung shone the most when he was dancing on stage. As Do Wook listened to Park Tae Hyungs response, he started to think that maybe the answer was already set. It seemed like there was no way Park Tae Hyung would turn down a new opportunity to perform. Do you know One Minutes Hyun Ji? Hmm? Yes. The group PD Yong Soo Chul maderight? Yeah. I was told Hyun Ji is releasing an album. With that, Do Wook started exining to Park Tae Hyung. He also exined the type of performance he was picturing. Park Tae Hyung expressed that he was a little hesitant because he wasnt sure if hed be able to do it well, but still wanted to try it. In the past, he probably would have stepped away from it, but now Park Tae Hyung was filled with confidence as KKs Park Tae Hyung. After exining things to Park Tae Hyung, Do Wook discussed this matter with Album Production Team Leader Shim Joon and Manager Oh Baek Ho. They all reacted positively. However, they brought up that they didnt think PD Yong Soo Chul or Hyun Ji, who had been nning a solo album, would be happy about featuring Park Tae Hyung. It was because the spotlight would definitely be shared. However, there was nothing to worry about in that aspect. It was the first solo, so PD Yong Soo Chul was already focused on poprity. PD Yong Soo Chul had reached a decision to a certain degree. The other possible problem that was brought up was the issue of a scandal. It was the aspect they were most careful about while preparing for Do Wook and Lee Jin Ris performance. Do Wook smiled at Manager Oh Baek Hos question. Itd be apparent once they were seen togetherter, but Do Wook was certain that there wouldnt be a scandal involving the two of them. Anyways, Do Wook worked quickly on this. He worked fervently on the song, going back and forth to PD Yong Soo Chuls workshop. Hyun Ji and Park Tae Hyung also sometimes came to the workshop and shared their opinions. Above all else, the two of them put effort into preparing the choreography for the performance. PD Yong Soo Chul even recruited Lee Jin Ris choreography team, who could be considered the best in the field. *** The New Year came once again. As L Duty Free Shops new model, a picture of KK giving a New Years bow wearing hanbok was released and the fans couldnt contain their happiness. -If you gave a New Years bow, you should get New Years moneywhy arent you taking the moneyI have cash in my hands -Ahh theyre so cute in the hanbok T.T -Am I the only one getting older when they dont? -I want to have a son like KK -Do you even have a husband? -Before that, do you even have a boyfriend? -Key Ring people are mean!!! -School uniform, chicken, and duty free store. KKs poprity is incredible~~~ -Do Wook in hanbok; he looks like a schr from the Joseon Dynasty -At least the eldest son of a noble family -Royal family -Do Wook is a historical drama T.T At the same time, for fans who were waiting for KK activities, there was one more piece of confusing news. It was the news that Park Tae Hyung would be featured in One Minutes Hyun Jis solo album title song. When they heard that it wasnt simply featuring him, but that they would be doing the music broadcast performance together during the active period, the fans had a lot of thoughts. Park Tae Hyung had had significantly less independent activitiespared to the other members, so it was happy news for his fans who had been waiting for activities from him. However, they were honestly worried since it was a performance with a member of a female idol group, and Hyun Ji no less, who was known for dripping sexiness even among female idols. Still, it was revealed at the same time that Do Wook would be involved in producing, so the fans looked forward to the two peoples performance. For now they would have faith and wait. Amid the expectations and concerns, the day of the first broadcast of the two peoples performance release was closely approaching. For the public, there was a lot of anticipation, since it had been a while since they had seen a man and womansbined performance. Also, there was already significant anticipation over KKs music. There were a series of articles saying that Very Sorry was the representative song that Do Wook and Brave Only Child worked on together, and the public who knew Very Sorry well was looking even more forward to the song Hyun Ji woulde out with. *** Its one of the most anticipated performances of the night! One Minutes Hyun Ji and KKs Park Tae Hyung working together! Theres so~ many people looking forward to it! Thats right! Its very hot on site right now too! Kyaaaa! Wooooooooooow! Hyun Ji! I love you! On set of the SVS Life Song live broadcast. It was right before the two peoples performance started. Park Tae Hyung and Hyun Ji were on stage, listening to the MCs remarks and preparing for their performance. The One Minute members and PD Yong Soo Chul, who had gathered to cheer on Hyun Ji, as well as Do Wook, Jung Yoon Ki, and Suk Ji Hoon, who hade to the waiting room to cheer on Park Tae Hyung, were fixated on the waiting room monitor. Lets bring them out now! Double quick (Double-quick)*! (TL note: The first Double quick was said in Korean, the second one in parentheses was said in English) Different from KK performances, there were male voices mixed in the cheering. The stage lights switched on along with the cheering and the two peoples performance started. Co-written and coposed by Brave Only Child and Do Wook, Double quick (Double-quick) was a quick tempo pop dance song. Originally, PD Yong Soo Chul wrote the lyrics with the theme of a woman who seduced men, but since Do Wook came onboard and a role for Park Tae Hyung was created, the lyrics became a double message of trying to seduce each other while beingpetition to see who was faster and better. At the same time, Do Wook slightly transformed PD Brave Only Childs characteristic fast and repetitive beat and made it a much more sophisticated and luxurious dance song. Im heading towards you quickly, double, double quick! Gazing down on you My gaze on you As they swept across the stage as if they were confronting each other, the two of them continued their powerful dance. It was an interesting performance where their individual sexiness was highlighted, but it didnt feel like they should get together. The concept became like apetition, so they were able to avoid that subtle undertone. Neither of their singing skills were particrly outstanding, but it was live with a certain degree of AR oveid so there were no problems at all with enjoying the performance. When Hyun Ji did a wave while wearing high heels and flicked her hip, everyones jaws dropped. It was sexy, but people were calling it cool at the same time. When Park Tae Hyung, who gave off the impression of being innocent like a youngest sibling, changed his expression each second and tried to overpower Hyun Ji, KK fans covered their mouths with their hands and were amazed. Especially when he pulled his bangs back and looked at Hyun Ji, everyone wondered if Park Tae Hyung had always had that side to him. It was a song that made you want to move your body. Brave Only Child and Do Wook both had a sense of what would be popr, so it was an expected result. An unforgettable performance on top of that. Once the performance ended and there was a close-up of the two of them catching their breath, everyone started cheering. He definitely changes once hes on stage. Yong Soo Chul, who had been watching, praised Park Tae Hyung. He has a dual personality. Oh Yoon Ki! Jung Yoon Ki and Suk Ji Hoon feld proud of their fellow member Park Tae Hyungs outstanding performance. Do Wook was also happy that his decision wasnt wrong. Park Tae Hyung and Hyun Ji soon opened the door and came in. The two of them also felt in their body that it was a sessful performance. Good job, you did great Congrattions on your solo debut~!!! The KK members and One Minute members gave their congrattions. The One Minute members even gave Hyun Ji the flowers they had prepared. One of the members gave flowers to Park Tae Hyung too. The KK members, who hadnt prepared anything else besides nning on taking Park Tae Hyung out to eat barbeque, were a little embarrassed and just patted him on the shoulder or gave him a hug. Park Tae Hyung smiled brightly, holding the flowers. Once the broadcast is over, Ill take you guys out to eat. Park Tae Hyung thanked Jung Yoon Ki. Do Wook was about to say something too when he received a text from Manager Oh Baek Ho. He always had a lot of people contacting him, so Do Wook had set up a separate ringtone for texts from people at thepany. [Do Wook, it looks like youll be going to New York.] Chapter 98: Issue maker (4) On a flight to New York¡¯s John F. Kennedy airport. Do Wook was realizing that a 14-hour period was indeed difficult. He had never flown for this long in his previous life either. If it was this difficult when he was sitting in the business section that¡¯s said to befortable for long distance flights, Do Wook was worried about how hard it must¡¯ve been for the staff sitting in the economy section. When he took off the sleeping mask and checked the screen, there were still 5 hours left until theynded. ¡®I thought I had slept quite a bit¡­¡¯ Do Wook took hisptop out from under his seat. Even before he got on the ne, Do Wook was preparing fervently for KK¡¯s third album. The trip to New York was a sudden decision, but Do Wook¡¯s firm position was that it couldn¡¯t disrupt KK¡¯s schedule. It was a relief that a big framework or direction for the next album was set before leaving for New York. Park Tae Hyung¡¯s ¡®Double Quick¡¯ music broadcasts that he was doing with Hyun Ji were also settling down. With the power of the two fandoms, they swept 1st ce in various music broadcasts and were floating around 10th ce in the music charts. Park Tae Hyung definitely had a gentle personality off the stage, but on stage he was sexy and charismatic and was attracting fans in their 20s on the inte as a ¡®turnabout man¡¯. Do Wook put his headphones in his ear and opened the file he had already worked on. The foundation of the song that would be the title song of their 3rd album was quietly ying through the headphones. ¡°At least turn the light on. You¡¯ll ruin your eyes.¡± It was Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung who wasing back from the restroom. The person joining the trip to New York this time was Fan Marketing Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung. The manager and stylists were sitting in the economy section and only Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung and Do Wook were in the business section. They wondered if it was something that needed Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung to tag along, but it was rted to marketing, and it turned out Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung had been an exchange student to America so he was fluent in English. ¡°Ah.¡± Do Wook nodded his head and turned on the reading light. It was an evening flight, so the ne was overall quiet and dark inside. ¡°You¡¯re not going to sleep more? It¡¯ll be morning when we arrive. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to sleep more?¡± Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung asked in a whisper. ¡°I want to as well, but I think I¡¯ve slept as much as I can.¡± ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s good then. Are you working on a song?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Unlike Do Wook, who was still wary of Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung, Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung was putting in a lot of effort to get closer to Do Wook. It was because it was obvious that current work at HIT Entertainment centered around Production Direction Kwon Heung Jo among the executives and Do Wook among agency celebrities. ¡°Take it easy.¡± ¡°Yes. Thank you.¡± Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung looked Do Wook over, then checked the economy section behind them. In the economy section, there were not only staff including Gu Chul Min, but also fans of Do Wook. Before boarding the airne, Do Wook and the staff had gone through a lot of trouble because of Do Wook¡¯s fans swarming around them. There had been many young fans who had just clung to them, and there had been fan page masters who hade with professional grade cameras while going crazy and pushing each other to get an up close picture of Do Wook. Even Do Wook, who had tried not to harden his expression, couldn¡¯t have helped but frown a little because of the Fan page masters, who were so called ¡®picper¡¯* who even had strobes attached to their shes. (TL Note: Shortened for picture taking person. The actual Korean word, jjiksa, is a term that came about with the invention of digital cameras and cell phone cameras.) Manager Gu Chul Min had warned the fans several times, but there had been too many. ¡°Do Wook!!!¡± ¡°Over here please, look here!¡± ¡°Kang Do Wook!¡± ¡°Ah, man! I said don¡¯t push!¡± ¡°Take off the hat!!!¡± ¡°Hurrr, under his hat I think his hair color is different.¡± ¡°Hey! I said to get lost! And don¡¯t grab the camera, bastard!¡± ¡°Have fun in New York~!¡± As they had escaped the noisy fans, Gu Chul Min, who had been frowning, had sighed. As the number of fans had increased during that time, he had just been worried that if there were this many people when it was just Do Wook leaving the country, what would happen if KK left the country as a group. Up to Japan or China was understandable, but there were several fan page masters who had somehow found out they were going to America and had reserved seats on the same flight. As he had stood in front of the gate to board, Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung had been in awe. He had also sounded a little tired. ¡°It¡¯s really amazing.¡± ¡°I heard that it¡¯s even worse for Sa Bang Shin Hwa,¡± Gu Chul Min had replied, shaking his head. Lee Dae Hyung had briefly thought about what Gul Chul Min had said and hadpared the two. There had been a time Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung had apanied Sa Bang Shin Hwa for an America tour after they became very popr. It had been a simr situation. ¡°Maybe. It seems about the same to me.¡± ¡°Oh¡­is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. It really feels like their poprity is growing day by day~¡± The fact that HIT Entertainment was overall more friendly and active with fanspared to Ara Entertainment was one reason so many ¡®producer¡¯ fans like fanpage masters came to be. Using fans to promote their agency¡¯s singers was one of the know-how that HIT Entertainment came to learn while raising Monster. Large agencies such as Ara Entertainment had many opportunities to do promotions through broadcasts, even if fans didn¡¯t take pictures to post them onmunities and promote for them. Also, it might not be to the extent of mysterious, but they wanted a certain amount of distance between the fans and the celebrities. Actually, in the 90¡¯s or even up to the early 00¡¯s, it was a policy that worked. However, fans these days want two-waymunication. HIT Entertainment took on a policy of utilizing those fans well to gather other fans. Of course, there were times there was trouble because of the increased number of aggressive fans on set because of that, but the positive effects were bigger for now regardless. ¡°I felt this aftering here, but I think the Fan Marketing Team has done very well. At thispany.¡± Gu Chul Min had nodded his head at what Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung had said. Gu Chul Min also learned a lot after joining thepany from watching people like Manager Oh Baek Ho or thepany staff. Do Wook¡¯s trip to New York had started with an invitation from Lucas. Lucas¡¯s brand ¡®Kiss, Lucas¡¯ was doing a show at this year¡¯s New York fashion week. New York fashion week was one of the world¡¯s 4 top fashion weeks along with London, Mno, and Paris. New York fashion week, held in the center of New York, was an event of enormous influence in the fashion world. The reason that Lucas happened to aim for New York among the 4 of them and got to participate was because of the New York fashion week¡¯s style. Just as the unique New York city, the New York fashion world was also a ce to pursue more urban, sophisticated, and practical fashion than other ces. There was a part of that kind of image and Lucas¡¯ fashion world that went well together. During fashion week, countless fashion people went around showing themselves off on the streets, and celebrities whose names alone would make you nod attended and made the ce shine. Fashion week¡¯s charm was that it was not limited to the inside of the fashion show venue, but one could easily see and enjoy the colorful fashion of fashion people in the street. Various fashion-rted magazine reporters and photographers gathered in New York and fervently captured fashion people¡¯s fashion in photographs and published them. That Lucas was participating in such an amazing event was awe-inspiring. While opening his first fashion show in New York, Lucas had recalled his first runway in Korea. Lucas thought it had been more meaningful because Do Wook personally attended. At that time, Do Wook had had less recognizability than now, but that hadn¡¯t been a problem for Lucas. What Lucas was looking for were image and aura. Do Wook had those things. So, that he really hoped Do Wook woulde to this deeply meaningful ce even if he couldn¡¯t have him as a model in New York fashion show was what Lucas had said in his text. It was a really good offer for Do Wook. Korea fashion was already excited about Korean designers who made it into New York fashion week. People who had already liked Lucas¡¯s brand anyways were nowpletely praising him. If Do Wook were to attend the New York fashion week, all sorts of fashion magazines would definitely be stered with Lucas and Do Wook. It was clear that Do Wook¡¯s image as a fashionista, which had been building up to a certain degree ever since he modeled for the ¡®7 days¡¯ advertisement, would be even more highlighted. So both thepany and Do Wook had dly epted Lucas¡¯s invitation. The rtionships he had cultivated well were definitely bing a huge help. ¡®Lucas¡¯s brand received help from Yoo Sung Fashion and is advancing really quickly¡­¡¯ Do Wook had thought when he had heard the news. Networking was important in the fashion world. Expanding to New York would also have been a littleter or more difficult without the power of Yoo Sung Fashion. At the same time, the fashion world was also a ce where connections alone weren¡¯t enough. Lucas¡¯s outstanding skills received Yoo Sung fashion¡¯s power and he was utilizing it well. In fact, there was news that Yoo Sung Fashion President Lee Yoo Min would also personally attend New York fashion week to find out trends in the fashion world. It was obvious that most of the fashion world people in Korea who were experts would go to New York during this period. Do Wook thought it would be good to go a little further than being acknowledged as a fashionista in the Korean fashion world. ¡®A little more¡­if I can grab the opportunity, I should.¡¯ *** Do Wook and the staff who had arrived at John F Kennedy airport dragged their bodies that were tired from the long flight and headed to the hotel. It was around lunch time when they arrived in America. After resting up at the hotel today, they were going to Lucas¡¯s show tomorrow. Tomorrow they not only had to attend Luca¡¯s show, but it was also important to catch the attention of photographers taking pictures of street fashion. They didn¡¯t have big expectations, but from thepany¡¯s perspective, they wanted to give a little more meaning to this New York trip. Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung also strongly agreed, and the stylist team wasn¡¯t the normal team that did the styling for KK performances, but new, urgently recruited people who were stronger in street fashion and had experience working in the New York fashion world before too. Do Wook took off the dark gray beanie he was wearing when he got to the hotel lobby. There had been a few fans who had followed them to the hotel after having gotten off the ne, so Do Wook had put his hat back on. ¡°Wow, you really have a different vibe,¡± Gu Chul Min said as he pressed the elevator button to go up to the room. Do Wook¡¯s hair was dyed in a light pink color. He had dyed his hair up to bright brown during active periods before to escape his ck hair, but this kind of bleached hair was very unconventional. He wondered if it would suit him well, but he pulled off the pink hair really well too. Also, perhaps because the color of his hair and eyebrows were lighter, he gave off a softer and lighter impression. ¡°I¡¯m still not used to it. I¡¯m not sure if it even suits me¡­¡± Do Wook said shyly as he looked at his reflection in the elevator mirror. The stylist Han Jung Ah, who was next to him, shook her hands side-to-side andplimented him. ¡°Ah~ I rmended the color, but it looks soooo good on you so don¡¯t worry~!¡± ¡°Haha. That¡¯s good then.¡± Do Wook had already changed his outfit once from head to toe on the ne. Lavish essories you couldn¡¯t often try in Korea hung all over Do Wook¡¯s clothes, but it didn¡¯t look unbnced at all and matched well. He pulled off the fashion so well that, if there were an opportunity, she wanted to keep styling for him and not just for the duration of the fashion week. ¡°Ok. Go get some rest.¡± ¡°You should rest up too! Tomorrow might be difficult.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After saying goodbye to the staff including Gu Chul Min, Do Wook grabbed his room key and headed to his room. A woman jumped out from the room next to Do Wook¡¯s. The ck-haired woman was carrying a pile of clothes. The woman who was rushing out dropped a hat from her pile of clothes before she got far. Do Wook grabbed the hat and called out to the woman. ¡°Excuse me.¡± ¡ª Chapter 99: Issue maker (5) Chapter 99: Issue maker (5) Hearing Do Wook call out to her, the woman who had been hurriedly running looked back. The woman approached Do Wook with a surprised expression when he held out the red beret. Do Wook forgot that he was in New York, America and realized after the fact that he had spoken Korean. The woman had ck hair and looked pretty Korean so it had confused him even more. The woman who epted the beret Do Wook was holding out thanked him. Thank you, I am in a hurryoh?! The woman, who was speaking fluent Korean, had an even more surprised expression when she saw Do Wooks face. Kang Do Wook? Yes? The woman was Korean, just as she appeared. She was speaking in Korean fluently. Do Wook was surprised that the woman recognized him and felt even more dazed. Im a fan. Youre in New York? Huh? Yes. The woman asked as she held the pile of clothing that kept leaning to one side higher, By chance, are you participating in the fashion week? Do Wook nodded as he scratched the back of his head. The woman eximed, oh my gosh. I didnt know. At all. Ah ha! Are you attending Lucass fashion show? Yes. I am. Wow. Thats great. Id love to talk to you more, but my chief editor is waiting for me downstairs. Ah, I never introduced myself. Im fashion magazine editor Sara Jeong. Ill most likely see you at the show, so Ill give you my business card then. I dont have a free hand at the moment The woman spoke a mile a minute. Because she was talking a lot and quickly, there was a little awkwardness in her fluent Korean. Feeling it to be a little unfortunate, Sara said to meet again soon. UhIll carry some of that for you until the elevator. Ah, Id be grateful if you would do that. You really are gentle. Do Wook took about half of the load Sara had been carrying. He had time anyways so he wanted to take the items to the lobby for her, but there might still be fans downstairs. Thank you. Then, goodbye. After Sara got on the elevator and headed down, Do Wook was even more confused. **** Dinner time. While eating with the staff at a restaurant near the hotel, Do Wook brought up meeting Sara in the hotel hallway. She was a fashion magazine editor so he asked Han Jung Ah, thinking that as a stylist she might know her. Sara Jeung? Yes. I think shes from Korea, I was wondering if you know her. Do Wook asked while taking a bite of his meatball. Han Jung Ahs expression looked like she was thinking it over very hard. Mmmm. Im not sure. Theres more people from Korea here than one might think. I see. Although shes probably just one connection away. She must not be someone too famous. Do Wook nodded his head. Seeing how she was carrying luggage I think its very likely that shes a floor staff. Not everyone that says theyre an editor is an editor, Han Jung Ah added in passing. Yes. I asked just in case. It seemed like shesing to Lucass fashion show so Ill know if I end up meeting her. Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung, who was sitting across the way and twirling his spaghetti with a fork, added in response to what Do Wook said, This is near where the fashion show is being held, so there will be a lot of participants staying at the same hotel. Do Wook turned his head towards Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung. Still, its nice that she knows Do Wook. If I happen to meet her tomorrow Ill ask her to write a nice article. He was definitely an amiable guy. Do Wook smiled lightly at what Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung said. While he was resting in the hotel room alone, Do Wook thought about Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung whom he would be spending the next few days with. He couldnt treat him too differently from how he treated the other staff. In general, Do Wook didnt have the personality to approach someone first, and for the most part, he came across as someone who was nice to pretty much everyone and became close with people easily. He acted the same with the staff. Therefore, he couldnt be wary of Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung forever just because he came from Ara Entertainment. People would be able to tell easily, and from Team Leader Lee Dae Hyungs or an outside perspective, he was being wary for no reason. So Do Wook decided to change his attitude towards Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung. Rather, he wanted to be close to and understand Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung. So, whats our schedule like? Do Wook, who had finished his meal for the most part, asked about the specifics for tomorrows schedule. Ah. First our team will get to your room by 10 am, Do Wook. Please just have basic preparations done before then. Han Jung Ah replied first. Tomorrows show was at 2 pm. Tomorrow, they nned on styling ording to the outfit Lucas had sent. Do Wook was assigned a VIP seat, the best seat among the ces where guests could sit to watch the show. They had to impress the attendeesing to Lucass show. Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung announced the next event. The show is at 2 pm, but youll have to take some pictures in the streets before that. And once the fashion show is over, theres a simple interview scheduled with a Korean magazinepany. Theyll ask you things like how it feels to be in New York or thoughts about the fashion show. I guess we should prepare responses. Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung added to what Do Wook said, Ill give you the expected questions and responses I wrote down tomorrow, but it would definitely be better if you gave your own thoughts. Ok. Ill make sure to refer to it if you give it to me. Ok. Ah, Do Wook. How good is your English? Speaking English? Do Wook had a slightly strange expression when he heard English. Of course Do Wook knew how to speak English to some extent, but he hadnt studied abroad or anything so all hed done was study for the SAT and TOEIC* exam when joining thepany. (TL Note: TOEIC stands for Test of English for International Communication) There was no way he could say he was fluent. If they were in Korea, he would answer that he knew a reasonable amount, but this was New York. People in the restaurant were also all chatting in English. Do Wook was Korean so he inevitably was hesitant about it. I just understand a littleDo I need to know how to speak it? Ah, no. Dont get too nervous. As you travel you might have to do on-the-spot interviews. You also might get a request for a photo. As long as you know some simple things, youre fine. Do Wook rxed his expression, very relieved. Team Leader Lee Dae Hyungughed lightly. Ill be next to you anyways, so you dont have to worry too much. Thats a relief. Also, the day after tomorrow youre scheduled to attend the Mark Ross show. Its considered the main show for the New York fashion week The Mark Ross show? Do Wook asked in response to what Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung said. Mark Ross was a brand a New York designerunched and one of the most loved brands by American people for thest decade or so. There was no mention of attending the Mark Ross show even up to when they were leaving for New York, so Do Wook couldnt help but be surprised. Attending the Mark Ross show?! Oh Gu Chul Min, who had been sitting next to Han Jung Ah, was also surprised. Actually, Gu Chul Min didnt realize just how amazing of a brand Mark Ross was, so he was surprised at the sudden new addition to the schedule. I only found out when I received a call earlier. I was told that Yoo Sung Fashion President Lee Yoo Min specially arranged it. Do Wook nodded his head when he heard it was done by President Lee Yoo Min. Ill have to make sure to thank her. Yes. I think itd be good to do that. Ah, the seats for the Mark Ross show arent front row, but the seats behind it. Being able to attend is already good enough, Do Wook said as heughed. Han Jung Ah said as she pretended to p, Of course~ Its nice just to be able to watch. I went duringst falls Fashion Week and it was really nice. Han Jung Ah was smiling as if just thinking about the memory of attending the Mark Ross show was enough to make her happy. You also have an interview scheduled with two or so fashion magazine teams from Korea. Ok. Please take care of it. Thank you. Well, this is my job. Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung replied, smiling. *** The next day, Do Wook, who was there for Lucass sessful New York debut, felt very proud. Aside from their personal rtionship, he was of course happy to see a Korean confidently seed in the vast New York. Also, he was able to see a familiar face at Lucass show. It was the model Joo Hye Jin, who Do Wook remembered as a very active model in the entertainment industry with a mature image. Joo Hye Jin, who recently started her career with a background on the world stage, had a youthful face. Still, she was exuding charisma. As he watched the fashion show, Do Wook felt a different passion from the K-pop stage. It was a calm and hot passion rather than an exploding one. There was a passion that was visible from the model walking down the well-organized runway and the clothes they were wearing. For Do Wook, it became another big motivator. When Lucas came out at the end to take a bow, he was showered with apuse. It was definitely a sessful show. Do Wook was apuding, full with sincerity, when he saw President Lee Yoo Min sitting across from him. I should go and say hello. However, President Lee Yoo Min quickly started to leave with her secretary as soon as the show was over. He didnt get a chance to say hello. Additionally, Do Wook also had an interview scheduled, so he had to leave the show venue after saying a simple goodbye to just Lucas. Outside of the show venue, there were numerous photographers in the crowd. Do Wook, who had been looking around for Gu Chul Min and Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung who should be nearby, was a little surprised. Oh, that person is! If you turned your head and looked at a noisy area, there was always an overseas celebrity whom even Do Wook would recognize waving their hand. Hey! Do Wook turned his head back to the front where someone was calling out to him. Before he knew it, several photographers were standing in front of him too and taking pictures of him. Street photographers highly valued naturalness so they had already taken pictures of Do Wook walking and looking around. This time he was even asked to pose properly. Do Wook stood facing forward so that the clothes were visible as much as possible and posed with his hands in his pockets. Today, Do Wook was wearing arge sweater with a bright blue coat over it that Lucas had sent over. He had pink hair as well, so he stood out even amongst the colorful fashion people. It was sessful in drawing peoples attention. Furthermore, Do Wooks appearance was exceptionally good. Pulling off the outfit, his face, his physique. Even in New York he was wless. Once Do Wook struck a pose, there were shutter sounds going off everywhere. Even the people who were on the other side gathered and started to take pictures of Do Wook. There were already a lot of photographers who had taken a picture of Do Wook on his way to the fashion show venue. Do Wook, over here. Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung, who had determined that he had taken enough photos, called Do Wook. The Korean magazine reporter was waiting for Do Wook for the interview. Those people probably dont know who you are, but the response is already good. Haha, Its thanks to Team Leader Jung Ah picking out the clothes well. Im not just saying that. Pictures of you taken before entering the show are already on the inte. Already? Yes. A famous fashion blogger posted it as a preview on their social. Once the Korean fans find out, the response is going to be substantial. Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung showed Do Wook the page he had found. There were a lot ofments from Korean fans in English saying this person was a famous singer in Korea, and many foreigners said, Who is this pink haired young man? Hes very hot. Thats good. At this rate you might make it onto a foreign magazine too. There will probably be many people among those photographers here who will sell it to a magazine. There was nothing more he could ask for if that were to happen. *** The next day. Before attending the Mark Ross show, Do Wook was able to meet Jeong Sara whom he wasnt able to meet the day before. It was at Park Avenue Armory. As a military base transformed into a gallery, it boasted a peculiar atmosphere and modern grandeur. Jeong Sara was able to easily spot Do Wook with his pink hair among the invited celebrities and staff. Do Wook was wearing a blue shirt and a three-piece suit to match the Mark Ross show. Sara was wearing high heels that looked like theyd break soon and a red two-piece dress. Even her bright red lips were perfect. Seeing her again like this, she was very sophisticated and elegant, fitting of a fashion magazine editor. And next to her stood a short-haired white woman wearing sunsses with a cold expression and arms crossed. He could see Sara exining something to the woman. Carefully looking towards Do Wook, the white woman, who had already looked Do Wook over from behind her sunsses, turned around without saying anything in particr. Embarrassed, Sara winked at Do Wook then followed the woman. He could feel most of the people inside ncing after the white woman. Do Wook furrowed his brows and tried hard to remember who the white woman was. He felt he had seen her in a movie. Is she an actor? Nocould she be the Bombe chief editor ?! Chapter 100: Issue maker (6) Chapter 100: Issue maker (6) Do Wook! Do Wook, who had been staring nkly at the white woman who was confidently disappearing and Sara who was following after her, turned around when someone called out to him. It was Yoo Sung Fashions President Lee Yoo Min. As expected, President Lee Yoo Min had put in more effort than usual in her outfit since it was the Mark Ross show. The modernly designed Mark Ross coat suited her very well. The reason Lee Yoo Min came to todays Mark Ross fashion show was because she had a close rtionship with Mark Ross too. The Yoo Sung Group was expanding into a global group, so the Yoo Sung Group members were gaining quite the status in the world. Do Wook quickly bowed, greeted her, and thanked her. Ah, Maam. Nice to see you here. Thank you very much for the great opportunity. What do you mean, opportunity? This is all strategy. Youre our model. If we want to quickly get your name out there more in the world market, you have to experience various things and have to be seen around here. Do Wook smiled a painting-like smile at President Lee Yoo Mins blunt words. Our Lucas had a very good atmosphere, and I saw that the response to you is already pretty big too, Do Wook. Huh? What response Korea goes without saying, but I heard a picture of you made it onto blogs here too. Ah. I was told thats the case. As expected, President Lee Yoo Min had meticulously checked and grasped rted issues. Look at you, your outfit today is very cool. All the important peoplee here, but at least more than 5 people will show interest in you, dont you think? Haha, no way. I believe what I see. President Lee Yoo Min was firm. She had seen what Do Wook was capable of, and knew the fashion trends and direction ahead of time, so you could say she had an eye for these things to a certain degree. She wasnt an expert so there were aspects she couldnt be certain of, but top experts in Korea also gave their firm support to Do Wook. Lee Yoo Min asked as they walked to the fashion show location. By the way, what were you staring at like that? Ah. Its just, I thought I saw the Bombe chief editor. Bombe chief editor? You mean the renowned Joy Wintuer? Yes. With short hair I did think that I saw her pass by a little earlier. I guess you saw her. She has an incredible presence, doesnt she? Do Wook HAD seen correctly. It was the motif of the very popr movie that even aired in Korea recently. Bing the motif of a movie meant their influence was that incredible. She had been the chief editor for Bombe, which was considered the top fashion magazine, for a long time, and as chief editor she had brought Bombe up to the next level. If she said something was right, it was right. If she said something wasnt right, it wasnt right. That was true at least in the fashion world. There were numerous designers just in New York who hadughed or cried with one word from her. Even designers of luxury brands that people would recognize by name alone tried to get in her good graces in whatever way they could. Joys evaluation soon became the fashion worlds evaluation as well as high fashion consumers evaluation. As someone with the power to influence the entire field like that, the vibe she gave off was incredible. She looked so cold, like she was wrapped in an ice wall, that one did not daree near her to try and talk to her. The cold and level-headed personality she had in real life was an important element of conflict in the movie < Devils fashion >. It probably means she pursues perfection that much even in her work. Thinking that, Do Wook started to speak, Yes, she did. But President Lee Yoo Min looked at him with eyes full of curiosity, asking him to continue. The person who is working with Joy is from Korea. Oh? Is that so? Yes. Turns out she knows me. She said her name is Sara. President Lee Yoo Min was quiet for a moment while trying to think who that person was. It was the editor who was next to Joy. It could have been a close associate of Joys, or at the least a Bombe headquarters editor. HmmEven I havent heard anything yet. Even President Lee Yoo Min had no way of knowing the details of the internal situation of the magazine agency. Especially so if she was an editor who hadnt released any articles yet. Still, its good that someone from Korea recognized you. She could be helpful too. Even Do Wook could feel the gears in President Lee Yoo Mins head quickly turning. Thank you for the useful news, Do Wook. Ah, not at all. Its not even really information She even knows you, so I think itd be good to get to know her. They say its a cold pros world, but its all work done by people so its hard to ignore rtionships. She was right. It wasnt something that was only true in Korea. In America or any other country in the world, rtionships between people are a very important factor. Theres a reason people care more about maintaining connections the higher they rise in ranks. President Lee Yoo Min and Do Wook went inside where the runway would be held. Ill probably be very busy again after this is over. Ill see you in Koreater. Ok. Get home safely. Ok. You have a safe trip back to Korea. Bye. Do Wook, who had separated from President Lee Yoo Min, found his seat with help from the staff. There was a card on a chair with his name KANG written on it. He picked up the card that was shining gold and sat down. The stage soon became dark and the lighting changed to the runway lighting. There wererge sculptures installed throughout, and in the middle was a white runway with the Mark Ross logo above it. The models then started to walk out one by one. The hall was passionately silent. The peoples gazes were frighteningly focused on the new clothes Mark Ross was announcing and on the models walking. Watching the models taking control of the catwalk despite wearing heels that looked like they were going to break, Do Wook was in admiration. In a way, he understood why people preferred the front row. There is definitely less visibility than yesterday. Thankfully, the Mark Ross show at least had more space avable than the show Lucas put on. When Do Wook briefly looked towards the other side because his vision was briefly blocked by the person in front of him, he made eye contact with the blond Chief Editor Joy. Actually, saying they made eye contact was misleading. The distance between Joy and Do Wook was substantial. It was possible she was just looking in Do Wooks direction. Still, I think we might have made eye contact Do Wook then started thinking it was a little silly. He was reminded of the time that each fan below the stage thought he was looking at them. In reality, he wasnt able to see anyone because the lighting was blinding. I think I might be antsy because I really want to catch the attention of celebrities. Rather than hoping itll happen by chance, I should just walk the path Ive been walking onMaybe Im looking for the easy way too. Do Wook shook his head in self-scorn and soon focused on the show. There was no change at all in Joys cold expression. Only Sara, who was next to her, noticed that she was staring somewhere. You had to at least have that much sense to be next to Joy as an editor who helped her. *** After the Mark Ross show was over, Do Wook, who hade outside, posed for the few photographers who asked him for photos. Because he had done it yesterday, he had gotten a little more used to it. The camera lenses focused on Do Wook, who was pulling off his suit spectacrly in a young and trendy way. Afterwards, there were also people who asked him for a brief opinion on the Mark Ross show. Do Wook tried his best to reply, although it was in short English sentences. Do Wook, who had watched the Mark Ross show, apuded, thinking that the designs were practical and clean. Now it was time to go to the scheduled interview. At that moment, a familiar voice asked Do Wook, Do Wook, do you have to head back right away? It was Sara. Next to Sara was a man with copper colored skin and stylish beard who looked like a photographer and was carrying a camera on his shoulder. Ah, Ms. Sara. Nice to see you here. Our chief editor was here earlier, so I didnt get to give you a proper greeting again. No, its ok. Sara took out her own business card from a ck card holder and held it out to him. As they thought, she was a Bombe magazine editor. Its been less than a month since I started working so the business card is hot off the press. Its an honor that I get to give it to you. Huh. Not at all. Rather its fascinating that you know who I am. Im American because Im a 2nd generation immigrant, but inevitably because of culture Im very interested in K-POP. These days I really love listening to KK songs. Ah, is that so? Thank you. Not at all! Ah, our conversation ran long. This is our photographer Jeffrey. Perhaps knowing he was being introduced in Korean, the photographer Jeffrey waved. Hi~! Hi, nice to meet you. Jeffery smiled coolly at Do Wooks short greeting. Oh, Do Wook, I guess you know English! Its very little. Its just English I learned in school. No, your pronunciation is good too. Ah, Im getting off track again. Wed like to take some proper pictures of you over by thatmppost, is that ok? Do Wook opened his eyes wide. I introduced you to the chief editor earlier as a very famous pop singer in Korea. Ahh I looked like she wasnt really interested, but she said she likes your style. It was an unexpectedment. When Joy and Do Wook had run into each other in the lobby before heading inside, she was only cold. Hes cool. Thats all she said. Do Wook blinked. He wondered if she was just being polite. However, there was no way someone like Joy would say something out of courtesy. Sara exined what Joys words meant. It means she liked you. If we take a picture of you for her, youll definitely be able to get at least one page in the street fashion magazine! He had been approved by the Bombe headquarters chief editor. Articles about the New York Fashion Week would be in all Bombe magazines throughout the world, and pictures sent by the New York headquarters would obviously be included. Do Wook posed in front of Jeffrey. Sara went for many different poses and straightened out his clothes, to get a picture where Do Wook would leave a strong impression even among the numerous people there so that it would get published no matter what. Once the pictures were all taken and they thanked him, he gave Sara an autograph and was also asked for autographs by other Korean female fans who recognized him. As he gave autographs in the streets of New York, Do Wook felt an unfamiliar feeling. I wonder how it feels to be a worldwide star After a light final interaction with Sara, Do Wook headed towards the HIT Entertainment staff who were waiting for him. A littleter, various magazine outlets, including the Bombe throughout the world of course, had a picture of Do Wook in it. There were only one or two pictures in Korea, but he was given the title of fashionista, and there were dozens of articles pouring out about Do Wook who had made it onto international magazines. The fans pride in Do Wook was also increasing sharply. In the nation, Do Wook had now be a fashionista that no one could look down on. *** On the flight back to Korea. As he ate his in-flight meal, Do Wook was having a conversation with Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung. They were talking about how their sess in New York exceeded expectations. Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung praised Do Wook, saying there were more things Do Wook had aplished alone than with his help. However, Do Wook knew he wouldnt have been able to get through the schedule this smoothly without the help of stylist Hang Jung Ah and Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung during the few short days in New York. Im the one whos grateful, sir. You could see Team Leader Lee Dae Hyungspetence, starting with his little efforts such as identifying famous fashion bloggers ahead of time and informing Do Wook even though fashion was not his field of expertise. Haha. By the way, Do Wook. Yes? Do you perhaps find me untrustworthy? It was a sudden fastball from Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung. Do Wook silently stared at Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung to understand his intentions. Is it becauseI came from Ara Entertainment? Trantorsments: We made it to triple digits! Thank you for following us on this journey until now. We are not even half way done yet! I hope you all continue to enjoy and support this series~ Thank you Chapter 101: Blue Sky (1) Chapter 101: Blue Sky (1) Do Woo was speechless. Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung also had a hardened expression. It was different from his usual gentle smiling demeanor. It was not easy to figure out in what context he meant it. Do Wook purposely did not hide his bewilderment. He thought that was more natural. After blinking his eyes a few more times, Do Wook asked, Why do you think that? Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung responded to Do Wooks question, For some reason I keep getting the hunch. It also feels like you put up a wall between us Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung added, rxing his expression. Haha. Its embarrassing to say this when we havent even been working together for very long. Perhaps Ive overreacted a little. With perfect timing, the stewardess came by to ask if theyd like any other drinks. He was feeling thirsty because of his emotions, so Do Wook ordered a warm ck tea. In the mood for a light post-meal drink, Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung asked for wine. After ordering, Do Wook shook his hands side-to-side as he faced Lee Dae Hyung. No. Rather, Im sorry if I made you feel that way. Perhaps I was being impatientout of wanting to be friends with you quickly. Please dont worry about that. Im the one who wants to get along with you. I know how important marketing is. Im grateful if thats how you feel. I cant tell you how many times I thought to myself, I knew it, during this New York business trip. It made me think you truly are the most outstanding entertainer I had ever seen. Unsure how to react to Team Leader Lee Dae Hyungs ongoing praise, all Do Wook could do was smile awkwardly. Even though it was praise he heard all the time, it always made him embarrassed. The praise people gave Do Wook was not just their personal opinion, it was all fact, but it was still embarrassing for him to hear it. I mean it. You have all the qualities a person should haveThats why I keep wanting to have a closer rtionship with you. Laughing, Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung finished speaking. It was partly because they hadnt worked together for long, but if you followed that logic, they had only met Han Jung Ah, who was their stylist at New York this time, a few days ago. Do Wook was definitely wary of Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung from the beginning, so even Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung understood why Do Wook treated him differently than he did other staff. I had decided to actively get closer to him since arriving in New York, but it inevitably was still obvious that there were unresolved boundaries. Along with that thought, Do Wook started to think Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung was definitely a sharp person even though he smiled in a way thatforted people. So why did you think that Id feel ufortable around you because you came from Ara Entertainment? When Do Wook asked, Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung pondered for a bit, then responded, KK and M2M were called rivals. There were also many articlesparing you and Seo Jun in particrSo I figured youd be ufortable around someone from Ara Entertainment. It was a concern he had while moving from Ara Entertainment to HIT Entertainment. Do Wook nodded his head. However, it was simply that a rivalry was formed with KKs recent rapid growth, there was still a big difference between Ara Entertainment and HIT Entertainment on arge scale. In the entertainment industry, it was almost an unwritten rule not to change jobs among the three major agencies. In particr, among the three major agencies, it was a stricter unwritten rule not to move between Ara and Cheongwol, who had a long established rivalry. Nobody has ever said you cant do that, but since it was a small industry, people kept to that as much as possible. However, getting scouted from arge agency to a mid-sized agency was expected. Mid-sized agencies tried to steal the highest middle management from the working staff to learn the know-how ofrge agencies. However, sincerge agencies undeniably have a brand value, they had to pay a much higher sry to scout properly. Since Ara and HIT Entertainment were not in a position to be called rivals, Team Leader Lee Dae-Hyungs transfer was considered a promotion and raise from arge agency to a mid-sized agency. The only thing was, although thepanies werent rivals, Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung was bothered by the fact that the groups thepanies were managing were rivals. That was the reason Do Wook was guarded around Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung too. Do Wook thought that since Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung brought it up, he also should be more honest about things to a certain degree moving forward. He didnt have to bare his soul, but he had to show his own cards a certain amount so that the other person would reveal themselves too. Id be lying if I said it didnt bother me at all. Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung opened his eyes wide, a bit surprised, then soon agreed. As I thoughtI see. Since I have undoubtedly been paying attention to talk of being rivals Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung said in response to Do Wook, Its a little unexpected. I thought you wouldnt really care about those things. I couldnt help it, since Im only human. Haha. Rather, its nice because I feel like Ive discovered your human side. Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung, whoughed a little, got rid of his smile and said, If thats the case, thats more of a relief. Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung noticed Do Wook looking at him as if asking, what do you mean? and smiled. Unlike his usual carefreeughter, it was a very emptyugh. I told this to Department Head Jo Anna, butactually I came here because I wanted to make KK even more sessful. Do Wook stood there and just looked at Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung because it felt like an obvious interview answer. Its true I felt HIT Entertainment had a vision, but that was the real reason. Youre already doing better than M2M, but I wanted to make KK more sessful going forward. It wasnt that he simply hoped to grow KK. Those words had some guilt behind them. When I was at Ara Entertainment there was a time I didnt like KK, although its ridiculous. Haha. Im childish like this. you didnt like us? Yes. It sounds like Im showing off, but Im also someone who is acknowledged as being very capable. Its thanks to that that I was able to be involved in M2Ms nning too. Do Wook nodded his head as he listened intently to Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung. I dont know about album production or other departments, but I dont think my marketing n for M2M was a mess. M2Ms marketing method was pretty simr to the marketing method that previously made Sa Bang Shin Hwa sessful, but was also different. While keeping the good parts from Sa Bang Shin Hwas marketing, they slightly modified it to fit the group M2Ms characteristics. They maximized exposure while not losing mysteriousness. Do Wook had also thought it was good marketing. Furthermore, if it followed the way it was originally, M2M would have been in a higher position than KK. It wasnt that M2M didnt do well, it was rather that KK became very sessful. But he said it was my failure. There was bitterness in Team Leader Lee Dae Hyungs words. Do Wook felt both surprise and pity at the same time. Why in the world Well, he didnt say it was only my failure. The staff who produced M2M and the M2M members, we were all under pressure. Honestly to call even that a failureM2M is on their second album now, isnt it a sess? There were still a lot of opportunities left too. Degree of failure and sess is different from person to person. For Ara Entertainment I guess it was a failure. Especially to Director Seo Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung, who had continued with his story, stopped talking. He thought he was talking too much in detail, even bringing up specific individuals. They were doing well until now. I started to have doubts as I saw how severely and immediately thepany started pushing me because they were falling behind KK a little. Do Wook shook his head in his mind while listening to Team Leader Lee Dae Hyungs story. Director Seo Joong Wonhes losing people on his own. It was the group his son Seo Kang Jun was a member of. Director Seo Joong Won probably thought that with the amount of ambitious nning he put in, they would undoubtedly be in first ce and be sessful. Today was the result of him harassing his subordinates instead of thinking of trying harder when his pride was shattered. A talent like Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung ended uping over to HIT Entertainment. Honestly, even when the M2M members meet up, there is no excitement at all. In fact, even as I was nning and promoting them, I didnt want to meet up with themWe discussed official things for a little bit and there was even a member who talked down to me despite me being significantly older because he knew he had backing. Do Wook didnt bother to ask if that member was Seo Kang Jun. It was obvious. When I was having doubts, Department Head Jo contacted me and offered much better conditions. Conditions are one thing, but initially, I wanted to see for myself just how good KK was. I see. I decided to leave Ara after I saw KK perform. It waspletely different. Compared to the look in the M2M members eyes. Seeing you guys genuinely enjoy performingI felt like I could give it my all into the marketing. Thank you for seeing us in that light, sir. Once I met you all in person, I felt even more certain. And before I left Ara, instead of asking me to reconsider and give it one more try, thepany was verbally abusive at the exit interview. Saying well see how well I do. It made me lose any attachment I had left for them. There was no way he could go back to Ara. Do Wook could see that Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung had gone through a lot before he got here. He probably had many concerns about his decision. Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung was baring his soul. During the short time in New York, he had been at Do Wooks side observing him and had solidified his faith in Do Wook. Even though it seemed like Do Wook was wary of the Team Leader, Lee Dae Hyung could undoubtedly feel his good nature. Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung had his own ambitions. His ambition was to rise to the position of a top marketing-rted nner in the industry. In that regard, he reaffirmed many times already that Do Wook was a star that he could bet his life on and work hard for. He was confident he would have no regrets leaving Ara anding to HIT Entertainment. To do that, he needed Do Wooks trust more than anything. And he felt that through his open confession he earned a certain degree of trust. Actually, Do Wook genuinely understood Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung. As someone who was an agency employee at one point, he felt a sense of camaraderie. Since an agency was focused on artists, there were inevitably many times when employees had to take responsibility for artists on top of making up for their shorings. Team Leader. Thank you for being honest with me. Thank you for listening to my personal story when Im sure youre tired. Even though it might bepany problems that might be hard for you to understand. No, Its nice because I feel like we can aplish more moving forward. Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung and Do Wook looked at each other andughed. It seemed like Do Wook had gained another reliable ally who even knew the inner workings of the enemy well. *** A few days after he got back from New York, Do Wook asked the members left in the dormitory toe to his studio. What is it? What happened~! Ahn Hyung Seo and Kim Won entered Do Wooks studio. Do Wook wanted to share the title song of the soon-to-be-released third album with the KK members before anyone else. This album was a very crucial album for KK to reach their peak. The song is ready. Really? The title is ready?! Yes. Although Ill have to get feedback and work on the arrangement I cant wait to listen to it! y it! Ahn Hyung Seo urged Do Wook. The members were also overflowing with eagerness to do theeback. Through events like the concert tour and the award ceremony performance, they had already learned the highest joy of performing. They couldnt wait to get on stage again. Do Wook yed back the song as he smiled. Huh? As it reached the chorus, Ahn Hyung Seo frowned at the familiar sounding melody. This is Chapter 102: Blue Sky (2) Chapter 102: Blue Sky (2) As he looked at Ahn Hyung Seos face, Do Wook smiled and nodded his head. Youre right. Really? Yes. Ahn Hyung Seo focused harder on the song, speechless. Kim Won didnt know yet why Ahn Hyung Seo was surprised, so he was confused. At the same time he bobbed his head and stomped his feet. They were hearing the song for the first time but it felt familiar like theyd heard it before, and the easy melody got stuck in their head. They subconsciously started humming. For the third full-length album this time, they decided to make a little easier song starting from the nning stage. Sorry but I Love You, Very Sorry, Windy Day, LAST DANCE, and even Howl. If you counted the repackage album, KK already had 5 title songs. Of course people considered KK to be a perfect group in terms of performance, but KK also had a reputation as a group who made the publics ears overjoyed. It was also fitting to give them the title of singers one could trust and listen to. They even received praise from critics for their always sophisticated and trend-setting songs. KKs songs truly were a step ahead of other already established music. Therefore, although their poprity might be considered weak, they controlled their strengths and weaknesses very well so they maintained their poprity and kept things fresh. Thanks to that, if KK made a song viral, songs of that genre followed suit in a rush. The fact that the style of beat PD Brave Only Child used became trendy was also due to that. However, its hard for songs that are released btedly and sporadically to be sessful, except for a few songs. Rather, it only makes the public sick of it. KK didnt replicate their style. Rather, they continued to show new styles. Therefore, the Album Production Team members and especially Do Wook, who was the producer, kept agonizing over the direction for the third album. There was pressure for this album to set trends with music that would be a half step ahead and would seed like the previous album did. However, Do Wook thought differently. The image we have maintained until now is sophisticated enough. Its to the extent of To an extent, people in the industry knew whatever KK did would soon be a trend. In addition to the young and sophisticated image the members had, the idea became more solidified as KK entered the fashion world too. Thats not what we need right now. To get to the top They had to ovee the group Sa Bang Shin Hwa who had a huge fandom, as well as singers like Lee Jin Ri who had the title of Nations Treasure. To do that, they had to get wider and deeper into peoples minds than Very Sorry did. We have to go beyond generations. Do Wooks conclusion was that in order to do so, they had to go beyond the main generation who normally listened to KKs songs. He felt they had to do at least that in order to rise to the top position. OhI seriously didnt know until the chorus came on. What? When Ahn Hyung Seo said that after finishing listening to the song, Kim Won asked, not knowing what was going on. Kim Won gave a thumbs up and expressed that the song was good. Its a remake song. Kim Won blinked his eyes, surprised. Remake? Really? I.Dont.Know*! (TL Note: Really? I.Dont.Know was said in English) Yes. The original song is Ji Moon Jaes song called Blue Sky. Thats why he decided on a remake. People currently in their 50s knew the song Blue Sky well. Do Wook already learned the power of a remake while doing the Seo Tae Joons To A Friend remake project. It was an easy path to walk. However, because it was an easy path, it was easy to fall into various traps. There was definitely a risk. The biggest issue was when they couldnt surpass the original song. The songs that end up getting remade are, of course, already famous and are good songs. Because youre rearranging such a song, and depending on the direction of the arrangement, there were many remake songs that just got chewed out for not being as good as the original. There might also be opinions that theyre sick of the song. Since theyre hearing a song that they already heard many times before, of course thatd happen. So Do Wook deliberated which song to choose among the songs that the whole nation knew. He also exchanged messages with the people of the album production team every day and considered several songs. In the process, Do Wook ced a few standards for himself. First, it had to be a song that was at least 15 years old. That way they could avoid people getting sick of the song from hearing it too many times. Second was that the chorus had to be familiar already. Even though it was an old song, that level of familiarity was essential for a remake song to have an advantage. Also, he had to find a song that was lyrical and had an upbeat rhythm that Koreans would like. That type of song was good in trying to expand to KKs style. The song he found after setting those criteria was Ji Moon Jaes song. Ji Moon Jae had a lot of good songs, but Blue Sky had not been remade yet. That was also the most important condition for Do Wook. Once Do Wook decided on the song, the album production team immediately went into discussions with Ji Moon Jae. The Blue Skyposer readily approved the remake. Ji Moon Jae added that they really wanted to listen to itter. I want to listen to the original melody! At Kim Wons request, Do Wook yed Blue Sky for him. Kim Won, who was listening to the song, had the same surprised expression as Ahn Hyung Seo. You cant tell at all the first time around. By the chorus you totally know! Do Wook nodded his head, smiling that his intentions came across perfectly. The part he focused on during the arrangement was that exact thing. Even though they were doing a remake, they couldntpletely get rid of their KK style. As such, in the beginning they put a beat they often used and a rap part. So when you first hear it, it sounds like an exciting current song, but when it gets to the chorus, youll go Huh? and end up subconsciously singing along to a familiar melody. Whatdo you think of the song? When Do Wook asked, Kim Won gave another thumbs up as if saying, its a no-brainer. Its exactly as we discussed. Its not our style, but we can reach more generations! Do Wook, are you sure youre not a genius? Do Wook scratched the back of his head at what Ahn Hyung Seo said. Thats a relief. I hope the other members will like it too. Dont worry! You worked really hard. Especially when you must have been tired from going all the way to New York. Ill try to learnposition quickly too. Do Wook smiled at what Ahn Hyung Seo said. To be honest, Do Wook always carried a little bit of guilt towards the members. Itd be good if it seeded, but every person has different values. Theres bound to be people who prefer a slightly rxed life over big sess. The reason KKs schedule and activities were nonstop wasrgely due to Do Wooks greed. If it followed the original flow, KK wouldnt have gotten this much sess, but they also wouldnt have been as busy or burdened. Thankfully, all the members felt a great sense of aplishment in growing their poprity and climbing one step at a time. That was nice to hear, whether they were empty words or not. I really am studyingposition. I know. Thank you. No need to thank me. Im a KK member too! Ahn Hyung Seo, who checked his cell phone when a text alert rang, continued to speak, Yoon Ki and the other members said theyre on their way back now. Is that so? Yes. Baek Ho as well. They said theyre bringing all the piles of fan gifts from the office. Ahh Do Wook nodded his head, thinking about showing the song to the members who would be back soon. By the way, Do Wook. Yes? Ahn Hyung Seo continued as if he were a little reluctant to say it but had no choice. Shouldntyou get changed? Huh? Do Wook immediately looked himself up and down. Do Wook, who had been stuck in the workshop for days working on thetter half of the project, was wearing a purple sweatsuit. The sweatsuit he had been wearing for three days did look a little shabby. The biggest problem was the ck bean sauce that sshed on his chest when he was eating yesterday morning. Haha. I at least showered everyday, Do Wook muttered a little awkwardly. Everyone wasfortable in the dormitory, so it was unusual to make such ament. I meanwell, you dont look bad now either. Just. When Ahn Hyung Seo, who felt even worse for bringing it up, made a face, Do Wook got up, unbothered, and said hed go change. Ahn Hyung Seo nodded his head to what Do Wook said. Kim Won, who was standing next to him, seemed like he had the same thought as Ahn Hyung Seo and uncharacteristicallyughed awkwardly without a word. *** During the time Do Wook showered and changed into a ck sweatsuit instead of a purple sweatsuit, the members had already gathered in the dormitory. Do Wook wanted to have the other members listen to the title song immediately, but in the living room there was a mountain of presents and each member was busily sorting through the presents and letters that came for them. Dont rummage like that, take your time. With his back to Do Wook, Manager Oh Baek Ho was giving instructions to the members. Welco Do Wook was about to greet Manager Oh Baek Ho and the members. Man, if you say that, whats that supposed to mean for Do Wook? What? Im only speaking the truth It was Jung Yoon Ki and Ahn Hyung Seo. The two of them had been especially close since their trainee days, so they were the only ones amongst the members to speakfortably with each other. Honestly, the rule of using strict honorifics between older and younger individuals was only a rule when you were a trainee. The rule didnt matter much now, but the younger members except Ahn Hyung Seo were diligent about using honorifics to those who were older. As close as they were, the two of them also bickered often. The two of their voices sounded too extreme to be considered usual bickering. Do Wook couldnt help but hold his breath and stop in his tracks when he heard Jung Yoon Ki suddenly mention him. Just speaking the truth? You think thats ok to say? You cant just blurt out whatever you want. What, its not like I badmouth Do Wook or something, so why are you getting worked up? Its just the truth. Do Wook has as many gifts as the rest of usbined. So what? What are you upset about? Im not upset, Im just saying thats how it is. Do Wooks the only popr one. Im jealous! Your tone isnt one of just jealousy. Their tones were getting more and more intense. They were also staring daggers with their gazes. Do Wook couldnt help but be taken aback as he looked at the bundle of gifts. Even previously, it was an unavoidable fact that there would be a slight distinction between the members. There could have been a psychological war, but none of the members paid too much attention to it. They understood why there would be differences too. It was more so as time went on. There was nothing they could do about the differences in poprity. Arguing like this after all this time, and because of him. Do Wook was at a loss for words. Furthermore, even he thought there was a bigger difference in gifts than usual. Hey, what are you guys doing? Manager Oh Baek Ho said as he pointed at the two people. The vibe was just getting heavier. Baek Ho, did I do something wrong? Yoon Ki only favors Do Wook so Ahn Hyung Seo yelled, feeling wronged. The situation kept going in an odd direction. Has Ahn Hyung Seo always felt this way He really didnt show any signs, so it was something Do Wook never even imagined. Ahn Hyung Seo was giving it his all in his own way too. However, since there was such a clear difference, Do Wook tried to understand that Ahn Hyung Seo could suddenly feel sad. Feeling like he didnt look after the members enough, Do Wooks heart became heavy. At this rate, he could be the reason KK would be wrapped up in turmoil. Hey, Do Wook will hear What! Are you on Do Wooks side too? No, thats not it! Walking on eggshells, Suk Ji Hoon, who answered Ahn Hyung Seo back, noticed Do Wook standing around and stopped talking. Everyone followed Suk Ji Hoons gaze and looked at Do Wook. The atmosphere was getting out of hand. Ah, I Feeling like he has to say something, Do Wook started to speak. Do Wook, you have eyes. You see this. All these gifts are for you. Hyung Seo! Seriously, why are you being like this?! Because Ahn Hyung Seo now started picking a fight with Do Wook too, Suk Ji Hoon angrily stopped. Man, Im seriously gonna lose it! You guys, please dont fight! JiJi Hoon, are you crying? It was a mess. Jung Yoon Ki and Ahn Hyung Seo who were yelling Suk Ji Hoon, who couldnt bear the situation, cried frustrated tears. Park Tae Hyung consoled Suk Ji Hoon. First offIm sorry. Im sorry if I made you feel bad in some way, Hyung Seo. Do Wook was having a hard time speaking. He thought to himself that he needed to somehow make Ahn Hyung Seo feel better first. It was at that moment. Do Wook turned around at the sound of the front door opening. It was Kim Won, who had stepped out,ing back in. In his hands he was holding a cake with candles. Next chapter: Hidden cameras, lies, and cake. KKs next new exciting venture is about to begin. Chapter 103: Blue Sky (3) Chapter 103: Blue Sky (3) Along with Kim Won¡¯s appearance, they started singing Happy Birthday. Even Jung Yoon Ki and Ahn Hyung Seo who had been angry, as well as Park Tae Hyung, who had been unsure of what to do, and Suk Ji Hoon, who had been crying and wiped his eyes with the end of his sleeves, starting singing like nothing was wrong. Behind Kim Won, staff holding cameras trickled in. Six cameramen filmed one member each for individual shots, and one cameraman was in charge of filming overall shots. Within seconds, the spacious dormitory living room was packed. Manager Oh Baek Ho was situated in one part of the living room, avoiding the camera angles, and was singing along with the members. Everyone genuinely wished Do Wook a happy birthday. ¡°What is this¡­¡± Do Wook stood in ce and just stared nkly at the cake approaching him.His head was alreadyplicated because of the sudden argument between the members. Even though he apologized, he was worried whether his apology was enough to make Ahn Hyung Seo feel better or resolve things. ¡°Happy birthday, dear Do Wook! Happy birthday to you!¡± Pop¨D! Pop¨D! As the happy birthday song reached its climax, Ahn Hyung Seo showed off his vocal skills and even added a high octave harmony. At the same time the song ended, Suk Ji Hoon and Park Tae Hyung set off the party poppers they were holding in their hands. ¡°Dude! Happy birthday! What are you doing, blow out the candles.¡± ¡°Make a wish, a wish!¡± Kim Won and Ahn Hyung Seo urged. Do Wook blew out the candles in a daze, urged on by the members. When he went ¡®huff¨D¡¯ and exhaled for a long time, the 22 candles that had been ced on the cake all went out at once. ¡°Oh, look at him go!¡± ¡°You got this!¡± ¡°Are you done making a wish?¡± The three older members were excited for the first time in while. When the three of them asked him without giving him a moment to answer, Do Wook just nkly nodded his head. Today was Do Wook¡¯s birthday. Honestly, Do Wookpletely forgot that it was his birthday. It wasn¡¯t the birthday he had celebrated for 30 years but Kang Do Wook¡¯s birthday, so it was awkward for him. Do Wook turned on his cell phone and checked the date. It was only then that he saw the various happy birthday messages that he had received. He had turned off notifications for everything except business contacts, so he hadn¡¯t known all day. While he was thinking that he should quickly respond to his parents, the members held out the presents they had for him one after another. Among the gifts for Do Wook that were piled up in the living room, there were birthday gifts from fans, and even gifts prepared by the members themselves. Last year or even the year beforest, he didn¡¯t particrly celebrate his birthday because they had other events. He just epted the birthday wishes from the members and fans, and during downtime he cut and ate the birthday cake. ¡°Wow, I guess Do Wook is still shocked!¡± Ahn Hyung Seo giggled as he looked at Do Wook who wasn¡¯t even able to say a proper thank you while receiving gifts. It was more enjoyable because it was contrasted with a Do Wook who usually politely said thank you even over little things. Polite Do Wook was good too, but as his seniors there were times they hoped he would interact with them a little morefortably. That was why it was fun to see Do Wook a little dazed like this. ¡°Do you see the hidden cameras now?¡± Jung Yoon Ki asked. Do Wook nodded his head like a creaking robot. ¡°This is a camera, so is this, and even this.¡± Suk Ji Hoon pointed at various ces and exined to Do Wook. There was a camera in the living room TV, as well as above the wall mounted clock. Among the pile of gifts there was a box with a camera too. ¡°Be thankful I told you to get changed earlier!¡± Ahn Hyung Seo proudly patted his chest. ¡°It¡¯s more realistic if he stayed in the clothes he was wearing. You shouldn¡¯t have told him.¡± ¡°Still, he¡¯s our team¡¯s visual member. We can¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Jung Yoon Ki and Ahn Hyung Seo bickered like usual. Do Wook felt great relief that their tone was back to normal. Bted feelings of gratitude over the gifts he received flooded in at the same time. ¡°Thank¡­you¡­¡± The membersughed when Do Wook btedly thanked them. ¡°A very happy birthday, man!¡± ¡°Happy birthday, Do Wook.¡± Kim Won and Park Tae Hyung wished him a happy birthday one more time. ¡°Anyways! Because of Won, it was almost ruined! Such bad acting!¡± ¡°It was good we had him leave to get the cake instead of Tae Hyung. Otherwise the hidden camera would have been ruined.¡± Ahn Hyung Seo and Jung Yoon Ki, who had been arguing a little earlier, were on the same side this time and talked about Kim Won. ¡°I told you¡­I¡¯m not confident in acting¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I do a really good job acting?¡± While Kim Won was sulking, Suk Ji Hoon butted in and bragged. Since he even had to cry, it was understandable he wanted to hear he acted well. It was Do Wook he was trying to trick with his acting, after all. In a sense, it was funny that Suk Ji Hoon asked as if urging Do Wook to praise him, but Do Wook nodded his head. ¡°Yeah¡­you were good.¡± When Do Wook said that, Ahn Hyung Seo apuded. ¡°That¡¯s right, our youngest¡¯s enthusiastic crying performance!¡± Ahn Hyung Seo, who was praising Suk Ji Hoon, smiled and asked when he saw Do Wook, ¡°You know that everything I said earlier was all just acting, right? Why do you think you have the most gifts? It¡¯s because it¡¯s your birthday!¡± The Fan Marketing Team had an unmanageable amount of giftse for Do Wook for his birthday this time. The gifts they sent weren¡¯t the only thing the fans had prepared for Do Wook¡¯s birthday. There was also money they donated in Do Wook¡¯s name to the fundraising program < World¡¯s Love >. The fact that a substantial amount of 10,000,000 Won* was collected in seconds was thanks to Do Wook¡¯s poprity. (TL Note: About $7,378.14) Also, on the wall of Gangnam Station, which is one of the subway stations with thergest foot traffic, there was also an advertisement with Do Wook¡¯s face stered on it. The fans collected money to put up a ¡°Happy Birthday Do Wook¡± ad. ¡°That¡¯s a relief. I was worried that it really bothered you¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean! You thought of me as such a small person?!¡± With a big smile, Ahn Hyung Seo patted Do Wook on the shoulder. He added that he didn¡¯t need to worry about that at all. ¡°Is¡­it ok if I eat cake?¡± Because they were talking, the cake with the blown out candles was forgotten. The members only remembered the cake when Park Tae Hyung, who was extremely hungry because of the dance rehearsal in the afternoon, asked. ¡°Ah, we should eat it, we have to!¡± Realizing it btedly, Jung Yoon Ki quickly took the cake to the living room table. ¡°Do Wook, you have to cut it¡­¡± Park Tae Hyung quickly held out the cake knife to Do Wook. Do Wook neatly cut the whip cream cake with a lot of strawberries on top. ¡°Is this enough? Let¡¯s order chicken and pizza!¡± ¡°I agree!¡± ¡°I agree~! One hundred percent~!¡± Suk Ji Hoon and Kim Won replied excitedly to what Ahn Hyung Seo said. All the members looked toward Manager Oh Baek Ho, and Manager Oh Baek Ho, who had been watching all of this, nodded with difficulty. ¡°It¡¯s only for today.¡± Of course he added a condition. Only after dinner was over did Do Wook find out the full details about the hidden cameras. The broadcast that the hidden camera footage would be aired on was ¡®Return of KK Broadcast.¡¯ With the 3rd full-length album ahead of them, thepany was nning a reality entertainment show. It wasn¡¯t an official entertainment show with long episodes like the previous ¡®KK Broadcast¡¯, but it was a broadcast n of one or two episodes for fan service and promotion. The members, including Do Wook, were aware up to that point and had agreed to follow thepany¡¯s decision. While looking for a broadcast station and program where they could broadcast the project, the Fan Marketing Team contacted PD Shin Yoon Ho, with whom they had done a broadcast together previously. Having done KK¡¯s first solo entertainment show ¡®KK Broadcast¡¯ together as well as casting Do Wook in ¡®Get Ready 1999¡¯ and letting him debut as an actor, PD Shin Yoon Ho was a PD they were deeply connected with. However, with the sess of ¡®Get Ready 1999¡¯, PD Shin Yoon Ho wasn¡¯t a typical entertainment show PD. In a situation where the public found it hard to remember names of PDs, he was a big shot PD that was getting his name known. They wondered if PD Shin Yoon Ho would want to do another idol entertainment show, one with only one or two episodes on top of that, but surprisingly, PD Shin Yoon Ho happily epted the proposal. For HIT Entertainment, who was trying to explore broadcast stations and broadcasts by getting introduced to a good PD through PD Shin, it was a very weed situation. ¡°Haha. Am I the only one that became a star?¡± PD Shin Yoon Ho said andughed when Fan Marketing Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung asked if he¡¯d be ok doing an idol entertainment show even though he must¡¯ve been busy and his status had gone up. He didn¡¯t try to deny that he became a PD star, but he was right. Furthermore, PD Shin Yoon, who was nning ¡®Get Ready 1999¡¯ season 2 that was to air at the end of this year, thought this short broadcast could serve as a way to get people excited and was rather happy to do a broadcast with KK. The program was called ¡®Return of KK Broadcast¡¯ and was a special broadcast with 3 thirty-minute episodes. They were able to easily get the Friday evening time slot thanks to thebined power of the PD¡¯s and KK¡¯s name. In the middle of that, the timing worked out well, so PD Shin Yoon Ho suggested to HIT Entertainment the idea the broadcast station writers had of starting the first episode with Do Wook¡¯s hidden camera prank. Do Wook didn¡¯t know the details for ¡®Return of KK Broadcast¡¯ yet, so the hidden camera joke would be aplete sess. Although it is a clich¨¦ item, there is a reason why it is an item that continues to be used. The Fan Marketing Team determined that it was a good opportunity to show the members¡¯ diverse and honest appearances. It didn¡¯t hurt to expose KK¡¯s honest side more, since they were trying to reach a wider public through the third full-length album. Additionally, the Fan Marketing Team believed in the KK members¡¯ personalities, and was confident that the more the honest aspects of KK members were revealed, the more popr they would be. And so, while Do Wook was in New York, the members were informed about the ¡®Return of KK Broadcast¡¯ recording and hidden camera n without Do Wook and Manager Oh Baek Ho. Members enthusiastically prepared for Do Wook¡¯s surprise party, even practicing and filming in advance. *** And it was as the HIT Entertainment Fan Marketing Team expected. When the first episode of ¡®Return of KK Broadcast¡¯ aired, everyone was surprised and happy with KK¡¯s slightly new look. Ahn Hyung Seo, who always threw hearts at fans and seemed like he was having fun, got angry, Suk Ji Hoon, who looked stoic, pretended to cry, and Kim Won, who they had always thought would be good at deceiving others since he never missed out on anything fun, kept being aware of the camera¡­ In addition, they saw Do Wook, who was never flustered at all even when there was a broadcast ident, getting flustered. Even if it were acting, the fans were enthusiastic to see their unexpected sides. Since it was a hidden camera, the members¡¯ casual tone waspletely shown, and it was inevitable that the fans would be happy, feeling like they were watching from right next to the members. Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s country ent, which he tried to control any way he could when on broadcasts, was also very vivid, so Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s fans gave him the nickname ¡®eargasm¡¯. -A GyeongSangDo man who uses a country ent in a low voice when mad! -A bad boy persona¡­so good¡­ :¡¯) -Seeing Hyung Seo be harsh like that¡­ :¡¯( -Why is Won being so obvious lol. His movements were awkward starting from when Do Wook went to his room -But why was it edited when Do Wook went into the room? Maybe they told him during that time? Maybe they staged it -What do you mean;; Look at Do Wook¡¯s reaction, how is that staged -Just read the caption lol. That¡¯s the part he ys the title song for them so it¡¯ll be part of the next episode lol -Theeback is today? real??? true???* (TL Note: ¡°real??? true???¡± was said in English) -Airing theeback performance as soon as this broadcast is over¡­ I feel dizzy¡­ -It¡¯s making ME nervous X¡¯) I¡¯m jealous of the Key Rings who got to go to the broadcast studio today¡­I¡¯m in my bedroom -I was able to watch because I¡¯m in my bedroom so I¡¯m good! -I think I need to take a heart pill. I¡¯m so excited for it -When turnabout man* suddenly said he wants to eat cake it was super cute (TL note: The nickname Hyeon Seo was given in chapter 98 after his cob performance.) -But on stage he¡¯s sexy -As expected of our youngest the child actor -Let Ji Hoon go into acting too!! -By the way, Do Wook is really kind -Him apologizing¡­even though he did nothing wrong¡­I know it¡¯s fake but it pulled on my heartstring seeing him flustered -Do Wook¡¯s Rolled Tissues..we¡¯re currently shredded pieces of tissue¡­. -How will I getpensated for this broken heart -It¡¯s KK performance soon¡­Let¡¯s watch the performance and getpensated!! -Kang Do Wook is good looking even when he¡¯s flustered -If you¡¯re sorry with that face, I¡¯ll forgive you no matter what you did wrong T.T The scene where Do Wook apologized was the most popr among the generalmunity as well as the fan page. Everyone was well liked, but Do Wook¡¯s personality, showing no sign of arrogance, was unanimously praised. After ¡®Return of KK Broadcast¡¯ ended, TBN¡¯s next broadcast was its own music broadcast. And they nned to have KK¡¯s first 3rd albumeback performance on that broadcast. With both the music video and sound file not released yet, only the teaser had been released. The expectations from fans and the public who were waiting for KK were at its peak. ¡ª Next chapter: The public¡¯s response to the remake of ¡®Blue Sky¡¯ is¡­.????! Good. Of course it¡¯s good XD Trantor¡¯sments: Totally agree with PR WhiteRabbit, I wholeheartedly disagree with this prank Chapter 104: Blue Sky (4) Chapter 104: Blue Sky (4) The day the album teaser was released. In a way, they should have known that people wouldn¡¯t think of Ji Moon Jae¡¯s ¡®Blue Sky¡¯ even though the title of the song was ¡®Blue Sky¡¯. KK members wearing white silk shirts with skinny denim jeans torn around the knees was the embodiment of sophistication. Furthermore, the album jacket design also used English fonts giving it a very alluring design, so it was difficult to think of it as an album with a remake of an old song. Therefore, when KK¡¯s stage performance began along with the MC¡¯s introduction, people who were watching the stage were surprised. ¡°Remake?¡± ¡°Ji Moon Jae? Who is Ji Moon Jae?¡± Among the younger KK fans sitting in the audience, there were even some who didn¡¯t know who Ji Moon Jae was when the MC stated in the intro that they remade a Ji Moon Jae song. However, after the performance started, people started to think it wasn¡¯t important whose song they had remade. Furthermore, the song was very good, to the point people started humming along. Middle-aged people who already knew and liked Ji Moon Jae¡¯s ¡®Blue Sky¡¯ immediately felt a huge sense of satisfaction after listening to KK¡¯s version, unlike when they listened to other idols¡¯ songs. ¡°It¡¯s a ssic. It¡¯s still good even now.¡± ¡°I know. How did they think of remaking Blue Sky? They have so much courage.¡± ¡°Courage? What courage?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true. The original song is a ssic. It¡¯s easy to get criticized if you mess it up.¡± ¡°True. Still, this version is good too. I¡¯m able to sing along to a KK song, I totally feel like I¡¯m getting younger!¡± It was a conversation between the staff who were waiting behind the stage carrying the next set for the stage. On stage, KK was igniting the big performance. The image of KK, who was dressed in sophisticated clothes and singing a song with lyrics about yelling out for their love into the blue sky, was the embodiment of youth itself. It was a song that went very well with the clear March weather wherein flowers started to bloom. I confess to the heavens¨D that I love you! I want to show you this blue sky too¨D I confess to you¨D that I love you! Every time the lyrics ¡°I love you¡± repeated, the voice of the fans cheering for KK became louder. When Do Wook, who had the chorus part for verse 1, sang the lyrics ¡°I confess to you¡± and shot finger guns to the front, the audience made a noise, practically fainting. Even fans who were watching the performance through their TV couldn¡¯t help but yell ¡°kyaaa¡± at the close up of Do Wook¡¯s face as if they were on site too. Ahn Hyung Seowas excitedly bouncing around. It was a performance where he could do his signature wink as many times as he wanted. He winked all over the ce and even though it was live he did his high part veryfortably. KK now had lots of performing experience. The flexibility one gets from experience was making KK¡¯s performance even more perfect. ¡®Blue Sky¡¯ that Do Wook had reinterpreted was definitely well organized. Like watching a musical, the song clearly stirred emotions, which reached a peak and had a conclusion. Kim Won decorated thest part splendidly with his English rap. Like that, KK¡¯s little, more mature 3rd full-length albumeback performance concluded sessfully. It wasn¡¯t until the performance started that articles were released, including about KK remaking Ji Moon Jae¡¯s ¡®Blue Sky¡¯. Articles were going on and on about the broadcast content, opinions, etc. of ¡®Return of KK Broadcast¡¯. As the loyalty and sincerity between members and the preparation for theeback were shown in ¡®Return of KK Broadcast¡¯, even people who weren¡¯t fans started to be fond of KK. Articles about KK¡¯seback performance album started pouring out immediately, and people who were reading other articles were enticed to click on them by suggestions. Entertainment articles were talking about KK all evening. HIT Entertainment had purposely not released any information about the 3rd album. It was to maximize the publicity effect. The album promotion article provided details, starting from the reason young Do Wook picked Ji Moon Jae¡¯s ¡®Blue Sky¡¯ from the album production stage to the exchanges with Ji Moon Jae. It also included Ji Moon Jae¡¯s thoughts on it that they had prepared ahead of time. Ji Moon Jae said ¡°KK is one of the singers that even I am enjoying these days. I didn¡¯t know one of the members was doing theposition and writing the lyrics, I only recently found out. I¡¯m just happy that a young person remembers ¡¯Blue Sky¡¯, a song that I¡¯m particrly fond of. I¡¯m looking forward to how he¡¯ll reinterpret it. We had lots of discussions, and having heard the music he sent over to me I think we can expect great things.¡± In reality, Ji Moon Jae didn¡¯t just have phone calls with Do Wook. Ji Moon Jae wanted to meet up and work on the project together with Do Wook. They only talked on the phone or sent emails, but Do Wook earned Ji Moon Jae¡¯s favor. Do Wook¡¯s music definitely was a great inspiration to Ji Moon Jae too. Immediately after the performance, the sound file and music video were released. The music video showed the members driving down the road while singing ¡®Blue Sky¡¯. Even just watching the music video was satisfying. In order to preserve that feeling, the music video was filmed on rooftops, roads, and beaches to capture various scenes of skies. At the time of filming, the weather was colder than now, so the members had to suffer quite a lot. The members seeded in pretending to enjoy the brisk air when the camera was on, even though they were shivering from the cold when the camera was off. -Seo Tae Jun and even Ji Moon Jae, amazing~ -KK, whom even Moon Jae acknowledges T.T -Kang Do Wook¡­is a broken character. truth. -When I saw the video of the hidden camera prank earlier, they all seemed kind. I wish them well. Fighting! -Looks like it¡¯s another hit haha -I predict Blue Sky will be a hit this year! I¡¯m excited just listening to it lol -KK, whom my daughter likes~ I was told this time they made something that I¡¯d like too and it was true~ -The silk looks so soft. It must have been expensive. -Ji Hoon¡¯s baby skin looks softer than that silk -Please make sure to watch today¡¯seback performance T.T It¡¯s better if you watch it in person T.T -The MV is a hit too. Everyone¡¯s expressive acting got better lolol -Kim Won¡¯s English rap is fire -Who¡¯s the cute guy who winked in the middle? -It¡¯s Ahn Hyung Seo! Please give Hyung Seo a lot of love (wink)¡î -I¡¯m a mother born in the 60¡¯s and raising a child. I rediscovered what a good song Blue Sky is. It feels like old memories areing back again. Thank you. -I should listen to Ji Moon Jae¡¯s original song too. I¡¯m going to listen to Ji Moon Jae¡¯s songs for the first time in a while -Tomorrow might be the day KK bes a national band -No no, today Do Wook smiled as he looked over the responses. More than any other albums that came before, Do Wook felt an unwavering confidence that this album would do well. When ¡®Blue Sky¡¯ waspleted, even Do Wook had to admit it sounded really good. He had written songs in his own way until now, but this was the first time he had made such a satisfying song. If he honestly told someone how he felt, it mighte across as arrogant, but the truth was that it was good. It paid off to pour his heart and soul into it. ¡®In the end, it¡¯s the song. If a song is good enough to ovee something, the other factors be unimportant.¡¯ In addition, KK also had the individual members¡¯ abilities. Thepany¡¯s nning power was also set in ce. The members couldn¡¯t do anything but seed. In the case of ¡®Blue Sky¡¯ this time, the power of the original song was huge. ¡®I have to be able to write a song this good without it being a remake¡­¡¯ However, it wasn¡¯t that he absolutely had to write the song himself. If there were aposer who wrote good songs, getting a song from them was fine too. Since Do Wook was also a singer anyways. Currently, Do Wook knew KK¡¯s style the best, and him doing theposition, lyrics, and production himself also had a huge promotional effect, so it was a good thing. Do Wook was preupied thinking about various things and briefly closed his tired eyes. He was busy looking up various reactions after yesterday¡¯seback performance and hadn¡¯t slept properly. Today was the day they had a KVS music broadcast. ¡°Hyung Seo, you were winking so much that fans are counting how many times you winked.¡± ¡°Oh? Really? They¡¯re able to count it?¡± ¡°Yes. They looked at your close-up shots and counted. So please stop winking¡­¡± ¡°Oh, let¡¯s see. 12 times? You mean I only did it 12 times?! Today I promise to do it 20 times!¡± Suk Ji Hoon and Ahn Hyung Seo, who were in the back seat, were talking while looking at fans¡¯ Facenote posts on their cell phones. Suk Ji Hoon was trying to tell Ahn Hyung Seo to stop winking, but Ahn Hyung Seo responded he would wink 20 times during performance today, so he sighed and shook his head. ¡°What, 20 times? You might as well just keep your eyes closed.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Suk Ji Hoon agreed with Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s scolding. Paying it no mind, Ahn Hyung Seo was excitedly posting a message on the KK Facenote ount that he was going to wink 20 times during today¡¯s performance and to look forward to it. During that time, the van Gu Chul Min was driving had arrived in front of the KVS main building. Manager Oh Baek Ho, who was sitting in the passenger seat, yelled after surveying the area. ¡°We¡¯re here! Be careful getting off. There¡¯s going to be more fans today.¡± ¡°Yup!¡± Since it was a public broadcast station, KVS was more open than other broadcasting stations. Anyone could get as far as the entrance of the main building. Therefore, on the day of music broadcasts, fans almostpletely upied the space from the parking lot to the entrance, and camped out waiting for singers. Today, the day of KK¡¯seback, almost a record-breaking number of people were waiting to see KK ¡®on their way to work¡¯. Hoping that there would just please be no fans who would pull on their hair, the members quickly got out of the van. The moment Park Tae Hyung, who was the first to exit, got out of the van, the entrance became loud from the sounds of people frantically yelling out to the members and the sound of camera shutters. *** After finishing the KVS music broadcast rehearsal, the KK members ate the support box lunches the fans had sent for lunch, and waited for it to be time for the pre-recording. KK¡¯seback performance today was nned to proceed as a pre-recording. About 400 or so KK fans attended the pre-recording. Slipping away from the other members who were dozing off in their seats, Do Wook went to the restroom. ¡°Oh? Kang Do Wook!¡± Do Wook, who was on his way to the waiting room, turned around at the sound of someone calling out to him. The sound wasing from the employee caf¨¦ inside the broadcast station. A man got up from his seat and quickly approached Do Wook. It was a middle-aged man that he didn¡¯t know at all. Based on his clothes, vibe, and manner of speaking, one thing for sure was that he was affiliated with KVS. ¡®Is he a PD? Who is he?¡¯ The middle-aged man was acting overly familiar with Do Wook, who was standing idly because he did not know who this man was. ¡°Oh man, it¡¯s nice to meet you. You¡¯re KK¡¯s Kang Do Wook right?¡± ¡°Yes. I am¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m an employee here. But that¡¯s not what¡¯s important. Please take a picture with me.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°My daughter is such a huge fan.¡± Normally the right thing would have been to decline the photo, but since he was an employee at the broadcast station word might get out if he declined. Thankfully he had make-up on so it wasn¡¯t difficult to take a picture. ¡°I threw away my pride to ask you on behalf of my daughter, please do it for me~¡± When the man saw Do Wook hesitate a little, he continued to pressure him. Do Wook said ¡¯yes¡¯ with an awkward expression on his face. He stood next to the man, smiling, and took a picture with the cell phone. ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°Ok. Thank you~! I¡¯ll brag to my daughter!¡± The man said goodbye and disappeared to the opposite side. It was a little ufortable because he was acting too friendly, but it wasn¡¯t too difficult of a request so Do Wook stayed polite, then turned around. At that moment, another middle-aged man, with a familiar face this time, got up from the caf¨¦ and passed by Do Wook while on the phone. ¡®That person is¡­!¡¯ ¡°Ah, I know. That¡¯s what the department head told me to do. I told him we need young blood. I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s not bad right now either¡­although the ratings are dropping. If we¡¯re not careful we can just mess up the vibe. We need to be cautious.¡± As Do Wook walked in the same direction as the man, he could hear the content of the phone call. ¡®Could it be, right now¡­¡¯ Do Wook realized the content of the phone call he was hearing. His eyes sparkled. ¡ª Next chapter: How will these two chance encounters affect KK¡¯s future? Chapter 105: A Song You Sing Alone (1) Chapter 105: A Song You Sing Alone (1) The person who passed by Do Wook was none other than PD Um Woo Suk. PD Um Woo Suk became KVS¡¯s poster Entertainment Show PD with the entertainment program he started a year or so ago, < Camping 48 Hours >. ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯ was a program where 5 contestants went off to all over the country and camped for 48 hours. The basic format was simr to previous entertainment or cultural programs, but by having diversity in things like the episodes and games that took ce beyond camping, it became popr with the public after only a few months. Other than one MC who was called the MC of the Nation, they had all unknown singers oredians without much of a name for themselves as candidates. A big part of the fresh entertainment they brought was due to the candidates straining their bodies. Contestants of ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯ went into icy valleys in the dead of winter, or slept outdoors huddled up in one sleeping bag, etc. Seeing them put their bodies through that made viewers think, ¡°Amazing!¡± Additionally, seeing a person, determined by among other things drawing lots, for example eat a gimbap full of wasabi as a penalty made for simple and basic fun. There was even a separate ¡°Camping 48 Hours¡± penalty game. Many people yed the games and penalties from ¡°Camping 48 Hours¡± during things like a college trip or a drinking party. The scenes that had familiar travel destinations as the background were friendly yetical. ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯ was responsible for KVS¡¯s Sunday entertainment, bringing viewers of various ages together to watch TV. Ratings for ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯ skyrocketed day after day and were currently at 28-30%. ¡®Are their ratings currently at least 30%¡­?¡¯ Do Wook thought as he watched PD Um Woo Suk, who was on the phone, getting further away. When he looked it up on his cell phone, the highest rating they hadst month was 31%. However, if there¡¯s something going up, there is also something going down. As they passed the one year mark, the opinion that ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯ also had to change started to emerge due to decreasing ratings. ¡®They probably need a new approach about now.¡¯ The ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯ broadcast writers were struggling toe up with new games every day and find a slightly better site to film. They also tried to get away from the form of ¡®camping site introduction ¨C camping (game and punishment) ¨C cooking your own meal¡¯ that was repeated every time. However, as long as they could notpletely escape from the basic framework, there was a limit to their ideas. PD Um Woo Suk, who was gathering people¡¯s opinions, started to think that ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯ might need to introduce a new character. At the same time, the director of the entertainment bureau also called in PD Um Woo Suk to suggest the possibility of putting in a new person. However, the ¡®new person¡¯ the director of the entertainment bureau was thinking of and the one PD Um Woo Suk was thinking of werepletely different. The average age of the candidates in ¡°Camping 48 Hours¡± was 42. There is the MC of the Nation who was in his early 50s, twoedians in their 40s, and two singers in theirte 30s. They had been doing well so far with the MC of the Nation Kang Chun Ho and the other unknown people to the point that they had be famous entertainers, but the director of the entertainment bureau now felt it would be better to add another famous person besides Kang Chun Ho. The person the director of the entertainment bureau was thinking of was an official KVSedian. Currently, he appeared in various KVS entertainment shows unting his gift of gab. However, PD Um Woo Suk had a different opinion. Of course, if theedian that the director of the entertainment bureau was rmending, Jo Gap Sung, came on he would be able to quickly adapt to ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯ and revitalize the program to some extent with witty remarks as he¡¯d done on other programs. Since the main viewers of ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯ were in their 30s and 40s, not in their 20s and 30s, Jo Gap Sung, aedian whom people of that age liked, would be a very safe choice. However, PD Um Woo Suk felt that that path was too safe. A path that¡¯s too safe easily bes boring. In PD Um Woo Suk¡¯s opinion, the reason ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯ wasn¡¯t as fun these days was because there were less times where candidates jumped into risky things without hesitation like in the early days. Rather than the cast bing proud as they gained poprity, they seemed to be feeling the physical limitations as the program became a running battle since they were older to begin with. On top of that, because the cast got used to the format of ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯ before the viewers did, they made simr reactions as before that fit their characters, making viewers feel as if the same situation was repeated. That¡¯s why rather than a well-known person, PD Um Woo Suk thought they needed ¡®young blood¡¯. Of course he wanted someone energetic who wouldn¡¯t shy away from risk, like contestants did in the early days, and had the stamina as well as someone who could build new rtionships with the existing cast. ¡®Who was the new person added¡­right, that rapper-turned-entertainer¡­¡¯ When Do Wook opened the waiting room door and entered, the members were already awake and getting their makeup fixed. Before he knew it, the time for the pre-recording was approaching. ¡°Do Wook, I¡¯ll do your hair after I¡¯m done with Ji Hoon! Just wait a little~!¡± ¡°Ok.¡± Do Wook sat on the sofa behind the mirror. He continued his thought as he looked nkly at Suk Ji Hoon who was getting his makeup done. Afterpromising with the director of the entertainment bureau, PD Um Woo Suk chose a person in his early 30s who was making a name for himself as a rapper-turned-entertainer as a new cast member. Do Wook didn¡¯t know all the details, but he at least knew that a rapper-turned-entertainer joined the cast. ¡®That person drew in a lot of interest as a new addition¡­¡± Do Wook slowly nodded his head. However, before long the rapper-turned-entertainer became socially controversial and dropped out of ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯. As a result, the vibe of the ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯ program became even more stagnant. ¡®Although, PD Um Woo Suk still dealt with it well himselfter.¡¯ Do Wook thought about the programs that PD Um Woo Suk did afterwards. Producer Um Woo Suk, who worked on ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯ until season 2, received fameter by making various programs in various formats sessful. Taking the time to sit down and analyze it, all those programs had some kind of rule. When hiring the cast, you had to have at least one person from the old and one from the new generation. ¡®I see. All the programs he did after ¡®Camping 48 hours¡¯ had a significant age difference among the contestants.¡¯ One program even had a 60-year-old actor and an actor in theirte 20s. It was a different choice of cast members from other entertainment shows. This way, it was possible to appeal to various age groups at the same time while forming lots of rtionships and scenes different from existing programs. ¡®Seeing as he mentioned earlier on the phone that he wants young blood¡­¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯ might also actually have wanted someone younger than that person.¡¯ As a result, Do Wook¡¯s analysis read PD Um Woo Suk¡¯s thoughts urately. ¡°Do Wook, are you sleeping with your eyes open?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh!¡± Suk Ji Hoon, who was finished getting ready, asked and approached Do Wook. Do Wook barely snapped out of his thoughts and replied. Suk Ji Hoonughed at Do Wook acting spaced out, unlike his usual self. Do Wook, who was beingughed at by the youngest, scratched the back of his head. ¡°I¡¯m done. She¡¯s calling you.¡± Do Wook only saw the coordinator in the back after Suk Ji Hoon said something. The coordinator plugged the dryer into the outlet and was waiting for Do Wook to sit down. *** Soon after, the KK members, who were in the waiting room getting ready to perform at the local event hosted by the broadcasting station, heard from Manager Oh Baek Ho the initial numbers of the 3rd full-length album. KK¡¯s 3rd full-length album¡¯s initial sales was 200k copies. It was indeed an immense record. ¡°Is this real?¡± ¡°Wow. Fans are amazing¡­¡± The members, who heard the news of the 200k initial copies sold, were stunned. The fan cafe almost had the vibe of a festival. Before KK¡¯s 3rd full-length album was released, the fans worked hard to beat Sa Bang Shin Hwa¡¯s initial sales record starting from the pre-order. Just as Do Wook¡¯s goal was the grand prize, now KK¡¯s fans¡¯ goal was also the grand prize. It¡¯s the singer who wins the award, but what a singer needs to win is the power of the fans. That makes it possible for the singer to win. Also, when the singer wins the award, the fans are as happy as the singer. Fans thought album sales were really important for KK, who was not from arge agency, to receive the grand prize. Honestly, there was not much to worry about in the music ranking. Their poprity was already recognized and the ranking for every album KK released was good. On top of that, this time, they received a much better ranking than their previous music ranking. The expression ¡®piercing the roof¡¯ was used in situations like this. There was a lot of anticipation regarding KK. They dominated the music charts as soon as the sound file was released, and the song itself was actually good so they continued to maintain their number one spot. After a week had passed, they had lost their first ce to a bad singer for about a day, but quickly regained their first ce. Therefore, fans focused on increasing album sales. They held their own events where one person bought multiple copies of the album. The fandom size had almost doubled since thest album, so the album sales were enormous. In addition, the biggest factor for the 200k initial sales was fans from China. The amount of album sales had changed due to the influx of Chinese fans from the recent marketing strategy of doing activities in China as well as using Chinese social media. As expected of overseas. The number of albums Chinese fans purchased was astounding. ¡°I got a call from L Duty Free Shop recently that they want to make a proper advertisement contract.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°Wow!¡± Ahn Hyung Seo and Kim Won cheered at what Manager Oh Baek Ho said. There was a reason why KK members had been waiting for the L Duty Free Shop advertisement. If they ended up properly advertising with L Duty Free Shop, their faces would be hung in front of Incheon International Airport. The KK members had been looking forward to seeing pictures of themselves on the wall of the huge airport. KK¡¯s poprity was now something nobody could deny. Of course, M2M¡¯seback was scheduled a monthter, but it wasn¡¯t as much of a concern as before. KK was definitely above M2M. ¡®Sa Bang Shin Hwa¡¯s fame is starting to crumble too¡­it¡¯ll probably be KK who¡¯ll seed them as number one.¡¯ Sa Bang Shin Hwa¡¯s internal discord was graduallying to the surface. Even those who denied the fact at first wereing around to the emerging discord. The perfect performance that Sa Bang Shin Hwa used to demonstrate was also gradually crumbling due tock of practice. In such a situation, advertisers were not considering Sa Bang Shin Hwa as the first priority as they did before. ¡®What needs to be done in the future is to capture Seo Kang Jun himself as well as Director Seo Joong Won¡¯s Ara Entertainment¡­¡¯ What Do Wook was currently thinking about was raising the recognizability of the individual KK members. By doing so, he wanted KK to be a group that made its name known in more ways. Manager Oh Baek Ho, who was checking the messages on his cell phone again after giving the members various news, asked after briefly staring at the screen, ¡°Oh, Do Wook¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Do Wook, who was reading handwritten letters from fans, answered. ¡°When did you meet with this person?¡± Manager Oh Baek Ho held out the cell phone screen towards Do Wook. ¡ª Next chapter: We find out the identity of the man who asked Do Wook for a picture. Chapter 106: A Song You Sing Alone (2) Chapter 106: A Song You Sing Alone (2) It was the middle-aged man he took a picture with in front of the KVS broadcasting studio cafe. ¡°Oh, he suddenly asked me while I was passing by and it was hard to refuse. I¡¯m sorry.¡± First and foremost, Do Wook asked Manager Oh Baek Ho for his understanding. Personal photography was usually prohibited without the permission of the manager. It was considered ¡°prohibited¡±, but ultimately it was for the members¡¯fort. Once you started allowing pictures, there would be no end to it. ¡°No. There¡¯s not much you can do inside the broadcasting studio. No matter.¡± ¡°But that picture, how did¡­¡± ¡°This person is from the KVS entertainment bureau. I heard he recently became the director of the entertainment bureau.¡± Manager Oh Baek Ho showed him the whole Facenote ount of the person who posted the picture and handed over his cell phone. Do Wook, who epted Manager Oh¡¯s cellphone, looked through the middle aged man¡¯s Facenote page thoroughly. [A picture with a major star lol When I showed it to YeJin, instead of being happy she started crying that only I got to take a picture with him lol But all things considered, I can hold my own, right? #KVS #Kang Do Wook #Handsome -Hurrr¡­T.T Director, where did you meet Kang Do Wook? Based on the background, it looks like a cafe¡­T.T -Myung Gook, you totally fall short inparison. What are you talking about¡­ -I didn¡¯t know YeJin was a fan of KK. Myung Gook, don¡¯t you think you should take YeJin to meet Kang Do Wook? -Director Jo, you still look good! -Sunbae! It¡¯s been a while~ Kang Do Wook is really handsome isn¡¯t he? Why can¡¯t I ever run into him in even in the halls;;] [[Share] How ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯ became a national entertainment show¡­-Daily News-] [Footage from KVS¡¯s 50th Anniversary Celebration lolol ] [Punks from my old ss whom I haven¡¯t seen in a while~ lolol] . . ¡°I see. I guess he¡¯s the director of the entertainment bureau¡­¡± Do Wook nodded his head. Ever since Facenote was activated, Manager Oh Baek Ho followed people from the broadcast station and kept up to date with their activities. ¡°Yes. I guess his daughter is a KK fan,¡± Manager Oh Baek Ho said, looking proud. As a director of the entertainment bureau, there wasn¡¯t much he did that was directly rted to KK, but all the programs that were being promoted, like music broadcasts, all belonged to the entertainment bureau so one would have more profit by being in their good graces. ¡°Ummm¡­Baek Ho¡­¡± As he returned the cellphone to Manager Oh Baek Ho, he recalled in his mind information about the director of the entertainment bureau. They had just briefly met in passing, but it wasn¡¯t a particrly positive impression. Looking at the Facenote ount, he seemed to be a genuinely light-hearted person rather than looking down on Do Wook for being a young singer being rude to him. Anyway, right now, the important thing was that he was the director of the entertainment bureau. ¡®Someone who has power over PD Um Woo Suk¡­¡¯ Manager Oh Baek Ho replied when Do Wook called out to him. ¡°Is there something you¡¯d like to say?¡± ¡°Well, umm¡­¡± ¡°Now, even if you just look like you have something to say, I get excited! Tell me already.¡± Laughingly, Manager Oh Baek Ho urged Do Wook. KK was able to get to where they were now because they epted Do Wook¡¯s ideas. In this area, Do Wook readily presented suggestions that even Manager Oh Baek Ho, who could be considered experienced, didn¡¯t even think of, and things that seemed impossible at first all ended up getting achieved. Now Manager Oh Baek Ho started to observe Do Wook asionally to see what suggestions Do Wook might make. ¡°You know Camping 48 Hours, right?¡± ¡°Camping 48 Hours? Of course I do¡­you¡¯re not thinking of¡­!¡± Manager Oh Baek Ho opened his eyes wide. ¡°Do you think that¡¯ll be possible?!¡± Manager Oh¡¯s surprised voice loudly rang out. The staff that were in the waiting room and the members, who were on the other side, all looked towards Manager Oh and Do Wook with surprised expressions, wondering what was wrong. Manager Oh¡¯s voice could have been interpreted as if he were yelling. ¡°No, no. I¡¯m not angry, so get back to what you were doing.¡± Waving his hands, Manager Oh Baek Ho dispersed the gazes that had fallen onto him. Once Do Wook also giggled, the members rxed and went back to focusing on what they were doing. Honestly, what Manager Oh Baek Ho meant by ¡®do you think that¡¯d be possible¡¯ was not that it wouldn¡¯t be possible for Do Wook to go on ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯. Manager Oh Baek Ho thought Do Wook only needed to be willing to appear as a guest on ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯ to be a guest on ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯. However, the problem was actually Do Wook. KK¡¯s current schedule was practically full. To appear on ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯, it would be possible a few weekster once the current activities are over. ¡°If it¡¯s a brief guest appearance as a group after activities are over it might be possible, but¡­¡± ¡°No. Not as a guest but as a member. ¡° ¡°Member? Then even more so, do you think that¡¯d be possible?!¡± Even after activities are over, it might be possible for other members, but Do Wook¡¯s schedule was full with the next projects for the time being. Manager Oh Baek Ho clicked his tongue and shook his head. It was totally impossible. ¡°And did they say they¡¯re looking for new members? I hadn¡¯t heard such news yet¡­Maybe I¡¯m behind on it because it¡¯s entertainment news?¡± Do Wook looked around and quietly said to Manager Oh Baek Ho, who was almost talking to himself trying to grasp the situation, ¡°Not me¡­¡± ¡°Then who?¡± ¡°Ji Hoon.¡± Manager Oh Baek Ho blinked his eyes as he looked at Do Wook. ¡°I was thinking of rmending Ji Hoon as a member.¡± Step by step, Do Wook exined to Manager Oh Baek Ho what he heard in PD Um Woo Suk¡¯s phone conversation in front of the broadcast studio cafe. ¡°You¡¯re saying that PD Um is looking for a young person for the new contestant, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°There¡¯s definitely been talkstely that ratings have gone down. To go on such a program ¡­ necessarily¡­¡± Do Wook, as someone who knew PD Um Woo Suk¡¯s skills and his future where he¡¯ll seed even more well, couldn¡¯t help but shake his head at what Manager Oh Baek Ho said. ¡°It¡¯ll bounce back quickly once they touch up a few things and bring in a new contestant. Even if the ratings are down right now, it¡¯s a Sunday entertainment slot. It will definitely help Ji Hoon.¡± Manager Oh Baek Ho listened carefully to what Do Wook was saying and nodded his head. It wasn¡¯t a matter Do Wook and Manager Oh Baek Ho could decide on their own anyways. ¡°Ok¡­I¡¯ll bring it up to thepany. And Ji Hoon¡¯s opinions are important too. Before we try, we have to check our schedule as well.¡± ¡°Of course¡­¡± Do Wook wasn¡¯t too worried about the schedule. There was only one other album nned after KK¡¯s 3rd full-length album. That was the case if they followed the general n they had made at the beginning of the year. The next albums weren¡¯t full-length KK albums. There was a different album nned and if they followed that n, Suk Ji Hoon¡¯s schedule should be kind of open. Of course, if you take into ount things like the tour schedule, he could be considered busier than other people with just KK activities alone, but within the incredibly busy KK group he wasn¡¯t considered busy. ¡°We¡¯ll take a stab at it, but I don¡¯t know how likely it is that it¡¯ll work out.¡± ¡°¡­that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°I should hint at it to my contact in the entertainment bureau too.¡± As expected of Manager Oh Baek Ho. He knew how to take a step back when needed instead of constantly pushing through things like a bulldozer, but if he received a suggestion that sounded good, he would work on it quickly without hesitation. Also, Manager Oh Baek Ho had awork of connections in the broadcasting industry that Do Wook did not have yet. He had steadily built up those connections. He was a lot of help to Do Wook in many ways. There was a reason Do Wook suggested Suk Ji Hoon. During KK¡¯s first solo entertainment program, ¡®KK Broadcast¡¯, Suk Ji Hoon brought a lot of joy to the fans as the youngest member who was a germaphobe and talked politely. Furthermore, while recording ¡®Return of KK Broadcast¡¯ with the hidden cameras, he even showed skills worthy of a child actor when he acted as if he was crying. ¡®Suk Ji Hoon also has various talents¡­and hasn¡¯t been able to shine as much as he deserves. Compared to the other members.¡¯ With that in mind, Do Wook felt that if a new contestant joined ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯, someone like Suk Ji Hoon would be eptable. ¡®It fits the young person PD Um Woo Suk wants. He¡¯s young but he¡¯s been on broadcasts since he was a child so older people will like him too.¡¯ Suk Ji Hoon was a good fit for ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯ in the various ways Do Wook knew PD Um Woo Suk used all the celebrities in his future programs. Suk Ji Hoon was the type of young celebrity PD Um preferred to use. Ji Hoon was decently handsome and didn¡¯t have too much recognizability, so he could use this program to be a bigger star. He was also a polite young man who would get along well with the elder contestants. Do Wook was confident that if Suk Ji Hoon was taken under consideration, he would be the top candidate. *** ¡®Blue Sky¡¯, as predicted, took first ce on music broadcasts. On top of that, the fanmunity was excited day after day by updates on album sales. Inmunities where different fans gathered, the war of willpower between KK fans and Sa Bang Shin Hwa fans was substantial. The biggest point of pride for Sa Bang Shin Hwa fans was album sales. Sa Bang Shin Hwa fans were nervous that they might lose their 1st ce in that category. It was to the point that Assistant Manager Do Ra Hee had to visit the KK members at the rehearsal hall recently and give a special warning. ¡°I think it¡¯d be good to not write anything on the fan cafe for the time being. That goes for Facenote too.¡± ¡°Huh? What in the world does that mean?!¡± Ahn Hyung Seo, who most actively posted on the fan cafe and Facenote, asked with a surprised expression. Even the members who had been sitting down were confused about what was going on. Only Do Wook, who had daily been checking the responses in articles andmunities out of habit from what he typically did when he worked as part of the PR team, understood what Fan Marketing Team Assistant Manager Do Ra Hee was saying. ¡°As you got more poprtely, there are also some antis that have started to rise up.¡± ¡°Oh¡­I knew that would happen. Why! Why us?!¡± Kim Won asked, as if he genuinely couldn¡¯t understand it. Actually, Kim Won also recently saw a maliciousment on a picture of him from a performance in an article and had his feelings a little hurt by it. They hadn¡¯t particrly done anything wrong, but when your poprity grows, there¡¯s inevitability people who be jealous of that poprity. Suk Ji Hoon, who had been systematically attacked before, didn¡¯t log on to unnecessary portal sites ormunities and only checked his personal fan page to look at the data, so he was unshaken. ¡°Recently, there¡¯ve been a lot of heated wars of willpower with fans of other groups¡­no matter what we post, it¡¯s very likely that it will be interpreted as malicious and be spread around.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯d be better to post it as a photo.¡± When Do Wook said that, Assistant Manager Do Ra Hee chimed in, ¡°You¡¯re right! If we ended activitiespletely, the fans would be disappointed, so I think posting lots of pictures would be good~! Activities will end soon anyways¡­¡± ¡°Ok. Understood,¡± Jung Yoon Ki responded to Assistant Manager Do Ra Hee, agreeing. It also meant that KK¡¯s every move was being watched by the entire idol fandom. ¡°I stopped by for a bit to tell you that.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Thank you, Assistant Manager nuna*!¡± ¡®Team Leader hyung*¡¯ and even ¡®Assistant Manager nuna*, the honorifics were all over the ce. Assistant Manager Do Ra Hee, who was leaving the rehearsal hall as the members bid her goodbye, smiled and asked when she made eye contact with Do Wook who was standing by the door, (TL note: I took out the ¡°hyung¡± and ¡°nuna¡± when tranting but the members usually call Manager Oh ¡°Baek Ho hyung¡±. They don¡¯t always call Assistant Manager Do ¡°nuna¡± though.¡±) ¡°Oh right. Do Wook, I heard you already started working on a project.¡± ¡°Huh. Ah. Well, it¡¯s nothing big¡­¡± Do Wook replied as he scratched the back of his head. With admiration, Assistant Manager Do Ra Hee said it seemed like he truly looked to be always working on something without rest even though he was busy. ¡°No, I rest when I need to¡­and I just did general nning and contacting people. For now.¡± ¡°Still. It¡¯s very hard to divide your attention among so many things! I¡¯ll look forward to it!¡± The members, who knew exactly what Assistant Manager Do Ra Hee was talking about, felt proud as if they themselves were getting praised and smiled. ¡°You can look forward to it! We¡¯re looking forward to it too.¡± Assistant Manager Do Ra Hee alsoughed out loud when Ahn Hyung Seo spoke, being his silly self. Once KK¡¯s 3rd full-length album activities were over, the next album was none other than Do Wook¡¯s solo album. ¡ª HAPPY 2 YEARS TO SUPERSTAR~~~ 2 years in and we¡¯re not even half way through the story OTL Thank you everyone for your support these two years. I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story so far. We still have a long journey ahead so I hope you¡¯ll look forward to what more amazing KK and Do Wook will achieve <3 Next chapter: Per Do Wook''s suggestion, a meeting is set up with the PD. But will Ji Hoon be able to win him over? Chapter 107: A Song You Sing Alone (3) Chapter 107: A Song You Sing Alone (3) A caf¨¦ near Yeouido. Located about 10 minutes away from the main building of the KVS broadcasting station, the franchise cafe, which was more secluded than the one in front of the broadcast station, was a cafe that officials often came to when they needed to sit down and have a proper discussion. Suk Ji Hoon was sitting at the cafe in the casual clothes he enjoyed wearing, a colorful patterned hoodie and ck skinny jeans that he bought during his previous visit to Tokyo. Suk Ji Hoon, who was even wearing limited-edition sneakers, had a simr fashion as those of sessful young models you¡¯d often see on Garosu street. It was very different from their stage outfit of a silk shirt and torn denim jeans that emphasized sophistication. When you think of KK¡¯s fashionista, of course it¡¯s Do Wook, but Do Wook could be considered a ¡®pro¡¯ level fashionista who looked good in any style and even matched his normal clothes to the concept without hesitation. However, Suk Ji Hoon was the type to clearly show his unique style when it came to his everyday wear. ¡°Um¡­I dressed like this because you said I can dress as I normally do. Are you sure it¡¯s ok?¡± Nervous, Suk Ji Hoon asked Manager Oh Baek Ho who was sitting next to him. Unlike his free-spirited fashion style, Suk Ji Hoon was the type of person who strictly followed etiquette to the point he still called Manager Oh Back Ho ¡®Manager¡¯. Although the older members felt a little sad when he talked so properly to them despite being fellow members, he was the type to diligently call them ¡°hyung¡± and strictly follow the older brother-younger brother hierarchy. He was simr to Do Wook in that sense, and they got along well. ¡°Yeah. The thing about entertainment shows is¡­you know since you¡¯ve done it before. There are parts you can¡¯t fake no matter how much you embellish. You have to show yourself just as you are.¡± Suk Ji Hoon nodded his head to what Manager Oh Baek Ho said. There were times when Park Tae Hyung seemed like he was the youngest member because of how mature Suk Ji Hoon acted, but Suk Ji Hoon definitely looked young as he was nodding his head. ¡°If you really end up on the show, they¡¯ll be recording you all day. I think there¡¯s merit to showing yourself just as you are.¡± ¡°You think so?¡± ¡°Of course¡± Oh Baek Ho¡¯s words strengthened Suk Ji Hoon¡¯s resolve. Today was the day they¡¯d meet with PD Um Woo Suk and have a casting meeting. Today¡¯s meeting determined whether or not Suk Ji Hoon would be a contestant on ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯. After calming down the nervous Suk Ji Hoon, Manager Oh Baek Ho took a sip of the Americano he had ordered. At HIT Entertainment¡¯s internal discussion, Suk Ji Hoonpeting on ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯ was approved without a hitch. They wanted to proactively push for it. Do Wook¡¯s solo album activities had started anyways. If things, like the release of OKAY¡¯s 2nd album, went as nned, the members wouldn¡¯t have much on their schedule except the concert. Fan Marketing Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung had expressed his admiration for Manager Oh Baek Ho who moved quickly, saying that if ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯ was really looking for a contestant it would be good timing and an opportunity from KK¡¯s perspective. Of course, Manager Oh Baek Ho let it be known that it wasn¡¯t him who came up with the idea to appear on the show or which member to rmend. Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung saw once again why Department Head Jo Anna advised him to get a lot of help from Do Wook. Once the internal discussions were over, Manager Oh immediately sent word to the director of the entertainment bureau. When he spread the word through someone close to the director of the entertainment bureau that KK was looking to be a regr on an entertainment program, someone from ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯ contacted the HIT Entertainment department in charge. Director Jo Myung Gook already had a positive image of KK. As the director of the entertainment bureau, he at least understood who the big celebrities were and what type of group the top idol group was even if he could not keep up with idols like other young people. On top of that, his own daughter was a fan of KK. He also knew that Do Wook was the most popr among the members. Therefore, Director Jo Myung Gook, who used to be all about ¡°name value¡± yelled, ¡°We¡¯ll go with Kang Do Wook no matter what!¡± and pushed for Do Wook when he heard major idol band KK wanted to be a regr on an entertainment show. As for PD Um Woo Suk, both the rapper-turned-entertainer whom Director Jo Myung Gook originally suggested and KK¡¯s Kang Do Wook were a little different than the conditions he was looking for. ¡®One of them is too old, and the other is too famous¡­to give them a friendly image would be a bit¡­ Then again, if I asked to use a young rookie, the director would get angry and not give it a second thought.¡¯ As if they knew PD Um Woo Suk was having these thoughts, HIT Entertainment replied that they wanted to put Suk Ji Hoon instead of Do Wook. Director Jo Myung Gook and PD Um Woo Suk only remembered hearing of Suk Ji Hoon in passing, he wasn¡¯t someone they really knew. However, the name ¡®KK¡¯ did carry weight. PD Um Woo Suk, who had looked into Suk Ji Hoon a little, thought that pushing for this direction would actually fit what he was looking for. So as apromise, Suk Ji Hoon was chosen. Of course Director Jo Myung Gook stood his ground on ¡®since we¡¯re doing it, we have to bring someone at least at Kang Do Wook¡¯s level¡¯, but Director Jo Myung Gook also thought it was at least apromise. That was how this meeting came to be. PD Um Woo Suk, dressed in shabby clothes, entered the caf¨¦. The main writer of ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯ was also with him. Manager Oh Baek Ho and Suk Ji Hoon rose from their seats as they greeted the two. ¡°Ah, PD Um. Over here!¡± ¡°Manager¡­Oh Baek Ho? ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me. And over here is Ji Hoon. Suk Ji Hoon.¡± At Manager Oh Baek Ho¡¯s introduction, PD Um Woo Suk and the main writer¡¯s gaze fell on Suk Ji Hoon. ¡°Hello.¡± Suk Ji Hoon bowed his head and greeted him. Innocent Suk Ji Hoon was surprised by PD Um Woo Suk¡¯srge face. If you watched ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯, PD Um Woo Suk would appear once in a while, but his face looked much bigger than when seeing him on TV. ¡°I¡¯m Um Woo Suk.¡± PD Um Woo Suk held out his hand as he examined young Suk Ji Hoon, who was looking at him. From PD Um Woo Suk¡¯s perspective, he had to urately assess if Suk Ji Hoon was the right fit for ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯ through today¡¯s meeting. It was never easy to bring in a new cast member. The future of ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯ depended on it. *** A few dayster, the KK members were at the final fan autograph session, which would wrap up their activities. The fan autograph session, which was taking ce at a movie theater in Wang Shim Ri, was also the worst location for an autograph session for fan page masters who took pictures of the members. ¡°The lighting sucks¡­¡± ¡°Look at this. I set it as high as possible but the picture¡¯s still like this.¡± ¡°Man, the video quality is going to be ruined.¡± ¡°I might have to just take it with a camera. So frustrating. Why during thest autograph session of all times.¡± ¡°Why did they pick a venue like this¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. They alway have a good streak then mess up like this once in a while.¡± ¡°By the way, how many copies did you buy this time?¡± ¡°Me?¡­¡± Before the fan autograph session began, the master of Do Wook¡¯s fan page ¡°Shining Do Wook¡± and the master of Park Tae Hyung¡¯s fan page ¡®Visual Suspect¡¯ were excitedly conversing. ¡°I bought 42 copies. Please don¡¯t tell me you only bought a few copies.¡± ¡°Of course not! I bought 45 copies and got selected. When I looked into it, it seemed like 40 copies was the cutoff this time.¡± ¡°Really? Wow, our cutoff number got ridiculously high.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because they became so popr¡­I don¡¯t have money so I don¡¯t know if I can go to their next event.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard when they be ShuSue*.¡± (Trantor¡¯s notes: Abbreviation for Super Star but in Korean ent.) ¡°Tell me about it.¡± To attend the KK fan autograph session, you now had to buy 40 copies of the album unless it waspletely decided by a lottery system. It was due to overseas fans who bought 100 copies. While the fan page masters wereining, the vibe around them became lively. ¡°Won¨D! I love you Won, I, Minji, cameee!¡± ¡°Jung Yoon Ki! Yoon Ki oppaaaa~!¡± ¡°Oh oh oh oh, Hyung Seooo, over hereeeee~¡± The KK members had started to enter. Unlike the screaming fans, the fan page masters grabbed their cameras and were busy taking pictures of the members. Even before the members gave their greetings, the sound of the shutters going off nonstop was loud. ¡°Please keep it down. Now then, numbers 1 to 10, pleasee up and get in line.¡± After the KK members gave their greetings, fans began toe out and line up under the guidance of the fan signing event host. ¡°Do Wook¡¯s outfit today is crazy! I want to dedicate myself to him.¡± ¡°You already do that, what are you saying?¡± The ¡®Visual Suspense¡¯ master shook her head at the ¡®Shining Do Wook¡¯ master, who did not stop praising Do Wook even as she busily pressed the shutter. Do Wook wasn¡¯t even simply an ¡®oppa¡¯ to her. And the camera and lens alone that they were holding cost millions of Won. As they had always done, the members listened to fans and did their best to follow the fan autograph session schedule. It was thest fan autograph session of their active period, so they were paying extra attention. ¡°Here¡­¡± After signing the album jacket the fan held out, Suk Ji Hoon carefully looked at the Post-it that was ced on it. [Who do you like the most among the members?] It was one of the questions that Suk Ji Hoon, who was the youngest, was often asked. Normally, he would have jokingly listed off every member except Ahn Hyung Seo. Honestly, Suk Ji Hoon liked all of them. First, Park Tae Hyung was genuinely nice. It wasn¡¯t that other members weren¡¯t nice. He wasn¡¯t good at speaking, maybe he was gentle since birth, but he really took care of people. Jung Yoon Ki was the oldest and, like a leader, was stern, but he was the type to often encourage and lusher the team forward. Kim Won always gave off positive energy with a bright and pleasant personality. Seeing Kim Won like that seemed to brighten up Suk Ji Hoon¡¯s heart. Ahn Hyung Seo was older, but he was also the member Suk Ji Hoon was closest with. His silliness made him feel like a friend so they goofed around a lot, but the person he was on the inside, that he showed once in a while, was incredibly deep. Do Wook went without saying. He was a real team leader and mental support. It was all the members¡¯ opinion that without Do Wook, there would be no KK today. Suk Ji Hoon felt such a deep affection towards all the members, but for today, after briefly contemting it, he said Do Wook. ¡°Do Wook? Are you closest with Do Wook?!¡± Suk Ji Hoon was not often seen together with Do Wook. Suk Ji Hoon was usually with Park Tae Hyung or Ahn Hyung Seo. So when Suk Ji Hoon mentioned Do Wook, the fan was surprised and asked. Cutting off Suk Ji Hoon, who was trying to say something in reply, the fan manager had the fan move on to the next member. The fan, who wasn¡¯t able to hear the answer, was disappointed, but it was inevitable. Suk Ji Hoon briefly turned his gaze to Do Wook who was sitting at the very front. Suk Ji Hoon thought about the ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯ meeting that had happened recently. The meeting was smoother than he thought. PD Um Woo Suk liked Suk Ji Hoon very much, saying that he was the perfect character he was looking for, considering his age, personality, current status, and background. In the case of the main writer, he said he¡¯d be happy if there¡¯d be even one person on ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯ with a heartwarming appearance like him. The problem was Director Jo Myung Gook. Director Jo Myung Gook wanted to put in the more famous person no matter what. He felt that was where ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯ fell shortpared to otherpetition programs. The war of nerves with PD Um Woo Suk, who was trying to not mess up the program¡¯s purpose and vibe, became much better within a few days. In the end, Suk Ji Hoon became a member of ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯ under one condition. They nned on keeping it very tightly hidden until the first shoot and announcing it as a surprise after. His condition was none other than this. ¡®Do Wook¡¯s debut¡­¡¯ From beginning to end, Suk Ji Hoon got the huge opportunity of being a regr on ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯ thanks to Do Wook. He was feeling very happy because he got so many congrattions yesterday, but the pressure he felt that he couldn¡¯t tarnish Do Wook or KK¡¯s name was growing just as much. *** After the fan autograph session was over, Do Wook got in a different car from the other members and headed towards Shin Sa Dong instead of the dormitory. Fatigue was washing over him because he hadn¡¯t removed his makeup, but his anxiety about who he was meeting up with was higher than his fatigue. In front of a studio in Sin Sa Dong, Do Wook was sitting in the car, straightening out his clothes that became disheveled from him sittingfortably, almostying down. ¡°Hello, teacher.¡± ¡ª Next chapter: Do Wook meets with his old teacher and is faced with another obstacle to ovee. Chapter 108: A Song You Sing Alone (4) Chapter 108: A Song You Sing Alone (4) He spotted Kim Woo Yeon as soon as he entered. Kim Woo Yeon scolded Do Wook who was greeting him. ¡°I¡¯m not your teacher anymore, no need for ¡®teacher¡¯. It¡¯s embarrassing!¡± ¡°Haha.¡± Kim Woo Yeon frowned when Do Wookughed. ¡°It¡¯s really hard to meet up with you! Hey?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry I haven¡¯t been able to see you often.¡± ¡°It¡¯s also a problem if we see each other often. Come in,e in.¡± Do Wook followed Kim Woo Yeon into the recording studio. Inside the recording studio, Lee Kwon Woo, Kim Woo Yeon¡¯s junior singer and a songwriter, was sitting down.Lee Kwon Woo graduated from a prestigious university as aposition major and debuted as a male duet, making a milestone in Korea¡¯s R&B and bad with only three albums. He wasn¡¯t a particrly outstanding vocalistpared to the other member of the duet, so the solo album he released after they separated was not drawing sensational poprity. However, one by one, he was gathering fans who liked his unique music world, and delicate songs that had the piano arrangement he hadposed as its background were still relevant. His path crossed with Kim Woo Yeon when he did a feature in his album. ¡°Over here, as you might know, is Do Wook. Here, you probably don¡¯t know, is Lee Kwon Woo.¡± At Kim Woo Yeon¡¯s yful introduction, Do Wook quickly lowered his head, a little unsure what to do. ¡°Hello, sunbae. I really wanted to meet you.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you. Haaa¡­Woo Yeon always puts me down like that¡­¡± After sighing loudly, Lee Kwon Woo continued slowly. Like the music he made, he spoke very quietly. Still, he was the type to say what he needed to. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand around like that, let¡¯s sit. Do Wook, you might not know because you¡¯re young, but for oldies like us our legs hurt. ¡° ¡°Woo Yeon¡­I¡¯m 5 years younger than you. Stop grouping me with you.¡± Grumbling, Lee Kwon Woo sat on the opposite side of the table where Kim Woo Yeon was sitting. Do Wook also sat down at the table and got out the food he had bought. ¡°There was a cake shop known as a patisserie from France near here, so I bought a few slices¡­I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯ll be to your liking.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t like sweets,¡± Kim Woo Yeon said curtly, shaking his head. ¡°That¡¯s why I also purposely got the cake they said is the least sweet.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still cake.¡± ¡°Ha¡­Thank you for the cake. I really wanted to try the cake from there¡­it¡¯s difficult because you have to get in line.¡± Regardless of whether Kim Woo Yeon liked it or not, Lee Kwon Woo looked at the colorful cake, his eyes shining. Feeling that it was off to a good start, Do Wook gave a pleasant smile. Actually, he had heard from Kim Woo Yeon that Lee Kwon Woo liked sweet desserts. Kim Woo Yeon also knew that Lee Kwon Woo didn¡¯t give a song to just anyone. Therefore, he also knew Do Wook had to gain Lee Kwon Woo¡¯s favor. When the duet album was released, producers and singers, who knew Lee Kwon Woo would be theposer of superb masterpiece songs that would be remembered in Korean music history for a long time, rushed in like a swarm of bees when Lee Kwon Woo began his career as aposer in earnest. Lee Kwon Woo, however, did not carelessly hand over his songs. As aposer, Lee Kwon Woo thought much more artistically thanmercially. Therefore, he had no desire to give his song unless it was someone who really suited and loved the song. You didn¡¯t have to be someone like Do Wook who knew the future to know that there was a pile of bad masterpieces on Lee Kwon Woo¡¯sputer hard drive that hadn¡¯t seen the light of day. That was a fact anyone involved in the industry easily knew. Kim Woo Yeon was able to connect with Lee Kwon Woo because the first interaction was not with Lee Kwon Woo theposer, but Lee Kwon Woo the vocalist. While they worked on a coboration project, Lee Kwon Woo could feel the marvel of Kim Woo Yeon¡¯s song. Thus, Lee Kwon Woo proposed to Kim Woo Yeon that he wanted to give him a song. With the song he received at that time, Kim Woo Yeon was able to seed from his 2nd to his 3rd solo album. ¡°Hmmm¡­so you want a song from me.¡± Lee Kwon Woo asked straightforwardly as he grabbed a piece of tiramisu, which had a strong chocte taste, with a disposable fork. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°A dance singer, but doing a bad¡­honestly, I¡¯m not sure. Woo Yeon kept pushing me to meet with you¡­that¡¯s why I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°Hey, did I tie you up or something? I just asked to meet with him once, and you said ok.¡± ¡°Hurrr¡­you said you wouldn¡¯t feature on my solo album if I didn¡¯t meet with Do Wook¡­¡± Do Wook chuckled vaguely, scratching around his temple. ¡°Anyways, he said you¡¯re a pupil he cherishes so¡­.you¡¯re good at singing right?¡± ¡°Hey. I told you, I made him who he is!¡± Kim Woo Yeon was being overconfident on purpose. Even Lee Kwon Woo wasn¡¯t expecting that Do Wook would be as skilled as Kim Woo Yeon. Kim Woo Yeon was one of the top three vocalists in Korea. However, Kim Woo Yeon had taught him and he had rmended him, so he had some faith to a certain degree. ¡°Hmm. Even within bads, there are many genres¡­What kind of song do you want to sing?¡± Do Wook melted the chocte on the cake in his mouth and swallowed it before he started speaking. Do Wook didn¡¯t like sweets either, but since he ate something sweet he felt like his brain cells were more active. ¡°A sad song. Very sad, but where that sadness bes afort to others, I want to sing a song like that.¡± The two peoples¡¯ gazes became deeper at Do Wook¡¯s response. Lee Kwon Woo¡¯s question was honestly vague. It could be seen as asking about the specific subgenre. However, the answer Do Wook gave was very emotional. ¡°I¡¯ve told Teacher before, but when I was sad, I got a lot offort from the song ¡®If it were a dream.¡¯ In that sense¡­I want to sing a song like that too. If it¡¯s possible.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± Lee Kwon Woo turned towards Do Wook. ¡°I felt that would be possible if it were your song.¡± ¡°I do have a song I wrote with that kind of vibe in mind. With a desperate mood¡­.haaaaa¡­For now, I¡¯ll have to properly hear you sing.¡± Lee Kwon Woo said as he put down his fork. Holding on tightly to the tension that permeated his hands, Do Wook nodded his head. ¡®Lee Kwon Woo¡¯s song¡­I really want to sing it.¡¯ Do Wook genuinely meant what he said to Lee Kwon Woo. Do Wook now had a small but earnest wish aside from simply wanting to bring down Seo Kang Jun or Director Seo Joong Won. He wanted tofort people¡¯s wounded hearts with his songs, give them hope, and make something change. It¡¯s something you can only do if you have a certain amount of influence. Do Wook¡¯s solo album was the first step for that. So, overturning the expectation everyone definitely had that if he released a solo song it¡¯d be a dance song, Do Wook nned on releasing a bad. In order to stir people¡¯s hearts, he needed a song from someone like Lee Kwon Woo who wrote songs soaked in emotions. ¡®Also¡­¡¯ What Do Wook was thinking of wasn¡¯t just a bad. ¡°Then go ahead, sing whatever song you want. I¡¯ll put the MR on for you.¡± Lee Kwon Woo spoke to Do Wook, who had entered the recording booth. Behind Lee Kwon Woo, Kim Woo Yeon was watching the two with his arms folded. It was more nerve-wracking because he was singing in front of his teacher, but Kim Woo Yeon was someone who supported Do Wook, so it also gave him strength. Do Wook named the pop song that he had prepared for today, the one that had left the deepest impression on him recently. It was a song called ¡¯Soulmate¡¯ by Tain. It was a song full of a man¡¯s desperation in wanting to find genuine love. The melody line was incredibly strong, and it was a song where vocal skills were important. Hey, you¡¯re my soulmate¨D Outside, there was a short conversation taking ce as they watched Do Wook sing. ¡°Hmm¡­his tone is good but his technique isn¡¯t perfect like yours.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll take him 10 years to be perfect like me.¡± Regardless of Lee Kwon Woo¡¯s reaction, Kim Woo Yeon was admiring that Do Wook¡¯s singing skills had improved a lot. ¡®He was probably crazy busy but¡­that Do Wook, he has a relentless side to him.¡¯ There were improved parts that Kim Woo Yeon could recognize since he had seen Do Wook from how his skills were in the beginning up to now. Even in the beginning, Do Wook had followed his hard training without grumbling. Even when he wondered, ¡®Would he even be able to keep up until this point?¡¯ Do Wook kept up with it all. Even after that, his singing skills undeniably progressed because he tried very hard on his own. ¡®When he told me he would be doing a solo, I thought he was getting caught up in his poprity and might be doing something stupid¡­I underestimate that kid too much. Every time.¡¯ Even if he were to say he¡¯d debut as a solo bad singer immediately, his skills were enough to hold his own. No, he was much better than some current singers. However, Lee Kwon Woo had previously rejected requests from great bad singers already. It was hard for even Kim Woo Yeon to say whether Lee Kwon Woo liked him. ¡°I think that¡¯s enough.¡± After the first verse was done, Do Wook took off the headset and came out of the recording studio at Lee Kwon Woo¡¯s instruction. Do Wook was still immersed in the song he had been singing until a while ago. He was smiling awkwardly, but it showed that he was immersed in the song. ¡°Whether I have a song that will suit you or not¡­honestly it¡¯s hard to decide right now.¡± ¡°Ah¡­is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll send you a response as soon as I can.¡± Do Wook nodded his head. In case he couldn¡¯t get Lee Kwon Woo¡¯s song, he had to get another badposer¡¯s song. ¡®Right now, I¡¯d really like it to be Lee Kwon Woo¡¯s song¡­¡¯ Do Wook was a little more desperate because he knew that the current vibe of the public matched Lee Kwon Woo very well. If Lee Kwon Woo rejected him, Do Wook had something smart in mind. ¡®Although, if he says no, I¡¯ll have no choice but to find a different person¡­¡¯ After cleaning up the area, Do wook left the recording studio. Do Wook was in the middle of thinking that he should find Kim Woo Yeon and express his thanks somehow. Lee Kwon Woo, who followed behind Do Wook and exited the studio, called out to him. ¡°Ummm¡­Do Wook!¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Do Wook looked back, smiling like he was excited to see him, feeling hopeful. What Lee Kwon Woo held out to Do Wook was a white paper and a pen. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry but can you autograph here¡­¡± ¡°Ah¡­?¡± ¡°Well¡­my girlfriend is a KK fan. Your fan¡­ I¡¯ve been contemting it since earlier but I feel like we¡¯ll definitely end up fighting if I don¡¯t get your autograph¡­¡± ¡°Ah! Yes yes. I¡¯ll do it for you. Your girlfriend¡¯s name is¡­¡± Do Wook grabbed the pen as heughed. Squirming out of embarrassment, Lee Kwon Woo stuttered as he said his girlfriend¡¯s name. Suddenly, Do Wook thought that he didn¡¯t have to worry about it too much. It was a small request, but he felt Lee Kwon Woo wouldn¡¯t treat him like aplete stranger after getting an autograph from him. *** And as expected, Lee Kwon Woo contacted him a few dayster. He sounded like he had given it quite a bit of thought. He said that it actually wasn¡¯t hard for him to decide to give Do Wook a song. The problem was something else. ¡°Thank you sunbae. Thank you¡­.for saying you¡¯ll give me the song¡­Thank you so much.¡± -No, I¡¯m grateful too. But to be honest, this song, I¡­haaaa¡­ Lee Kwon Woo sighing could be heard through the receiver. ¡®What kind of song is it that he¡¯s¡­¡¯ Do Wook, who received Lee Kwon Woo¡¯s call while in the van heading to the final music broadcast performance for ¡®Blue Sky¡¯, couldn¡¯t help but be doubtful. ¡ª Next chapter: Lee Kwon Woo agrees to give Do Wook a song, but why does he sound uncertain about the song? Chapter 109: A Song You Sing Alone (5) Chapter 109: A Song You Sing Alone (5) -Hmm¡­for now, I¡¯ll send you the file I saved, so give it a listen and let me know. ¡°Ok. I will.¡± -It might not be to your liking. ¡°Huh? No. That won¡¯t happen.¡± -If you blindly¡­just say that it¡¯s good, it¡¯s hard to believe you¡­ Hearing Lee Kwon Woo say that while practically sighing, Do Wookughed. ¡°That may be so for someone else, but if it¡¯s your music, that¡¯s how I feel.¡± Do Wook could hear him give a big sigh over Do Wook¡¯s response on the other end. However, it wasn¡¯t meant negatively. -I can¡¯t feel bad if you say it like that¡­haaa¡­After hanging up the phone, Do Wook waited for Lee Kwon Woo¡¯s email to arrive. ¡°What¡¯s up, what kind of call was it?¡± Ahn Hyung Seo, who had been sitting next to him, asked with a twinkle in his eyes. Ahn Hyung Seo could also guess to a certain extent from hearing the content of the phone call. He was one of the members who was looking forward to Do Wook¡¯s solo album the most. Honestly, Ahn Hyung Seo was also one of the central vocalists within the team, so it wasn¡¯t that he had no desire at all for his own solo album. Anyone who sings wants to sing a song that¡¯s meant just for them at least once, instead of a song where they have to share a part. Still, there was a reason why Ahn Hyung Seo began to y the role of someone cheering and watching with anticipation from the sidelines rather than feeling jealous. ¡®If someone from KK bes the first to release a solo album, it has to be Do Wook.¡¯ He was the one who would represent KK. Skill-wise, it was only right that it¡¯d be Do Wook. In a way, they even felt sorry. It¡¯s inevitable that there¡¯ll be a lot of pressure the first time youe out solo after being in a group. ¡®Moreover, while KK is at the peak of its poprity¡­¡¯ If word of the solo album got out, that aspect would be the focus, and he would have to show his own music that was different from KK¡¯s music and get the same good results as KK. If not, it was easy for solo activities to be branded a failure. If there were something he could help with, Ahn Hyung Seo wanted to help Do Wook the best he could. ¡°He said he¡¯ll send me a song.¡± ¡°Oh! Lee Kwon Woo sunbae?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Ah, I really liked the song ¡®Already Like This¡¯!¡± ¡°Me too. It¡¯s a ssic.¡± ¡°Lee Kwon Woo is famous for not giving out his song. Everyone will go crazy if they find out you got a song.¡± ¡°¡­well.¡± Seeing Do Wook be modest, Ahn Hyung Seo patted his shoulder. ¡°The song. Did you get it? Can I listen with you?¡± ¡°Of course. Please take a listen and let me know.¡± An email had arrived from Lee Kwon Woo without Do Wook realizing it. He downloaded the file attached to the email onto his cell phone. While it was downloading, Hyun Seo was bouncing up and down excitedly. The other members were listening to songs with earphones on, or were fast asleep. After downloading the song, Do Wook lowered the volume and pressed the y button. The song started along with Lee Kwon Woo¡¯s signature piano melody. ¡°Ah¡­.it¡¯s already good.¡± Ahn Hyung Seo said admiringly, and Do Wook nodded his head. You could tell it was a good song even by just hearing the intro. And when Lee Kwon Woo¡¯s voice began to y as a guide, Do Wook¡¯s eyes opened wide. ¡°This song is¡­!¡± ¡°Huh? What?¡± Seeing Do Wook acting surprised, Ahn Hyung Seo asked, his eyes looking like a rabbit¡¯s. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s¡­because the song is so good¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s a very sad song. I can¡¯t wait to hear the version with your singing, Do Wook.¡± Do Wook slowly nodded his head. ¡®I understand why Lee Kwon Woo was agonizing over it for a few days before sending this.¡¯ Actually, this song was one Do Wook already knew. The fact that Do Wook knew it also meant that a different singer had sung it in the past. The other singer was none other than Lee Kwon Woo¡¯s original male duet singer. They had dissolved now, but it was the title song of thest album they released after reuniting. It was a song that he would have used in such an important album, so you could feel Lee Kwon Woo¡¯s affection for the song. ¡®He gave that ¡®Please Don¡¯t Go¡¯ to me¡­¡¯ Do Wook actually felt a greater pressure than when he first heard thepany¡¯s proposal to put out a solo album. ¡®Can I indeed perform this song well?¡¯ Do Wook already knew how much love that song would receive, and how much love it had received. Closing his eyes briefly then opening them again, Do Wook calmly organized his thoughts. It was Lee Kwon Woo who decided to give the song to Do Wook. Do Wook would do his best so that Lee Kwon Woo¡¯s decision would not have been in vain. ¡®And even if the future was changed because of me¡­¡¯ There were things that Do Wook felt while living time again in a new body. The future was changing little by little because of him, but the very basics didn¡¯t change. ¡®Things like a person¡¯s genuine effort doesn¡¯t change.¡¯ Therefore, Lee Kwon Woo¡¯s duet album would have its own new good song. Once he organized his thoughts, the feeling that he couldn¡¯t wait to sing this song sprouted in Do Wook. *** ¡°Beautiful June weather! It¡¯s the first recording of ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯!¡± ¡°The weather is very nice! On days like this we should go somewhere like the base of BukHan Mountain and dip your feet in the valley and eat chicken soup.¡± ¡°Man, you sound like a middle-aged man, hyung¡­.¡± ¡°I became a middle-aged man a long time ago.¡± Along with the loud voice of Kang Chun Ho, who was called the MC of the Nation, the recording of ¡¯Camping 48 Hours¡¯ began. Comedian Lee Suk Geun and ex-singer Jin Won bickered and added to Kang Chun Ho¡¯sment. He brought up BukHan Mountain, but the location of the opening remarks was a NanJiDo camping site near the Han River. The cast, who had already recorded ¡¯Camping 48 Hours¡¯ several times, were grateful that the filming location was Seoul. It was because they had filmed in the ravines of GangWonDo or remote inds in the South Sea before. ¡°But what¡¯s that camping car?!¡± It was part of the script, but Kang Chun Ho asked about the camping car in front of them naturally as if he were curious about it. At the location where the opening remarks took ce, there was a tent as well as a parked white camping car that looked extravagant even at first nce. When Kang Chun Ho asked, all the other contestants¡¯ gazes went towards the camping car. Jin Won slowly approached the camping car and opened the door. When he opened the door, the colorful interior was revealed. It was a camping car with a double-decker bed, a dining table, and shower facilities. ¡°It¡¯s the sleeping quarters for today.¡± ¡°Ooooohhh¨D!!!¡± The contestants eximed at PD Um Woo Suk¡¯s exnation. ¡°We¡¯re not all sleeping together here, right? Only a couple of us will be sleeping here? I already know!¡± The other contestants, who were happy about Jin Won¡¯sment, looked at PD Um Woo Suk as if asking, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Only one member will be sleeping in today¡¯s camping car. The rest of the members will sleep in the tent over there.¡± After seeing the camping car, the tent looked too shabby. It was almost summer so the weather had warmed up, but sleeping outside was still a difficult task. ¡°One person?! One person even though it¡¯s spacious? Isn¡¯t it unfair?!¡± Kang Chun Ho yelled. Following his lead, Lee Suk Geun also shook his head saying it was unfair. PD Um Woo Suk continued to exin. ¡°Starting today we¡¯ll have a new member joining ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯¡±. ¡°Hurr!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What?!!¡± At the surprising announcement, the contestants showed a confused reaction. They had heard that there would be a new contestant, but even the contestants didn¡¯t know it¡¯d be today. Only Kang Chun Ho, who was very influential, knew about it. PD Um even told him who would being, but he was pretty old so he didn¡¯t know who Suk Ji Hoon was. That was rather helpful. If it were someone that Kang Chun Ho knew, he might have been against it out of prejudice. Of course Kang Chun Ho was also worried about how young Suk Ji Hoon was, but he knew PD Um Woo Suk¡¯s intentions, so he had no choice but to concede. Anyways, pretending not to know, Kang Chun Ho also gave a big reaction and made a fuss as if asking, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±. ¡°That member is the star of sleeping in today¡¯s camping car.¡± ¡°Man, what the heck?! Are you discriminating already?¡± ¡°Who is it? Is it the president¡¯s son or something?!¡± The contestants were in an uproar over PD Um Woo Suk¡¯s announcement. PD Um Woo Suk calmed them down. ¡°Now now, please hear me out.¡± ¡°Go on!¡± ¡°Now, we¡¯re going to have ten men in disguisee out. After discussing it amongst yourselves, you¡¯re going to guess who the real new member is. If you get it right, you¡¯ll all go to the nearby cabin. If you get it wrong, you¡¯ll all sleep in the tent while the new member gets to sleep in the camping car.¡± ¡°Wow! Haha. Cabin!¡± Smiling like an idiot, Kim Jae Min was enjoying it. However, after hearing the exnation to the end, Jin Won frowned instead. ¡°How would we know who it is?!¡± ¡°Intuition?¡± ¡°Are you serious?!¡± Lee Suk Geun shouted as if it were absurd. However, PD Um Woo Suk sent a signal before the contestants could protest any further, and ten men began to enter one after another. *** ¡°Do Wook. Thank you,¡± Suk Ji Hoon said to Do Wook as he came out of the KVS dressing room after putting his disguise on. Gu Chul Min was walking in front of Suk Ji Hoon and Do Wook. Even if there happened to be a fan here who knew KK well, they would have had no choice but to simply pass by the three of them. Although they might recognize the face of Gu Chul Min, who was the manager, and stop in their tracks. The two of them were wearing disguises so heavy that it¡¯d be hard for anybody to recognize them at a nce. Suk Ji Hoon looked like an office worker in his 40s. That was how he looked when wearing a shabby suit and using makeup to make a decent amount of wrinkles around rimless sses. ¡°What for?¡± Do Wook asked in response. He was dressed in rags. Additionally, he was wearing a wig that went down to his shoulders and had charcoal on his face, making it hard to imagine that it was Do Wook. ¡°Just everything¡­I feel like I¡¯m always in your debt.¡± ¡°Ji Hoon.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°If I do something, it¡¯s not for you. It¡¯s for me. So don¡¯t feel too obligated over it.¡± He meant it. It wasn¡¯t simply out of affection, but if the members seeded, it was good for Do Wook too in the end. Suk Ji Hoon nodded quietly at what Do Wook said. ¡°I¡¯ll work hard too. For me.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± If each person did their best for themselves without harming others, everything would eventually improve. ¡°Pffft.¡± ¡°Haha.¡± When they looked at each other while having a serious conversation, the two of them burst outughing. It was because each other¡¯s behavior was very funny. The two of them headed to the filming location of ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯ as theyughed. And at PD Um Woo Suk¡¯s signal, they mixed in with supporting cast members and stood in a line in front of the ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯ contestants. To say it bluntly, Do Wook was like bait. Since Do Wook¡¯s face was more known, it was highly likely that they would recognize Do Wook, in which case contestants who think it was Do Wook in disguise would choose Do Wook. If that happened, that could create a fun situation in which all the cast members except Suk Ji Hoon would sleep in the tent. Do Wook was scheduled as a special guest to y about one game once it was announced at the NanJiDo camping site that Suk Ji Hoon was the new member. At the same time, the media, to whom it was leaked to, started to pour out various articles. ¡ª Next chapter: Public interest in the new addition to ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯ reaches it¡¯s peak, will the public be happy once the new member is revealed? Chapter 110: Beautiful Person (1) Chapter 110: Beautiful Person (1) < New member recruited to ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯...one of the KK members! First shoot today... > < KK¡¯s Kang Do Wook to stand alone solo! Teamed up with Lee Kwon Woo! > < Kang Do Wook...signing with ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯ on top of doing a solo?! > < It''s a top secret, who is the KK member on ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯! > The fanmunity, which had been quiet after the ¡®Blue Sky¡¯ activities ended and KK went on a brief break, quickly became abuzz. They all went crazy over the two sudden news pieces. News of Do Wook¡¯s solo album alone was surprising, but Do Wook¡¯s fans couldn¡¯t help but go crazy once they heard that he became a regr on ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯. -Do Wook going solo? Make some noise!!! -Do Wook is going solo after all. It happened faster than expected. -Can it be the Lee Kwon Woo I¡¯m thinking of? Kang Do Wook is ssy -They always surpass our imagination -But if it¡¯s Lee Kwon Woo, is it a bad? I totally can¡¯t wait~~?????????? -Camping 48 Hours! I woke up to this huge news! No matter who it is, I¡¯ll cheer for them! -It¡¯s an entertainment show so probably Hyung Seo, no? Or is it Won? -Jung Yoon Ki has a entertainment show personality ?? -Do Wook¡¯s solo;;; He really works without taking a break -Kang Do Wook. He should change hisst name to Colt Do Wook. He really works like a horse. -Camp 48 is most likely Do Wook too -My friend¡¯s dad is affiliated with Camp 48 and Do Wook appearing is confirmed. hehe -Hurr Isn¡¯t going solo and Camping too much? -I know. I¡¯m really worried that he¡¯ll get sick again ?? -I understand why you¡¯re worried, but appearing on a program like Camp 48 is really good for Do Wook¡­It¡¯s an opportunity for him topletely be the Star of the Nation -Even without Camp 48, at Do Wook¡¯s level, isn¡¯t he already well recognized? -Still, it¡¯s different from Camp 48 recognition¡­ As soon as they were told the news of Do Wook¡¯s solo album and ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯, the fanmunity was overflowing with hundreds of posts a day. The forum was growing, discussing things like whether or not it was possible for Do Wook to be on ¡®Camping 48 hours¡¯ while doing his solo album activities and future KK activities, whether it was even really Do Wook who would be on ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯ or not, etc. Because of that, they also rose to first ce in the activemunity ranking among fanmunities. This was what Do Wook wanted from the fans. During his PR days, what Do Wook had done since he was an intern was monitoring fanmunities. What he felt back then was that fans liked to specte on things more than he expected. They discussed various things, sometimes concentrating more on uncertain facts than on definite facts. For the fans, who had no issues other than a little war of nerves with Sa Bang Shin Hwa fans, Do Wook determined these kinds of small talking points would help spur the fans¡¯ activities. It was the same for the public as well. They had a lot of guesses about the KK member who would appear on ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯, and were talking about it a lot. The ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯ team couldn¡¯t help but be surprised at KK¡¯s online poprity. Admittedly, PD Um Woo Suk was surprised by KK and Do Wook¡¯s poprity, and acknowledged that the Director of the Entertainment Bureau Jo Myung Gook¡¯s view had some merit. ¡®It seems like it was a really good idea to follow Director Jo¡¯s insistence to have Kang Do Wook appear as a special guest.¡¯ At the same time, seeing Suk Ji Hoon not even mentioned as KK¡¯s entertainment show member made him satisfied with his choice too. ¡®People will be surprised again by the unexpectedness, right? And if Suk Ji Hoon bes a star, all credits will go to Camping 48 Hours. As long as Suk Ji Hoon does well¡­.¡¯ Do Wook was in the same mindset as PD Um Woo Suk. Furthermore, as he got linked to ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯, expectations for his solo album also got higher. The two stories became intertwined as one. Do Wook thought, ¡®Once the first shoot is over, the news will leak out a little no matter how hard we try to keep it a secret¡­Still, since there are two members, they won¡¯t be certain¡­¡¯ One week after the first broadcast. Do Wook¡¯s solo album activities were also scheduled to start around then. *** Back at the NanJiDo camping site, site of the ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯ shoot. ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll give you 15 minutes to discuss! Please find the new member!¡± Jin Won and Lee Suk Geun shook their heads. ¡°This is like Where¡¯s Waldo¡­¡± ¡°We at least know what Waldo looks like!¡± While the two of them bickered, Kim Jae Min started examining one person at a time. ¡°They¡¯re all in disguises?!¡± ¡°That goes without saying!¡± Kang Chun Ho gave a dejectedugh at Kim Jae Min stating the obvious. All the cast members earnestly observed each face with a piercing gaze one at a time. ¡°Do we just need to find the celebrity among them?¡± At Jin Won¡¯s words, everyone looked for someone who looked like a celebrity in disguise. However, the disguises were so meticulous that everyone looked unfamiliar and didn¡¯t seem like a celebrity. ¡°Geez¡­Did this person disguise their scent too?!¡± Everyoneughed even while frowning when Lee Suk Geun, who was standing in front of Do Wook, said that. Do Wook made a gloomy expression like he was actually a street person, bowed his head, and stepped back. Lee Suk Gun shook his head and remarked that whoever this supporting cast was, was really into it. At that moment, Jin Won was in front of Suk Ji Hoon. ¡°Man, I think this person looks kind of handsome even with the disguise.¡± ¡°Huh? Good looking?¡± When he said that, the cast who were observing other people all gathered in front of Suk Ji Hoon. Wondering if his identity would be revealed by the cast that gathered in front of him, Suk Ji Hoon¡¯s back began to sweat. However, his expression was calm. Suk Ji Hoon was also a child actor. He hid his anxiety and acted leisurely by smiling and even waving his hands. The cast, who had been looking at him intently, thought that maybe it wasn¡¯t him and backed off. ¡°5 minutes left.¡± PD Um Woo Suk¡¯s cold words made the cast shout. ¡°This is seriously like findin¡¯ a needle in a haystack!¡± Flustered, Kang Chun Ho¡¯s dialect came out. Jin Won reasoned with PD Um with a pouting face. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you at least give us a hint or something?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a singer-turned-celebrity.¡± ¡°Celebrity? We already knew that¡­how is ¡®he¡¯s a singer¡¯ a hint right now?! They¡¯re all in disguises!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s at least have them talk one at a time!¡± Lee Suk Geun suggested it, but the 10 people in disguises started talking all at once as promised. Because all 10 of them were talking at the same time, it was very hard to hear their voices. The cast went in front of the disguised person that they suspected and focused to try to hear their voice, but it was impossible. ¡°Huh?!¡± Jin Won yelled loudly. Everyone¡¯s gaze turned towards Jin Won. ¡°Ah! What the! I found him!!!¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes opened wide at what Jin Won said. Jin Won was standing in front of Do Wook. ¡°Geez! Man, Suk Geun, how can you say that it¡¯s not this person!¡± ¡°What, what?! Who is it?!¡± Do Wook was bewildered, but hardened his expression. At that moment, PD Um Woo Suk also became rigid. They were actually pretending to be bewildered, since PD Um Woo Suk as well as Do Wook had thought that the cast might at least recognize Do Wook. Honestly, his features were particrly pronounced, so it was hard to hide with a disguise. More confident in his answer after looking at the bewildered PD Um, Jin Won grinned. ¡°It¡¯s KK¡¯s Kang Do Wook!¡± ¡°What? Kang Do Wook?!¡± When Kang Chun Ho heard that it was Do Wook, he hurried over to in front of Do Wook. He scolded Do Wook for keeping looking down and made him raise his head. Once they started suspecting it was Do Wook, it really was Do Wook. The cast was delighted. ¡°Then is he your final choice?¡± ¡°We¡¯re done choosing!¡± The cast were all standing behind Do Wook. Kang Chun Ho shouted, full of conviction. PD Um Woo Suk, who had briefly paused to build suspense, responded, ¡°That¡¯s incorrect.¡± Nobody could hide their confusion. They were frozen out of shock. Jin Won, who was the first to recover from the shock, was unable toprehend it at all, so he stepped up and asked Do Wook, ¡°Huh, that¡¯s really odd. KK¡¯s Kang Do Wook! It is him! I know because I watch television all day at home¡­! Isn¡¯t it Kang Do Wook?¡± Do Wook slowly took off his long-haired wig. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m Kang Do Wook.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± The camera director did a close up of Do Wook smiling while answering politely. He still had a coat of charcoal on his face, but Do Wook, who had taken off his wig and rxed his expression, was ¡°handsomeness¡± itself even with the charcoal. That was the part the cast was admiring. He was handsome to the point that it was strange he wasn¡¯t found out right away. A strangely handsome face that they didn¡¯t find at once. He seemed to be shining through the charcoal. After being briefly entranced by the beauty, the cast went wild. ¡°You said it¡¯s a celebrity!¡± Smirking, PD Um Woo Suk replied, ¡°Ok. I¡¯ll introduce the new member.¡± Taking off the sses and wig, Suk Ji Hoon slowly walked towards Do Wook. It wasn¡¯t on the same level as Do Wook, but Suk Ji Hoon also boasted a warm appearance. The cast looked at Suk Ji Hoon, dumbfounded. Suk Ji Hoon bowed politely. At the same time, he wasughing, not hiding the youngest¡¯s instinct that finds it fun to tease the hyungs. ¡°Hello. I¡¯m Suk Ji Hoon.¡± ¡°This is a scam!¡± ¡°There¡¯s two of them, how are we supposed to guess?!¡± ¡°I told you to go with your instincts.¡± ¡°Wow, PD Um is scary¡­¡± After overreacting by doing things like wrapping his shoulders and rubbing them saying he had goosebumps, Kang Chun Ho exchanged greetings with Do Wook and Suk Ji Hoon. Even as the cast said they were d to see them, theyined saying, ¡°I have to sleep in a tent because of you.¡± ¡°Heughed earlier! I went over to him and heughed! He¡¯s something else.¡± Jin Won vouched for Suk Ji Hoon¡¯s acting skills and the atmosphere on set became even better. Suk Ji Hoon¡¯s first appearance was a sess. He also immediately got the title of ¡®Fearsome Youngest.¡¯ *** Once Suk Ji Hoon¡¯s first recorded part in ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯ aired, it became a hot topic as expected. KK fans, who were watching ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯ with all kinds of curiosity and expectations, were surprised that the regr member was Suk Ji Hoon. There was a rumor circting that Suk Ji Hoon was in the photo released after the recording so they thought, ¡°Can it be?¡±, but they didn¡¯t know it would really be Suk Ji Hoon because he didn¡¯t really have much recognizability and had not done individual activities until now. Even fans were surprised, so the general audience even more so. In fact, there were many people who did not know who Suk Ji Hoon was, but the episode with Suk Ji Hoon was fun so the voice of concern about whether an idol member would work out quickly faded away. Suk Ji Hoon got a lot ofughs paying a lot of attention to cleanliness all the time, because he couldn¡¯t get rid of his habit while filming and nagging at the older members in a polite voice. On top of that, he received a lot of affection from Kang Chun Ho after just one recording by showing he could work well with veteran actors. Also, the scene where Do Wook said, ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± as he took off the wig had the record for the most views in that ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯ episode. PD Um Woo Suk made the scene more fun by editing aparison scene from Kim Won Bin¡¯s movie < The Man Next Door > where he shaved his head. And Do Wook got a new nickname, ¡°The Answer Man.¡± It was a nickname that came about from the slogan, ¡°Kang Do Wook¡¯s face is truly the answer.¡± With Suk Ji Hoon¡¯s sessful entertainment show debut behind them, now Do Wook¡¯s solo debut performance was next. The MC¡¯s introductory remarks started. ¡ª Next chapter: The time has finallye. It¡¯s Do Wook solo album performance Chapter 111: Beautiful Person (2) Chapter 111: Beautiful Person (2) The previous day, with the sound file for Do Wook¡¯s solo album¡¯s first title song ¡®Please Don¡¯t Go¡¯ already released, it topped the charts and foretold a ¡®Kang Do Wook craze¡¯. ¡®Is this how¡­singing a song alone feels?¡± Do Wook was standing on the stage alone. He had always been with the members when he was on stage, so it was his first time feeling this kind of emotion. The stage seemed so big. Whether he looked left or right, there was nobody. Do Wook looked straight ahead. During KK events, they were able to easily gather about 300-400 people in the auditorium. Do Wook was a little nervous about how many fans woulde today. In front of Do Wook, there were many fans holding the Key Ring cheering sticks. Even though it was just Do Wook¡¯s personal fans, the auditorium was packed. Initially, KVS Music Broadcast expected about a hundred or so, but the number of people had increased by a lot because so many fans had gathered. Doing the solo debut performance on KVS was one of Director Jo Myung Gook¡¯s conditions. It was a condition that came to be once they realized it¡¯d be impossible for Do Wook to appear on ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯ because he was preparing for his solo. Do Wook felt the need to continue to maintain a good rtionship with Director Jo Myung Gook. Director Jo Myung Gook seemed like an impulsive and easygoing person, but he used that image to to get things done. It was Director Jo Myung Gook who openly said that now that Suk Ji Hoon, a KK member, was selected as a regr cast member of KVS entertainment show, they should establish a friendly rtionship with KK and HIT Entertainment moving forward. Considering that various broadcast stations like MVS or newspaper agencies had a partnership with Ara Entertainment, Do Wook had no reason to refuse unless it was an unfair or illegal rtionship. ¡®Those people are all here for me¡­¡¯ When he saw his fans, who were looking only at him with a gleam in their eyes, he felt kind of emotional. He had various passing thoughts. ¡®I, who used to only sing in my mind in the corner of a smelly bathroom, have changed so much to the point that I¡¯m singing solo in a ce like this.¡¯ He was using the body of ¡®Kang Do Wook¡¯, but Do Wook* was nowpletely Do Wook. (TL Note: Bo Myung who is now Do Wook) Do Wook¡¯s personality changed ¡®Kang Do Wook¡¯¡¯s body too. He was giving off apletely different vibe from in the past. Even though he was standing alone on stage, Do Wook had an aura that seemed to fill the stage. Overwhelmed by Do Wook, who stood still and stared straight ahead, the audience waited for Do Wook¡¯s song to begin. After a brief silence, the sound of the piano keys began to flow out. The sound of the piano cut through the silence almost like a rippling wind on a calmke. Even though the fans had already heard the released sound file beforeing, once the song started, it strongly resonated with them as if they were listening to it for the first time. Do Wook¡¯s voice was incredibly desperate. How can you leave me like this In the beautiful memories, I¡¯m standing here all alone Don¡¯t go, don¡¯t go, please¨D With the addition of exact pitch and appropriate technique, the song clearly conveyed what it was trying to convey. As the pitch got higher and the emotion became deeper, the fans in the auditorium felt overpowering emotions, cheering for Do Wook but holding their breath at the same time to better hear Do Wook¡¯s voice. It was as if Do Wook was singing the song to himself. The feeling of loneliness was conveyed so well. Some of the more emotional girls were already teary-eyed. ¡°Why is it so sad¡­.?¡± The fan muttered, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, as the song headed to the end. The friend next to her handed her crying friend a tissue. ¡°Hey¡­why are you crying¡­?¡± Even the friend doing the consoling was in a simr state. Her voice trembled. Do Wook was a singer who was always dazzling in the spotlight, but it felt like he also seemed like ¡®just another person¡¯ who also went through loneliness and hurt just like they did. It was sad but kind offorting at the same time. ¡°Is this really live?¡± Another side was wondering if it truly was live. The song, which was melting people¡¯s hearts, didn¡¯t have any sounds of him breathing mixed in. It sounded exactly like a CD. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s live. By the way, Do Wook looks like he¡¯s in peak condition today. His appearance as well as his song.¡± ¡°Is there ever a time he¡¯s not in a good condition?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. There isn¡¯t.¡± People who started talking, thinking the performance was over, werepletely surprised and looked at the stage. Do Wook took off the jacket of the suit he had been wearing and tossed it offstage. The blue-colored suit that was Do Wook¡¯s stage outfit today was sponsored by Mark Ross, one of the world¡¯s best luxury brands. Mark Ross Korea had expressed their intention to sponsor Do Wook with not only a suit but also dress shoes and even the essories he was wearing. From head to toe, he was wearing Mark Ross. Of course there were other designer brand¡¯s products mixed in here and there as well. It was the styling team of stylist Han Jung Ah, who was Do Wook¡¯s personal event stylist, that asked for the Mark Ross sponsor. The concepts for this active period went very well with the new season¡¯s outfits from Mark Ross. On top of that, Han Jung Ah came to the conclusion that if it were Do Wook, it would be possible to get a sponsorship from Mark Ross. This was a judgment made after considering the reaction he received during the New York Fashion Week. The name Mark Ross held brand value, so they didn¡¯t often grant sponsorships to celebrities. He only sponsored big actors with a suit during awards seasons asionally. Therefore, they were going to decline Team Leader Han Jung Ah¡¯s request. Even if KK held a fashionista image and Do Wook¡¯s image, unlike other idols, wasn¡¯t exactly weak, it was a hard brand policy to break. However, after hearing about this situation in Mark Ross Korea, headquarters actively encouraged to go in a new direction and sponsor Do Wook with the new season¡¯s products during his active period. People at Mark Ross headquarters had seen Do Wook in ¡®Bombe¡¯ magazine after getting photographed at the Mark Ross fashion show. Of course, even if they had money, they couldn¡¯t buy Mark Ross or other brand¡¯s clothing and use it as their stage outfit. However, a sponsorship meant that they were also acknowledged by said brand. It was a different concept. Wearing a luxury brand that is rarely used on stage like that, Do Wook was more colorful and luxurious than anyone else appearing on today¡¯s KVS music broadcasts. The white shirt that was revealed when he took off the jacket was also designer brand, but that wasn¡¯t why the fans cheered. They were cheering over Do Wook¡¯s body. His decently built chest muscles were distinctly visible. On top of that, when the bass went thump thump and the beat of the new song began, the fans, who were mesmerized, couldn¡¯t help but cheer. ¡°Kyaaa¨D!¡± ¡°Do Wook!!!¡± ¡°Do Wook! Ahhh¨D!!!¡± ¡®Please Don¡¯t Go¡¯ wasn¡¯t the only performance Do Wook was going to release in today¡¯s KVS music broadcast. Do Wook¡¯s new solo album was released in two different versions. On it, there were two title songs. His first solo debut apart from the group and also two title songs. Anyone could see that he had incredible confidence. The fact that he sessfully got Lee Kwon Woo¡¯s project was reason enough to be confident. The song that Do Wook had prepared aside from the bad song ¡®Please Don¡¯t Go¡¯ was a dance song. Two title songs, a bad and a dance song. It was also his confidence that he could do any genre well. And there was a strong foundation for that confidence. Do Wook started the choreography as he stomped his feet to the rhythm. Cry, Cry, Don¡¯t cry, darling! You just need toe here, we¡¯ll run into the wind! If the dance songs KK had done so far were close to the hip hop genre, Do Wook¡¯s solo dance song ¡®Darling¡± was a song that brought a jazzy vibe to life. With quick footwork as if tap dancing, Do Wook recited lyrics that seemed tofort a lover. It was a live performance where he moved his body quickly, yet it wasn¡¯t shaky. It was to the point that everyone might even suspect that AR was installed. However, while preparing for this solo dance song, Do Wook was well aware that he had to sing a song that was usually divided among several people by himself. Even when singing in the same volume, the more you gather your mouth to the center of the microphone when you dance, the better the sound gathers and the sound of your breathing doesn¡¯t get included, and a clear AR-quality soundes out. Do Wook endlessly researched and honed even those kinds of techniques. Hey! (Hey!) Darling! (Darling!) Take my hand! At the chorus, fans were singing along as if they were possessed. Do Wook gave a calm wave as he folded up the sleeves of his white shirt and pretended to check his watch. The choreography to show off masculinity by folding the sleeves was a choreography made with the choreographer¡¯s heart and soul. Every time Do Wook moved, the cross-shaped silver earrings fluttered. Given wasn¡¯t wearing anything that could be considered tacky, he looked very sophisticated. When the fluttering silver earrings on his ear shone, Do Wook winked at the camera, ending the two sessive performances. ¡°Ahhhhhh!¡± ¡°Kyaaaaaa!!!¡± ¡°OMG!¡± ¡°Amazing!!!¡± ¡°Crazy¡­it¡¯s so crazy¡­¡± ¡°Kang Do Wook!¡± ¡°Kang Do Wook!¡± ¡°Kang Do Wook!¡± At the end of the performance, cheers erupted. Even as Do Wook was getting offstage, fans were chanting his name with no signs of stopping. Do Wook¡¯s whole body was drenched in sweat. Excitement poured over him to the point his toes twitched. Going back and forth between tension and excitement, Do Wook seemed to be possessed by something. ¡®Did¡­I do ok?¡± Heading towards the waiting room, Do Wook briefly looked back. He could see the fans who were shouting his name. Do Wook, who had poured out all his energy on the stage, was exhausted, but still had a sincerely happy smile. People were cheering his performance. He could faintly see their happy faces. ¡®Thank goodness.¡¯ *** The response of people who saw Do Wook¡¯s performance on air was explosive. The second title track ¡°Darling,¡± which was released at the same time, was also ranked first in the music rankings. After some time passed, Do Wook¡¯s two songs, ¡°Darling¡± and ¡°Please Don¡¯t Go¡±, were in a neck-and-neck race for first and second ce on the music chart. Coincidentally, the music chart ranking of the special music Sa Bang Shin Hwa release remained in the top 30, proving that the idol music powerhouse whom no one could catch up to was KK and Do Wook. It was the perfect example of what the athlete who said, ¡®I¡¯m my only rival,¡¯ meant. Even though the atmosphere of the two songs waspletely different, they unified enough to be in one album, so the critics¡¯ reviews were good. There was a lot of praise for the video of the performance. There were even a lot of people saying that he was good enough to leave KK and do everything on his own. ¡°Do Wook! Congrattions!¡± ¡°I¡¯m proud of you!¡± ¡°Do Wook, you were really the best.¡± The KK members weed Do Wook back when he returned to the waiting room. Timing it with the end of Do Wook¡¯s performance, the members went to the waiting room and were waiting for Do Wook. They were there to cheer for Do Wook. ¡°Thank you.¡± Do Wook greeted the members one by one. The members were there for him when he was having various concerns, including over releasing the solo album, and helped him like it was their own project. In reality it was Do Wook who did all the work, but the members¡¯ encouragement was a big support. Do Wook was truly grateful for the members who supported his sess without self-interest. If the members hadn¡¯t been on board, there would have been a lot of obstacles for Do Wook, who was also a KK member, to release a solo album. Generally, there was bickering amongst members in other groups under these types of situations, but there was no such thing within KK. ¡°Ah, we can¡¯t miss photos on a day like this! Let¡¯s take a picture! Chul Min, Please take a picture of us.¡± At Ahn Hyung Seo¡¯s words, Gu Chul Min epted the cell phone he was handed. The members stood in a line. Do Wook was holding the bouquet he received from the members. ¡°One, two, three!¡± Gu Chul Min pressed the button at the count of ¡®three¡¯. *** The first solo event for this active period, besides music broadcast, was a photo shoot. Do Wook, who arrived at a studio in Chung Dam Dong, entered the studio by himself while Manager Gu Chul Min parked the car. The original scheduled time was 3 o¡¯clock, but Do Wook arrived around 2:45 wanting toe early to get ready. Do Wook, who had been walking up the stairs, stopped walking when he heard the sound of people having a conversationing from the hallway on the floor above him. He could hear the conversation between the editor and photographer. ¡°Kang Do Wook?¡± ¡°Yea. I had a jacket shoot with him before. KK was nice and polite. Please write a nice article.¡± ¡°Polite my ass.¡± ¡°Why¡­Everyone praises them.¡± ¡°That? That¡¯s all an act.¡± ¡ª Next chapter: We finally see some anti-Do Wook opinions Chapter 112: Beautiful Person (3) Chapter 112: Beautiful Person (3) ¡°An act? That¡¯s not the vibe I got¡­¡± ¡°You have experience now, how can you be so naive? You know how this field is.¡± The male reporter said in a scolding way to what the female photographer said. Hesitantly, the woman tried to refute, but the man¡¯s mind was too firmly made up. In the end, the woman shook her head in defeat. ¡°Reporter Choi. I guess you really don¡¯t like Kang Do Wook!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like him, I don¡¯t like any idol.¡± ¡°How are you going to be an entertainment journalist like that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I do it. Because I don¡¯t like them.¡± A strong sense of malice could be felt from the tone. The smoke from the cigarette was drifting down the stairs. Do Wook anticipated that today¡¯s interview would be rough. At that moment, Gu Chul Min, who had finished parking, was heading towards the building entrance. Do Wook purposely made his presence known while going down the stairs. ¡°Right. Let¡¯s head in, Reporter Choi. It¡¯s time.¡± ¡°Ah, but I want to smoke one more cigarette.¡± ¡°Are you going to conduct the interview while smelling like smoke? Even you have at least that much decorum.¡± The woman said, perhaps noticing someone was nearby. The man called Reporter Choi soon put out the cigarette, perhaps having checked the time. You could hear the two people open the studio door and go inside. ¡°Huh? Do Wook. Why are you standing here instead of going in?¡± Gu Chul Min, who had arrived at the stairs, asked quizzically. ¡°Ah¡­I was suddenly lost in thought.¡± ¡°Lost in thought? Let¡¯s hurry inside.¡± ¡°One second, Chul Min.¡± ¡°Huh? Huhh?¡± Gu Chul Min, who was about to leap up the stairs, stopped when Do Wook said that. He made an expression as if asking why, but Do Wook didn¡¯t give a clear answer. Do Wook, who was keeping Gu Chul Min there, said, ¡°Let¡¯s go up,¡± after a little while and let Gu Chul Min go. Gu Chul Min, not knowing what was going on, headed towards the studio entrance for now. The inside of the studio was very busy. Setting up filming equipment was in full swing. Today¡¯s photo shoot and interview was conducted by ¡®News Patch¡¯, a medium specializing in entertainment. More than the photo shoot, it was the interview that was the focus. ¡¯News Patch¡¯ was a medium that a person who worked as the director of the entertainment department in the major newspaper agency ¡¯Seoul Newspaper¡¯ created, under the ambition of developing an online media specializing in entertainment in the current online era. It hadn¡¯t been around long, but it had had a significant impact on the entertainment industry as a media outlet specializing in entertainment. The first article from ¡¯News Patch¡¯ was an article about the romantic rtionship between two top celebrities. The public was impressed by the news of their romantic rtionship, which even had a photo included. It was just like the ¡°paparazzi¡± you only see in Hollywood. From then on, ¡¯News Patch¡¯ quickly established itself as the top entertainment-rted media by exposing a variety of top celebrities scandals one after another. At the same time, they were also notorious for tirelessly pursuing scandals by digging into the backgrounds of celebrities who might make good headlines. They invaded people¡¯s privacies, to the point that there were criticisms even amongizens, but News Patch articles usually were #1 in views. Since profitability was more important than morality to a profit-seekingpany, ¡¯News Patch¡¯ endlessly produced scandal articles. Still, on the other hand, they also published things like advice columns like a rtionship specialist magazine would. ¡®Moving forward they expand their scope more and more¡­¡¯ The eyes of the female staff, who had been busy, opened wide when Do Wook entered. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Oh my! Do Wook, you¡¯re early!¡± The person in charge greeted Do Wook with a bright face. Behind them, the photographer approached Do Wook as she greeted him and asked for a handshake. ¡°Hello, Do Wook! I¡¯m Kim Yee Soo, I¡¯m in charge of the photos today.¡± Hearing her voice, she was the woman who was having a conversation with Reporter Choi earlier. The woman did not seem to have any particr animosity toward Do Wook. Rather, she was fond of him. Do Wook smiled softly and grabbed her hands. ¡°Ah, hello. Thank you in advance for taking good photos.¡± ¡°I think your pictures woulde out well even if I took them with my eyes closed!¡± Do Wookughed when the photographer said that. There was a friendly atmosphere, with the staff that was nearby jesting that the photographer liked Do Wook too much. After getting his clothes and hair ready, Do Wook followed the person in charge¡¯s instructions and stood in front of the camera. The contents of today¡¯s article photoshoot and interview had the concept, ¡°Let¡¯s meet the true Kang Do Wook,¡± so Do Wook had prepared ording to the concept. He looked innocent and lively with barely any makeup on and just a little color on his lips. Unlike his performance outfits, the outfit for the shoot wasfortable. Of course, even though they lookedfortable, the clothes sent by stylist Han Jung Ah were all clothes from well-known ces in the fashion world. ¡°We¡¯ll do the front shots first!¡± Following the photographer¡¯s instructions, Do Wook stood straight, crossed his leg, put one hand in his pocket, and struck a pose. ¡°Good! Smile a little more please. Your head slightly to the left. Good!¡± When Do Wook turned his head, the photographer kept eximing, ¡°Good.¡± The other staff were blushing as they spectated Do Wook¡¯s shoot. Gu Chul Min was also looking at the set with a pleased expression. Among them, the man who camete and was in the back with his arms crossed was the only one with a glum expression. ¡®Is that him?¡¯ Do Wook quickly looked at the man before looking at the camera lens again. ¡°Do Wook! We¡¯ll take the side pictures now.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± ¡°Your nose is so sharp. The lines are so defined.¡± ¡°Haha, thank you.¡± Do Wook turned to the side as he thanked the photographer. Surrounded by a warm atmosphere, the photo shoot for the article concluded sessfully. The problem was the interview with ¡®Reporter Choi¡¯ that was to follow. The person in charge escorted Gu Chul Min and Do Wook to the table that was set up in the room next to the studio. The room was well decorated in a cafe style. Before Do Wook could sit, Reporter Choi came in. ¡°I¡¯m Choi Sung Jun.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, sir! How is the person who was originally going toe? I heard he¡¯s unwell.¡± Despite the cold introduction, Gu Chul Min answered pleasantly. Originally, another reporter from ¡®News Patch¡¯ was going to interview Do Wook. They had already exchanged the list of interview questions and had been introduced, but he suddenly got into a car ident so it was changed to a different reporter. ¡°Yes. He was in a small car ident two days ago. You don¡¯t have to worry too much.¡± ¡°Ah, I see. I look forward to working with you.¡± Reporter Choi Sung Jun exined to Gu Chul Min. Perhaps thinking that Gu Chul Min wasn¡¯t an idol but simply the manager, he wasn¡¯t that cold to Gu Chul Min. However, he still gazed at Do Wook coldly. ¡®This could be a headache¡­¡¯ Do Wook thought as he sat down. There was only one table, so Do Wook and Gu Chul Min sat side by side, and Reporter Choi Sung Jun sat opposite of them. Reporter Choi Sung Jun opened hisptop and started asking questions. ¡°You¡¯re currently ranked first and second in the charts. First off, congrattions. Please tell us how you feel.¡± The first question was easy. ¡°Other than ¡®I¡¯m happy¡¯¡­.I don¡¯t think there¡¯s more I could say. Thank you so much to the fans who gave me so much love. Also thank you to the members and staff who made the album possible.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Reporter Choi Sung Jun was, as expected, expressionless. As he wrote down the answer, It was clear that he thought everything Do Wook said was a stereotyped pretense. ¡°Is there a girlfriend whom you wish to thank?¡± ¡°What?¡± Gu Chul Min was more surprised than Do Wook was at the sudden question. Reporter Choi Sung Jun smiled and said to Gu Chul Min, ¡°I¡¯m kidding. I threw that in to try to lighten the mood. I don¡¯t want this interview to be too obvious.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Gu Chul Min immediately shut up. He couldn¡¯t make a big fuss over nothing for no reason. Instead, Do Wook smiled as if he thought Reporter Choi Sung Jun¡¯s joke was funny. ¡°On top of being Number 1 and 2 in the charts, youposed ¡®Darling¡¯, which is one of your title songs. To my knowledge, you¡¯ve personally written andposed many songs for KK albums too¡­¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡± Do Wook maintained eye contact with Reporter Choi Sung Jun as he answered. So far, it was the same question he had received in advance. ¡°The money from the music must be substantial. Around how much do you earn?¡± However, Reporter Choi Sung Jun was changing the nuance of the question strangely. Do Wook smiled as he answered this time too. ¡°Haha, I¡¯ve never done the exact calction.¡± ¡°Even at a quick nce it looks like it¡¯d be enormous.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking about profit while making the song¡­¡± ¡°I heard both your parents are professors. I guess because you were born with a golden spoon you¡¯re more about the art than the money?¡± Do Wook stayed quiet for a moment and smiled. In these situations, it was best to deal with it with an ambiguous smile rather than respond with words. When Do Wook didn¡¯t seem like he¡¯d easily give a different answer, Reporter Choi Sung Jun snickered and moved on to the next question. After that, it continued with easy questions. It was things like what he did first when putting together a performance and what made him be a singer. ¡°You speak very well. Even though you¡¯re young,¡± Reporter Choi Sung Jun jabbed. Gu Chul Min felt sorry for Do Wook, who was even putting a stop to the parts Gu Chul Min should have stopped as Do Wook answered. There were a few questions that Manager Oh Baek Ho could have taken care of if he had been with them. However, Gu Chul Min, who didn¡¯t have experience as a manager yet, did not have a good sense of how much he should step in. The times Gu Chul Min tried to step in and cut parts he thought weren¡¯t right, Do Wook signaled with his eyes that it was ok. ¡®If the manager steps in and stops it for no reason, there may be more bacsh,¡¯ Do Wook thought as he looked at Reporter Choi Sung Jun who was full of malice. He didn¡¯t quite understand it. There was something too deep-rooted to be considered malice simply due to prejudice against idols. Listening to the tone of the speech, it seemed that there was malice not only towards Do Wook but also other idols. ¡®Choi Sung Jun¡­who is that.¡¯ Do Wook searched his memory as he briefly stopped answering and drank the drink in front of him. ¡®I definitely get the feeling I¡¯ve seen him before. I think I¡¯ve heard his name before too¡­¡¯ However, he couldn¡¯t remember at all. The question suddenly popped up in Do Wook¡¯s mind if he was someone rted to his time as ¡®Kim Bo Myung¡¯. He thought that because there were parts that were missing when he tried to recall the memories of his time as ¡®Kim Bo Myung¡¯. However, he promptly shook his head. ¡®No. The only things that are missing are facts like Kim Bo Myung¡¯s personal information. Then who is it¡­?¡¯ Reporter Choi Sung Jun started asking questions again, so Do Wook had to stop trying to recall his memories. After exchanging a few more questions, the interview was concluded. It wasn¡¯t a very good atmosphere, but at least it ended without Reporter Choi Sung Jun being too offended. Nothing good woulde out from having a problem with the reporter when the article was already set to be published. Even though it ended like that, it was questionable whether reporter Choi would write the article in a positive way. ¡°Ah¡­Do Wook, thank you for your hard work.¡± ¡°No no. Thank you for your hard work as well.¡± After exchanging goodbyes with the staff, Gu Chul Min and Do Wook went back to the car. Among the interviews he had done since his debut, this one worried him the most and was definitely a difficult interview. Do Wook also thought to himself that these kinds of situations would happen more and more in the future. ¡®The more popr you are, the more antis there tend to be¡­¡¯ However, it was important that the majority of their image was good. It was a matter of dominance. In the car on the way back to the rehearsal hall, Do Wook silently looked out the window. *** < KK Kang Do Wook, exclusive interview ¢Ù Born with a golden spoon...¡±Ipose without worrying about money...¡± > < KK Kang Do Wook, exclusive interview ¢Ú ¡°Respect the value of luxury brands¡± > < KK Kang Do Wook, exclusive interview ¢Û The song received from Lee Kwon Woo...¡¯It fits me better than anyone¡± > The next day, three articles of the interview from just the day before were published. The articles that had a lot of pictures were in many ways the very meaning of ¡®vain¡¯. -Kang Do Wook. I didn¡¯t know, but I guess he¡¯s pretty extravagant? Negativements started to get posted on the article. For the first time, Do Wook was in the trending search keywords for a negative issue. ¡ª Next chapter: In what ways could the reporter have twisted Do Wook¡¯s words that people are starting to think negatively of him??? Chapter 113: Beautiful Person (4) Chapter 113: Beautiful Person (4) Q. I heard your recent stage outfit was sponsored by Mark Ross. A. That¡¯s right. Mark Ross happily allowed it. Q. Do you usually like designer items? A. I just respect the craftsmanship that luxury brands work hard to maintain . . Q. You got yourtest song from Lee Kwon Woo. Lee Kwon Woo is famous for not giving a song to someone if he doesn¡¯t want to, no matter how great of a singer they may be. How do you feel about having received it when other singers could not? A. I think Lee Kwon Woo sunbae¡¯s song fits me well. I¡¯m thankful that, after giving it a lot of consideration, he decided to give me the song. .. Meeting with Kang Do Wook, the hottest star right now, left a deep impression. In short, I could see what ¡®sess¡¯ was from this experience. Even when he was saying his goodbye on his way out, the designer earrings from Allen Sandro glistened in his ears. ¡°Wow, this is totally¡­¡± Manager Oh Baek Ho, who read the full article, practically threw his mouse away, making a ¡®ck¡¯ sound. Standing next to Manager Oh Baek Ho, Gu Chul Min hung his head, unsure of what to do. Do Wook sat on the sofa in the living room and was looking through the articlements andmunity reactions on his cell phone. The Fan Marketing Team stepped in to take care of it, but Do Wook¡¯s name, which had now appeared in the trending search words, showed no signs of diminishing. For now, it said ¡®Kang Do Wook¡¯, so people kept clicking on it. If you clicked on ¡®Kang Do Wook¡¯, the first article that appeared was the ¡®News Patch¡¯ reporter Choi Sung Jun¡¯s interview. More and more people started to read the article and argue in thements. ¡°From start to finish, this bastard purposely dragged Do Wook through the mud. That bastard.¡± Oh Baek Ho¡¯s expression became menacing like no other. ¡°You were right there, what were you doing instead of putting a stop to this, punk?!¡± ¡°Ah¡­I didn¡¯t know it¡¯d be written like this¡­¡± ¡°What did I teach you? I told you to be careful of reporters. If the reporter changed halfway through, you should have reported it to me on time.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I have no excuse.¡± With his face white as a sheet, Gu Chul Min bent his hips in a deep bow. Looking at Gu Chul Min bow, Manager Oh Baek Ho shook his head, then asked Do Wook, who was sitting on the sofa with a hardened expression. ¡°Do Wook¡­you didn¡¯t really talk like this, right?¡± The article waspletely ridiculous, but now that the Fan Marketing Team had told them to take down the article, what was most important was whether or not Do Wook had given them even the slightest reason to write the article in this way. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s no way you would have.¡± Manager Oh Baek Ho nodded his head. However, most people seemed to fully believe the article already. In the first ce, people are always more interested in, agree with, andment more on things that criticize someone than things that praise someone. There were so many reporters who were taking advantage of that. -I didn¡¯t know, but I guess he¡¯s a little arrogant? I can feel the reporter¡¯s anger from the article haha -I can¡¯t trust this trash journalist bastard. Do Wook wouldn¡¯t talk like this -Trash journalist, take down the article -Kang Do Wook, are you paying people to be stans? I guess he really did make a lot of money *nod* *nod* -I guess it was a golden spoon¡­I thought he had worked hard -What does that make the other singers who couldn¡¯t get a song from Lee Kwon Woo lol -He¡¯s really obsessed with luxury goods LOL -How unexpected¡­I really liked you Do Wook¡­I¡¯m disappointed T.T Truly the article, as well as thements, went in a direction outside their wildest imaginations. It was the definition of ¡®creating controversy¡¯. As Do Wook scrolled through thements, he suddenly remembered what Lee Jin Ri had said when they were eating together. She had said people would even use you of harming the environment for just breathing out carbon dioxide. Lee Jin Ri, who was quite used to maliciousments, was joking kind of nonchntly. Do Wook didn¡¯t fully understand how Lee Jin Ri felt, but he could deeply rte to some of it. It was true that it was unfair, but he expected this might happen to a certain degree. ¡®It only takes one time for your image. Maybe I was toocent¡­¡¯ Do Wook¡¯s expression darkened. Honestly, there were too many ambiguous parts to rify it in a positive way. He hadn¡¯t put words in his mouth, he had simply edited it cleverly. Creating a stir for no reason may cause things to get heated. While you¡¯re trying to rify, people who weren¡¯t even aware of the situation will find out. It was also an issue that would die down after a few days anyways. ¡®Still¡­an image as someone who easily overlooks things might solidify.¡¯ This was the part the other employees from thepany, as well as Do Wook, were worried about. In the middle of the downtrodden atmosphere, Manager Oh Baek Ho¡¯s cell phone rang. It was a call from Assistant Manager Do Ra Hee. Manager Oh quickly picked up the cell phone. ¡°Yes. How did it go?¡± Gu Chul Min and Do Wook focused on the content of Manager Oh Baek Ho¡¯s conversation. They could hear Assistant Manager Do Ra Hee¡¯s high-pitched voice through the phone. ¡°Ah. Ok. I understand. Yes, thank you for your hard work.¡± As soon as Manager Oh Baek Ho got off the phone, Gu Chul Min asked how it went. He didn¡¯t even give Manager Oh Baek Ho a second to breathe. Gu Chul Min hadn¡¯t worked with Do Wook for long, but he knew well how caring Do Wook was. This kind of controversy was a daily urrence for celebrities, but Gu Chul Min felt wronged, as if it were happening to him. It might have been different were it someone else, but Do Wook had modesty. As Do Wook¡¯s road manager and one who spent all day with him driving him around, he knew that better than anyone else despite being new to thepany. ¡°What did she say?!¡± ¡°You punk. You have been on top of things like this during the interview. It might turn into a bigger issue if the article is taken down, so for now, they decided to release a redaction. They were told KK will never interview with them again if they don¡¯t.¡± Do Wook silently nodded his head at what Manager Oh Baek Ho said. KK and Do Wook had now risen to a certain status. It wasn¡¯t to the point that they could fight back against the press, but this level of tug of war was possible. ¡°They said they¡¯ll discuss the redaction with us before they publish it so¡­Let¡¯s wait for now.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± Manager Oh Baek Ho, who was nodding his head, spoke with difficulty. Do Wook, on the other hand, was thinking about whether it was something that would be resolved just by waiting. Even if they released a redaction, people would snidely ask if it was edited because the agency contacted them. ¡°¡­By the way, Do Wook¡­¡± ¡°Yes? Please go ahead.¡± ¡°I think this image might still linger even if a redaction is published.¡± Gu Chul Min frowned at Manager Oh Baek Ho¡¯s words. ¡°That¡¯d be a big problem wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Do Wook thought he knew what Manager Oh Baek Ho was trying to say. Do Wook was also considering that just now. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of revealing THAT.¡± That was exactly what Do Wook was thinking. ¡°I did consider that too¡­¡± Do Wook spoke vaguely as if he were opposed to it. Gu Chul Min, who didn¡¯t know what ¡®that¡¯ was, wanted to ask what it was, but was not able to bring it up because of the atmosphere. ¡°But it seems too obvious that we¡¯re using it to fix this situation¡­¡± ¡°I understand how you feel, but nothing good wille out of holding on to this image. We have to resolve it quickly and get rid of it for good.¡± Manager Oh Baek Ho was right. ¡°That¡¯s probably the most assured way.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Do Wook agreed. In fact, it was an opportunity to make his image better. ¡°Then, please go ahead with it. Also, Baek Ho. Could you also look into Reporter Choi Sung Jun a little?¡± ¡°Team Leader Lee had already looked into it and he was the local news reporter for the Seoul Newspaper. Looks like he had recently moved to News Patch.¡± ¡°Why would a local news reporter¡­¡± Entertainment reporters were honestly considered lower in their professionalism than local and political reporters. A greater doubt arose in Do Wook¡¯s heart. ¡°They probably offered him more money. Anyways, there wasn¡¯t much more information than that.¡± Manager Oh Baek Ho clicked his tongue as he answered. Do Wook kept trying to figure out who Reporter Choi Sung Jun was. He felt like it would nag at him until he knew exactly who he was. *** The very next day, the interview article was released. The article was corrected. It was posted along with an exnation that the full text was posted because it could be misleading otherwise. Q. I heard your recent stage outfit was sponsored by Mark Ross. A. That¡¯s right. Thankfully, Mark Ross happily allowed it. I¡¯m also thankful to stylist Han Jung Ah who worked hard on the outfit to put together a good performance. Q. Do you usually like designer items? A. It¡¯s hard to say I like designer items. As long as it looks good, I¡¯m not picky. I just respect the craftsmanship that luxury brands work hard to maintain. . . Q. You got yourtest song from Lee Kwon Woo. Lee Kwon Woo is famous for not giving a song to someone if he doesn¡¯t want to, no matter how great of a singer they may be. How do you feel about having received it when other singers could not? A. It¡¯s truly an honor to have received a song from Lee Kwon Woo. It would have been impossible for me to meet him if it wasn¡¯t for the help from Kim Woo Yeon, who was also my instructor. I think that¡¯s why he thought positively of me. I also think the song ¡®Please Don¡¯t Go¡¯ fits me very well. I want to thank him again for deciding to give me the song after giving it a lot of consideration. Usually, it¡¯s notmon to publish a retraction like this, but Reporter Choi Sung Jun epted HIT Entertainment¡¯s request surprisingly easily. On the contrary, it was the back end office workers who said it might be difficult. Anyways, when the full text was released, the overall reaction of thements changed to advocating for Do Wook. ¡°Oh, look at this. ¡®I knew this was the case. It¡¯s night and day, tisk tisk! Please write a good article!¡¯ Like this.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with your tone¡­¡± ¡°You have to read it like this~!¡± Jung Yoon Ki burst outughing as An Hyung Seo read thements in a lively way. ¡°Man, seriously, even I was feeling wronged. What a relief.¡± The members who were nearby nodded their heads at what Jung Yoon Ki said. The members also felt so wronged that Do Wook was being criticized, portrayedpletely differently than the Do Wook they knew. ¡°There are also reactions saying the redaction was forced because he was being criticized by fans¡­¡± Ahn Hyung Seo sighed when Suk Ji Hoon said that. After the interview article was published, the fans methodically gathered together and sent hundreds of protest emails. The ¡®News Patch¡¯ newspaper agency¡¯s bulletin boards were also stered with protests. ¡°It¡¯s ok. I heard THAT article is going to be released anyways.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Do Wook nodded his head to what Jung Yoon Ki said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry and go have a good performance.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not. Worried, that is.¡± The members had reassured expressions at Do Wook¡¯s words. Do Wook had a performance scheduled for ¡®Youth Hope Concert¡¯ today held in Seoul. With the encouragement from the members, Do Wook left the dormitory for the performance. *** < KK Kang Do Wook, It¡¯s not just his face that¡¯s beautiful, his heart is beautiful too! > < Kang Do Wook has donated money from his royalties for over a year, since KK¡¯s debut. > < Angel of Giving Kang Do Wook! Donating for teenagers, an amount that will make you gasp! > The article released by HIT Entertainment was none other than an article about Do Wook¡¯s donations. In fact, from the moment he started getting royalty money in his personal bank ount, Do Wook began donating about 5% of its profits to organizations for teenagers. In particr, he had donated thergest amount of money to organizations that conducted campaigns rted to the eradication of school violence. This was something even the members weren¡¯t aware of. Manager Oh Baek Ho and thepany¡¯s Finance Team that processed the donations were the only ones who knew. Do Wook felt that there was a reason he was given a second chance. It wasn¡¯t an opportunity that was easily given to just anyone. Even if there wasn¡¯t a meaning behind it, he could just give it a meaning. Do Wook nned on doing everything in his power, and donating was one of them. He thought this was the best thing he could do right now for those who were still suffering from the same reason he had. ¡®I wasn¡¯t nning on revealing it like this, but¡­¡¯ Do Wook thought as he looked at the published article. Gu Chul Min was driving towards the venue in front of City Hall. They had purposely included that he was particrly very interested in eradicating school violence, to which people hadmented that school violence was severe these days and truly needed a lot of attention. ¡®Yeah¡­If I can gather at least this kind of interest, that¡¯s a relief.¡¯ At that moment, Do Wook¡¯s cell phone rang. It was a number he didn¡¯t know. Extreme fans tended to find out Do Wook¡¯s number and call him, so he usually didn¡¯t answer the phone. Still, he epted the call, nning to at least answer before hanging up. ¡°Hello?¡± -Ah, is this Kang Do Wook? However, it was a man¡¯s voice. A voice he had heard not long ago too. Do Wook recognized who the man was before the person even identified themselves. ¡°Yes, this is he. Hello Mr. Reporter.¡± It was Reporter Choi Sung Jun. -Hello. Do you have time to talk right now? ¡°Yes, I do. Please go ahead.¡± -I¡¯m¡­sorry. Do Wook didn¡¯t know he¡¯d call him personally to apologize. -There¡¯s a misunderstanding. I didn¡¯t mean to publish the article like that. Also¡­I heard that you donate to organizations dedicated to eradicating school violence¡­ At that moment, Do Wook was able to remember who Reporter Choi Sung Jun was. Do Wook wasn¡¯t the only one Seo Kang Jun harassed. In high school, there was another victim. In the past, that victim revealed Seo Kang Jun¡¯s atrocities, but they were all concluded as false and only the victim was condemned instead. ¡®Reporter Choi Sung Jun. That¡¯s right¡­I knew his name sounded familiar. Even the fact that he¡¯s a reporter¡­¡¯ Choi Sung Jun was that victim¡¯s older brother. ¡®The victim¡¯s biological brother who tried to expose Seo Kang Jun¡¯s acts of violence!¡¯ Do Wook asked Choi Sung Jun, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Mr. Reporter. By chance¡­.are you avable? ¡ª Next chapter: Do Wook has to interact with someone who has wronged him. How will it go? Chapter 118: Identity (1) Chapter 118: Identity (1) ¡°Dude, what do you think?¡± ¡°Be honest.¡± KK¡¯s rehearsal hall. Do Wook was facing Jung Yoon Ki and Kim Won. There was sweat dripping down Jung Yoon Ki¡¯s and Kim Won¡¯s cheeks. Suk Ji Hoon had left to record ¡®Camping 48 Hours¡¯, and Ahn Hyung Seo and Park Tae Hyung each had private lessons at this time, so Do Wook was the only one who could answer their question. ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Jung Yoon KI asked curtly when Do Wook briefly hesitated with his answer. He wasn¡¯t getting upset with Do Wook. He was just very disappointed that Do Wook¡¯s response was not positive. ¡°Nothing!¡± Do Wook quickly denied.Jung Yoon Ki and Kim Won had just performed their unit OKAY¡¯s second album title song for Do Wook. They had not recorded it yet so the two of them rapped live with the MR in the background. Do Wook knew that the song was out because he had heard about it in passing. While Do Wook was gearing up for his solo activities, the two of them had received the song and were eagerly working on producing their album. The producer was an external producer and was the top producer in the Korean hip hop world these days. Do Wook was no longer involved in the hip hop unit OKAY. Jung Yoon Ki and Kim Won had built up a certain amount of experience, and had solidly established themselves in the music world enough for them to release an album in the way and direction they wanted. It was a process to develop themselves. ¡°No, not at all. It¡¯s good. The lyrics are sad but fun at the same time because of the rhythm.¡± ¡°Really? You can¡¯t just be telling us that to spare our feelings.¡± ¡°Bro, we haven¡¯t recorded it yet so we can edit it.¡± Do Wook smiled as he replied, ¡°I don¡¯t say empty words. It really is good.¡± Only then did Kim Won and Jung Yoon Ki rx a bit, and they looked at each other and gave a nod. It was a song that you could clearly feel how much the two of them racked their brains and struggled over it in a short amount of time. ¡°I listened to it without knowing the lyrics, but I was able to understand it all. I think Won¡¯s pronunciation in particr has really gotten better.¡± The two people¡¯s faces became brighter when Do Wook praised them in detail. Kim Won asked back excitedly, ¡°Is that so? I purposely didn¡¯t use much English rap!¡± ¡°Yes, it improved a lot. However¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Your voice when you rap in English is your strength, so I think you can add something at the end as if you¡¯re chanting.¡± ¡°See! I said to put it in, but he took it out!¡± Scratching the back of his head, Kim Won said, ¡°I guess I should put it back in then,¡± and rummaged through his phone to find the lyrics. They were currently doing a remake and the full-fledged recording started tomorrow, so it was totally possible to edit it. ¡°Also¡­¡± ¡°What is it? You¡¯re also our entire group¡¯s producer. Tell me honestly.¡± Jung Yoon Ki urged. Do Wook gave his opinion after much consideration. ¡°I think the melody part is a little weak. What about lowering the volume of the bass when the melodyes out and increasing the melody line¡­? Although, it might be better to leave it as the Producer intended since it¡¯s better for the overall song¡­¡± It seemed like a difference in genre or value. Do Wook believed you had to hook the audience during the chorus. Thepleteness of the entire song is important, but to Do Wook, who is the singer of a popr song, it was more important to get the song known. Jung Yoon Ki and Kim Won, who had been listening quietly to Do Wook, nodded their heads. ¡°I think I¡¯ll have to think about that part.¡± ¡°Ok. Going the direction you guys want is the best way.¡± It was Do Wook who said that, but Jung Yoon Ki and Kim Won weren¡¯tpletely without greed either. It was thanks to Do Wook that they were able to release OKAY¡¯s first album. Without Do Wook¡¯s support or influence, it would have been difficult to make a unit album with hip hop music like they wanted to do. That was why they wanted this second album to be even better. That judgment would be done by the ranking on the music chart. Thinking about it that way, what Do Wook said was probably right. They had to make the melody line stronger and get it stuck in the audience¡¯s heads. With that thought in mind, Jung Yoon Ki and Kim Won thanked Do Wook. ¡°No problem. The other members haven¡¯t heard it yet, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. Not yet. We¡¯ll have them listen to it when they get backter.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± While the three of them were enjoyably having conversation in the rehearsal hall, Ahn Hyung Seo, who had returned from his private vocal lesson, entered the room. As soon as he noticed Ahn Hyung Seo, Kim Won rushed towards Ahn Hyung Seo and asked him to judge OKAY¡¯s new song. Before he could put down the backpack he was carrying, Ahn Hyung Seo stood idly and had no choice but to listen to Jung Yoon Ki and Kim Won¡¯s rap. *** Do Wook headed to the conference room after leaving the rehearsal hall. Since he was done with his solo album activities, it was time to discuss future activities with Manager Oh Baek Ho. There was a rough schedule. He would do solo activities while OKAY was doing their activities, then around the time OKAY would be done with their activities, there were concert tours nned for Korea, Japan, and China. For Do Wook¡¯s solo activities, it would be activities as an actor. After ¡®Get Ready 1999¡¯, offers were flooding in for Do Wook, but they were all rejected. Although there were less nowpared to right after ¡®Get Ready 1999¡¯, there were several drama producers who had said to contact them anytime. ¡°There¡¯s a huge pile of manuscripts in the office that came for you. I reviewed them with Assistant Manager Do and the staff and picked them out, but there¡¯s still a lot.¡± ¡°Ah, by the way, Manager Oh. There¡¯s an offer I received directly.¡± ¡°Directly to you? What kind of drama is it?¡± ¡°Well¡­it¡¯s a movie, not a drama.¡± ¡°Movie? You got a movie offer?¡± Manager Oh Baek Ho, who was drinking milk coffee he had gotten from the vending machine, asked with surprise. There were many discussions for dramas, but there was still no movie offer. Of course, there were one or two offers, but they were mostly no-name people just trying to borrow Do Wook¡¯s name and use shallow tricks to raise hype for their movie. Manager Oh Baek Ho didn¡¯t count those ones at all. Even Do Wook, who was concretely recognized for his acting skills in the drama ¡®Get Ready 1999¡¯, seemed to be impeded for being an idol. The movie industry strangely had higher obstacles than the drama industry. Manager Oh Baek Ho was one of the people whoughed at such a snobby attitude in the movie industry, but it was still good if Do Wook could expand his scope to the movie industry. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a movie my school senior is directing, and I received the screeny.¡± ¡°People from that school are definitely sessful in the movie industry.¡± Manager Oh Baek Ho nodded his head. Having gone to KNUA would definitely continue to be helpful to Do Wook¡¯s acting career. ¡°What¡¯s the Director¡¯s name?¡± ¡°Director Yoon Sung Ah¡­it¡¯s her first project.¡± ¡°Ah¡­is that so?¡± At the news that it was a rookie director, Manager Oh Baek Ho¡¯s expression became stiff. He was worried that they might be trying to use school connections to cast Do Wook into ackluster movie. As if saying he understood the concerns, Do Wook held out the screeny. ¡°Blue Whale¡­the title is so¡­¡± ¡°I read it and it¡¯s good.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good?¡± ¡°Yes. Very. It has depth.¡± ¡°I know very well that you have an eye for these things, but I¡¯m not sure. Even if it¡¯s a movie, you can¡¯t just do any old movie. There¡¯s a publicwork mini series lead role among the drama manuscripts Assistant Manager Do has chosen.¡± Do Wook was also well aware of that fact. ¡°I received them, those manuscripts.¡± ¡°You already received them? There wasn¡¯t any you liked?¡± ¡°If I¡¯m being honest¡­no, there wasn¡¯t.¡± Do Wook knew the synopsis of the manuscripts he recently received from Assistant Manager Do Ra Hee for him to review. The manuscripts only had 1 or 2 episodes, but there were no dramas that caught his eye. One reason was that Do Wook already had his heart set on < Working Title: Blue Whale >, but there honestly were no projects that would be very big hits. That being the case, he was confident that it would be good to try doing a movie with Director Yoon Sung Ah. Manager Oh Baek Ho frowned a little at Do Wook¡¯s response. ¡°What¡¯s the size like? This productionpany.¡± ¡°Actually, it¡¯s originally an independent film¡­¡¯ ¡°What?¡± In most cases, independent films could not even be screened in general theaters. It was indeed a choice you could only make when you were strictly thinking of ¡®acting¡¯ only. Of course, Manager Oh Baek Ho also wanted to fully support Do Wook to do activities in the direction he wanted. However, realistically you couldn¡¯t ignore profitability. Apany is a ce that¡¯s looking to make a profit; it was hard to tell whether thepany would readily be on their side on a matter that had no benefit to thepany. ¡®Since it¡¯s Do Wook, we could let him do at least one event the way he wants to, but¡­¡¯ Manager Oh Baek Ho couldn¡¯t make thepany move the way he wanted it to. Do Wook quickly appealed that < Working Title: Blue Whale > was not the kind of movie Manager Oh Baek Ho thought it was. ¡°They got an investor, so it¡¯s notpletely an Independent film. It¡¯s still nomercial movie, but¡­ I think they n to screen it in movie theaters. Above all, I really want to do it, sir.¡± Manager Oh Baek Ho had his mouth shut tight and was deep in thought. Manager Oh Baek Ho was full of worry as he flipped through the pages of the screeny ced in front of him. ¡°You¡­know that Seo Jun is doing a new drama right?¡± Do Wook¡¯s pupils quivered a little at Manager Oh Baek Ho¡¯s question. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m aware.¡± ¡°Dramas and art films can definitely be different in the public¡¯s perception. You¡¯ve¡­taken that into consideration, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Do Wook¡¯s will was resolute. Manager Oh Baek Ho made up his mind to follow Do Wook¡¯s decision as much as possible. Of course Do Wook had his own concerns, but it was hard to say prematurely. ¡°How long will the shoot take?¡± ¡°2 weeks. 2 weeks is all I need, sir.¡± ¡°Ok. We¡¯ll try bringing it up to the higher-ups. I¡¯ll read the screeny too.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± *** Jung Hwan and Hyo Won are 18 years old. The most unstable age in one¡¯s life. Without a single family member to take care of him and his father constantly traveling to different nearby construction sites trying to earn money, Jung Hwan is the leader of a violent circle. Hyo Won, a neighborhood boy he¡¯s been close friends with since middle school, has a quiet personality. His grades are bad and his personality doesn¡¯t stand out, so Hyo Won doesn¡¯t have much of a presence in the ss. The most notable thing in Hyo Won¡¯s life is his leader-of-a-violent-circle friend, Jung Hwan. Even though he knows Jung Kwan is using violence outside of school, Hyo Won can¡¯t really stop him. It¡¯s because he was also a shield for Hyo Won himself. Hyo Won is actually jealous of Jung Kwan deep down. he¡¯s jealous of him for being number one in a male world, where strength is power. Jung Hwan also has a subtle inferiorityplex about Hyo Won. It¡¯s an inferiorityplex over having a normal life with a family. The friendship between the two, which is considered strong, begins to crack due to underlying emotions. A friendship is very hard to fix once there¡¯s a crack. In the end, Jung Hwan starts to use violence against Hyo Won too. ¡°That¡¯s it for the < Blue Whale > general plot. You¡¯ve all read the screeny so you already know, right?¡± At Director Yoon Sung Ah¡¯s words, Do Wook and his counterpart male actor, who were both gathered for the meeting, nodded their heads. Do Wook¡¯s counterpart was 5 years older than him and had already done 3 independent films. ¡°Then, let¡¯s try the first scene for now. Starting with Jung Hwan¡¯s line.¡± The leader of a violent circle, Jung Hwan had a rough personality to boot. He was cussing from the first line. Ahem ahem, after clearing his throat, Do Wook started to speak. ¡°What are you staring at, you bastard?¡± ¡ª Next chapter: The < Blue Whale > project begins Chapter 119: Identity (2) Chapter 119: Identity (2) Director Yoon Sung Ah worked hard to build the best film team she could make, with people she knew and within her capability. She thought meticulously before picking each and every person, starting with the Camera Director, who is the second most important person after the director, to the Lighting Designer, and even the scripter. She did get an investor, but it was her first project. Additionally, she had lost her connections after having left the movie field for a while, so it wasn¡¯t exactly easy to form a team. However, Director Yoon Sung Ah didn¡¯t care too much. It was because the casting for Hyo Won and Jung Hwan, the two most important roles, went exactly as she wanted and was chosen perfectly. ¡®The battle¡¯s already half won with these actors alone. Now it¡¯s up to me.¡¯ That was Director Yoon Sung Ah¡¯s mindset. Park Hyo Won, who epted the role of Hyo Won, was the name Director Yoon Sung Ah had in mind since she first wrote the < Blue Whale > screeny. That¡¯s why the character was named after Park Hyo Won¡¯s real name.For the role of Jung Hwan, it wasn¡¯t that she had Do Wook in mind from the beginning. However, when she saw Do Wook¡¯s acting on ¡®Get Ready 1999¡¯, Director Yoon Sung Ah thought that Do Wook would be a good fit for the Jung Hwan role. Director Yoon Sung Ah¡¯s dream casting was not casting exactly ording to image. She wanted to really aim for a twist. In reality, Park Hyo Won¡¯s nickname during his undergrad years was ¡®garbage truck¡¯. It was from hubaes he met at various drinking get-togethers, but their first impression wasn¡¯t good. Every word out of Park Hyo Won¡¯s mouth was cussing. He seemed like he would have partied a lot during his school days. In terms of looks, Park Hyo Won was good looking, but you would never hear anyone call him that. It was because he had a very rough and vicious vibe. Still, fortunately, he wasn¡¯t really a thug. His actions and way of speaking was rough, but he never actually used violence. He was just a delinquent who drank and smoked in high school. Still, image was a scary thing to actors, so all the roles Park Hyo Won had had so far were all those types of roles. Back alley gangster kind of roles. He gave memorable performances in those roles, but that was it. Director Yoon Sung Ah wanted to bring out a different type of character from Park Hyo Won. It was the same for Do Wook. The Do Wook portrayed in the media was a proper, reliable young man and the image of youth. There was no sense of ipatibility since he was actually like that, but since the roles he yed had the same image, it felt less challenging. If she saw an actor wearing clothes that fit them too well, it made her want to put them inpletely new clothes. Also, Director Yoon Sung Ah believed that even Do Wook must have a rough side. Though, the Do Wook whoforted her when they met in person was of course warm¡­ ¡®He has a cold side. Like a cier that isn¡¯t fully revealed¡­if he could bring out that aspect and walk the path of a more full-fledged actor, he¡¯ll truly be an incredible actor.¡¯ That was what Director Yoon Sung Ah thought. When she decided to have Do Wook on < Blue Whale >, she felt a certain joy that she would get to take on that task. The casting was set first. Getting the filming team together was an unusual task, but there was still harmony in the team. There was also something that happened just because of Do Wook. Once it was known Do Wook was on the project, the investors weed Director Yoon Sung Ah as a force to be reckoned with. With Do Wook onboard, someone who was already as renowned as one could be, they were clearly able to enjoy a much bigger promotional effect than originally nned. Since it was Do Wook¡¯s first movie, it was hard to tell how much ticket power he would have, but they definitely had to increase the number of theaters involved. Director Yoon Sung Ah deserved a round of apuse for making a casting no one could foresee. However, when they were contacting the on-site staff, the response was half and half. For starters, they were people who knew Director Yoon Sung Ah in some shape or form, so they had faith in Director Yoon¡¯s screeny. However, only about half of them, such as the investmentpany, were happy about casting Do Wook, either saying that the movie at least wouldn¡¯t be a flop or that they kept up with new regarding Do Wook. The rest of the people rejected Director Yoon Sung Ah¡¯s request, saying that if it was a movie starring Do Wook, an idol, it could no longer be an ¡®art film¡¯. They were people who were strongly conservative. Director Yoon Sung Ah had no intention to me those people. They were firm in their own standards. However, it was unknown whether they would still think that about Do Wook once they watch the movie. ¡®It¡¯s going to change. I¡¯m sure.¡¯ Director Yoon Sung Ah was certain to some extent. Director Yoon Sung Ah was absolutely certain when they gathered to do a reading before starting filming. From the first line, Do Wook was acting in a precise tone. Director Yoon Sung Ah noticed all the subtle emotions he melted into the screeny. Director Yoon Sung Ah wasn¡¯t the only one who was surprised by Do Wook¡¯s first line. So was Park Hyo Won who was also there. ¡°Garbage truck, you have to do the next line, punk.¡± ¡°Ah. Geez. Wait a moment.¡± Director Yoon Sung Ah and Park Hyo Won already had a close rtionship. Park Hyo Won shook his head at Yoon¡¯s scolding and was collecting himself again. Director Yoon Sung Ah giggled and spurred on Park Hyo Won. ¡°You¡¯re surprised, huh? That Do Wook¡¯s a good actor.¡± ¡°It¡¯s barely the first line and you¡¯re alreadyparing us? I can¡¯t work like this.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t work like this? Are you kidding me?¡± Park Hyo Won cussed quietly. Soon, however, he ignored Director Yoon Sung Ah¡¯s teasing and focused on his lines. He wasn¡¯t an idiot who didn¡¯t know Director Yoon was publicly provoking him from the beginning to try to bring out his talents. For Do Wook, it was honestly a little hard to get used to Director Yoon Sung Ah and Park Hyo Won¡¯s rtionship. To put it into words, the two of them were bickering, like Jung Yoon Ki and An Hyung Seo, but to a higher degree. It felt even more like that because swear words were mixed in. After the fairly long rehearsal ended, Park Hyo Won and Do Wook walked out of Director Yoon Sung Ah¡¯s studio together. It was just reading without any acting, but both of them were exhausted from acting fierce. Their steps were much slower than usual. ¡°Hey, I can speak informally right?¡± It was Park Hyo Won who started the conversation first. Do Wook quickly nodded his head in response to Park Hyo Won. Just like with Director Yoon Sung Ah, he had never seen him at school, but Park Hyo Won was clearly Do Wook¡¯s school sunbae. In addition, this time, he was an acting major sunbae. Whether it was in terms of graduating ss, age, or experience, Park Hyo Won was above Do Wook no matter what way you looked at it. ¡°Yes, please feel free to do so.¡± Park Hyo Won frowned when Do Wook answered in an overly polite manner. ¡°I can¡¯t be the only one speaking freely. You can speak freely too.¡± ¡°You mean me?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s only for 2 weeks, but we should be getting along as friends. Don¡¯t you think actingfortably normally will help when acting too?¡± Park Hyo Won¡¯s words made Do Wooke to a realization and hepletely agreed. Now that he thought about it, even during ¡®Get Ready 1999¡¯, they were able to be natural when acting because they had a friendship with afortable atmosphere off the set too. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you say ¡®Hey, Hyo Won.¡¯¡± Do Wook could definitely tell that, unlike his appearance or way of speaking, Park Hyo Won was the type to look after people in various ways. You couldn¡¯t call him warm, but if nothing else his passion for acting was fiery. ¡°Ahh¡­No. I wouldn¡¯t befortable with that.¡± ¡°¡¯K.¡± ¡°Should I call you¡­sunbae?¡± ¡°Sunbae? We¡¯re not at a school. Just call me hyung.¡± Do Wook nodded his head. ¡°Where did you learn to act?¡± Park Hyo Won asked as they left the studio and headed to the parking lot. Park Hyo Won had his own car and Gu Chul Min was supposed toe get Do Wook. ¡°I got private lessons for a few months as I was preparing for school, hyung.¡± Park Hyo Won smiled as Do Wook immediately stopped speaking formally and called him hyung. He could feel that Do Wook was no ordinary guy. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Instructor Lee Kang Yeon.¡± ¡°Ah. I think I¡¯ve heard that name before. Anyways, I¡¯m fucking jealous.¡± When Do Wook¡¯s expression showed he didn¡¯t understand whether it meant jealous he got lessons or what, Park Hyo Won replied, ¡°Your talent.¡± It was just one word. It wasn¡¯t as if he¡¯d never beenplimented before. However, apliment from Park Hyo Won hit Do Wook hard for some reason. It might have been even more so because he had just seen Park Hyo Won¡¯s performance. *** After the staff and cast had gathered for the small run-through, filming of < Blue Whale > began. A movie set had apletely different vibe from a drama set. There was a reason that shooting dramas was more difficult for most actors than shooting movies. Since they have to film multiple episodes in a short time, there are problems thate up. The scripts for episode 1 and 2, even sometimes up to 4, are ready so they usually don¡¯t have to spend all night on set, but once the broadcast starts airing, the situation changes. Generally, broadcasts are aired twice a week. Even if they film until episode 4, the broadcast catches up in a blink of an eye. Whether it¡¯s filming or writing the script, it¡¯s the same. Theter the scriptse out, the more the actors have to busily memorize the scripts instead of understanding it, and there are many scenes during filming that are rushed through. It¡¯s a struggle in many ways. Nevertheless, dramas have their own charm. When the broadcast airs, the viewers respond immediately, and the impact is substantial. In any case, there are many differences starting from systemic differences to the value each person aims for. ¡®Get Ready 1999¡¯ was also pre-produced, so conditions were good considering it was a drama set, but Do Wook still felt the ring difference between a drama set and a movie set. It was difficult to determine which was good and which was bad based on the differences. A short running time and long prep time did not mean that filming a movie was not difficult. ¡®It depends on where you ce value¡­¡¯ It depended on the director, but it mentally felt like they were being pushed around more. With those thoughts on his mind, Do Wook got up from the chair. The staff had finished preparing to film again. Do Wook had to say the first line multiple times to get a good scene in one cut. It was the same cut, but it was already the second day of filming. The background was a park during sunset, so it wasn¡¯t possible to film once the sun set. Do Wook had to do well today so the staff wouldn¡¯t have to suffer again tomorrow. Director Yoon Sung Ah had praised this first line during the reading. However, she kept calling ¡°NG¡± for some reason. ¡°What are you staring at, you bastard?¡± ¡°NG! Again!¡± When Director Yoon Sung Ah yelled NG, Do Wook¡¯s shoulders drooped. He also felt sorry for Park Hyo Won, who was in front of him preparing to say the next line and had yet to say a single line. Park Hyo Won¡¯s expression was hardened. Of course, Do Wook knew it wasn¡¯t because of him, but because he was engrossed in the situation. ¡®She definitely said it was perfect back then¡­it was the exact same feeling as that time, so why¡­?¡¯ Do Wook thought as he pulled himself together. Do Wook was currently the head of a violent circle. Underprivileged background, vagrancy, violence, ¡­ Do Wook continued thinking about them. He couldn¡¯t help but think of Seo Kang Jun. Seo Kang Jun didn¡¯t have an underprivileged background nor was a vagrant, but he was the most violent person when he was harassing someone. He thought about Seo Kang Jun¡¯s every little movement. ¡®Kim Bo Myung. Are you looking at me right now? What are you looking at with that dirty look, you bastard!¡¯ Thinking about Seo Kang Jun, who used to inflict violence on him, in and of itself could have been something difficult enough to be traumatic for him. However, Do Wook was now Do Wook. He wasn¡¯t Kim Bo Myung. Do Wook could separate himself and analyze the situation from back then. That was how much he was able to separate himself from Kim Bo Myung. ¡®The reason that it was ok during the reading but not now is definitely either my gaze or body movement¡­¡¯ The sunset behind Do Wook was blood red. Do Wook stood in front of the camera once again and nodded. ¡ª Next chapter: We see apletely new side of Do Wook. Chapter 120: Identity (3) Chapter 120: Identity (3) Do Wook said the line again. ¡°What are you staring at, you bastard?¡± Staggering a little, Do Wook pushed Park Hyo Won, who was trying to catch him. It was a movement that wasn¡¯t too strong but also notpletely devoid of strength. It was as if he was saying, ¡°I can push someone like you without using any real force¡±. It was half hearted yet with a hint of uncontroble power. Not a single signal came out of Director Yoon Sung Ah¡¯s mouth. It meant to keep going. Park Hyo Won continued with his line. ¡°¡­What? What did you just say to me?¡± ¡°I said, what are you staring at. You piece of shit.¡± ¡°Hey, Jung Hwan, you¡¯re out of your mind right now.¡±¡°No. I¡¯m sane as fuck.¡± The gaze of the two anxious people crossed. The camera angle was shaking. ¡°Fuck. Hey Kim Jung Hwan!¡± ¡°What?! What?! What?!¡± Do Wook, ying the role of Jung Hwan, went crazy and screamed. He swung his arms as if he was going to hit Park Hyo Won. It was a threatening arm gesture. It was the scene where Jung Hwan, who was the leader of a violent circle, but just a normal friend to Hyo Won, used violence on Hyo Won. It was an expression of his subtle jealousy and inferiorityplex. ¡°I asked you. Why are you calling me? You piece of shit.¡± Do Wook, who had been screaming, soon hardened his expression and asked calmly. A coldness was flowing out of Do Wook, who asked calmly while staring Director Yoon Sung Ah¡¯s expression became serious as she looked at the monitor. She hadn¡¯t yelled ¡°NG¡± in a while, so Do Wook and Park Hyo Won had to stare at each other and act with their eyes for a long time. Do Wook, who yed Jung Hwan, had a rough look in his eyes. It was rough like a gust of sand blowing over a deste unpaved road. It was the same for Park Hyo Won¡¯s gaze, which was filled with a little bit of embarrassment and betrayal from a friend. When their eyes met, there seemed to be a spark. The deepening colors of the sunset were further conveying the feelings of the two. < Blue Whale >, which expressed a desperate and anxious youth. From the first scene, the acting of the two actors was very fierce. ¡°Cut! OKAY!¡± Once Director Yoon Sung Ah yelled ¡±cut¡±, the two actors who hadn¡¯t been able to even blink properly exhaled like a sigh. They were even adjusting their breathing to match their acting. They rxed a little, but there was still tension between the two people. Park Hyo Won rxed his shoulder and got out of the role first. ¡°Huuuuu.¡± Park Hyo Won let out a long sigh. Park Hyo Won had acted with prominent actors several times while filming various Independent films, but Do Wook had his own energy. ¡®Is it because he¡¯s young? No. I wasn¡¯t able to do that when I was younger.¡¯ Thanks to his counterpart giving out a powerful energy while acting, Park Hyo Won was able to instantly immerse himself and give a good performance. Of course, it was true that Do Wookcked skillspared to veteran actors. He was definitelycking in experience. If he had a little more experience, the mistakes he made yesterday and today wouldn¡¯t have taken so long. However, Director Yoon Sung Ah did not directly point out the problem to Do Wook. She also instructed Park Hyo Won not to tip him off on what the problem was. ¡®She probably hoped he woulde to the realization by himself. And he did in fact realize it himself. He definitely has natural talent.¡¯ In the scene that was given the okay, Do Wook gave the impression as if he had actually be Jung Hwan. It seemed perfect on the day of the reading, but when the filming actually started, problem areas appeared. Seeing it along with the gestures, it showed that Do Wook was acting ¡®too strongly¡¯. The Jung Hwan Do Wook was acting only ¡®looked like¡¯ Jung Hwan. It was not actually ¡®Jung Hwan¡¯ himself. Director Yoon Sung Ah wanted Do Wook to be Jung Hwan in the entirety, from head to toe, from eyes to fingertips. At some point, it seemed like Do Wook had realized that. After that, Park Hyo Won felt that the person standing in front of him and looking at him was no longer Do Wook. He looked like Jung Hwan, who had nothing to fear in the world. Do Wook also got out of the role and thanked the staff for their hard work. ¡°Ok then, let¡¯s quickly move to the next location!¡± Director Yoon Sung Ah yelled. Honestly, Director Yoon Sung Ah was being greedy, but the < Blue Whale > filming schedule was tighter than other movies. The production cost was one thing, but it was because of none other than Do Wook¡¯s schedule. Even if it were to be extended from 2 weeks, 3 weeks was the max. HIT Entertainment, Do Wook¡¯s agency, said that it would be impossible for Do Wook to film after three weeks. It was their condition for filming a movie that had no guarantees. Director Yoon Sung Ahpletely understood HIT Entertainment¡¯s position. Currently, Do Wook was in a position where he just had to go to one or two festivals to make the same amount of money he¡¯d make in a movie. Fortunately, Director Yoon Sung Ah¡¯s style was also one where they progressed with the filming quickly once the frame was set. It was also Director Yoon Sung Ah who first said that they¡¯d only need 2 weeks. Following Director Yoon Sung Ah¡¯s orders, the filming staff, including Do Wook and Park Hyo Won, began to move. The casting team, who had reserved the venue, headed to the next location first while the equipment was being packed up. The next scene was going to be filmed in a dark alley. ¡°Hey, you have Hyun Chul on standby right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Have Hyun Chule to the alley too.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Director Yoon Sung Ah instructed the filming assistant. Hyun Chul was a supporting cast member who was appearing in the next scene. Even as he walked, Do Wook was a little dazed. Since it was an outdoor shooting, there were often people who recognized Do Wook even as they were heading to the alleyway right next door. ¡°It¡¯s Kang Do Wook! Kang Do Wook!¡± ¡°Do Wook!!¡± People who instantly recognized Do Wook began to flock toward Do Wook. The filming staff were able to prevent them from getting close, but they couldn¡¯t stop them from calling out to Do Wook. Even though he could hear them loudly calling out to him, Do Wook just walked absentmindedly as if he couldn¡¯t hear them. As if he had regained consciousness, Do Wook btedly looked up and looked at the female fans who were calling him. The female fans¡¯ voices got even louder when Do Wook looked their way. ¡°Please wave your hand for us just once!¡± ¡°Kyaaa. So handsome!¡± Normally, Do Wook would have waved and given them a smile with no issues. That much fan service was not hard for Do Wook to do. However, somehow it was hard for Do Wook to smile at the fans. It was because he was so immersed in his role. Furthermore, the next shoot was scheduled immediately. It was difficult for him to get immersed, he didn¡¯t want to break that. No, it actually wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want to break the immersion. Do Wook had already be Jung Hwan himself. His heart wasn¡¯t in a ce where he could smile at someone. Do Wook bowed his head and greeted the fans who were calling out to him. Do Wook¡¯s expression as he greeted them was very stiff. It was a response that a fan who knew well how Do Wook normally treated fans would immediately recognize as odd. Fortunately however, Do Wook and the crew were just passing by. The fans thought he wasn¡¯t answering because he was in the middle of filming. Therefore, rather thaning across as cold, they were satisfied that the star Do Wook looked their way and gave them a nod. Happy, they waved back at Do Wook. *** ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Hey, you¡¯re here. Actor Kang! Thank you for the drink. ¡° ¡°Hello, hello!¡± ¡°Oh, Actor Kang. Wee!¡± The sound of Do Wook, who had arrived on set, greeting the staff rang out all over. It was the first thing Do Wook did when he arrived on the set. Of course, other actors also said hello, but the reality was just a general greeting to loudly announce they had arrived. However, Do Wook went to every corner of the set and bowed and greeted staff who were working as hard as he was. Since there were quite a bit of staff, it took a rather long time. Still, Do Wook came earlier than scheduled without fail to say hello, even though it was already the fourth day of shooting. ¡°I had heard that he had a good personality. Wow¡­I thought he would be rude since he was sessful at a young age.¡± ¡°I heard he¡¯s famous for that.¡± ¡°It could all be an act.¡± ¡°Kiddo, pretending to that extent is the same as really being like that. Why are you nitpicking?!¡± The lighting staff whispered amongst each other as they looked at Do Wook, who was talking to Director Yoon after greeting them. ¡°Quickly, let¡¯s get it set up quickly. The actor is here already!¡± ¡°Ok.¡± At the Lighting Designer¡¯s orders, the remaining two people replied and started to move quickly. The remaining two responded to the Lighting Designer¡¯s cries and began to move in perfect order. There was a reason why the staff were paying more attention to Do Wook today than usual. Fans of Do Wook reserved coffee trucks for Do Wook and the filming team and ced them on the set. It was just a coffee truck, not a food truck, but it was a very unfamiliar culture to the staff who had only done art films. It was a sight that would make your eyes open wide. There was arge banner of Do Wook on the truck, and baristas and coffee machines, as well as a refrigerator full of beverages, were hired to be on standby so that they could get a drink anytime they wanted throughout the day while they were filming at the school. ¡®Please Treat Actor Kang Do Wook Well!¡¯ ¡®Praying for Blue Whale¡¯s Sess¡¯ ¡®Our Jung Hwan¡­he¡¯s actually a kind kid¡­please give him love ??¡¯ ¡®Jung Hwan! Go easy, easy!¡¯ Various banners, from clich¨¦s to witty phrases from fans who heard the news about Do Wook¡¯s role, were hanging all over the truck. Do Wook couldn¡¯t help but be filled with joy when he saw the coffee truck that arrived on set. KK wasn¡¯t doing activities these days and filming took a lot of his energy, so it had been a long time since he¡¯d posted on the cafe, but Do Wook felt that he should absolutely take a picture and upload a thank you post today. ¡°Thanks to you, we don¡¯t have to worry about drinks today.¡± Director Yoon Sung Ah said with a big smile. ¡°Haha. It¡¯s all thanks to the fans.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were so popr since I see you in a school uniform everyday, but¡­I guess that¡¯s Do Wook for you.¡± Do Wook responded humbly as he scratched his head. The filming director patted Do Wook¡¯s shoulder and gave him a thumbs up. ¡°You¡¯re so kind and gentle. But your eyes change whenever we¡¯re filming¡­¡± Do Wook listened intently to the filming director talking about his performance. Movies. The only thing Do Wook thought about these days were movies. What could he do to be a good actor? That was all he thought about. It was thanks to getting involved in a good screeny as well as with a good director and actors. Do Wook¡¯s passion was burning strong like a campfire that wouldn¡¯t go out. ¡°I was really surprised. These days, I¡¯m worried that at this rate Park Hyo Won will stab you while filming.¡± ¡°Park Hyo Won would be surprised to hear that. What you just said.¡± When Park Hyo Won, who suddenly appeared from behind, answered, the filming director held his chest as if he were surprised. ¡°Haha, no no. Then, I¡¯m going to get ready for the shoot.¡± Do Wook said goodbye then headed towards the makeup team. Frowning, Park Hyo Won, who was looking at Do Wook head to the makeup team, said to Director Yoon Sung Ah. ¡°But seriously, aren¡¯t we pushing the kid too much?¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± Park Hyo Won¡¯s words seem to have given Director Yoon Sung Ah a lot to think about. ¡°It is definitely a little much, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s extreme, as fuck. Can¡¯t you tell by how his expression changed? Soon even the shine in his eyes will be gone.¡± ¡°He¡¯s still a rookie, so¡­¡± ¡°He can¡¯t get through that by himself when it¡¯s a mistake even experienced actors often make. The kinder his actual personality is, the bigger it will be. The fallout, that is.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. I think he¡¯s trying to figure it out too, so¡­let¡¯s give it a little more time.¡± ¡°Well.¡± Park Hyo Won nodded his head for now. There was but one thing Park Hyo Won was worried about. It was that Do Wook was currently confused by extreme immersion. The filming soon started. Today was the day they were filming the scene where Jung Kwan explodes and uses violence against Hyo Won, who was left alone in the ssroom. Do Wook¡¯s vibe took a frightening turn once the movie te was shut and the scene with the violent actions started. He then started kicking Park Hyo Won. Of course, it was a synchronized scene so there was no real pain inflicted on Park Hyo Won like with real violence. However, it was incredibly realistic. Do Wook¡¯s expression and vibe, if nothing else, was making Park Hyo Won feel like it was really hurting him. ¡°Ahh!¡± The filming ended with Park Hyo Won yelling loudly. Do Wook, who had finished the scene without a single mistake, took a big breath. ¡°Director.¡± Do Wook, who had tramped over, called out to Director Yoon Sung Ah. ¡ª Next chapter: This role has been proving difficult even for our OP Do Wook. What is it that he wants to say to the Director? Chapter 124: Identity (4) Chapter 124: Identity (4) ¡°Uh, Do Wook. Is something wrong?¡± ¡°No.¡± Under Do Wook¡¯s eyes, dark circles were slightly visible. ¡°I have something to tell you after we¡¯re done with today¡¯s shoot. Do you¡­have time to grab a meal?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s grabbing a meal with you, I¡¯ll wee it anytime. I think it¡¯ll be about 8 pm once we¡¯re done shooting the ssroom scene¡­¡± ¡°Ok. That works. And if you¡¯re avable too, Hyo Won¡­¡± The face of Park Hyo Won, who approached them, was a mess with bloody scabs and bruises. He got special effect makeup done so he could show a Hyo Won who had gotten beat up by Jung Hwan. The next scene was Jung Hwan indiscriminately assaulting Park Hyo Won again with special effect makeup on. Park Hyo Won was also more on edge than he was before the shoot. Anxious vibes were oozing out of him. Honestly, among sensitive actors there were actors who, except for saying a few words while filming, would just sit in their chair and not say a single word from the start to the end of filming. Thankfully Park Hyo Won was not that kind of actor. He was able to differentiate well between on and off the set. ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t going to invite me, so I was going to feel fucking hurt.¡± Director Yoon Sung Ah and Do Wookughed at what Park Hyo Won said. Director Yoon Sung Ah then asked Do Wook, ¡°By the way, have you not been getting good sleeptely?¡± ¡°Huh? Ahh¡­a little.¡± ¡°Could it be insomnia?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s not to that extent. It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve had a lot on my mind. I¡¯m actually getting much more sleep than I do during active periods.¡± ¡°Really? Gee, just how sleep deprived are idols during active times if you¡¯re getting less sleep than now?¡± Director Yoon Sung Ah asked, a little surprised by Do Wook¡¯s answer. Park Hyo Won said as he took out cigarettes from his pocket and lit one of them, ¡°I guess there really isn¡¯t a single job that¡¯s easy money. Sh*t.¡± ¡°Give me a light too, please.¡± Director Yoon Sung Ah also took out a cigarette. Park Hyo Won lit the cigarette for her. ¡°Let¡¯s smoke just one cigarette, then immediately go into filming.¡± Do Wook nodded his head. Do Wook didn¡¯t smoke so he left the area, went to where his chair was, and waited there. < Actor Kang Do Wook > Do Wook¡¯s name was engraved on the back of his seat. Names of the main staff and actors were engraved on the waiting chairs. There were those among filmmakers whose wish was to have chairs on set with their names engraved like that. Do Wook sat in the seat and thought about the next scene. Even Do Wook himself had felt that something had changed recently. It was the same reason he hadn¡¯t been sleeping well. When he first decided on < Blue Whale >, Do Wook predicted that ¡®violence victim Kim Bo Myung¡¯, who was deeply rooted in him, would be triggered while filming. However, he tried topletely escape from the shadow of Kim Bo Myung through provocation instead. It was because many aspects, including his timid personality, were fixed and ovee by living as a Kang Do Wook, but the depression deep inside remained. He thought it was rather fortunate that he had the role of the perpetrator. It was because he thought it was better than ying the victim. ¡®If I y the victim, I¡¯ll have to recreate my past self exactly as I was¡­It¡¯ll only make me miserable, it won¡¯t be much help. It¡¯ll directly bring up the trauma¡­still, it was acent thought.¡¯ The hot wind made his hair messy. Do Wook pushed aside his bangs. In order to look like a high school student, he grew his bangs and made theme down close to his eyebrows. It was a different vibepared to when he put his hairpletely back and was trying to exude masculinity on stage. A loose, unbuttoned school uniform shirt without a tie. Do Wook looked perfectly like a wandering eighteen-year-old right now. ¡®Did I also have this kind of violent side..¡¯ He cursed and spat at actors who yed passers-by, and kicked Hyo Won, who was his friend. He was acting, but he didn¡¯t feel like he was acting. Do Wook¡¯s acting was the type to be perfectly immersed in the role. It was useless to keep telling himself that it was just acting. He was just surprised and terrified that he also had a violent side like this. ¡®It feels like I¡¯ve be someone like Seo Kang Jun.¡¯ That was making Do Wook suffer. Kim Bo Myung was harassed simply because he was weak. He started thinking that if he were strong and from a good background like Seo Kang Jun, he also might have been a perpetrator alongside Seo Kang Jun. ¡°Ok, we¡¯ll start shooting the next scene!¡± Director Jo yelled. The actors and staff who had been waiting gathered in groups of twos and threes. Do Wook also got up from his seat. *** Director Yoon Sung Ah and Park Hyo Won, as well as Do Wook, went to eat at a shabby meat restaurant near the filming location. ¡°Ma¡¯am! Can we have 3 servings of pork belly, 3 bowls of rice, and¡­alcohol¡­soju? Do you drink soju?¡± Director Yoon Sung Ah, who had stepped up and was ordering, asked. Park Hyo Won nodded as if it were a given. Park Hyo Won could easily drink five bottles of soju. ¡°Do Wook, do you drink?¡± ¡°Ah¡­yes, I do. I can¡¯t drink too much, just one or two shots,¡± Do Wook replied. As if saying she understood, Director Yoon Sung Ah ordered two extra bottles of soju. The only drinking events Do Wook had been a part of was after he had turned of legal age and drank beer with the members when they ate chicken at the dormitory or one or two shots at apany dinner. It was his first time drinking outside like this. It would not be good for one¡¯s image to actively seek out alcohol, but for future social life, it would be good to learn to drink and get along in this kind of setting. Along with a sizzling sound, the meat began to cook. Do Wook, as the youngest, was grilling the meat on his own. They had already finished one batch. Do Wook drank about half a bottle, but there were three empty bottles of soju on the table. All three of them were moderately drunk. ¡°Hmmm, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s ok to let a top star keep grilling the meat like this,¡± Director Yoon Sung Ah joked. ¡°Director Yoon. Don¡¯t you remember you caused that top star to get hurt?¡± Park Hyo Won picked on Director Yoon Sung Ah. The gazes of both Director Yoon Sung Ah and Park Hyo Won were simultaneously on Do Wook¡¯s cheek. While filming the scene of throwing a chair on set earlier, Do Wook was scratched by a broken locker fragment and a scar formed on his cheek. ¡°It¡¯s ok. It¡¯s just a slight scratch,¡± Do Wook replied awkwardly. ¡°You¡¯ll have to take good care of it so it won¡¯t leave a scar. You¡¯re such a gentle person, but as soon as we¡¯re filming you suddenly change¡­¡± When Director Yoon Sung Ah said that, Do Wook put down the tongs and became quiet. ¡°Who knows, that might be who I¡¯ve always been,¡± Do Wook said. Director Yoon Sung Ah and Park Hyo Won briefly looked at Do Wook. Director Yoon Sung Ah shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s true that you¡¯re doing such a good job acting that it might make one think you¡¯ve always been that kind of person. True, true.¡± Director Yoon Sung Ah said it like a joke, but Do Wook¡¯s expression became even more dark. Seeing Do Wook do that, Director Yoon Sung Ah poured soju into his own ss*. (TL note: In Korean culture, the younger person should be pouring the drink for the older person.) ¡°Ah, let me¡­!¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s ok. It¡¯s morefortable pouring my own drink. But do you know?¡± ¡°Sorry? Know what¡­¡± ¡°People who are genuinely like that can¡¯t do this role.¡± Director Yoon Sung Ah said, full of confidence. Park Hyo Won also nodded his head and added, ¡°That¡¯s right. Those bastards really can¡¯t act when in those roles, because it weighs on their conscience. Because people might see their true colors. Because it¡¯s real.¡± ¡°Exactly! That¡¯s precisely what I mean. You give a gangster role to someone who¡¯s really a bad person? Then they¡¯re just a gangster. It¡¯s not method acting or anything. It¡¯s just them being a gangster. They themselves know that too. That¡¯s why they can¡¯t do those roles. They just end up clumsily imitating it. But look at how you are now, Do Wook. Youpletely became Jung Hwan.¡± ¡°Ahhh.¡± Do Wook slowly nodded his head, feeling like he understood what they meant. ¡°Having these kinds of worries is also because you¡¯re kind, Do Wook.¡± Director Yoon Sung Ah said as she chugged soju. Park Hyo Won said with a rough-looking expression, ¡°I¡¯m saying it¡¯s ok to be immersed or think that that¡¯s the real you. Still, an actor is just an actor. You¡¯re too convinced that it¡¯s actually you. The reason might be because you learned acting while ying a role simr to yourself.¡± Do Wook looked nkly at Park Hyo Won. It somehow felt like he was burning up. Come to think of it, when Kim Bo Myung first became Kang Do Wook, Do Wook had to y a character named Kang Do Wook. However, that acting wasn¡¯t a big deal. He just had to act like the person he wanted to be. This time, however, it was the opposite. The person you never wanted to be like. The person you never wanted to mirror. He had to mirror someone who was the same as Seo Kang Jun. That was where his struggle was. ¡°Immersing and burying are different. You can¡¯t be consumed by the role and lose yourself.¡± At Park Hyo Won¡¯s words, Do Wook felt like he had been hit in the back of the head. The tangled bundle of threads in his mind was rolling and rolling, turning into a long, sturdy thread. ¡°Ah, shiii¨C. I¡¯m being such a boomer right now! I¡¯m gonna go smoke a cigarette, I¡¯ll be back.¡± Park Hyo Won sprang up and headed out of the barbecue restaurant. Do Wook¡¯s expression turned into a peaceful one as he watched Park Hyo Won. Director Yoon Sung Ah held up her drink and gave a toast to Do Wook. ¡°That punk Hyo Won must really think positively of you, Do Wook. He¡¯s not the kind of guy who says that kind of stuff.¡± Do Wook gave a small smile. ¡°By the way, you had said you had something to tell me¡­we should be talking about that, but we got sidetracked by other topics.¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s just that mypany¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to say to shorten the filming schedule even more, right?!¡± Director Yoon Sung Ah asked, surprised. Do Wook quickly waved his hands and denied it. ¡°No. It¡¯s not that. Mypany said they want to invest in the movie.¡± ¡°What?¡± The movie shoot was now almost halfway done. The movie started with a certain amount of capital invested so there were no big problems with filming. Even so, receiving additional investment would definitely be of great help for thetter part of the work, including editing and marketing. For Director Yoon Sung Ah, this was undoubtedly good news. ¡°Invest, huh¡­¡± It was Director of Production Kwon Heung Jo who wanted to invest. After Do Wook had said he would appear in an art film, Director Kwon Heung Jo personally read over the screeny even though he was busy, and seeked out people in the movie field to ask their opinion on the movie. Director Kwon Heung Jo, who ultimately received positive answers, decided to invest in the movie Do Wook was in after consulting with Department Head Jo Anna. Originally, HIT Entertainment had big dreams to expand its business scope. With the attraction of Chinese capital and the sess of KK, HIT Entertainment was closer to its dream. It was a good investment that came at the right time. Since it was an art film, the investment amount was notrge, so the burden was low. Of course, even if it was not as sessful asmercial films, there were many ways to make money through art films. Director Kwon Heung Jo calcted that since it was a movie involving theirpany¡¯s main entertainer, Do Wook, they would be able to find investors one way or another using his promotional power. ¡°Do Wook¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Thanks to you, I have the confidence that we¡¯ll be able to produce a greater result than I imagined,¡± Director Yoon Sung Ah said. ¡°I was worried, but if I receive an investment from HIT Entertainment, I think I¡¯ll be able to do an exhibition.¡± ¡°By exhibition you mean¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about the International Film Festival.¡± *** A few monthster, the day of the < Blue Whale > preview party. It was also the day of the first broadcast of the drama < Cindere >, starring Seo Kang Jun, as well as a press conference. In the morning, Do Wook, who was getting his hair done at the shop to go to the premiere of < Blue Whale >, could hear the gathered shop people chatting excitedly. ¡°What? Admission fraud?¡± ¡°Hurr. I read thements and they all say it¡¯s Seo Jun. Seo Jun¡¯s the only one that fits the description. Isn¡¯t today the air date of that one drama Seo Jun is in?¡± ¡°What the, is this true? Seo Jun?¡± < Ju Won University Admission Corruption, Involves Famous Idol Group Member Mr. S > < Ju Won University Department of Arts Illegal Admission ... Under Investigation by Prosecutor > It was the headline of the article that was posted this morning. ¡ª Next chapter: IS THIS FINALLY THE BEGINNING OF THE END FOR SEO JUN?? YES WRITING IN ALL CAPS IS WARRENTED HERE!! Chapter 121: Identity (4) Chapter 121: Identity (4) ¡°Uh, Do Wook. Is something wrong?¡± ¡°No.¡± Under Do Wook¡¯s eyes, dark circles were slightly visible. ¡°I have something to tell you after we¡¯re done with today¡¯s shoot. Do you¡­have time to grab a meal?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s grabbing a meal with you, I¡¯ll wee it anytime. I think it¡¯ll be about 8 pm once we¡¯re done shooting the ssroom scene¡­¡± ¡°Ok. That works. And if you¡¯re avable too, Hyo Won¡­¡± The face of Park Hyo Won, who approached them, was a mess with bloody scabs and bruises. He got special effect makeup done so he could show a Hyo Won who had gotten beat up by Jung Hwan. The next scene was Jung Hwan indiscriminately assaulting Park Hyo Won again with special effect makeup on. Park Hyo Won was also more on edge than he was before the shoot. Anxious vibes were oozing out of him. Honestly, among sensitive actors there were actors who, except for saying a few words while filming, would just sit in their chair and not say a single word from the start to the end of filming. Thankfully Park Hyo Won was not that kind of actor. He was able to differentiate well between on and off the set. ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t going to invite me, so I was going to feel fucking hurt.¡± Director Yoon Sung Ah and Do Wookughed at what Park Hyo Won said. Director Yoon Sung Ah then asked Do Wook, ¡°By the way, have you not been getting good sleeptely?¡± ¡°Huh? Ahh¡­a little.¡± ¡°Could it be insomnia?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s not to that extent. It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve had a lot on my mind. I¡¯m actually getting much more sleep than I do during active periods.¡± ¡°Really? Gee, just how sleep deprived are idols during active times if you¡¯re getting less sleep than now?¡± Director Yoon Sung Ah asked, a little surprised by Do Wook¡¯s answer. Park Hyo Won said as he took out cigarettes from his pocket and lit one of them, ¡°I guess there really isn¡¯t a single job that¡¯s easy money. Sh*t.¡± ¡°Give me a light too, please.¡± Director Yoon Sung Ah also took out a cigarette. Park Hyo Won lit the cigarette for her. ¡°Let¡¯s smoke just one cigarette, then immediately go into filming.¡± Do Wook nodded his head. Do Wook didn¡¯t smoke so he left the area, went to where his chair was, and waited there. < Actor Kang Do Wook > Do Wook¡¯s name was engraved on the back of his seat. Names of the main staff and actors were engraved on the waiting chairs. There were those among filmmakers whose wish was to have chairs on set with their names engraved like that. Do Wook sat in the seat and thought about the next scene. Even Do Wook himself had felt that something had changed recently. It was the same reason he hadn¡¯t been sleeping well. When he first decided on < Blue Whale >, Do Wook predicted that ¡®violence victim Kim Bo Myung¡¯, who was deeply rooted in him, would be triggered while filming. However, he tried topletely escape from the shadow of Kim Bo Myung through provocation instead. It was because many aspects, including his timid personality, were fixed and ovee by living as a Kang Do Wook, but the depression deep inside remained. He thought it was rather fortunate that he had the role of the perpetrator. It was because he thought it was better than ying the victim. ¡®If I y the victim, I¡¯ll have to recreate my past self exactly as I was¡­It¡¯ll only make me miserable, it won¡¯t be much help. It¡¯ll directly bring up the trauma¡­still, it was acent thought.¡¯ The hot wind made his hair messy. Do Wook pushed aside his bangs. In order to look like a high school student, he grew his bangs and made theme down close to his eyebrows. It was a different vibepared to when he put his hairpletely back and was trying to exude masculinity on stage. A loose, unbuttoned school uniform shirt without a tie. Do Wook looked perfectly like a wandering eighteen-year-old right now. ¡®Did I also have this kind of violent side..¡¯ He cursed and spat at actors who yed passers-by, and kicked Hyo Won, who was his friend. He was acting, but he didn¡¯t feel like he was acting. Do Wook¡¯s acting was the type to be perfectly immersed in the role. It was useless to keep telling himself that it was just acting. He was just surprised and terrified that he also had a violent side like this. ¡®It feels like I¡¯ve be someone like Seo Kang Jun.¡¯ That was making Do Wook suffer. Kim Bo Myung was harassed simply because he was weak. He started thinking that if he were strong and from a good background like Seo Kang Jun, he also might have been a perpetrator alongside Seo Kang Jun. ¡°Ok, we¡¯ll start shooting the next scene!¡± Director Jo yelled. The actors and staff who had been waiting gathered in groups of twos and threes. Do Wook also got up from his seat. *** Director Yoon Sung Ah and Park Hyo Won, as well as Do Wook, went to eat at a shabby meat restaurant near the filming location. ¡°Ma¡¯am! Can we have 3 servings of pork belly, 3 bowls of rice, and¡­alcohol¡­soju? Do you drink soju?¡± Director Yoon Sung Ah, who had stepped up and was ordering, asked. Park Hyo Won nodded as if it were a given. Park Hyo Won could easily drink five bottles of soju. ¡°Do Wook, do you drink?¡± ¡°Ah¡­yes, I do. I can¡¯t drink too much, just one or two shots,¡± Do Wook replied. As if saying she understood, Director Yoon Sung Ah ordered two extra bottles of soju. The only drinking events Do Wook had been a part of was after he had turned of legal age and drank beer with the members when they ate chicken at the dormitory or one or two shots at apany dinner. It was his first time drinking outside like this. It would not be good for one¡¯s image to actively seek out alcohol, but for future social life, it would be good to learn to drink and get along in this kind of setting. Along with a sizzling sound, the meat began to cook. Do Wook, as the youngest, was grilling the meat on his own. They had already finished one batch. Do Wook drank about half a bottle, but there were three empty bottles of soju on the table. All three of them were moderately drunk. ¡°Hmmm, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s ok to let a top star keep grilling the meat like this,¡± Director Yoon Sung Ah joked. ¡°Director Yoon. Don¡¯t you remember you caused that top star to get hurt?¡± Park Hyo Won picked on Director Yoon Sung Ah. The gazes of both Director Yoon Sung Ah and Park Hyo Won were simultaneously on Do Wook¡¯s cheek. While filming the scene of throwing a chair on set earlier, Do Wook was scratched by a broken locker fragment and a scar formed on his cheek. ¡°It¡¯s ok. It¡¯s just a slight scratch,¡± Do Wook replied awkwardly. ¡°You¡¯ll have to take good care of it so it won¡¯t leave a scar. You¡¯re such a gentle person, but as soon as we¡¯re filming you suddenly change¡­¡± When Director Yoon Sung Ah said that, Do Wook put down the tongs and became quiet. ¡°Who knows, that might be who I¡¯ve always been,¡± Do Wook said. Director Yoon Sung Ah and Park Hyo Won briefly looked at Do Wook. Director Yoon Sung Ah shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s true that you¡¯re doing such a good job acting that it might make one think you¡¯ve always been that kind of person. True, true.¡± Director Yoon Sung Ah said it like a joke, but Do Wook¡¯s expression became even more dark. Seeing Do Wook do that, Director Yoon Sung Ah poured soju into his own ss*. (TL note: In Korean culture, the younger person should be pouring the drink for the older person.) ¡°Ah, let me¡­!¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s ok. It¡¯s morefortable pouring my own drink. But do you know?¡± ¡°Sorry? Know what¡­¡± ¡°People who are genuinely like that can¡¯t do this role.¡± Director Yoon Sung Ah said, full of confidence. Park Hyo Won also nodded his head and added, ¡°That¡¯s right. Those bastards really can¡¯t act when in those roles, because it weighs on their conscience. Because people might see their true colors. Because it¡¯s real.¡± ¡°Exactly! That¡¯s precisely what I mean. You give a gangster role to someone who¡¯s really a bad person? Then they¡¯re just a gangster. It¡¯s not method acting or anything. It¡¯s just them being a gangster. They themselves know that too. That¡¯s why they can¡¯t do those roles. They just end up clumsily imitating it. But look at how you are now, Do Wook. Youpletely became Jung Hwan.¡± ¡°Ahhh.¡± Do Wook slowly nodded his head, feeling like he understood what they meant. ¡°Having these kinds of worries is also because you¡¯re kind, Do Wook.¡± Director Yoon Sung Ah said as she chugged soju. Park Hyo Won said with a rough-looking expression, ¡°I¡¯m saying it¡¯s ok to be immersed or think that that¡¯s the real you. Still, an actor is just an actor. You¡¯re too convinced that it¡¯s actually you. The reason might be because you learned acting while ying a role simr to yourself.¡± Do Wook looked nkly at Park Hyo Won. It somehow felt like he was burning up. Come to think of it, when Kim Bo Myung first became Kang Do Wook, Do Wook had to y a character named Kang Do Wook. However, that acting wasn¡¯t a big deal. He just had to act like the person he wanted to be. This time, however, it was the opposite. The person you never wanted to be like. The person you never wanted to mirror. He had to mirror someone who was the same as Seo Kang Jun. That was where his struggle was. ¡°Immersing and burying are different. You can¡¯t be consumed by the role and lose yourself.¡± At Park Hyo Won¡¯s words, Do Wook felt like he had been hit in the back of the head. The tangled bundle of threads in his mind was rolling and rolling, turning into a long, sturdy thread. ¡°Ah, shiii¨C. I¡¯m being such a boomer right now! I¡¯m gonna go smoke a cigarette, I¡¯ll be back.¡± Park Hyo Won sprang up and headed out of the barbecue restaurant. Do Wook¡¯s expression turned into a peaceful one as he watched Park Hyo Won. Director Yoon Sung Ah held up her drink and gave a toast to Do Wook. ¡°That punk Hyo Won must really think positively of you, Do Wook. He¡¯s not the kind of guy who says that kind of stuff.¡± Do Wook gave a small smile. ¡°By the way, you had said you had something to tell me¡­we should be talking about that, but we got sidetracked by other topics.¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s just that mypany¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to say to shorten the filming schedule even more, right?!¡± Director Yoon Sung Ah asked, surprised. Do Wook quickly waved his hands and denied it. ¡°No. It¡¯s not that. Mypany said they want to invest in the movie.¡± ¡°What?¡± The movie shoot was now almost halfway done. The movie started with a certain amount of capital invested so there were no big problems with filming. Even so, receiving additional investment would definitely be of great help for thetter part of the work, including editing and marketing. For Director Yoon Sung Ah, this was undoubtedly good news. ¡°Invest, huh¡­¡± It was Director of Production Kwon Heung Jo who wanted to invest. After Do Wook had said he would appear in an art film, Director Kwon Heung Jo personally read over the screeny even though he was busy, and seeked out people in the movie field to ask their opinion on the movie. Director Kwon Heung Jo, who ultimately received positive answers, decided to invest in the movie Do Wook was in after consulting with Department Head Jo Anna. Originally, HIT Entertainment had big dreams to expand its business scope. With the attraction of Chinese capital and the sess of KK, HIT Entertainment was closer to its dream. It was a good investment that came at the right time. Since it was an art film, the investment amount was notrge, so the burden was low. Of course, even if it was not as sessful asmercial films, there were many ways to make money through art films. Director Kwon Heung Jo calcted that since it was a movie involving theirpany¡¯s main entertainer, Do Wook, they would be able to find investors one way or another using his promotional power. ¡°Do Wook¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Thanks to you, I have the confidence that we¡¯ll be able to produce a greater result than I imagined,¡± Director Yoon Sung Ah said. ¡°I was worried, but if I receive an investment from HIT Entertainment, I think I¡¯ll be able to do an exhibition.¡± ¡°By exhibition you mean¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about the International Film Festival.¡± *** A few monthster, the day of the < Blue Whale > preview party. It was also the day of the first broadcast of the drama < Cindere >, starring Seo Kang Jun, as well as a press conference. In the morning, Do Wook, who was getting his hair done at the shop to go to the premiere of < Blue Whale >, could hear the gathered shop people chatting excitedly. ¡°What? Admission fraud?¡± ¡°Hurr. I read thements and they all say it¡¯s Seo Jun. Seo Jun¡¯s the only one that fits the description. Isn¡¯t today the air date of that one drama Seo Jun is in?¡± ¡°What the, is this true? Seo Jun?¡± < Ju Won University Admission Corruption, Involves Famous Idol Group Member Mr. S > < Ju Won University Department of Arts Illegal Admission ... Under Investigation by Prosecutor > It was the headline of the article that was posted this morning. ¡ª Next chapter: IS THIS FINALLY THE BEGINNING OF THE END FOR SEO JUN?? YES WRITING IN ALL CAPS IS WARRENTED HERE!! Chapter 122: End and Beginning (1) Chapter 122: End and Beginning (1) ¡°Celebrities have no use for college anyways, why did they go as far as illegal admission¡­?¡± ¡°I know¡­¡± ¡°Maybe the information is wrong?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to wait for the investigation results. But seeing as there¡¯s a prosecutorial investigation, there¡¯s probably no doubt?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, there¡¯s even an article released¡­I liked Seo Jun¡­¡± ¡°See. I told you Seo Jun¡¯s not that great.¡± ¡°But he¡¯s handsome¡­¡± ¡°Geez, you yulppah*.¡± (TL note: someone who is only into looks.)¡°Anyways, what¡¯s going to happen to the drama? I¡¯m sure they¡¯re going crazy right now.¡± Listening to the hair salon employees whisper amongst themselves, Do Wook held back hisughter. ¡®This is just the beginning.¡¯ The inside of the hair salon, which had the air conditioner on low because of the hot weather, was moderately cool. However, Do Wook¡¯s hands were drenched in sweat. Do Wook had prepared for a very long time for this day, even before his soul changed ces. Thanks to the switch, Do Wook became a singer like he dreamed, and now he was an actor, something he had never even imagined to be. He achieved his dream, and gained a new dream. ¡®Maybe I should thank him.¡¯ It could be thanks to Seo Kang Jun that he made it this far. If he only had a simple passion and dream to sing on stage, he probably wouldn¡¯t have tried to such extremes like sacrificing sleep to practice, and wouldn¡¯t have gotten to where he is now. However, of course, he wouldn¡¯t thank Seo Kang Jun. There were plenty of other things he¡¯d say to him before he would thank him. All those angry words had festered in Kim Bo Myung¡¯s heart for a long time, mergingpletely. Therefore, he felt he didn¡¯t have to particrly say anything. Right now, Do Wook just wanted to observe. Watch the fall of a man who has ruined the lives of many people. ¡°Huuu¡­¡± Do Wook let out a long, deep sigh. The employee who was bringing Do Wook a drink was cautious and asked, ¡°Do Wook, is something wrong?¡± ¡°Ah, no.¡± ¡°Please let me know if there¡¯s anything wrong.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± The employee went back and Do Wook looked at the mirror. To bring Seo Kang Jun down, Do Wook stayed in contact with Reporter Choi Sung Jun even while filming < Blue Whale > and made ns. He also made a lot of preparations on his own. Timing was important. If it went even a little wrong, he could end up getting attacked by the snake-like Director Seo Joong Won. Do Wook thought to himself that now was the time. If Seo Kang Jun weren¡¯t famous enough, it would be easy to take him down but it wouldn¡¯t be a big revenge. Right now, he had a little bit of status yet it wasn¡¯t absolute. ¡®Now, when he¡¯s on the verge of getting to a high ce. Now¡¯s the time.¡¯ *** Inside KVS Broadcast station located on YeoYiDo. The drama department, as most people expected, was turned on its head. The < Cindere > press conference was a mere hours away. Furthermore, today was the day of the first broadcast. If the protagonist, Seo Kang Jun, truly hadmitted the notorious act of fraudulent college admission as the articles said, they would get nothing but criticism if today¡¯s broadcast aired as nned. It was actually hard for anyone to predict where the public¡¯s resentment would be aimed at. Some actors remained popr and went on to receive praise and sess on screen, even if they caused sex scandals, had affairs, ormitted assault. Of course they had to bear with the criticism regarding their actions that followed them like a tail wherever they went, but that was nothingpared to what they had done. However, the reason the Director of the Drama Bureau, the CP*, and the Producer had gathered and were smoking together was to see whether the public would gloss over the ¡®university¡¯ issue. (TL Note: CP stands for Chief Producer) If the subject people are most sensitive to is military service avoidance, the next most sensitive subject is university fraud. The reason being that the army and university are issues that affect the whole nation. Take an actor who had an affair for example. Of course, there¡¯d probably be many people who¡¯d get upset just by hearing the word affair, but there¡¯d be a lot of people who¡¯d think it was none of their business. Some people would say it was too personal or that it was even more outrageous to love only one person for the rest of your life. So not 100% of people would criticize the actor who had an affair. However, the army is different. People who have to go to the army, people who had gone to the army, as well as families of those people, are bound to get angry. The university is also a social issue involving a lot of people in that sense. On College Schstic Ability Test days, the whole nation cheers on the examinees. It¡¯s a country that even dys opening the stock market on that day, so the significance of the situation was self-exnatory. ¡°Someone is out to ruin the drama,¡± The person in charge of the production for < Cindere > muttered as he smoked. He never liked that Seo Kang Jun was cast. Seo Kang Jun supposedly received favorable reception for < Sun and Moon Lovers >, but the Producer didn¡¯t think that the actor had proven his acting skills enough to be a lead role yet. Also, when he and the writer met with Seo Kang Jun, he got a bad vibe from him. It wasn¡¯t anything concrete, just a vibe, so even he thought it wasn¡¯t enough to convince anyone. In contrast, the CP, who had a strong rtionship with Ara Entertainment, pushed for Seo Kang Jun for the lead role. That¡¯s why he was chosen for the lead role. ¡°What did Seo Jun¡¯s side say?¡± ¡°They said it¡¯s not true¡­They contacted us saying they¡¯ll handle it¡­¡± The CP answered the Director¡¯s question. The Director frowned. The wrinkles on his forehead, which were originally thee lines, became five. ¡°We don¡¯t know when the prosecutorial investigation result will be released, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡± It had been a long time since the CP, who had always been condescending, had to walk on eggshells. However, the Producer was not happy at all. The project with his name on it was on the verge of ruin, so of course he was not satisfied. ¡°The result isn¡¯t important right now,¡± The Director said as he took another cigarette out of the cigarette case. The conference room was thick with cigarette smoke. ¡°Anyway, the investigation has been started, and the fact that there is even an article means that there definitely is something, whether it is psychological or physical evidence. There¡¯s no way that people don¡¯t know that. In people¡¯s minds, he¡¯s alreadymitted admission fraud.¡± ¡°If the drama starts under these conditions and does well, wouldn¡¯t it be possible to clean up his image? Actors usually get away with things once they get into a drama. If the resultes outter that it¡¯s false, people will calm down.¡± The Director blew out cigarette smoke. ¡°We have already finished filming up to episode 4, and today is the first broadcast. What can we do? The press conference is in 5 hours,¡± The CP continued. The CP was right. They couldn¡¯tpletely scrap the drama. However, it was a problem concerning a university. They were skeptical that it¡¯d go away the same way it did for other actors. Plus, they had to consider that Seo Kang Jun¡¯s main fans were in their teens and twenties. ¡°What episode does Seo Jun first appear?¡± The Director asked the Producer. ¡°It¡¯s a child role until episode 3, he really starts appearing in episode 4. Ah! Huuu¡­he also appears at the end of episode 3.¡± ¡°End of episode 3?¡± The Director stroked his chin. Just then, the DIrector got a message, and checked his cell phone. It was from a reporter who had connections with the prosecution. ¡°This won¡¯t do.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± The CP asked what he meant. ¡°We¡¯ll push it back one week as a special episode, so bring me someone else.¡± ¡°What?¡± This time, it was the Producer. Of course, he also thought it¡¯d be difficult to continue with Seo Jun. However, using a substitute was also realistically a huge burden. Fortunately though, it was a child role until the middle of the 3rd episode. ¡°Director. You¡¯re telling me to die. When are we supposed to reshoot and edit¡­¡± ¡°Huuuu¡­I know. That¡¯s why I¡¯m pushing it back one week. It can¡¯t be longer than that.¡± ¡°Also, who would do this?¡± ¡°We have to find someone. I¡¯ll reach out to my contacts too. It may be someone of lower status, but someone who¡¯s avable immediately¡­¡± The conversation between the Director and Producer was full of deep sighs. The Producer ground his teeth. He didn¡¯t want to see neither hide nor hair of Seo Jun ever again. ¡°Must you go this far?¡± The CP cautiously asked the Director. The Director replied, pretending to throw the cell phone that¡¯s in his hands at the CP. ¡°It¡¯s not like I want to do this. I want this to blow over quietly. But this is no small matter. I heard it¡¯s only going to get bigger.¡± That was the case ording to the message he got from the reporter. It said the prosecution¡¯s investigation looked like it¡¯d be more extensive than they imagined. The Producer shook his head as he looked through his contacts in his cell phone. He looked through the various celebrities and agency representatives in his contacts to see if there was anyone that could serve as Seo Jun¡¯s substitute. ¡°Then I¡¯ll cancel the press conference, and immediately write a press release to send out.¡± ¡°Ok. Huu, maybe going somewhere and getting some good karma or something will help. Why¡¯d they have to get caught with something like this?¡± The Director quietly cursed and got up from his seat. The CP followed the Director out. ¡°Then, to Seo Jun¡¯s people¡­¡± ¡°Handle it yourself. Must we worry about them too? It wouldn¡¯t even suffice if they came to us and begged for forgiveness.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Nodding his head, the CP pressed on his stinging temple. *** < News about Seo Jun Acting As Lead Role In ¡®Cindere¡¯ Broadcast ...To Air Next Week > < New ¡®Cindere¡¯ Protagonist! Rookie Actor Park Gun Woo Chosen As Protagonist! > < Lead Actor Reced During Controversy... Official says, ¡°Can¡¯t Ignore the Opinions of the Viewers...¡± > < What Direction Will KVS ¡®Cindere¡¯ Go From Here? > < Allegations of Illegal Admission...Idol Group Member S! > < Prosecutor Regarding Ju Won University Admissions Fraud, "Still investigating. Too Early for Announcement" > < Special n: Celebrity''s College Life - Various Problems Such As Horrible Attendance and Proxy Reports > < Seo Jun, ¡°Getting My Situation Figured Out...¡± > < Seo Jun, ¡°S, It¡¯s Not Me... Feeling Miserable About the Rumor.¡± > . . -Seo Jun, are you just *poof*, leaving like this? -It¡¯s Ara Entertainment, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll have him back as a star one way or another lol. In this world even criminals can be famous lol -Illegal Admission¡­He¡¯s a celebrity, why in the world? lol -He wanted to be a celebrity as well as get his degree -They should investigate the other kids that got into a good university too -For other people, their entire life rides on this¡­sure is easy for them~! -Please don¡¯t spread rumors about Seo Jun oppa. We¡¯ll sue you -Are you going to sue the prosecution? lol -It¡¯s a rumor that the prosecution spread lolol -A prank by the prosecution? lol -Excuse me, the investigation is still going and the results aren¡¯t out yet¡­ -Oh, the results might say there¡¯s nothing. They have money, what are they worried about? -I¡¯ll stop badmouthing him if the resultse out as nothing~ -It¡¯s not him, but he¡¯s getting cut from the drama? Even though they¡¯ve already filmed? -If it were something minor, the broadcasting station would just turn a blind eye and let it slide¡­considering what happened, doesn¡¯t it mean it¡¯s 100% real? -I liked Seo Jun¡­ -He¡¯s the type to spit on someone while having a smile on their face lol -Just go to the army~ -With that kind of backing, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll get out of going to the army too -Seo Jun, what the? lol -Golden spoon~ The portal site¡¯s news section went crazy. Seo Kang Jun, who was reading the article as well as thements, grimaced. Hair pulled back without a single hair out of ce, and a well coordinated suit to boot. Seo Kang Jun¡¯s appearance today truly was good enough to make fans faint on sight. However, the fans fainted not because of Seo Kang Jun¡¯s visuals, but because of his corruption. Seo Kang Jun, who had finished all the preparations for his press conference appearance and was about to head to the conference hall, was essentially trapped in the van. Boom¨D Smack¨D! Seo Kang Jun threw the cellphone he had been holding at the window. The manager, who had been responding to a flurry of phone calls to reporters and repeated over and over that Seo Jun was not rted to university fraud, looked back, surprised. The cell phone, which hit the van¡¯s sturdy window, was rolling around on the floor, cracked. The manager felt chills at Seo Kang Jun¡¯s gaze that was full of malice. The manager, who finished his phone call as quickly as he could, looked at Seo Kang Jun. ¡°Umm¡­Jun.¡± ¡°What did father say?¡± ¡°For now, go to the dorm and don¡¯te out¡­he said he¡¯ll try to handle it one way or another.¡± ¡°Shit, my life is about to be screwed over because of father¡­¡± His anger rising, Seo Kang Jun breathed heavily. His tightly clenched fist was ready to swing at any time. It was at that moment. The manager¡¯s cell phone started ringing again. At the same time, Seo Jun¡¯s phone, which was cracked, also started to ring. On themunity site, a new article regarding Seo Jun was being posted. It was saying that Seo Kang Jun was a perpetrator of school violence. ¡ª Next chapter: Everything is lining up nicely to take down Seo Jun. Will it work out as Do Wook nned or will Director Seo help his son snake out of this one too? Chapter 123: End and Beginning (2) Chapter 123: End and Beginning (2) [Hello. I¡¯m writing to expose Seo Kang Jun, who is active under the stage name Seo Jun. I decided to take up the pen after reading ament that there¡¯s no way the kind Seo Jun would do that¡­ I, who is writing a post about Seo Kang Jun today, can neitherugh nor cry¡­All day long all the inte sites seemed to be stered with stories of Seo Kang Jun¡­ I graduated from the same high school as Seo Kang Jun. (I don¡¯t want to use a friendly expression like dongchang*!) (TL Note: dongchang means ssmate/of the same graduating ss.) Why I found itughable is because I was a victim of school violencemitted by Seo Kang Jun. Seeing him cursed at and having the same words he said to me thrown back at him¡­it was a breath of fresh air seeing thement ¡°die if you¡¯re going to live that way.¡± I know you shouldn¡¯t say that kind ofment to someone, but¡­it felt immensely satisfying. Yet, the reason I couldn¡¯tugh is because¡­The reason I wanted to cry is because Seo Kang Jun¡¯s face, which was on every article¡­just seeing the face makes my teeth quiver. Just looking at his name makes my hands shake and me start to cry. I¡¯m the same age as Seo Kang Jun. However, while others are out chatting and hanging out with friends, or going to university to take sses, or even working, I am in my room writing this. I know it¡¯s not something to be proud of¡­I also know that I am weak¡­I¡¯ve already heard numerous criticisms from others as well as from myself¡­My family¡¯s tears were already like daggers to me. However, due to Seo Kang Jun and his gang¡¯s violence, I dropped out of high school and became a parasitic monster who just stays home, locked in my room, unable to go outside. Before, I was a shy but typical student¡­studying? I wasn¡¯t good at it¡­I wasn¡¯t good at PE either and my family wasn¡¯t rich. Still, my life wasn¡¯t so hard that I wanted to die. That is, before I met Seo Kang Jun. At first, he came up to me and was friendly. For about two days¡­then, he ordered me to get a drink from the store. It was hard for me to refuse an errand from Seo Kang Jun, who was rich, handsome, and popr. At first, he said, ¡°Please.¡± His next request was to buy him cigarettes¡­then alcohol¡­If I said no, I got pped. One time, he suddenly took out all the cigarettes and stuffed them in my mouth¡­On days when Seo Kang Jun was in a bad mood, I was dragged behind the hill and beaten until my stomach was blue. Saying that it absolutely can¡¯t be visible, he never left scars where it¡¯d be seen¡­if I got hurt somewhere, he meticulously waited until it healed. When there were others watching, he smiled as he interacted with me¡­ Then during break time, he dragged me to the bathroom and made me drink mop water¡­He told me to clean my shoes that were soiled with my blood, making me lick it clean¡­if I didn¡¯t do that, he would without fail hit my ribs or my thighs¡­ The act of strangling me and releasing me only right before I was about to die from suffocation went on and on. It¡¯s hard to write this post because memories from that period of a year or so keep popping up, but the reason I¡¯m writing this is because I also want to ovee it by doing this. I asked the school for help, but they never really helped me. It was probably because of Seo Kang Jun¡¯s background. Once Seo Kang Jun started his trainee career, he also stopped beating me up. However, I dropped out. I was extremely terrified to meet people. Even if they were smiling at me, I thought they would turn around and stab me. The day I saw Seo Kang Jun on TV¡­ I tried to hurt myself. I wanted to die. I hated the world. Who is more of a monster? Who is it that made me into a monster? Thank you for reading this even though it was all over the ce¡­additionally, I am adding a picture from thest day they beat me up. At that time, I was younger than I am now¡­and I was too scared to collect proper evidence, so I wasn¡¯t able to proceed with pressing charges. I know that there will be people who won¡¯t believe me. Still, I wanted to expose this¡­] It was a letter that Reporter Choi Sung Jun¡¯s younger brother had personally written. It was three pages long. It looked like it had been Reporter Choi Sung Jun who scanned and posted the letter. In the waiting room for the premiere, Do Wook felt something warm rising in his heart as he read a handwritten letter posted on themunity. Themunity was turned upside down. In addition to where Reporter Choi¡¯s younger brother first posted it, the post was spreading to othermunities. The handwritten letter was typed and organized in an easy-to-read manner. The photo released on it was also visually incredibly triggering. As a result, the picture along with the content of the letter doubled people¡¯s shock. Reporter Choi Sung Jun originally published an article about Seo Jun¡¯s violence too, but he was treated as a trash reporter and was sued for defamation. Therefore, Do Wook changed his strategy. He aimed for a time when public opinion about Seo Kang Jun was bad. He also chose to appeal emotionally. Do Wook knew that it was a provocative method. ¡®However, people forget too easily¡­I need to shock them.¡¯ Of course, since it wasn¡¯t revealed who wrote it, there could be a dispute over the truth. However, it will be difficult to erase what is already imprinted on one¡¯s mind. ¡®If there are more incidents in session, he can¡¯t get out of it¡­¡¯ This setup might be something cruel to Reporter Choi Sung Jun¡¯s younger brother, but not properly addressing his wounds will also bring about pain. He was still young. There were plenty of chances left to start his life over. Do Wook hoped that he would truly be able to ovee his past through this. However, he could not just push the victim recklessly, so with Choi Sung Jun¡¯s consent, he consulted with a psychiatrist several times to see if it was okay to address the trauma directly. It was to be the first andst courageous act done by Choi Sung Jun¡¯s younger brother. Therefore, he absolutely had to bring down Seo Kang Jun and make it so he could never stand in front of the public again. That way, Choi Sung Jun¡¯s younger brother writing through his wounds would have meaning. ¡°Why is your expression like that? Are you nervous?¡± Park Hyo Won, who had been waiting with Do Wook, nced at him and asked. ¡°Well¡­something like this is going around on the inte¡­¡± Do Wook held the cell phone out towards Park Hyo Won. Park Hyo Won, who took the phone, read the article and his eyes opened wide. ¡°What the, this bastard! If this article is real, the person mentioned is a total motherf*cker, isn¡¯t he? Is this real?¡± Park Hyo Won screamed. As expected, it was something that everyone could not help but be angry about. Park Hyo Won looked nauseous. ¡°I think¡­it¡¯s real.¡± ¡°Well, with an article like that it¡¯d be hard for it to be fake.¡± Park Hyo Won nodded his head. Even on reflection, it was disgusting. ¡°Anyway, there¡¯s a fucking lot of assholes out there while wearing human masks.¡± At that moment, the door opened and a staff member came in. They were informed that the movie screening was over. Now it was time to go up on stage and say hello to the reporters. Director Yoon Sung Ah, who had briefly stepped away, came back on time. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Do Wook nodded. Right before he left, Do Wook exchanged texts with Reporter Choi Sung Jun. [I think we can tail him starting today as we discussed.] [He¡¯ll probably stay home andy low for now¡­do you think he really will slip up again?] [Yes. Since he¡¯s a beast, not a human. He would do that and more.] *** -What the heck is this¡­ -Is this post real? I¡¯m so shocked right now -Take this down, you crazy bastard! Trying to bring Seo Jun down, you bastard! Where¡¯s the proof that Seo Jun did it?! -No matter how I look at it, I think it¡¯s real¡­what¡¯s up with this letter, I¡¯m crying -I think they need a warning in the title that there¡¯s a picture attached. I almost threw up the moment I saw it -He¡¯s been smiling like that all this time despite doing something like this? After trampling on someone else¡¯s life? How could he do that. He¡¯s the devil, the devil. -Now the admission fraud seems like child¡¯s y lol he even did something like that -And it¡¯s not that you were bullied because you¡¯re a loser????? -Marypensation -Let¡¯s see if you could say that if you were the one that was beaten up -If this is real, I don¡¯t even want to see Seo Jun¡¯s face -Seems like not just the prosecution but also the police need to get involved too -He won¡¯te to his senses until he¡¯s beaten up the same way. Wow, seriously *beep*¡­ -Kick Seo Jun out! Kick Seo Jun out! Arrest Seo Jun! Arrest Seo Jun! -The most corrupt idol lolol assault idol lolol -Kick out assault idol Seo Jun!!! -Seo Jun¡¯s life needs to be ruined too The expression on the face of Director Seo Joong Won darkened to a frightening degree. He had been calling around to the inte site owners on whose site Manager Chun, who was like his little pet, had shown him the Juwon University article, to try to get it blocked. ¡°What the heck is this now?! Those bastards!¡± Director Seo Joong Won ended up using abusivenguage. Thendline that was on the desk in the Director¡¯s Office had started to ring again. Director Seo Joong Won unplugged the whole phone and threw it. Making a cracking sound, the phone broke. There was even an online petition to expel Seo Jun. Seo Jun¡¯s fan site also posted a notice that the site will be down until the results are announced. The issue became very big and even entertainment reporters slowly started to publish articles. There was a flurry of articles. He was already getting a headache as it was. Director Seo Joong Won knew at least up to the point that the prosecution had started their investigation regarding the Juwon University admission fraud. However, there was nothing incriminating they would find regarding the rtionship between Juwon University and Ara Entertainment. There are generally two types of professors at Juwon University Art Department whomit fraud. Those who illegally provide tutoring, or those who ept money under the table to give perfect scores on practical exams where they¡¯re supposed to be an impartial proctor. There were many previous incidents where Ara Entertainment got their agency celebrities admitted to Juwon College. It wasn¡¯t only Seo Kang Jun. Being arge agency, Ara Entertainment often took a political position in various fields. Unlike other ces, there were times it took action in terms of political and social aspects even if it was not profitable. For this reason, many celebrities were sent to alumni events andmemorative events hosted by Juwon University. Therefore, it was natural for the university to wee Ara Entertainment celebrities. Public rtions certainly existed, but there was no reason for the agency to do illegal business with the university. It was the professors¡¯ choice, including the head of Juwon University, to give Seo Jun a grade higher than his skills deserved. It was also the professors¡¯ political choice to give Do Wook, who was like a thorn in Ara Entertainment¡¯s side, a grade lower than his skills deserved and have him rejected. Director Seo Joong Won was proud in his own way because there was no bribe money given. However, as soon as the prosecution¡¯s investigation began, an article about idol group S¡¯s involvement appeared. If the article was from someone in the entertainment world, Director Seo Joong Won would have been able to easily block it. Even Director Seo Joong Won didn¡¯t have a hold over the Social Affairs department. Even if they wanted to sue, it was true that an investigation had started and their names were involved. If the results had been announced without an article being published, there wasn¡¯t anything in particr that would be a problem for Seo Jun. However, the fact that the article was posted first was the cause of the fire. Fraudulent admission cases be big incidents. Director Seo Joong Won himself knew of a lot of cases. Seo Jun¡¯s face was front and center in such a case, so he was losing it. They had no choice but toy low as much as possible until the result came out. Then people would forget, and it would be the end of it if the results showed nothing. However, the fact that the broadcast station turned their backs on them only made the public more certain. Since KVS was a public broadcaster, it was far more conservative than other broadcasting stations. Even if it might cause them some difficulty, on their broadcast, they tried not to have a celebrity who caused a social stir. Director Seo Joong Won tried once more to persuade the CP, but the only answer he gave was that the Director had already decided to go a different direction. ¡°After I gave him so much money¡­¡± Director Seo Joong Won ground his teeth after he got off the phone with the CP. Now, the university issue wasn¡¯t the only problem. ¡°Bring Kang Jun right now!¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Manager Chun bowed his head, then contacted Seo Kang Jun. The veins in Director Seo Joong Won were popping out. ¡°Useless kid¡­¡± Director Seo Joong Won was also aware that Seo Kang Jun¡¯s hobby and specialty throughout middle and high school was bullying and assaulting his ssmates. It was Director Seo Joong Won who advised him not to leave evidence if he wanted to be a celebrityter. Director Seo Joong Won spotted the golf bag that was on one side of the Director¡¯s Office. ¡°Haaaa¡­..¡± Letting out a deep sigh, he grabbed the golf club. ¡ª Next chapter: We¡¯ll see a little bit of the other members next chapter! It¡¯s been so long since we¡¯ve seen them~Bookmark (0)Please login to bookmarkClose Username or Email Address Password Remember Me No ount yet? Register Chapter 125: End and Beginning (4) Chapter 125: End and Beginning (4) -Seo Kang Jun, do you know where he is right now? ¡°Where is he??¡± -He reserved a room at a club. ¡°Ahhh¡­¡± There was no need for words after that. After having a simple phone call with Reporter Choi Sung Jun, Do Wook checked the portal site. He searched Seo Jun¡¯s name but, besides a rebuttal article stating that they have nothing to do with Mr. S who was involved in the Juwon University admission fraud, there were no new articles posted. It looked like they had left the usations of Seo Jun¡¯s school violence, which were heating up the inte, alone. Originally, whether it was true or not, Ara Entertainment would have been up in arms about suing the person who wrote the letter for defamation. That was originally Ara Entertainment¡¯s tactic. If you shamelessly act even more confident than the other party, opinions will be divided and the issue will die down without any hindering knots forming. As time passes, unraveled controversies disappear even easier. ¡®But the situation being as it is, they probably can¡¯t even say they¡¯re going to sue¡­to put on a show like that, you need to have people who believe you¡­¡¯ Of course, there were many opinions from fans that they should hear Seo Kang Jun¡¯s side until it¡¯s proven to be true, but the public¡¯s arrow had already been aimed at Seo Kang Jun. If Seo Kang Jun messes up even a little bit, the arrow can instantly fly at him and deal him a fatal blow. ¡®At the moment, it would be best for him toy low. It¡¯ll be Seo Kang Jun who would be in trouble by making more noise, seeing as how the assault usations are true.¡¯ While thinking those thoughts, Do Wook went back past the hallway to the room the members were at and opened the door. *** ¡°You wanted to see me?¡± Seo Kang Jun, who had entered Director Seo Joong Won¡¯s office, felt dizzy enough to want to close his eyes when he saw his father. Director Seo Joong Won was holding a golf club in his hands. Before Seo Kang Jun could even get another word in, Director Seo Joong Won¡¯s golf club was angrily swung towards Seo Kang Jun. ¡°Aaagh¨D!¡± Seo Kang Jun, who was hit on the shin, fell to the floor as he let out an ¡®aagh¡¯ sound. A deep pain traveled from his toes all the way up to his head. Above Seo Kang Jun, who had fallen down, the golf club came flying again. Seo Kang Jun instinctively raised his arms and blocked the golf club that was flying towards him. ¡°Urgh!¡± This time, his shoulder started burning. It was an unbearable pain. Seo Kang Jun bit his lips hard. ¡°Huff huff¡­¡± Not having felt this kind of pain in a long time, the sound of his breathing instinctually became rough. However, Director Seo Joong Won, who rolled up his sleeves, was not phased at all. He simply had a disappointed expression about just having thrown two golf balls at him and failing to hit. As a child, Seo Kang Jun once broke the vase in the living room while running around in the house. Director Seo Joong Won, who hade home after drinking, broke Seo Kang Jun¡¯s calves to the point that he couldn¡¯t run for a while. It wasn¡¯t only when he did something wrong. Director Seo Joong Won¡¯s habit of throwing punches without any rhyme or reason could not be described simply as ¡®habit¡¯. It was brutal domestic violence. Heid his hands on not only Seo Kang Jun, but asionally also his wife. He looked like a boor, not a head of household. And yet, he went on and on every day about how hard he was working for the family and how he has to work like an errand boy. He pressured his wife and child to be grateful to him. Oppressed by such a father, Seo Kang Jun couldn¡¯t even breathe properly in the house. But it was different when he went outside. Outside, Seo Kang Jun was a protagonist and he could be a boor. It was ok for him to act like that. The violence and oppression he suffered at home gave Seo Kang Jun a justification to act however he wanted when he was out. In exchange for putting up with his father, he was able to exercise power with his father¡¯s backing. Seo Kang Jun imitated his father, who pretended to be caring when he went out despite being a violent offender at home. As he continued to do so, he understood why his father acted like that. The pleasure of stepping on someone weak was truly thrilling. No matter how much you stepped on them, they couldn¡¯t even wriggle. Everyone was weak. It was only right that the weak get stepped on. However, these were all just excuses for himself that Seo Kang Jun thought of from his point of view. Being in the same situation doesn¡¯t mean everyone makes the same choice. It was just that Seo Kang Jun is that kind of person. Director Seo Joong Won asked, while looking at Seo Kang Jun, who was lying on the floor and holding back the pain. Director Seo Joong Won wanted to continue the beating, but he stopped after two hits considering Seo Jun¡¯s upation. ¡°Exin yourself.¡± ¡°Exin what¡­?¡± ¡°Exin what?! I told you, didn¡¯t I? You can do whatever you want but if you¡¯re going to get caught, don¡¯t even start!¡± Seo Kang Jun grit down on his mr. In any case, it turned out that Seo Kang Jun never caused any incidents. Nevertheless, his father swung a golf club at him before asking whether it was true or not. ¡°What are you going to do about the fraudulent admission? All that over a college that I didn¡¯t even have to go to¡­¡± Director Seo Joong Won let out a sigh over his son, who stared at him with resentful eyes, as if the action were ridiculous. ¡°You were the one who said you wanted to push Kang Do Wook out! And it wasn¡¯t even a real fraudulent admission, so it was a problem that would have been taken care of easily¡­if only your violence case hadn¡¯te out.¡± ¡°Sue them. They don¡¯t have evidence anyways.¡± ¡°Sue? You say that as if it¡¯s so easy. What if they find evidence during the process?! We will probably win the case, but it will likely be unnecessary self-inflicted damage.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± Seo Kang Jun looked nervously at Director Seo Joong Won. Until now, his position had never been so precarious. Not once had he viewed it as precarious. If it looked like there might be a small problem for his son, his product, Director Seo Joong Won¡¯s underlings stepped in and quietly took care of it. That¡¯s why the sudden crisis was driving Seo Kang Jun crazy. Of course he felt vexed that he lost first ce, which had been within his reach, to KK and Kang Do Wook, but he was confident that one day he would topple Kang Do Wook and take that spot. Starting from when he was kicked out of the lead role of a drama that they had already even filmed, his empty-shell self disappeared and Seo Kang Jun felt as if he were standing in the middle of the city, naked. ¡°For now, don¡¯t even think of showing your face anywhere and pretend you¡¯re self-reflecting.¡± ¡°Why should I?! I didn¡¯t do anything wrong!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it true that you beat up a kid?¡± ¡°I told you, they don¡¯t have evidence! If they don¡¯t have evidence, it didn¡¯t happen!¡± Seo Kang Jun¡¯s words made Director Seo Joong Won show an expression as if he couldn¡¯t believe what he was hearing. At the same time, he shook his head. It was exactly as he had taught him. ¡°You¡¯re certain they really don¡¯t have evidence, right? If you keep to yourself, they¡¯ll soon forget. That public made up of dogs and pigs.¡± ¡°Until when?¡± ¡°How would I know?! Annoying kid!¡± ¡°Father! This involves me! Step in more!¡± ¡°I am your father, but I am also the Director here.¡± Seo Kang Jun¡¯s eyes shook like a candle in front of the wind. ¡°Father, you¡¯re not¡­¡± He was definitely his son. He was reading his mind faster than anyone else would. Director Seo Joong Won made a suspicious expression. ¡°Now is not the time.¡± ¡°No¡­you¡¯re not, right father?!¡± Struggling, Seo Kang Jun got up. ¡°I said now is not the time, didn¡¯t I?! So, until things are sorted out, don¡¯t cause any more problems. Stay locked in the dormitory and do nothing but breathe!¡± Director Seo Joong Won yelled. ¡®Now is not the time¡¯ meant there maye a day that it might happen. ¡®I¡¯m being abandoned.¡¯ Seo Kang Jun slowly shook his head. ¡°This isn¡¯t some child¡¯s y. Everything is chosen ording to value. Just because you¡¯re my son doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re an exception.¡± ¡°Father!¡± ¡°Get out.¡± Seo Kang Jun didn¡¯t say any more. Saying any more would only get on Director Seo Joong Won¡¯s nerves more. He said that being his son didn¡¯t make him different, but in reality Seo Kang Jun was a card he could throw away more easily because he was his son. Just as he provided more full support because he was his son, the arrow of criticism could easily fly to Director Seo Joong Won for that same reason. Director Seo Joong Won is someone who prepares to ¡®cut the tail¡¯ at any moment. ¡°And M2M didn¡¯t make as much as expected¡­.tisk.¡± Looking at the door that Seo Kang Jun left through, Director Seo Joong Won clicked his tongue. He thought he could raise him to be a goose thatid golden eggs since he was handsome, but that ended up not being the case so it was causing him problems. Since he invested so much, he had to do as much as he could to fix it. Seo Kang Jun had put his faith in him, his father, and Director Seo Joong Won had threatened him in hopes that he would stop running wild, and tried to make him an agency celebrity who was a little more obedient. However, he was also making his own moves. ¡®Let¡¯s see¡­¡¯ Director Seo Joong Won thought hard about what method to use to get out of this mess. *** However, there was something Director Seo Joong Won miscalcted. To start, Seo Kang Jun was someone who couldn¡¯t live without Director Seo Joong Won¡¯s backing. The fear that he¡¯d be abandoned by his father in the end shook him to his core. Seo Kang Jun, of course, didn¡¯t have the capability to ovee that hardship. Seo Kang Jun relieved his oppression at home bymitting violence outside. Seo Kang Jun left Ara Entertainment¡¯s headquarters and used the route to head to the club he often went to. A few diehard fans who followed Seo Kang Jun around like glue, whispered as they watched Seo Kang Jun head towards the club. ¡°Hey, is it ok for Jun to be doing that?¡± ¡°I know. In the article they said he¡¯d stop activities for the time being and rest. I guess this is what he meant by resting.¡± ¡°I guess he¡¯s really hurt that he was kicked off the drama. He used to only call girls to the dorm too. Did he really beat someone up?¡± ¡°Kids from the same high school said they never saw Jun hit anyone. The handwritten letter must be fake. It¡¯s true that he has a temper, but could he really have beaten him up that much?¡± ¡°I guess. He doesn¡¯t seem to have the guts to go on TV after doing something like that. Gee, I understand being upset, but why is he drinking at a time like this?¡± ¡°Yeah. It often seems like he¡¯s not thinking. It¡¯s because the construction of his image was done well.¡± ¡°True. He often mistreats the members too. He¡¯d cuss at them too.¡± ¡°Whilepletely hiding it on broadcasts.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Even while whispering, the diehard fans were busily giggling over the idea that it was a ¡®Seo Jun¡¯ that only they knew instead of being worried. Seo Kang Jun, who entered the club in the meantime, reserved a room and gathered his friends whom he used to hang out with in high school. There were people he hadn¡¯t really kept in contact with after entering Ara Entertainment as an official trainee. The friends immediately ran to him since a celebrity was calling them. Among them were those who bullied Reporter Choi Sung Jun¡¯s younger brother together with Seo Kang Jun. ¡°*Beep*. Why is that bastard doing this *beeP* now?¡± Freely cussing for the first time in a long time, Seo Kang Jun excessively got into the alcohol. It seemed as though a screw got loose when he was getting beaten on the shin with the golf club. Abusivenguage towards him that was constantly getting posted on the Inte was hard to bear too. It was especially so since he had never been condemned like this before. ¡°Ah, those were the good old days. Watching that bastard pee himself was so funny!¡± ¡°I know~!¡± ¡°Ah, *beep*! Stop talking about dirty things. It¡¯s making the alcohol taste bad! That *beep*, I should have shattered his hand so he couldn¡¯t even hold a pencil.¡± Seo Kang Jun gathered his saliva and spit on the floor as he talked. ¡°But man, how could you not contact us at all all this time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I called you again. You guys know what will happen if you talk about the past, right?¡± ¡°Of course, of course. We¡¯d never do that. You¡¯re paying for everything, right? Can we order more hard liquor?¡± ¡°Do whatever you want.¡± When Seo Kang Jun wobbled and waved his hand, his so-called friends cheered and called the waiter. And a momentter. The waiter was thrown to the floor. It was because he didn¡¯t do what Seo Kang Jun wanted. Blood burst from the mouth of the waiter, who was hit in the face by Seo Kang Jun¡¯s fist. It was when Seo Kang Jun kicked the waiter in the abdomen. His shin gave him burning pain every time he moved his foot. The door opened and people screamed. The person who secretly approached the room and opened the room so that the situation inside could be visible to the outside was Reporter Choi Sung Jun, who had been secretly monitoring the situation. Also, as a family member of a victim of violence, he could no longer sit by and watch the waiter getting assaulted. Hiding within the crowd, Reporter Choi Sung Jun took pictures. Even if Reporter Choi didn¡¯t necessarily take it, too many people already had their eyes on Seo Kang Jun. ¡°What the¡­.¡± ¡°Seo Jun¡­isn¡¯t that Seo Jun?¡± ¡°Is he hitting someone right now?¡± ¡°Hurrr.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t they say he hit someone during high school too?¡± ¡°Police, we have to call the police!¡± ¡°Excuse me! Please move aside!¡± The club Manager, who waspletely surprised, was rushing towards the scene, trying to get through the crowd. It was unknown why the door of the private room was wide open. But that wasn¡¯t what was important right now. Seo Kang Jun stopped in his tracks, frozen by the gaze of people who were looking at him like he were a beast. ¡ª Next chapter: The public have now seen it with their own eyes. Seo Kang Jun now faces bacsh for his actions for the first time in his life. Bookmark (0)Please login to bookmarkClose Username or Email Address Password Remember Me No ount yet? Register Chapter 126 # 126 New goal (1) ¡´Man to Man Seojun¡¯s midnight club rampage!¡µ ¡´Assault on a waiter while drunk¡­ Seojun is an idol with two faces!¡µ ¡´Series of bad news¡­Man to Man Seojun¡¯s involvement in assault case!¡µ ¡´Seojun¡¯s irreversible fall ¡°Are you walking down the street?¡± -You were aplete crazy person, right? ¨C I¡¯m a fool for trusting it haha. A gangster. A gangster. ¨C I¡¯m looking for someone who can shield me from this.. hahahaha. I¡¯m looking for a friend who will even embrace this assault. Haha ¨C I guess what happened in high school is true ¨C He¡¯s not a real human, he¡¯s a devil ¨C Crazy bird X ¨C I¡¯m so scared?? -If you do that, you¡¯lle out smiling again??? -First of all, it looks like he wille out with an apology letter while dragging his feet -I¡¯m going to go with the image hahaha -I¡¯ll spend money and settle the agreement haha. Innocent hereditary, guilty without amusement haha -How can you take responsibility for the life of the victim who wrote that letter ? -Really arrested? Hahaha -You¡¯re the sickest person ever¡­ Hahahahahaha why do I be an idol because I still want to use my fists? ¨C It looks like Ara Entertainment has decided not to manage celebrities hahahaha ¨C I¡¯m just a beanbab idol~~~~ There are a lot of Man to Man albumsing out in the used world now haha ¨C What should the other Man to Man members do??? -What are you worrying about when it¡¯s just the rice with those herbs ? -The most useless thing in the world is worrying about celebrities. -Seojun should leave the entertainment industry, right? Seo Kang-joon, who was violently assaulting a waiter, was arrested by the police . The club manager tried to brush it off by saying it was just a minor argument between a staff member and a customer and that there was no major problem, but too many people had already seen it. Even the Sasaeng fans camped out at the entrance were shocked by the sight of the star being carried away in a police car. They were proud of knowing the secrets of most celebrities. After hearing the news of Seo Kang-jun being investigated at the police station, the manager came running, but there was nothing he could do since he was just a dog licking the soles of Seo Kang-jun¡¯s feet. The news quickly reached Director Seo Jung-won, but he had no time to do anything. This was because the articles were posted one after another on the Inte before the police, including the victim, could kiss each other and block the media. The inte was overflowing with photos circted by eyewitnesses. There was even an article posted on the Inte along with a photo from early morning. Now that the first report has been published, other media outlets have started to rush in and publish provocative articles. An assault case by a current idol. It was already a sufficiently provocative topic without having to use it provocatively. As what happened during his high school days became a fait apli, opinions that Seojun should be kicked out of the entertainment industry grew stronger. As someone said, it was a situation where even a ¡®shield¡¯ could no longer be used. By the morning, Ara Entertainment waspletely turned upside down due to Seo Kang-Jun¡¯s misbehavior in the early morning. Employees had to deal with hundreds of phone calls as they arrived at work. Even if it wasn¡¯t the department in charge, it was all about Seojun. Even though I was whispering, words kepting out. The atmosphere at thepany was unbelievable. Even the trainees gossiped about Seo Kang-jun¡¯s affairs. If it had been like before, the lesson teachers would have scolded the trainees who gossiped about senior singers who had already debuted, but it was difficult to impose sanctions at all. Rather, Ara Entertainment officials were more curious because they were close to how things were going. ¡°What¡¯s the deal?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. ¡°I recognized him from the time I walked around with my head held high and with confidence.¡± ¡°Mr. Jeong too. ¡°They once praised me for being good-looking and for singing well.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I said without knowing it was that bad.¡± The choreography teacher and vocal teacher who had taught Seo Kang-Jun gathered in one corner of the practice room and chatted among themselves. At that time, I saw a man-to-man manager passing through the hallway. His face was so gaunt that it was difficult to even say hello. It was only natural, since he had been going back and forth to the police station all morning, dealing with not only victims but also reporters. ¡°Wow, you don¡¯t look like a person. There are other people who cause trouble. ¡°There is someone else who takes care of the situation.¡± ¡°therefore. Manager Park is a real hard worker. ¡°You¡¯re not going to write me off because I couldn¡¯t manage it.¡± ¡°At least it will be a pay cut?¡± ¡°It could be cut off. What is the deal with man-to-man? ¡°I feel sorry for the other members.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so pitiful? It¡¯s the same with other kids who don¡¯t have sprouts after debuting. Seojun: It¡¯s because I¡¯m so stressed out that I can¡¯t make a sound. ¡°Thispany needs to start by providing character education to its children.¡± ¡°but. Still Obin? ¡°He¡¯s okay, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡­ . ¡°It didn¡¯t work out.¡± At that time, when even the people inside thepany were turning their backs on Seo Kang-jun, Seo Kang-jun escaped from the detention center and got into the car, guarded by road managers, with his face covered with a hat and mask. The news coverage was already overheated. Even with the power of Director Seo Jung-won, it was difficult to prevent reporters from flocking in. Thanks to this, Seo Kang-jun¡¯s haggard and gaunt face was stered all over the Inte, even though his entire face was covered. Distinct facial features were detrimental in times like this. Real-time search terms were filled with words about Seojun like never before. ¡°The settlement amount is.¡± ¡°It was processed, and Kang Jun contacted me to say he had entered the dorm.¡± ¡°How did you take care of your child? uh?!¡± Seo Joong-won, the general manager, couldn¡¯t help but throw the folder on the desk at the Man-to-Man general manager. ¡®widely!¡¯ With a sound, the manager was struck in the chest and the folder fell to the floor. ¡°There is no shame.¡± The manager, who knew General Manager Seo Joong-won¡¯s temperament well, lowered his head. Director Seo Joong-won, who was picking up other items to vent his anger, soon sighed and put them down. He was actually nning a press conference. As I had told my son, I thought about waiting for public opinion to calm down, but looking at the way things were going, I had no intention of calming down just because I did. It seemed like it would be better to go head-to-head. The rumors were getting worse and I couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, so I was thinking of going to the front and putting on a proper tearful show. If Seo Kang-Jun shed tears and imed innocence, there would have been many people who would turn away shaken. Moreover, as Seo Kang-Jun said, if there was no evidence, there would be controversy in the future, but it would be enough to just gloss over it and move on. It was Seo Kang-jun himself who poured cold water on Director Seo Jung-won¡¯s n. At that time, the door to the general manager¡¯s office opened with a knock, and the secretary came in. ¡°The boss is asking how I will solve this problem¡­ ¡­ .¡± Director Seo Joong-won was not looking at the phone as the number of calls poured in. As a result, it seems like he missed the president¡¯s call. Director Seo Joong-won had a n to swallow up Ara Entertainment whole. The n was for the tform to be man-to-man. His son is at the center of Man-to-Man, which will be the main product that will seed the Four Directions myth, and he is the only one who can do as he wants with his son. But the n was going wrong from a certain moment. I wasn¡¯t here to do all kinds of dirty things for this reason. Director Seo Jung-won touched his throbbing head. ¡°I¡¯ll contact you directly.¡± The secretary nodded at Director Seo Jung-won¡¯s words. After watching, I closed the door again and left. Director Seo Joong-won spoke to the manager. ¡°Search the Inte and contact the bastard who wrote that letter.¡± ¡°yes? What are you going to do¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°Either you can coax that bastard into writing again that he was delusional.¡± It was thest move that Director Seo Jung-won thought of. Something had to be fixed somehow. ¡°I have a man-to-man performance scheduled for a monthter¡­ ¡­ . ¡°What should we do about that?¡± ¡°one month? ¡°What kind of performance is this?¡± ¡°This is a Korean Wave concert in Seoul.¡± After a month, you will be in a state where you can self-reflect. It wasn¡¯t a bad event to go to as it was an event with many singers. ¡°Let Seojun write an apology and let him participate in the concert. ¡°Let¡¯s see the reaction.¡± ¡°yes.¡± *** One monthter. As Director Seo Joong-won thought, unlike a month ago when Seojun dominated real-time search terms, the Inte was so focused on other events and idents that Seojun waspletely forgotten. Among them, Seo Kang-Jun wrote a handwritten apology letter exactly as written by his agency and posted it on his fan cafe. The apology mainly included the story that hemitted the atrocity while drunk because he was mentally confused by what suddenly happened. The fans¡¯ reaction was colder than expected. Of course, there were somements saying that they believed in and supported Seojun. But there were very few fans. Most people asked me how I would exin what happened in high school. The atmosphere within the Man to Man fandom was extremely hostile. There was a petition campaign on the Inte calling for Seo Kang-joon to be kicked out. Even when the public forgot about Seo Kang-Jun, fans did not forget and raised their voices saying that he should be punished. It was right to say that when fans turn, they be antis. As much as I liked Seo Kang-Jun, I came to hate him. The main reason for his anger was his sense of shame at having been so easily deceived by Seo Kang-jun. Of course, Ara Entertainment approached reporter Choi Seong-jun¡¯s younger brother, but ess was blocked from reporter Choi Seong-jun. Reporter Choi Seong-jun was angry at Seo Kang-jun and his father for not being able to sincerely apologize but instead thinking of threatening him, but he was not unaware of these people. I didn¡¯t even want to apologize to them or offer them forgiveness. Ara Entertainment couldn¡¯t even think of changing the mind of Reporter Choi Seong-jun¡¯s younger brother because he was told that if he approached in this way, they would announce the ess on the Inte. In fact, with the posting of another victim who had been bullied in middle school, the fact that Seo Kang-jun was a perpetrator of school violence became an indisputable truth. Reporter Choi Seong-jun¡¯s younger brother was still in the dark, but he felt like he had received somepensation. No matter what the victim¡¯s personality was, I was being healed from the past of ming myself by seeing supportivements saying that the victim was innocent and only the perpetrator was guilty. ¡°Is it okay¡­?¡± ¡­ .¡± In front of the concert venue. The manager of Man to Man, who parked his car at the entrance, muttered to himself. Seo Kang-jun, who nced at me, had a nk expression. Seo Kang-Jun has lived as a no-nonsense actor for too long to withstand the criticism heaped upon him. Usually, even if an ident like this happens, the reason they struggle to make aeback is because they were people who once fought fiercely to debut. Seo Kang-jun¡¯s eyes were empty, as if he had given up on everything. I was sick of being criticized. ¡®Only for me¡­ ¡­ It¡¯s just too harsh on me.¡¯ Seo Kang-Jun had such thoughts. Everything felt so harsh. The Man to Man members remained silent about the downfall of Seo Kang-jun, who ignored them. There was no one tofort me. It was unfortunate, but at the same time, they were also the ones currently feeling the most anger. Future activities were unclear. The whole thing was on the verge of ruin because of one person. As the car door opened and the Man to Man members got out, the waiting fans screamed. ¡°Bin oppa!¡± ¡°Look here, brother!¡± ¡°Hanyou!¡± There was a time when Seo Kang-Jun was the most popr. But not now. Everyone was in a hurry to call other members. ¡°Resign! ¡°You crazy bird!¡± At that time, a raw egg flew in along with an expletive. A raw egg hit Seo Kang-jun¡¯s head with a loud thud. The broken raw egg flowed down and wet Seo Kang-jun¡¯s head. The murmur grew louder. The security guard pushed the fan who threw the raw egg away, but it was already toote. ¡°Resign!¡± ¡°Resign!¡± Fans¡¯ voices calling for withdrawal grew louder in front of the entrance. ¡°Mr. ¡­ .¡± Seo Kang-jun cursed lowly between his teeth. I couldn¡¯t bear it anymore. And at that moment, both the manager and Man to Man members knew. Seo Kang-Jun could no longer be an idol selling dreams and hopes. It was over. The KK members who arrivedter stood with their mouths open, unable to understand what had happened to the man who had entered earlier. Even KK fans were watching Man-to-Man rather than calling KK at this point. Seo Kang-jun and Do-wook, who were about to turn around and get back into the car under the manager¡¯s protection, met the eyes of Seo Kang-jun and Do-wook. Chapter 127 # 127 New goal (2) The members next to Do-wook could not hide their surprised expressions. Seo Kang-jun thought Do-wook wouldugh at him. However, there was no change in Dowook¡¯s expression. Do-wook¡¯s eyes looked directly at Seo Kang-jun. It was an emotionless look. There was no pity or contempt. Seo Kang-jun felt even more contempt in those eyes. To Kang Do-wook, he felt like a meaningless inanimate object. It would have been better if Dowook had at leastughed. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± A nce was exchanged between the two for a short period of time. Seo Kang-Jun became so miserable. The day I told Kang Do-wook that I would not wait and see was so miserable. Koo Cheol-min broke through the ugly atmosphere and moved the KK members. The KK members slowly passed the Man to Man members and entered the concert hall. Except for Seo Kang-jun, the other members of Man to Man also hurriedly moved to their seats along with the young manager. The manager got into the car and took Seo Kang-jun that way. There were several people taking pictures of the back. Seo Kang-jun got into the car, took the tissue handed to him by his manager, wiped off the egg water, and closed his eyes. ¡°I think today¡¯s performance will be difficult. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the dorm.¡± Seo Kang-Jun nodded, nervously throwing the soiled toilet paper onto the floor of the car. However, the ¡®today¡¯ stage seemed to be the only one that wasn¡¯t difficult. It was unclear whether I would be able to stand on stage in the future. He had a premonition that he would no longer be able to hear the cheers of those who had been so fooled by him that they cheered like idiots without even knowing what kind of person he really was. Seo Kang-jun¡¯s father, Director Seo Joong-won, was not the kind of person who would willingly ept his weak, distracted son. ¡®If it¡¯s a nuisance, I¡¯ll clean it up.¡¯ My son was no exception. There were some disappointing parts, but if things continue like this, the entire Man to Man will sinkpletely. It was not possible to make Man to Man apletely throwaway card since the investment made in growing Man to Man had not yet been properly recovered. It was true that there was no male idol group to be released right away. Director Seo Joong-won frowned as he clicked on a photo of his son covered in egg water. The wrinkles became multipleyers. It was time to make a decision. First of all, we had to move forward with the schedule for the girl group¡¯s album, which was scheduled to be released in the next quarter. In the meantime, if we reorganized Man to Man and the album we were preparing, there would still be a chance for a leap forward. ¡®Once you make a decision, you¡¯d better make it quickly¡­¡¯ Director Seo Jung-won busily picked up the ringing cell phone. It was a call from the president of Ara Entertainment. The current president of Ara, who founded Ara Entertainment, had delegated all practical matters to General Manager Seo Jung-won. The reason why I changed so quickly as I got older was because I thought my ability to cope with the industry was low. However, you still had to report majorpany matters to the president. ¡®I thought there weren¡¯t many days like this left.¡¯ Stocks were also being collected, and all of the key personnel were Director Seo Jung-won. It would have been a lot easier if his son hadn¡¯t done something stupid. Director Seo Joong-wonughed bitterly. Yet, on the phone, he sounded like a subordinate who was more loyal than anyone else. ¡°Yes, boss.¡± Director Seo Joong-won put saliva on the corner of his mouth with his tongue. Even so, since he was my son, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a little burnt at the corners of my mouth. ¡°yes. I decided. I¡¯ll go up to take a look now. Are you in the president¡¯s office?¡± The president rarely came to the office anymore. Director Seo Joong-won nodded and answered. ¡°yes. ¡°Then I¡¯lle to your house.¡± *** ¡´Seojun suddenly announces his withdrawal from Man to Man..Study abroad after retirement from the entertainment industry¡µ ¡´In the end¡­ Seojun leaves Man to Man!¡µ ¡´Who is Seojun who heated up the Inte for a few days..?¡µ ¡´Ara Entertainment¡¯s official statement on Seojun¡¯s departure from Man to Man Full text> ¡´Future activities have not been decided yet¡­ Man to Man is considering recruiting a new member!¡µ ¡´A recording of him admitting to the assault has been released¡­ Fans who turned their backs on the unrepentant Seojun¡µ -Study abroad? After all, it¡¯s okay if you go abroad to study because you¡¯re a gold digger. ¨C Just go to the military lol ¨C It would be worth watching if they even expose the military service corruption lol ¨C I¡¯m talking about studying abroad, just exile¡­ ¨C I feel sorry for the other Man to Man members. I think it¡¯s right to leave quickly;;; -So you didn¡¯t apologize in the end? Hahaha, I think I put an iron te on my face¡­ -Don¡¯t even think about showing your face on TV again! Tsk! -Are you going to take just one raw egg? People like that must suffer the same thing : ¡®self-destruction.¡¯ It was truly a form that the word self-destruction fits well with. Do-wook thought while looking at his cell phone while preparing for departure with the help of Director Baek-ho Oh and his suitcase. However, I soon gave up thinking about Seo Kang-jun as I turned the page to another article. The life of celebrity Seo Kang-jun hase to an end. Even if this incident was forgotten, he would never have the same glory as before. Although he escaped judicial guilt, he was tried by the public. Since their faces are all known, they would not be able to live proudly in ces with many Koreans, even if they were foreign countries. Dowook has decided to forget about being a sinner who must live with his sin like a stigma on his face. Today, Incheon Airport was crowded with more people than any other time. The reason was the departure of the two stars, who were not tourists due to the holidays. One star was Dowook. ¡°Do-Wook!¡± ¡°Oppa Dowook!¡± ¡°Kang Do-wook!¡± ¡°Mr. Dowook! ¡°Please look here!¡± It was difficult to tell who was a fan and who was a reporter because fans and reporters were calling Dowook¡¯s name frantically. Do-wook walked quickly, answering people who called him with only a smile. Chief Oh Baek-ho and additional bodyguards protected Do-wook. As we made our way through the crowd and entered the departure hall, directors Seong-ah Yoon and Hyo-won Park, who had arrived one step ahead of Do-wook, were waving and greeting reporters. The two people saw Dowook and waved. Dowook waved hello to the two people and then went to stand next to them. Three people stood in a line and waved their hands toward the reporters. Although there was no official n to spend time with reporters, because so many reporters and fans came, it was based on director Yoon Seong-ah¡¯s opinion that it would be a good idea to say hello at least as a form of fan service. A sh exploded at these three people to the point where it hurt my eyes. ¡°How do you feel!¡± ¡°Here too! ¡°Look over here too!¡± Director Yoon Seong-ah and Park Hyo-won¡¯s gaze turned toward Do-wook. It was a public facility with many regr users. It was a nuisance that caused further congestion. Therefore, the greeting should not be long, and the two people decided that if they were to say a short word, it would be right for Do-wook, who was in the spotlight the most, to say it. Dowook looked a little embarrassed and opened his mouth. ¡°Hmm.¡± Since I didn¡¯t even have a microphone on, I had to use my voice raw. Dowook cleared his throat and cleaned up the noisy surroundings a little. ¡°I feel truly honored. It¡¯s all thanks to everyone who loved our movie. ¡°I¡¯ll see you in Cannes then.¡± It was Khan. Every filmmaker has wanted to walk on the Cannes red carpet at least once. Cannes, a French resort city with a dazzlingly blue sea and a wind blowing over it. The dreams of filmmakers unfold there. Khan was a collection of such dreams. At the Cannes Film Festival, ¡°Blue Whale¡± was officially invited to be screened under Un Certain Regard. It was an indescribable honor not only for Park Hyo-won, who has been active in the independent film industry for quite a long time, but also for directors Yoon Seong-ah and Do-wook. This was especially true for directors Yoon Seong-ah and Do-wook because it was their first film. The ¡®Un Certain Regard¡¯ section of the Cannes Film Festival was a section called the future of the Cannes Film Festival. As the name of the category suggests, it was a screening opportunity given to movies that deserve attention in the future. It may have been too obvious, but it was literally true. It was such an honor, and this moment of glory did note about on my own. Dowook truly thought that it was thanks to the people who made the movie and the people who loved the movie. Dowook smiled quietly as he finished speaking. The quiet surroundings became noisy again, and cheering murmurs arose. The sound of shes aimed at impressive smiles also became stronger. Dowook¡¯s words, ¡®See you at Cannes,¡¯ were very coolments. Not just anyone could say something like that. These were words that only those invited to Cannes could say. The three finally entered the departure hall, waving to those who were grateful for their interest. The sight of Do-wook leisurely entering the departure hall was even more reliable today. Fans watched Dowook¡¯s back and rubbed their eyes, feeling overwhelmed. Do-wook¡¯s entry into Cannes was a surprise to fans. It wasn¡¯t a famous director¡¯s film, and fans were skeptical that Do-wook¡¯s next acting move was an art film by a new director. They were just astonished as they had questioned Do-wook¡¯s choice. One fan who posted that he wished Dowook had gone on vacation while filming the movie even pped himself in the face. ¡°Ah, now even Khan recognizes Do-wook¡¯s beauty¡­¡± ¡°You must be handsome in the eyes of foreigners, right?¡± ¡°Are you saying it¡¯s a horse? ¡°No matter if they say they like oriental things or not, in the end, Kim Tae-hwa and Song Hye-jin are the top pretty female celebrities chosen by foreigners.¡± ¡°Our Do-wook goes to Cannes and won¡¯t be pushed back by Bradford.¡± ¡°When were you Brad Pitt?¡± ¡°She¡¯s getting older¡­ I guess she had a hard time sending her child to kindergarten.¡± ¡°Has Bradford ever been to Cannes?¡± It was when the fans who saw Dowook off were chatting amongst themselves and leaving. A group of reporters were rushing away from Gate 2, where the Blue Whale team was, toward Gate 8. ¡°Who¡¯s here again?¡± ¡°okay? ¡°I didn¡¯t know.¡± Do-wook¡¯s fans gave a puzzled look. At Gate 8, where reporters gathered, there was another star of the same age as Do-wook, who had fallen before he could properly reach the top of the sky. It was Seo Kang-jun. Even though the fact that he was leaving the country was posted secretly, reporters who knew about the flight schedule gathered there. Seo Kang-Jun appeared dressed in ck from head to toe, looking like a criminal. Only the youngest manager sent by the agency shared Seo Kang-jun¡¯s burden. Seo Kang-jun, who carried two suitcases for immigrants, was busy walking towards the departure hall, avoiding reporters who kept asking him about his feelings. From now on, it would have been difficult to enter Korea for a while to avoid causing noise for Man to Man¡¯s activities. It was natural that there was no time to say hello to family or friends. It was not clear whether Seo Kang-jun had any family or friends who would mourn his departure. This exile was sent by Seo Kang-jun¡¯s father. Seo Kang-Jun left the country in a pitiful manner, fighting through reporters and people pointing fingers who flocked in like hungry hyenas. Compared to Do-wook¡¯s departure just before, it was a miserable sight. *** The weather in Khan, where we arrived after a long flight, was very clear, as if weing Do-wook. When we arrived at the site, there were not many people who recognized Do-wook. Do-wook took a deep breath of Cannes¡¯ clean air and enjoyed the joy of the present. Director Yoon Seong-ah and Park Hyo-won also could not hide their excitement. ¡°I never thought we woulde this far¡­.¡± It was a moment that no one could have easily imagined. ¡°The Blue Whale¡± was scheduled to be screened at the Debussy Museum tomorrow. Today, the first priority was to relieve the fatigue of the flight and get a good rest. After sharing a car, we headed to our amodations. Director Oh Baek-ho, who apanied Do-wook, said. ¡°It looks like Seo Kang-jun also left the country today¡­¡± ¡°I see.¡± I felt like something had been washed away. Even though it was revenge that he could not achieve with his own body, revenge that he achieved with his eyes open again was not bad. Dowook¡¯s expression when he felt that way was very calm and clear. Director Oh Baek-ho looked at Do-wook and asked. ¡°Is it all over now?¡± Do-wook grinned at Director Baek-ho Oh¡¯s question. ¡°no. ¡°Now is the start.¡± The end was another beginning. From the beginning, Do-wook had no intention of ending with Seo Kang-jun. If the tail was cut off, the hand holding the knife that cut off the tail and the owner of that hand would also have to be cut off. Chapter 128 # 128 New Goal (3) *** #S. Jeong-hwan pushed Hyo-won into a corner of the ssroom and inflicted extreme violence on her. In the end, Hyowon is unable to ovee the violence and loses his mind. Jeong-hwanes to his senses when he sees Hyo-won bleeding and breathing weakly. But too much has already happened. There is no turning back. Jung-hwan, who was staring nkly at Hyowon with his eyes closed, cannot ovee his anger and roars, hitting the locker with a desk chair on one side of the ssroom. In the roar of Jeonghwan. The janitor guarding the school came running and smashed the lockers, scattering fragments of the chair. At that time, blood began to flow from Dowook¡¯s cheek. It wasn¡¯t a nned scene. However, the camera did not miss the sight and did a close-up. #S. Jeonghwan is walking along the railing on the rooftop at a brisk pace. If you stretch your foot to the left, if you stretch your foot to the right inside the rooftop¡­ it¡¯s dizzying. Trees line the streets of a deserted street. The leaves are shaking, and a red sunset, like the sunset I saw with Hyowon one day, is coloring the sky. Jeonghwan slowly closes his eyes and takes a step forward while looking at the scene. The ending cuts and blurs the vision. THE END. As the subtitles appeared and the screen went dark, people in the theater stood up one by one and began to apud. Director Yoon Seong-ah and Park Hyo-won and Do-wook, who were also present, stood up as they received a standing ovation. When they looked back, they saw numerous people pping for them. Most of them were local people, and there were many who, like Dowook, flew in from various countries to enjoy the Cannes Film Festival. Receiving apuse from people with different eye and hair color than Koreans aroused a strange feeling. These were people with whom I could notmunicate except by saying hello. It was so amazing that they were so impressed by the Korean work called ¡®Blue Whale¡¯ that they gave a thumbs up and pped. ¡°The response¡­¡± ¡°Is it really good? Wow¡­.¡± As Do-wook muttered with emotion, director Seong-ah Yoon continued. But of course, neither of them could continue speaking. The sensuous visuals and direction of ¡°The Blue Whale¡± overwhelmed the audience at the Debussy Hall. Although it was a story about Korean teenagers, the anxiety and violence of adolescence was something that anyone in other countries could fully understand. Both the narrative and the acting of the director and actors were harmonious. The inexperience in using lighting was often noticed by sophisticated experts, but even that could be interpreted as a crude metaphor of adolescence. Since the other parts were so great, the shorings did not appear to be disadvantages. The apuse continued for over 10 minutes. There were some who believed that the standing ovation at Cannes was actually a custom. This was because most of the dozens of films at the Cannes Film Festival received standing ovations. It also expressed the filmmakers attending the Cannes Film Festival¡¯s love for movies and their respect for the film crew. First of all, it also meant that it had already been verified that the film was selected for the Cannes film festival. But most were not all. Sometimes, when a movie was shown that did not appeal to the audience, there was no standing ovation at all, and even if there was, it was only about 3 minutes out of courtesy. Therefore, it was difficult to view apusesting more than 10 minutes as a practice. Heartfelt praise was evident in the eyes of those apuding. It was a sessful response to the point of certainty. The three people were thrilled to have released a film that would satisfy the eyes of sophisticated audiences. ¡®Toe to this ce¡­¡¯ Do-wook thought absently as he looked at the people and heard the sound of apuse ringing in his ears. ¡®It feels like I¡¯ve climbed halfway up a mountain. It felt like I was heading towards the summit, which was hidden from view by clouds. I can¡¯t easily predict anymore¡­¡¯ I thought I had reached a certain level, but somehow I felt further away. But it wasn¡¯t an unpleasant distant feeling. Like this unexpected ce. My expectations were greater. Of course, it wasn¡¯t that there were no worries. Nevertheless, the reason my expectations were greater than my anxiety was because I was prepared to work harder. A local response came immediately. Distributors from more than 10 countries in the United States and Europe expressed interest in ¡°Blue Whale.¡± Although it had been nned to be screened overseas to some extent sinceing to Cannes, there was even more interest. An interview request came in from the local media. Director Yoon Seong-ah, Park Hyo-won, and Do-wook, along with an interpreter assigned by the productionpany, also conducted interviews with local media outlets. ¡®Daily¡¯, a leading French daily newspaper, also requested an interview. Interest in ¡®Blue Whale¡¯ was stronger than expected. These were three people who had no idea that they would get such a positive response, even though it wasn¡¯t apetitive category. In particr, there was a lot of interest in Dowook. The interviewing reporter¡¯s eyes sparkled and he asked Dowook several questions. Various articles also made sure to mention Do-wook¡¯s acting along with the sensuous visual beauty of ¡°Blue Whale.¡± Various expressions were attached to Do-wook¡¯s name, such as ¡®the tensioning from ck eyes that seem to get sucked in¡¯, ¡®charm like a ck hole¡¯, and ¡®a boy from Korea who you can¡¯t take your eyes off of¡¯. Afterpleting interviews with local media, thest schedule the three had in Cannes was none other than a live interview schedule on MyTube. This was the schedule proposed by Hit Entertainment, Do-wook¡¯s agency and the second investment in Blue Whale. In Korea, ¡°Blue Whale¡± had only been shown for two weeks. Even though Do-wook appeared, he did not have ticket power as a movie actor, and due to the nature of the movie genre, it was not able to mobilize arge audience. Although it was not amercial film, it would have been good for the investor to somehow get more profit. Because it received favorable reviews at the Cannes Film Festival, promotions were nned to be elerated for the remaining period. There have been cases where films received good reviews at foreign film festivals and in turn became popr domestically. The MyTube live interview was nned as part of such promotion. Although it was called an interview, there was no separate reporter and all the three people did was exchange questionnaires and talk in afortable atmosphere. Not only the fans of ¡°Blue Whale¡± that emerged from domestic screenings, but also a significant number of Do-wook¡¯s fans logged onto MyTube to watch the live broadcast. ¡°hello!¡± ¡°hello.¡± The MyTube live broadcast began with three people waving their hands at the camera. Filming took ce outdoors. The equipment was installed on the roof of a tall building next to the Debussy Building. Below the rooftop, low buildings and a sea of spaces were spread out. Dowook was wearing a light blue shirt. Wearing a bright-colored shirt, his hairfortably disheveled, and sunsses on to avoid the sun, Dowook¡¯s appearance was shining again today. Because it was broadcast live on MyTube, the fans¡¯ reactions were ryed to the three people in real time. Director Yoon Seong-ah stuttered as he read the fans¡¯ reactions on the screen. ¡°Oppa Do-wook¡­ he¡¯s so handsome. Wow¡­. There are a lot of people here saying that Do-wook is handsome.¡± ¡°No, the actor who yed Hyowon here did a good job. ¡°There are things I do, but the director only reads them.¡± ¡°Park Hyowon, you know you can¡¯t swear here, right?¡± Director Yoon Seong-ah and Park Hyo-won bickered while looking at the screen. ¡°You two are very close. ¡°Thank you for thepliment that I¡¯m handsome.¡± Dowook happily resolved the rtionship between the two. ¡°Thank you so much for loving Blue Whale! Everyone who watched this has seen our movie, right? Our movie¡­ is fun. ¡°Did you enjoy it?¡± ¡°haha. Mr. Dowook! ¡°It seems like you¡¯re forcing it!¡± Director Yoon Seong-ah stopped Do-wook, but Do-wook shook his head and muttered confidently. ¡°It¡¯s true that it¡¯s fun.¡± Park Hyo-won smiled and said as if it was fun. ¡°That¡¯s right. ¡°The acting was very good.¡± ¡°Wow, these two actors are so¡­.sigh?¡± ¡°Can I use that word, Director?¡± When Park Hyo-won sharply pointed out Director Yoon Seong-ah, Director Yoon Seong-ah racked his brain to find another word for ¡®jakkeok¡¯. Meanwhile, Dowook answered on his behalf. ¡°Confidence! Right, Hyowon?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Park Hyo-won and Do-wook suddenly got along well. Dowook was in a very good mood due to the enthusiastic local response. Of course, not only Dowook but everyone else did the same. However, considering Dowook¡¯s usually calm personality, it was easy to notice that he was in a very high state right now. Even when something good happened, Do-wook would instead smile brightly rather thanugh out loud. As Do-wook smiled and waved his hands almost like a child, the MyTube channel was about to explode. -Do-wook oppa, I feel good^^?? -Why does Kang Do-wook seem to be in such a good mood? Haha, he looks like he¡¯s manic haha ¨C Khan¡­ Kang Do-wook is also¡­ made to dance¡­ ¨C Aren¡¯t the members sad? Haha I guess he¡¯s close with Do-wook¡¯s brother, actor Park Hyo-won haha ¨C It¡¯s nice to see that the three of you seem to be close friends haha ¨C There¡¯s a reason why movies do well..!!! -Hello!! uki oppa!! -Director Yoon Seong-ah! You are a beauty~! -I went to Cannes, so please say hello in French! -Please say just one line from Blue Whale!!! -Do-wook oppa, please curse at me!! You¡¯re really good at cursing, but do you usually swear a lot? LOL ¨C Aggro?? ¨C What¡¯s going on with Park Hyo-won¡¯s next project? I¡¯ve been a fan for a long time. -How do you feel about going to Cannes? Is the air in Cannes a little different?! ¡°How do you feel abouting to Cannes? Can you see the sea here? ¡°The weather is so nice¡­ both the weather and the people seem to wee us¡­ I love it!¡± Dowook spread his arms wide, lifted the camera, and showed the view of the sea outside the rooftop. Do-wook, a former idol, was bound to be more natural and skilled atmunicating with these fans. As Do-wook took the lead and responded proactively, director Seong-ah Yoon and Hyo-won Park also continued their talk morefortably. ¡°Park Hyo-won, do you have any ns for your next project?¡± When Do-wook asked a question like a reporter, Park Hyo-won answered. ¡°Not yet. ¡°There are a few ces that contact me¡­ but I hope there will be more in the future.¡± ¡°As expected of a greedy senior.¡± Director Yoon Seong-ahughed at Do-wook¡¯s words and read one of the questions that quickly rose up. ¡°Greetings in French¡­ Bonjour? haha. This is all I have. ¡°Do any of you speak French?¡± Park Hyo-won made an X with both arms. ¡°I can¡¯t even speak English properly. ¡°No, not even Korean yet.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯m not saying hello, but.¡± Dowook seemed to be a little worried and then opened his mouth. I wanted to leave an impressive interview video, and before making such calctions, I had a spontaneous idea. It was because it felt that good. At that time, Director Oh Baek-ho, who was watching the interview behind the camera, received a call from Koo Cheol-min from Korea. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t check the manager¡¯s message¡­¡± ¡°Do-wook is broadcasting live right now. What¡¯s going on? ¡°Is it urgent?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not it. I¡¯ve received a casting request and I feel like I need confirmation urgently.¡± ¡°Public rtions? What a shame. ¡°I won¡¯t schedule anything other than the awards ceremony schedule.¡± ¡°This is the awards ceremony schedule¡­¡± The awards ceremony schedule had already been confirmed. This was when Director Oh Baek-ho was about to ask what he meant. Dowook¡¯s sweet singing voice echoed across the rooftop. Even if you couldn¡¯t understand the meaning, it was a beautiful song just by pronunciation. The note was a famous chanson that everyone knew. It was ¡®La Vie En Rose¡¯. Chapter 129 # 129 New goal (4) ¡®La Vie En Rose¡¯, reinterpreted in Do-wook¡¯s voice, was very sweet and at the same time had a lonely lingering taste. Even though the sound quality was not that good because it was broadcast live on MyTube, Do-wook¡¯s song was conveyed with emotion and emotion across the ocean to Korea, where people were watching the live broadcast on MyTube. -My ears are melting right now -A bee came into my house right now. It seems like it heard Do-wook¡¯s voice and thought it was honey. -What is the drip? Hahaha ¨C Kang Do-wook said he learned French as his secondnguage? -Oh, you know how to speak? -It¡¯s different to hear you sing in French -What can¡¯t you do? -You can¡¯t do what you can¡¯t do -It¡¯s something that¡¯s ugly..lol -Dowook oppa???????Take me????????? -Even if I give it to you, I won¡¯t take it?? Instead of saying hello in French It was too impressive to be considered a short song. Dowook, who sang from before the first chorus to the interlude, finished the song while observing the reactions of those around him. Director Yoon Seong-ah and Park Hyo-won, who were listening as if fascinated, pped. ¡°It¡¯s really great. Mr. Dowook.¡± Director Yoon Seong-ah was impressed by the talent. Even though I thought I knew it, it was a talent that I was always amazed by in new ways. If it¡¯s smoke, if it¡¯s smoke, if it¡¯s singing, it¡¯s singing. It felt even more so because there was nothing I couldn¡¯t do. Of course, Do-wook¡¯s current talent came from abination of two things. Things like Kang Do-wook¡¯s great body and Kim Bo-myeong¡¯s mental passion and hard work¡­ The sea breeze blew and shook Do-wook¡¯s hair. Dowook smiled a little shyly butfortably, as if responding to the apuse. Previously, in order to sing with the right sound, you had to work hard to rx your throat, practice gathering your breath in the danjeon, and try to bring your voice from deep within the body rather thaning out raw from the throat. However, now, as a result of a lot of effort, I am able to sing at a certain level whenever Ifortably start singing. ¡°I knew you were a singer, but I didn¡¯t know you could sing so well.¡± ¡°Our Do-wook is the one who also sang a bad as a solo.¡± Director Yoon Seong-ah and Park Hyo-won praised Do-wook again. ¡°It¡¯s amazing that you also know chanson.¡± ¡°When I thought about going to Cannes, I was so nervous that I couldn¡¯t sleep. So, I listened to chanson in the early morning to calm my mind¡­ and then I memorized a little bit.¡± Dowook exined the reason why he memorized and sang the song ¡®La Vie En Rose¡¯ on the screen. ¡°I think it suits Do-wook very well. Even the song title.¡± The meaning of ¡®La Vie En Rose¡¯ is a rosy life. Do-wook blushed a little at director Yoon Seong-ah¡¯s words. I felt a little ashamed that my once insignificant life had suddenly be something that could bepared to a rosy life. The MyTube live broadcast was concluded after receiving a few more questions. After that, the main focus was on movies. Already in Korea, we worked hard to convey the enthusiastic response at Cannes, which elicited a ¡¯10-minute standing ovation¡¯ that was widely covered in articles. Meanwhile, fans watching My Tube edited ¡®La Vie En Rose¡¯ sung by Dowook in real time. Dowook¡¯s video was posted on several fanmunities. It wasn¡¯t just Korea. Fans overseas admired Dowook¡¯s sense and were moved by the song. In addition, the local media, which already had some interest in Do-wook, heard the news that Do-wook had sung a chanson and proudly published the fact in an interview article by the Blue Whale team. France was a country with great pride in its culture. As such, the local media was very satisfied that their song was sung in their ownnguage. Thanks to this, it was true that the evaluation of ¡°Blue Whale¡± in the article became a little more generous. *** What awaited Dowook, who returned to Korea after a sessful Cannes Film Festival schedule, was several more stage greetings at the movie theater. After that, it was time to go back to Kang Do-wook, a member of KK, instead of movie star Kang Do-wook. Although he did asionally do KK activities while touring overseas, Do-wook had to spare time to promote the movie, which was bigger than expected, except for the performance schedule. As I was busy doing activities and organizing various events, time passed by in a hectic manner. It was the end of the year again. As soon as Do-wook entered the practice room to practice for the awards ceremony stage, the members who came first weed him. ¡°It¡¯s hard to see Brother¡¯s real face!¡± ¡°I saw it on MyTube. Dowook singing chanson. ¡°Did you drink any wine that day?¡± Do-wook scratched his head at the words of Kim Won and Ahn Hyeong-seo. ¡°I was in a good mood that day¡­¡± ¡°I was in a good mood, so I went and came back.¡± Jeong Yoongi nodded as if he understood everything. The members were sad that Do-wook was so busy that they didn¡¯t have time to get together, but they were very proud of Do-wook, who was doing a great job outside. ¡°What about Jihoon and Taehyung?¡± Dowook took care of the two members who had not yet arrived at the practice room. ¡°Why don¡¯t you skip it and bete?¡± In response to Jeong Yoon-gi¡¯s words, Do-wook asked Ahn Hyeong-seo with a look as if he were real. Jung Yoon-gi¡¯s usual speaking style was so casual that sometimes even his jokes seemed serious. ¡°Is that possible? ¡°Jihoon went back out to get his practice clothes from the dorm, and Taehyung will bete by about an hour today, right?¡± ¡°Why are youte Taehyung?¡± ¡°You were quick when it came to your friend¡¯s business, but you changed after going to Cannes!¡± Just like Jeong Yoon-gi, Ahn Hyeong-seo made fun of Do-wook with jokes that didn¡¯t even make sense. In fact, Taehyung Park had gone to the practice room where Brave Only Child was to practice because he had a performance with Hyunji at the awards ceremony. Because I had to keep up with the local schedule, I ended up being about an hourte for KK¡¯s practice. Since Park Taehyung had the best ability to learn choreography anyway, about an hour was enough practice time to cover it. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Do-wook nodded after hearing the story. From solo album activities to movie filming and its promotion. It was Dowook who had been working alone outside of KK. Of course, director Yoon Seong-ah and seniors Park Hyo-won were by Do-wook¡¯s side during the filming, but their meaning was still different from that of the KK members. As he talked about the members who were present and those who had not yet arrived, Dowook quickly regained the sense of being with the members within KK. ¡°This awards ceremony is quite¡­¡± ¡°It must be busy.¡± ¡°It must be crazy.¡± ¡°Especially you, Dowook.¡± Each member responded to Do-wook¡¯s words one by one. First of all, in addition to all broadcasting stations¡¯ music awards, Seok Ji-hoon was scheduled to appear at the KVS entertainment awards. Thanks to his solid performance in ¡¯48 Hours Camping¡¯ and establishing himself, Seok Ji-hoon was nominated for the Rookie of the Year award. If there were no major surprises, Seok Ji-hoon would win the Rookie of the Year Award at the Entertainment Awards. And KK¡¯s performance in the music industry was unrivaled. Not only was KK¡¯s regr album ¡®Blue Sky¡¯ a huge hit, but Park Tae-hyung also showed off his potential as a duet between a man and a woman, which is rare in the music industry these days, with a coboration album with Hyun-ji. OK¡¯s performance as a hip-hop unit was also worthy of being presented at an awards ceremony. In addition, Dowook¡¯s solo album had two hit songs. To put it a little further, it was almost possible to attend the awards ceremony with only the KK members. This meant that KK did well this year, but it also meant that the awards ceremony period would be iparably busy and hecticpared tost year. At that time, assistant manager Kwon Woo-chan, who was in charge of the album production team, came into the practice room together with Seok Ji-hoon, who had returned from the dorm. ¡°hello!¡± ¡°hello.¡± The members who were sitting on the floor, warming up and rolling around, stood up and greeted assistant manager Kwon Woo-chan. Assistant Manager Kwon Woo-chan came in greeting us and held several sheets of paper in his hands. Assistant Manager Kwon Woo-chan handed out a piece of paper to each member. It was a paper that meticulously organized the nning intention and concept of the awards ceremony performance, as well as the stage movement. This showed that they were paying close attention to the awards ceremony stage, not just the concert. Because all they had to do was recreate the stage of an already existing song, most singers showed the same production or practiced a roughly made remix rather than makingpletely new preparations. However, Hit Entertainment and KK members had slightly different thoughts. The awards ceremony was an opportunity to show the essence of their performance to other fans and the general public and to attract attention with a new appearance. We could tell just by looking at the fact that Do-wook shared the stage with Jin-ri Leest time and that KK prepared a special group dance that attracted attention. ¡°First of all, this is the stageposition for the KVS awards ceremony.¡± While listening to Assistant Manager Kwon Woo-chan¡¯s exnation, the members carefully examined theposition. The album production team had the best arrangement team and was also paying attention to arrangement work. Of course, the final confirmers of the arrangement were to be album producer Dowook and KK members. ¡´Part 1, 6th¡µ ¨C Local stage (feat. Taehyung Park) ¡´Part 2 Opening Dowook Solo Stage¡µ ¨C Please don¡¯t go (orchestral arrangement version) 2:10 ¨C Concept stage break time 00:20 ¨C Darling (remix version) 1: 00 ¡´Part 2 Ending KK Power¡µ ¨C Just say the words (OK edited version) 1:20 ¨C Dance break 00:35 ¨C Blue Sky (original + a cappe version) 2:35 ¡°There are so many stages¡­¡­. ¡± ¡°You have this much time?¡± Seok Ji-hoon and Ahn Hyeong-seo asked as if they were surprised. Assistant Manager Kwon Woo-chan responded as if it was an expected reaction. ¡°Somehow, KVS paid more attention. ¡°In fact, it¡¯s a position that deserves this amount of time.¡± It was just as Assistant Manager Kwon Woo-chan said. KK was no longer a candidate for the main prize but a grand prize candidate. In addition, Do-wook alone had achieved enough results to easily win the main prize. ¡°Still, it¡¯s the ending.¡± Jeong Yoongi muttered. The opening and ending positions were important points everywhere. As the saying goes, ¡®the important onesest¡¯, the ending was especially an honor given to the most important and popr singer among the participating singers. ¡°KVS also has ¡®48 Hours of Camping,¡¯ and we¡¯re not very close with other agencies, so it¡¯s set up like this.¡± Assistant Manager Kwon Woo-chan further exined. ¡°Then what about other broadcastingpanies¡­¡± Assistant Manager Kwon Woo-chan wrinkled his eyebrows slightly in response to Do-wook¡¯s question. ¡°therefore. That¡¯s the problem. now.¡± *** Since many singers appear on music programs alone, there was a lot of discussion between teams about time allocation and ending positions. It was not for nothing that music program producers were powerful in the entertainment department. Since it was an extended version of the music program and there were awards at stake, it was natural that fights would break out over every minute and second of the awards ceremony stage. There were various conflicts of interest. What the broadcasting station had the most trouble with was the order cement and time allocation among the target candidates. It was difficult to distribute everything equally. Adjustments were needed, and depending on how those adjustments were made, the atmosphere of the awards ceremony that day could change. The problem at this awards ceremony was Sabang Shinhwa and KK. Director Oh Baek-ho was frowning after receiving the cue sheet for TBN¡¯s award ceremony, one of the biggest music awards ceremonies. ¡°It can¡¯t go on like this.¡± The thoughts of the head of the fan marketing team, Lee Dae-hyung, who was sitting in front of Director Oh Baek-ho, were the same. Chapter 130 # 130 Surpass (1) The TBN awards ceremony consisted of two parts. Like other broadcastingpany awards ceremonies, a significant number of KK members were nominated at the TBN Awards ceremony. To be exact, there were seven categories. They were even nominated for Poprity Award (KK), Dance Performance (KK), Hip Hop Genre (OK), Male Solo (Kang Do-wook), Male Group (KK), Duet (Park Tae-hyung), and Grand Prize (KK). Most of them had strongpetitors and were major categories at the awards ceremony. Since there was no other duet group other than Hyeonji and Taehyung Park, their award was almost confirmed. In the case of male solos, Dowook was expected to receive the Han Solo Award because he had superior music scorespared to other singers. These were the Poprity Award, Dance Performance Award, Hip-Hop Genre Award, and other awards whose targets were not clear. The selection criteria for this year¡¯s Poprity Award consisted of 80% of Inte voting results and 20% of judges¡¯ scores. Inte voting showed that KK was ahead of other groups, but there was no telling what the results would be. Also, in the hip-hop genre, there was a giant in the hip-hop world called ¡®Rusty Duo¡¯. Although OK had simr sound recording results, there was a greater possibility that the award would go to the Rusty Duo rather than OK, at least for the sake of matching the assortment. ¡®The dance performance award or the grand prize is¡­ You have to go to the end to find out.¡¯ Director Oh Baek-ho thought. It wasn¡¯t just Director Oh Baek-ho. Even people inside thepany and fans outside of the KK members could have predicted that much. However, I could get a rough idea by looking at the cue sheet. Which side is the broadcasting station cing its weight on? I was able to roughly read about how the award would be given. ¡°Our order is¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s ambiguous, right?¡± ¡°yes. It¡¯s ambiguous. Even if it¡¯s not the ending¡­ I think this is being too generous.¡± At the end of the cue sheet that flew to Ga-an, there was Sabang Shinhwa. KK performed slightly better than Sabang Shinhwa, which was on the verge of copse this year. However, since there is a thing called annual leave, it was possible to give the ending spot to Sabang Shinhwa. However, since it was ahead of ¡®Little Star¡¯, another singer and girl group belonging to Ara Entertainment, it seemed to anyone that TBN had sided with Ara Entertainment. Of course, ¡®Little Star¡¯ also had higher seniority than KK. It was a 7-year-old female idol group, which was rare in the music industry. I even heard that KK was the only group that reached the peak before their debut and could stand shoulder to shoulder with Sabang Shinhwa. However, this year, we did not achieve any significant results. It was unreasonable to hope for the same results as in the heyday. ¡°It¡¯s not like the order is based on annual leave¡­¡± When Director Oh Baek-ho muttered dissatisfied, Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung also agreed. ¡°There was definitely something to talk about. Just look at the fact that Man to Man took the opening spot of Part 2.¡± ¡°therefore.¡± ¡°They gave us 4 minutes to perform on stage.¡± It was team leader Lee Dae-hyung, who usually had a smiling face. However, when I frowned, I looked quite angry. ¡°Are we all 7 minutes in total?¡± ¡°yes. ¡°Little Star is 6 minutes and 30 seconds, and Four Directions is about 9 minutes.¡± ¡°How many songs did they hit this time? It¡¯spletely Ara Enter. Butst year, he pretended to take care of me.¡± ¡°Because Do-wook did a drama on TBNst year¡­¡± In fact, the fact that the award ceremony was held mainly for singers from Ara Entertainment was such amon practice that everyone knew it implicitly. However, other than a little noise, I couldn¡¯t say more because the singers of Ara Entertainment were actually doing well. But this time things were a little different. KK, who debuted with Man to Man,pletely beat Man to Man and was now trying to beat Sabang Shinhwa. Even if the performance of a single album was forced to be simr, KK was superior in terms of performance when including the other members¡¯ activities and performances. Nevertheless, being assigned a simr time to Little Star and being ced in front of Little Star was something that could hurt KK¡¯s pride. ¡°I talked to an acquaintance at Ara Entertainment.¡± Director Oh Baek-ho listened intently to what Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung said. Director Oh Baek-ho was wary of the fact that Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung was from Ara Entertainment, but for now, it was true that Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung was a good source of information. I heard that the fan-marketing team system is being structured to fit therger scale than before. Director Oh Baek-ho thought that the recruitment of Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung was, as expected, a good choice for Manager Jo Annie. ¡°I heard that apletely new member will be revealed at this awards ceremony. ¡°Man to Man¡¯s new song as well.¡± Director Oh Baek-ho looked surprised at Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung¡¯s words. ¡°So quickly?¡± Even though it was fast, it was too fast. If it was released on the day of the awards ceremony, it was only a little over a month after Seo Kang-jun boarded the ne. At that time, Dowook opened the conference room door and came in. Do-wook had just finished practicing his dance break to be shown on the KVS awards stage. It was Director Oh Baek-ho who called Do-wook. It was because I had something to discuss with Dowook. Do-wook said hello and sat down next to Director Oh Baek-ho. Director Oh Baek-ho and Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung finished talking. Meanwhile, Dowook carefully checked the cue sheet on the desk. ¡°It¡¯s probably the result of Director Seo Joong-won¡¯s quick decision. ¡°Once I make a decision, I¡¯m the type of person who doesn¡¯t look back and sticks to it.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s Director Seo¡­ it¡¯s worth it.¡± Even if they had never worked together, anyone in the industry was familiar with the fiery temperament of Director Seo Jung-won. Director Oh Baek-ho nodded. ¡°Still, it¡¯s surprising that there were members who were prepared. Plus a new song.¡± ¡°It seems like the song was originally prepared for aeback. Ara Entertainment is famous for having arge pool of trainees. It is also true that there are trainees who would be good to debut right away¡­¡± Dowook caught up with the conversation between the two without difficulty. ¡®Are they recruiting new members already?¡¯ Do-wook thought, it was just as fast. A bacsh from Man to Man fans who liked the existing members was also expected. Nevertheless, seeing this push, I could feel the strong will of Director Seo Joong-won to somehow revive Man to Man. Team leader Daehyung Lee continued. ¡°And the member who is making his debut is also a trainee I know.¡± ¡°Do you know the trainee?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know him personally¡­ He was a famous trainee when I was at thepany. Although he doesn¡¯t look like Seojun, he looks cute. It looks attractive. I think he sings better than Seojun. ¡°He was a friend who even thought about setting it up as a group center after Man to Man.¡± ¡°You¡¯re trying to save Man to Man somehow.¡± ¡°I think so.¡± Director Oh Baek-ho and team leader Lee Dae-hyung¡¯s gaze naturally turned towards Do-wook. Dowook was quietly listening to the conversation between the two without any significant change in expression. If a new member was recruited to Man to Man, it would bepletely different from Man to Man, which was centered around Seo Kang-Jun. Dowook thought. ¡®From then on, it was a man-to-man situation that I really didn¡¯t know about¡­ Although KK has already established himself, he will have to work harder to avoid being pushed out.¡¯ There was no feeling left for Man to Man without Seo Kang-Jun. This was done in the spirit of fairpetition. At the same time, in order to bring down Director Seo Jung-won, he had no choice but to position himself in a higher position. ¡°If we get pushed back from the TBN awards ceremony, the atmosphere at this year¡¯s awards ceremony will all be like this. The target is probably¡­¡± Director Oh Baek-ho said while listening to Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung¡¯s words. ¡°It seems like Ara Entertainment was coaxed into the stage to give us the grand prize¡­¡± If you think about it again, what Director Oh Baek-ho said made sense. However, Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung shook his head. Director Seo Joong-won, whom Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung knew, was a person who knew important things. It was a move that clearly recognized that if they were pushed this time, it would be the end. ¡°If that were the case, I would have refused to appear at all.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Director Oh Baek-ho¡¯s brows narrowed. ¡°The MC must have made a suggestion to appease us.¡± The reason I called Dowook today was because TBN requested him to be an MC. TBN was thinking of Do-wook as the MC and female solo singer Gye Na-ri. It was a good offer because being an MC would give me more exposure and be a hot topic. However, since it meant using a star who had been to the Cannes Film Festival as an MC, it seemed like the topic Do-wook would get from TBN would be greater than that from Do-wook. ¡°Actually, I thought you were going to be so ridiculously busy¡­ but how many performances do you have to do¡­ so I was going to decline.¡± Director Oh Baek-ho exined as if he was frustrated. It felt like KK was being pushed too far if I didn¡¯t see the MC. In reality, it was Hit Entertainment that was pushed out rather than KK. Dowook responded as if telling him not to worry. ¡°are you okay. I could.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even have three bodies.¡± He said it as if he was sorry, but it was more like a request. Since Dowook was appointed as the MC, the intention was to extend the stage time a little more. ¡°Did you say anything to Manager Cho or Director Kwon?¡± ¡°yes. yet.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Director Oh and Team Leader Lee decided to show their difort to TBN and request an adjustment. The meeting ended with a sigh. ¡°We should at least spend money on the stage to show that KK¡¯s stage is the best.¡± Director Oh Baek-ho mumbled and left the conference room door. Dowook also had simr thoughts. ¡®Regardless of the order, you just have to prove that you are the best on stage.¡¯ Still, I couldn¡¯t help but feel bitter in my mouth. It was because they were not pushed back in terms of poprity or ability, but simply because of the power of the agency. *** ¡°A new member¡­¡± Do-wook returned to his dorm and grew curious about Man to Man¡¯s new member. In the future, the sess of Man to Man would be closely rted to the downfall of Director Seo Jung-won. When we returned to the dorm, the members, exhausted after practice, were spread out all over the living room. Jeong Yoon-gi found Do-wook and gestured. ¡°Do-wook, youe quickly and choose the menu!¡± ¡°Chicken¡­¡± Park Tae-hyung held up flyers for various chicken stores and held them out to Do-wook. Since it was not an activity period, the members had freedom to choose their food. Since even that was scheduled to be limited again from tomorrow to prepare for the awards ceremony, the members were nning to eat onest big meal. ¡°Uh¡­ I can do anything.¡± ¡°Anything! Today, each person will eat one chicken. ¡°You choose the chicken you want to eat!¡± Ahn Hyeong-seo urged with frightening force. Do-wook, who had received a flyer from Tae-hyung Park, was trying to choose a menu. As we chose the menu together next to us, Ahn Hyeong-seo hummed an old song as if it were a joke. ¡°Have you ever seen KK wandering around the foot of a mountain looking for food?¡­¡± ¡°Ma, it¡¯s a very old song. ¡°It¡¯s been a really long time.¡± ¡°What song is this?¡± Seok Ji-hoon looked puzzled by Jeong Yoon-gi¡¯s words. It was because I had no idea what the song was. It was a famous song that Seok Ji-hoon didn¡¯t know much about because he was young, but Do-wook also knew it well. At the same time, a good idea that would change the atmosphere of the awards ceremony urred in Dowook¡¯s head. Chapter 131 # 131 Jump (2) ¡°Can we prepare one more stage?¡± The members who were excitedly choosing chicken looked nk for a moment as Do-wook asked carefully. ¡°Did you hate it so much when I asked you to choose chicken?¡± Hyung-seo Ahn asked, taking the leaflet from Do-wook¡¯s hand back to his own. I heard a strong coughing sound and looked to see that it was Jeong Yoon-gi. Jeong Yoon-gi was forcing himself to cough. Oh my, I made a sobbing sound and looked away. It was even more strange that my throat didn¡¯t hurt because I was forcing a cough that wouldn¡¯te out. ¡°Suddenly¡­. I¡­. Understand every word I say. Pardon?¡± Kim Won asked in mixed English, as if he did not understand Do-wook¡¯s words. Anyone could see that it was an act, so it was bound to be funny, but no one criticized Kim Won. It was Dowook who burst intoughter. Looking at the members¡¯ reactions, it was clear that preparing for another stage was a burden. Nevertheless, the members expressed their opinions indirectly rather than frowning. They were the members who always followed Dowook¡¯s somewhat strict schedule without saying anything. Dowook felt more grateful than sad. ¡®The idea I just came up with is probably too far-fetched.¡¯ There was no intention at all to overwork the members. Thinking like that, Dowook gave up his mind. ¡°I¡¯ll even choose the chicken. ¡°For me, it¡¯s Emperor Olive Chicken.¡± Seok Ji-hoon, the youngest member, was writing down the chicken each member ordered on a notepad. Seok Ji-hoon was realizing once again that the tastes of the members were as diverse as their personalities. ¡°I am the King of Bulgogi.¡± ¡°Yoongi hyung, bulgogi¡­ Heavenly King¡­ So, everything has been decided? ¡°I¡¯m ordering now.¡± After receiving all the menus, Seok Ji-hoon began calling in orders one by one. The members settled downfortably to watch TV while waiting for their chicken. Jeong Yoon-gi, who was sitting in the corner of the sofa and changing channels with the remote control, pressed the power button to turn off the TV again. The members¡¯ eyes all turned towards Jeong Yoon-gi, who was sitting behind them. ¡°Tell me.¡± Instead of answering the members who were looking in resentment at the TV that suddenly turned off, Jung Yoon-gi asked Do-wook. Do-wook wandered for a moment, unable to understand the meaning, but soon understood Jeong Yoon-gi¡¯s question. ¡°I have to have had bad experiences listening to you before I can pretend not to know.¡± Jeong Yoon-gi added. The other members also sighed as they understood what he meant. It was because I had a strong feeling that I would have to perform one more stage. However, like people who sighed and thought things would turn out this way, they quickly gave up and listened to Do-wook. In fact, the other members¡¯ feelings were no different from Jung Yoon-gi¡¯s. The reason KK came this far was because Do-wook was not the only one who wanted to reach the top. Aside from the physical hardships of the other members, they were always thirsty with the desire to stand at the top and receive more love. ¡°Yeah¡­ I thought I felt strangely veryfortable this year.¡± Hyungseo Ahnined yfully. Compared to other singers, my body was still notfortable. KK¡¯s practice amount was always the best. In addition to regr activities and tours, the KK members had a busy year. However, it was true that group activities decreased this year due to increased individual activities. For Ahn Hyeong-seo, who did not have any special personal activities, it was an easier year thanst year. ¡°I¡¯m having a hard time at the end of the year! ¡°Why should I go through so much trouble!¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Do-wook hesitated for a moment before speaking. After receiving the MC offer, we started talking and looked at the TBN cue sheet. While exining what happened a little while ago, Dowook also exined to the members why he asked them to perform one more stage. ¡°Ah¡­ I guess Ara is strong¡­ strong.¡± Taehyung Park, who was quietly listening, also muttered a little despondently, as if he could not ovee the power of Ara Entertainment. Dowook continued. ¡°Even though TBN has to ept it anyway, I thought it would be good if we could do it. ¡°It shows the public the power of the stage, which cannot be helped even by the power of the entertainmentpany.¡± Jeong Yoon-gi nodded seriously at Do-wook¡¯s words. I fully understood what the intention was. They were members who achieved sufficient results through various activities, including ¡®Blue Sky¡¯. The day it was evaluated was the awards ceremony. It was natural to want to receive a proper evaluation. ¡®Ding dong¡ª¡¯ Just then the bell rang. The image of a chicken delivery man appeared on the inte. ¡°omg! chicken! who is this! ¡°Whose is it!¡± ¡°My chicken!¡± Ahn Hyeong-seo and Jeong Yoon-gi ran out in socks. After that, the chicken delivery man rang the bell five more times. *** What Do-wook had in mind was a counter-offer for a special stage. Unlikest year when Lee Jin-ri appeared, there was no special stage in this cue sheet. Since their debut, Little Star¡¯s performances of remixes of their hit songs have been simr to special stages. In that case, I wondered if KK would prepare a proper special stage. It was usually customary for that year¡¯s hot rookies or juniors from the agency of the singer who would be the star of the special stage to prepare for another singer¡¯s special stage. If the special stage was not a coboration stage like the one Do-wook did with Lee Jin-ri before, but a stage where they would simply cover, most singers would be reluctant to do so. It wasn¡¯t like they were singing their own song and they had to prepare separately at the end of the busy year, so the broadcasting station told them to do it. ¡®So, if we say we will do it¡­ it will be difficult for the awards ceremony to refuse since it will increase the attractions. ¡®If it¡¯s not just an unknown rookie or singer, but KK¡­¡¯ Do-wook thought. The broadcasting station must have been well aware that viewers were looking forward to the performance of KK, a ¡®trustworthy¡¯ group that always puts on good performances. In fact, in an end-of-year survey, KK was selected as the number one singer whose performance was expected to be performed at the awards ceremony. If KK were to prepare a new stage that wasn¡¯t even their main stage, it would be an offer that would be difficult for broadcasting stations to refuse. And it also gave Ara Entertainment a good justification to exin the increase in KK¡¯s stage time. ¡®If you want to increase your stage time, do more preparations to increase it.¡¯ To put it a little grandly, it was ¡®acquiring¡¯. If Ara Entertainment, which has been a force in the music industry for a long time, tried to keep KK in check, they could not afford to suffer even if they were pushed out by the agency¡¯s power. I had to show that I would not be pushed back as much as I could. Do-wook, who received the members¡¯ consent, consulted with Assistant Manager Kwon Woo-chan, who is in charge of the performance, and then suggested to Director Oh Baek-ho that it would be a good idea to prepare a special stage. Director Oh Baek-ho listened closely to Do-wook¡¯s words. Originally, once the time was allocated from the broadcasting station, it was a top-down process to configure the stage ording to the allocated time, but it didn¡¯t seem bad to suggest the reverse. ¡°good. I¡¯m a little upset that I have to do this¡­¡± Although he has worked with many singers, in fact, it was the first time that Director Oh Baek-ho had worked on a singer who was good enough to reach the top like K.K. Rather, as I was trying to develop arge singer, I was realizing the power of Ara Entertainment andrge entertainmentpanies. When we were down there, it was just that it was difficult to get through the broadcast, but when we got up, they were standing firm and trying not to give us any more space. ¡°But I don¡¯t know if all of these original singers will allow it.¡± ¡°Maybe you will.¡± ¡°okay?¡± ¡°No, you will do it.¡± Dowook answered in a slightly more certain tone. Director Oh Baek-ho nodded while looking at the list of songs to beposed for the special stage. ¡°I guess so¡­¡± Fortunately, but naturally, KK¡¯s proposal was epted. TBN has been pleased to say that they can give KK a little more stage time for the sake of the stage. At the same time, KK¡¯s stage order naturally changed to right before Little Star¡¯s next four-way myth. TBN had a reason to take KK¡¯s side, who had now be a famous singer, even while watching Ara Entertainment¡¯s concerns. The members started practicing right away. I had to prepare for the KVS Awards Ceremony, but it was actually more urgent because the TBN Song Awards came first. Moreover, unlike the songs for the KVS awards ceremony, which were arranged from original songs, the performance at TBN was a short arrangement of new songs, but they had to do three more songs. Even though there were a few weeks left, it was a tight time. Fortunately, other schedules were cleared. Also, as we progressed through activities, our skills improved and our understanding of each other increased, and it was also helpful that we were in a good state of ¡®pretending to pretend¡¯ when practicing. When I first formed the group K-K as a trainee before my debut, it took me a week to perfectly perform a cover dance. This was because there were differing opinions about which member would take on which role and which choreography, and it took a lot of time to modify and digest it to suit the KK members. But now three days was enough. Just by looking at it once, you can get a feel for who has what role, and your digestion skills have also greatly improved. Dowook knew that too, so he nned this stage. [Title | TO. Loved Keyring Author | KK_Ahn Hyeong-seo Written time | ..12.21. 07:34:21 (Photo) Keyrings! It¡¯s time to wake up! Have a nice day at school and work everyone! We are now going to sleep after practice! We are working hard to show Keyrings many better stages, so please look forward to this award ceremony performance . I love you~! Kyakya kya kya ] Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s selfie and post posted at 7:30 in the morning after practice touched the hearts of fans on their way to school and work. Fans were burning with the desire to do something more for their idols who worked so hard to perform on stage at the awards ceremony. The first thing you could do was vote. KK fansunched an all-out offensive to vote for the Poprity Award. Although he was already number one in voting, the difference between him and the second-ce singer was only 5%. The fans were determined to win the votepletely and overwhelmingly, allowing KK to take home the Poprity Award and other awards. And the second was to increase album sales. KK fans, who even attracted foreign fans, worked hard to make KK shine at the awards ceremony. Intemunities and fan pages everywhere were heating up with issues rted to the awards ceremony. *** And it was TBN that was in trouble at that time. The cue sheet was somewhat organized. But the problem was the object. Of course, they should have received awards based on their grades, but it was also their job to distribute the awards well, taking various political situations into consideration. ¡°Even though Sabang Shinhwa gave them a few minutes, they still do what they always do¡­ Look at KK, theye out saying they will set the stage first.¡± When the head of TBN¡¯s entertainment and music channelined, the CP in charge of the awards ceremony who was sitting next to him responded. ¡°It must be noisy right now due to internal issues. ¡°Because they are saying they are withdrawing.¡± ¡°The new kids we¡¯re raising aren¡¯t doing well either¡­ Seojun is at the point where he¡¯spletely buried.¡± ¡°It must be confusing in your head.¡± ¡°Actually, looking at it now, KK should receive the grand prize¡­¡± Even as he said that, the head of the headquarters shook his head. ¡°If you want to be a dragon in the stream, you have to be a real dragon. ¡°You¡¯ll never get anything with grades like those of a tiger.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± CP also nodded as if he agreed to some extent. The two were at the Korean restaurant to prepare in advance for the awards ceremony to be held next year. Starting next year¡¯s awards ceremony, we had the ambition to expand the market from Korea to all of Asia and raise the level of the awards ceremony. To achieve this, it was very important to receive investment. In particr, we had to prate the Chinese and Japanese markets properly. Today was the day that would be the stepping stone for pioneering that market. ¡°You have arrived.¡± The door opened and the waiter informed the two that the promised guest had arrived. The two stopped talking and rxed by drinking the water in front of them. Chapter 132 # 132 Surpass (3) *** On the day of the awards ceremony. Numerous fans visited the concert venue to see the singers who shone this year. Out of a total of 10,000 people, about 1,500 were KK¡¯s fans. Among over 20 teams, they boasted thergest number of fans. KK fans flocked to the site despite the freezing cold upon hearing that there was a new stage that KK had worked hard to prepare. Because there were so many people, it was hard to feel the cold near the concert hall. The broadcast time of the awards ceremony, which will be broadcast live, started at 8:50 p.m. Admission continued at 6 o¡¯clock, when the rehearsal ended. Attendance at this TBN awards ceremony was possible by applying for tickets online. On the day of ticket opening, so many people participated that the server crashed. Since they were able to freely choose their seats and purchase tickets, fans at the KK fan cafe had already discussed taking seats in areas 17, 18, and 19, which are the seats in the center and to the right of center. Although it may have been inconvenient because each person would want to see it from a different location, it was easier for the fandom to cheer on them as they gathered together. If you were far away, the sound of cheering would be dispersed. Even though the districts were not enforced, KK fans showed incredible unity and most flocked to the promised districts 17, 18 and 19. Fans who went to other areas did not intentionally select their seats that way, but ended up leaving as they searched for remaining seats while purchasing tickets. Because so many people were KK¡¯s fans, many of the audience in districts 16 and 20 were also KK fans holding KK¡¯s light sticks. Also, many people were waving KK batons not only in the 17 18 19 on the second floor but also in the auditorium on the third floor. A group of blue lights gathered together and sparkled. The fandom with the nextrgest number was Sabang Shinhwa. In fact, evenst year, there were not many fandoms that could exceed the size of Sabang Shinhwa¡¯s fandom. However, as KK rapidly expanded its fandom and in the meantime, a division urred within Sabang Shinhwa and fans left, it naturally became difficult to list Sabang Shinhwa as the name of the group with thergest fandom. Many fans who left Sabang Shinhwa came into KK, but the remaining fans of Sabang Shinhwa were working harder to maintain their top spot as much as they liked the fragmented Sabang Shinhwa. At the same time, I felt a sense of crisis as KK was rising upward. It felt like there was no difference between the fans and the agency. In fact, only the Sabang Shinhwa members worked hard for a long time and already made enough money to enjoy poprity, so it didn¡¯t matter what happened to the team. Of course, he didn¡¯t express it officially, but his actions showed it. 15 The battle of nerves between Sabang Shinhwa fans concentrated in District 16 and KK fans next door was great. There was tremendous interest in who would receive the grand prize at the TBN Awards, the first music awards ceremony, with posts criticizing each other posted not only on site but also on the Inte. It was a subject that the four directions myth continued to receive. It¡¯s not that there haven¡¯t been other candidates before, but there has never been a mainstream expectation that the grand prize winner will change like this time. Even if they were not necessarily someone¡¯s fan, there were many people who were curious about whether Sabang Shinhwa would continue the glory of Daesang or whether KK would be the main character of a new Daesang. As the excitement grew, the KK members were rxing in the waiting room ahead of the start of the awards ceremony. Unlike the rehearsals where they worefortable clothes, they were wearing shiny shirts with shy cubic patterns, ck skinny jeans, and ck walkers, making them look like ¡®heavenly celebrities¡¯. With the thick makeup added, it was a look that anyone could not help but look back at. In addition, Dowook¡¯s appearance today was even shocking. Dowook already boasted gorgeous features, but unlike usual, Dowook¡¯s hair color was tinum blonde. The person with tinum hair, blue colored contacts, and blinking eyes did not appear to be Korean. I knew he had an unusual appearance, but he was truly unique. Today, Do-wook¡¯s appearance was already posted on the red carpet and there was an uproar. ¡°Wow¡­ pink went well with mest time, and there¡¯s no other color that doesn¡¯t go well with me.¡± ¡°For no reason is the face of our team a child.¡± Jeong Yoon-gi responded to Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s words. Hyung-seo Ahn looked at his face in the rear mirror and then at Do-wook¡¯s face, then slumped his shoulders. ¡°Oh, I happen to be standing next to Dowook today. ¡°This is arge formation¡­ I¡¯m the only one who uses a single pitchfork.¡± ¡°Who would look good next to you?¡± ¡°I want to stand next to you, but why are you like this?¡± The two people were bickering about something nonsensical again. ¡°You¡¯re handsome too, why are you like this?¡± Dowook said as if asking what he was talking about. Ahn Hyeong-seo was also a member known for his cute face. Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s lively personality and cute appearance matched well, so there were many fans who fell in love with Ahn Hyeong-seo. ¡°Don¡¯t be liar.¡± Kim Won put his hand on Do-wook¡¯s shoulder and shook his head. When even Kim Won did not take his side, Ahn Hyeong-seo beat his chest as if he was unfair. ¡°K-K! ¡°Pleasee out on stage!¡± The awards ceremony staff shouted loudly and opened the waiting room door. Before the members could even look at the staff, the staff was busy opening the door to the waiting room next to them. Director Oh Baek-ho, who was sitting in a corner of the waiting room and talking on his cell phone, came to his senses and organized the members. ¡°Let¡¯s stop talking and get out now!¡± The MC¡¯s opening remarks flowed from inside the concert hall. Dowook¡¯s n to see MC was canceled during the special performance. It was probably impossible to even watch the MC. There was so much to prepare. Participating singers were expected to sit in the stands and watch today¡¯s awards ceremony from beginning to end. The more popr a singer is, the more often camerase on, so it was difficult to leave the room or keep one¡¯s expression rxed. In other words, I had to act as if I was performing throughout the awards ceremony. If you made a wrong facial expression, you could easily get criticized for not paying attention to another singer¡¯s performance. A staff member who was knocking on the waiting room door as he watched the KK members running out asked Director Oh Baek-ho. ¡°Is it true that all KK members have gone?¡± ¡°yes. ¡°Is that correct?¡± ¡°Because it feels like there are five people, not six.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ one person wille a littleter. ¡°It wille when Part 2 starts.¡± I looked through the paper with the list of staff members holding it. ¡°ah! ¡°I heard you couldn¡¯t attend Part 1¡­ I understand.¡± Because they had to assist with the broadcast, the staff nodded to Director Oh Baek-ho and then rushed off again. Among the KK members, the one who had not yet arrived was Seok Ji-hoon. *** ¡°KVS Entertainment Awards¡­ Who are the candidates who will receive the honor of Rookie of the Year¡­¡± At the time the members were at the TBN awards ceremony, Seok Ji-hoon was at the KVS broadcasting station. Seok Ji-hoon, wearing a bow tie and tuxedo, swallowed nervously. ¡°You¡¯re doing a great job as the bold youngest member in 48 Hours Camping, right? Seok Ji-hoon! ¡°It¡¯s the military!¡± At that moment, the screen cut to show Seok Ji-hoon. When Seok Ji-hoon appeared on the screen, cheers erupted from the audience. Because idols withrge fandoms do not often appear at entertainment awards, the audience was mostly filled with family members ofedians and entertainers, and a small number of fans. However, this time, the audience was more noisy than ever due to Seok Ji-hoon¡¯s appearance. The camera focused on Seok Ji-hoon¡¯s fans waving arge banner. These fans gave up on KK¡¯s award ceremony performance and came only to support Seok Ji-hoon. ¡´Even if your shin is broken, Seok.Ji.Hoon¡µ ¡´JiHoon, stop worrying about food! ¡°Noona, I¡¯ll do everything?¡µ And when I looked at Seok Ji-hoon again, I saw that Seok Ji-hoon was making an expression like he didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡°The cheers from the fans are amazing. Come on up. Seok Ji-hoon!¡± The cast of ¡¯48 Hours Camping¡¯ who were sitting next to Seok Ji-hoon encouraged him and urged him to get up on stage. Seok Ji-hoon went up on stage, not knowing what to do. Seok Ji-hoon, who received the trophy, spoke in front of the standing microphone. ¡°Uh¡­ thank you so much. I don¡¯t know if I should receive this award since I haven¡¯t done anything, but I take it as a sign to do better in the future. I¡¯m really grateful to the cast members who spent 48 hours camping together for their help. I am grateful to each and every producer and writer. Although we are not here together, our KK members¡­.¡± At the mention of KK, a squeal erupted from the fans. There wasughter in the hall. ¡°Thank you to our members, especially Do-wook, who gave me a lot of advice! ¡°Brothers¡­ you know that without you, I wouldn¡¯t be here!¡± *** Unfortunately, the members were unable to see Seok Ji-hoon¡¯s eptance speech that was broadcast over the airwaves. The members were doing their best to participate in the awards ceremony, smiling or enjoying the stage every time their faces were shown on the camera. The youngest¡¯s eptance speech, which was overflowing with love for his older brothers, who were thought to be blunt, became a hot topic among fans, even coining a new idiom, ¡®No brother, no no, no no.¡¯ Part 1 has already ended and Part 2 has begun. ¡°Hey Seok Ji-hoon~!¡± ¡°I heard you won an award!¡± ¡°Congrattions!¡± The members weed Seok Ji-hoon, who entered the waiting room just before Part 2 began. The fans sitting on the side facing the waiting area were in an uproar. Before we knew it, Seok Ji-hoon was wearing a silk shirt like the members, not a tuxedo. Seok Ji-hoon looked embarrassed while receiving his brothers¡¯ congrattions. Ahn Hyeong-seo clicked his tongue as he watched Seok Ji-hoon sit down without much expression of happiness. ¡°Do you like it? ¡°Do you like it?¡± ¡°Oh, why are you like that?¡± ¡°Anyway, I feel a lot of shyness.¡± As Ahn Hyeong-seo said, Seok Ji-hoon felt embarrassed when he came to the members. Although I received the award, I was so grateful and emotional that my eptance speech was what stuck in my mind. Fortunately, Ahn Hyeong-seo didn¡¯t seem to have seen it yet, but it was clear that he would be made fun of. Meanwhile, the opening stage for part 2 began. The members of Man to Man were introduced one by one along with a colorful video. Man-to-man fans screamed every time familiar faces appeared, starting with Obin. It copsed at the height of its growth, so its scale was not great, but it was still not a negligible number. ¡®Is it now¡­¡¯ Do-wook was watching the video as if it were boring. It was thest member¡¯s turn to be introduced. He was to take Seo Kang-jun¡¯s ce. ¡®CHAE EUN HO!¡¯ Chae Eun-ho, a new member of Man to Man, was revealed with the caption: Other fandoms were also paying attention to see who the trainee was that had been selected by Ara Entertainment, which is famous for having many trainees. ¡®also!¡¯ Do-wook couldn¡¯t help but think that it was the same when looking at the revealed photo of Chae Eun-ho. Although he wasn¡¯t as good as Seo Kang-jun, he still had a handsome face. ¡®But they say he sings better than Seo Kang-Jun¡­ so maybe he could be a properpetitor.¡¯ After the member introduction video, Man to Man began performing their new song. It was notmon to announce a new song at an awards ceremony, but it was possible due to the fact that he was a junior singer who would seed Sabang Shinhwa. With the magnificent sound, the Man to Man members began to move in unison. ¡®More than before¡­¡¯ Do-wook stopped thinking and focused on the man-to-man stage. Taehyung Park, who was nkly watching the Man to Man stage next to Dowook, muttered. ¡°It¡¯s much better¡­¡± Chapter 133 # 133 Go beyond (4) Do-wook also agreed with what Tae-hyung Park said. Man to Man¡¯s stage was much better than before. It was definitely not a stage that I had never been able to perform before. However, it felt like there was a subtle crack. Feeling out of bnce. But not now. Even though they must have only been able to put it together for a month at most, the cracks that they felt on the previous stage were not visible at all. ¡®Chae Eun-ho is perfectly integrated into the team.¡¯ That was the difference with Seo Kang-jun. Dowook thought as he watched the Man-to-Man members moving at perfect angles. Seo Kang-Jun used to ignore other members and act independently. Even though it is a Seo Kang-jun-centered group and Seo Jung-won is standing behind Seo Kang-jun, and there is a lot of support for Man to Man, it does not mean that other members are not offended. It was just patience. Even though things looked fine on the outside, they were festering on the inside. When Seo Kang-jun caused a problem, it was inevitable that no member would stand up for Seo Kang-jun or say that they would not kick him out for the sake of the team. It was none of their business for Seo Kang-jun, who only ignored them and didn¡¯t care about them. Among the members, there were some who thought it was ugly. The Man to Man members were left with only worry and anxiety about themselves being destroyed because of Seo Kang-Jun. ¡®Because there was a problem with teamwork, it must have been difficult for the stage to be perfect¡­ ¡­ .¡¯ However, the new arrival, Chae Eun-ho, seemed to be different. The fact that Seo Kang-jun left and the Man to Man group itself faced a major crisis may have awakened the other members. ¡®They say you¡¯re good at singing, but you¡¯re also good at dancing. It is certain that he was a talent who could immediately rece Seo Kang-jun as a center.¡¯ Do-wook, who was quietly watching the stage, remembered who the person named Chae Eun-ho was. ¡®It was Chae Eun-ho, the leader of the group Quality Boys.¡¯ It was the second group released by Ara Entertainment after Man to Man. At that time, it was Seo Joong-won, the head of the division, who had already taken full control of Ara Entertainment thanks to the poprity of Man to Man and Seo Kang-jun. Therefore, the next group, ¡®Quality Boys¡¯, was a group nned by someone other than Director Seo Joong-won. They all had outstanding skills, but unfortunately, they were not loved by the public because the group¡¯s color was too experimental. Seo Joong-won¡¯s support was still focused on Man to Man, and since it was not a group raised by Seo Joong-won himself, there were some areas where Ara Entertainment¡¯s power did not fully reach ¡®Quality Boys¡¯. ¡®I thought I wasn¡¯t as popr as my skills¡­ ¡­ . In particr, there was a lot of talk that Chae Eun-ho, who was the center at the time, was the most regrettable member. For Chae Eun-ho, it was definitely a good thing that he changed teams and debuted.¡¯ Do-wook knew that Manager Seo Joong-won¡¯s investment in Man-to-Man was a sure thing for Man-to-Man. Dowook clenched and unclenched his fists as he watched Man to Man singing the new song ¡®Real¡¯. ¡®It may soon be a bigger threat to KK than Sabang Shinhwa.¡¯ But it was going to be a friendlypetition. The person Do-wook wanted to take revenge on was not Man-to-Man, but Seo Joong-won, the head of the division. After Man to Man decorated the opening stage of the second part, major popr singers came on stage one after another. The atmosphere at the awards ceremony was heating up. During the awards ceremony, Park Tae-hyung received the duet award with Hyun-ji, and Do-wook won the male solo singer award. KK received the Poprity Award and the Dance Performance Award. The Poprity Award, which was made up of Inte votes only, was won by an overwhelming margin of votes. KK fans voted with their eyes lit up. While epting the Poprity Award, the KK members almost bowed towards the fans cheering for them. Now all that was left was the male group award and the grand prize. It was the highlight of the day. ¡®Little Star¡¯ went on stage after winning the female group award. ¡°Unfortunately, I miss you too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a fan!¡± Little Star¡¯s hit song remix stage began with colorful lights. The little star was walking down the stage like a runway, showing off her flower-like beauty like a rich bouquet of flowers. Hyeong-seo Ahn and Won Kim looked back as if they were regretful. Unfortunately, the KK members were not able to see Little Star¡¯s performance. After Little Star¡¯s stage, KK¡¯s stage was right next. ¡°shake¡­ ¡­ .¡± The KK members quickly got up from their waiting seats and headed to the back of the stage. Taehyung Park trembled and followed Dowook. The KK members gathered behind the stage put their hands together. It was always a slogan shouted before the stage. It was also a slogan to relieve tension and increase passion. ¡°Let¡¯s go KK!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± The slogans shouted by KK members were loud. *** The start of KK¡¯s stage was Dowook. Dowook came to the center of the stage with tap dance steps to the arranged interlude of his solo song ¡®Darling¡¯. The light turned on towards Do-wook, who came out through the hazy fog. widely-! A huge cheer filled the concert hall along with the sound of the lights turning on. When the blonde Do-wook, who had his eyes closed, opened them, a close-up of his face took up therge cathode ray tube installed in the concert hall. After the interlude of ¡®Darling¡¯, the atmosphere changed and the piano sound began to y. At the same time, Dowook started singing with his blue eyes shining. ¡°Don¡¯t go, don¡¯t go, please-¡± Dowook immediately sang the chorus, which was the highlight. It was an explosive performance. While I was watching the stage with bated breath, I suddenly heard a sad chorus that sent a chill down my spine. It was truly a raid. Dowook deliberately arranged the most impactful parts to the front. Afterwards, the chorus was continued. ¡°What if you leave me behind-¡± ¡°What should I do-¡± When Do-wook sang, many people gathered in therge concert hall sang along with one voice. The fans¡¯ voices echoing loudly in therge concert hall actually thrilled Dowook. Dowook continued singing while feeling the sound of the audience singing along with his song with his whole body. ¡°I¡¯m standing here lonely with all the beautiful memories¨D¨D¡± It was a beautiful voice. When Do-wook sang the first verse of his solo song ¡®Please Don¡¯t Go¡¯ and the interlude came out, other lights naturally came on on stage and Ahn Hyeong-seo and Seok Ji-hoon started walking to Do-wook¡¯s side. Fans once again cheered at the appearance of the two people. And the piano interlude of ¡®Please Don¡¯t Go¡¯ continued into another song. In the video, singers who sang famous songs such as gems were shown on stage. The special stage prepared by KK was dedicated to seniors who left famous songs in the music industry. The prelude was ¡®Snow and Your Story¡¯ sung by the band ¡®Birth Flower¡¯. ¡®The Story of Snow and You¡¯ is an old story that KK¡¯s young fans don¡¯t know about, but the song is so good that you might have heard the chorus somewhere at least once. While the original song ¡®Snow and Your Story¡¯ used guitar and bass sounds as the main instruments, KK arranged it using piano music to connect with ¡®Please Don¡¯t Go¡¯. The tempo was also faster than before. ¡°The eyes miss you¡ª¡± ¡°I leave a greeting.¡± ¡°I¡¯m leaving a greeting.¡± Led by Ahn Hyeong-seo, Seok Ji-hoon and Do-wook harmonized. The harmony of the three people gently embraced the concert hall. ¡°omg¡­ ¡­ . ¡°What song is this?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. So good. Isn¡¯t Dowook an angel today? ¡°Isn¡¯t it flying in the sky?¡± ¡°Hyungseo is also so cute. ¡°I am happy now.¡± ¡°Really. me too. ¡°This is what it feels like to be happy while watching the stage.¡± ¡°There are subtitles on the video over there. Eyes and¡­ ¡°It¡¯s your story.¡± ¡°Birth flower? ¡°Birth Screen Isn¡¯t this a very famous group?¡± ¡°It seems like this is the group my mom said she liked¡­ ¡­ .¡± Fans were talking with mesmerized expressions. As the chords of ¡®Snow and Your Story¡¯ continued, the lights illuminated the dark side of the stage. ¡°Aaaah!¡± A fan who saw the ce shouted. There was Taehyung Park, lying face down, wearing a ck tight-fitting shirt and pants from head to toe. Taehyung Park moved his body smoothly as if he was dancing. Taehyung Park was already acting with his body. The content of the lyrics seemed to be conveyed just by watching the dance, and the feeling of longing for someone was evident. Once, twice, three times¡­ ¡­ Five times. Taehyung Park did a total of five turns and jumped high on the stage. ¡°Wow!¡± I didn¡¯t think the fans¡¯ mouths would close once they opened their mouths. ¡°womb¡­ ¡­ ¡°Taehyung was useless?¡± ¡°No, I thought you were just good at street dancing.¡± ¡°too¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°It¡¯s wonderful and beautiful. right?¡± The conversation was exactly the same. The fluid body movements were wonderful and beautiful. As Taehyung Parknded after jumping, the song changed and rappers¡¯ raps began to flow. Jeong Yoongi spoke the first words in a low voice, followed by Kim Won. Jung Yoon-gi and Kim Won continued their rapping while wearing sunsses. It was Jo Won-pil¡¯s ¡®I Hope Someday.¡¯ Jung Yoon-ki and Kim Won changed the lyrics of ¡®I hope so someday¡¯ into rap that the younger generation can rte to better. Kim Won heated up the atmosphere with a quick English rap. The remaining members moved their bodies to the rhythm, waving their hands and eliciting a louder response from the audience. At the end of Jung Yoon-gi and Kim Won¡¯s rap, Ahn Hyeong-seo pulled out one of the in-ears and raised the hand microphone. ¡°Ah wow, I hope so!¡± The short but long special stage ended with the singing sound stretching out. The audience was momentarily mesmerized by Ahn Hyeong-seo, who raised his pitch and poured out high notes. Ahn Hyeong-seo, who created sound with his small body in the center of the stage, was literally like a small giant. There were also fans who apuded without realizing it. The small apuse grew louder and the lights grew darker. The members, who poured out their passion for a moment, held their breath with their eyes focused on the camera. ¡°Hyungseo Ahn is amazing.¡± ¡°Absolutely creepy.¡± ¡°What is it that makes you perform so well?¡± ¡°They say it¡¯s all live.¡± ¡°oh my god. It¡¯s crazy. really. It would be nice if my brother could do that well too¡­ ¡­ .¡± Not only KK¡¯s fan base, but even fans who came to support other singers praised KK in unison, wiping away goosebumps from their forearms. It was a stage that made even fans of Sabang Shinhwa, who were making fun of KK¡¯s stage, have no choice but to turn away. ¡°Che, you¡¯re good at it.¡± If I had eyes and ears, I had to admit it. KK¡¯s stage now was the best, not inferior to the original singers who sang famous songs. Then, the atmosphere of the stage changed again and the prelude to KK¡¯s mega hit song ¡®Blue Sky¡¯ began. In a brighter atmosphere, the audience once again cheered for KK. Band Birth Flower and Cho Won-pil were truly great seniors to KK. It was thanks to ¡®Blue Sky¡¯ that those who had already made a mark in the music industry a long time ago allowed KK, a much younger junior whom they had never met, to perform the song on a special stage. Thanks to the color of KK¡¯s music, I was able to understand and have faith in how the song ¡®Blue Sky¡¯ in the paper was interpreted in a new and sensuous way. The reason Dowook nned a special stage was because KK¡¯s hit song ¡®Blue Sky¡¯ this year was a remake of his senior¡¯s song. The audience was pping by raising their hands above their heads to the apuse of the KK members. Every time there was a round of apuse, the concert hall vibrated. The concert hall, already heated by the stages in front, became boiling hot with apuse and cheers. Paper fireworks exploded and flew across the stage. ¡°What is this¡­ ¡­ .¡± Director Oh Baek-ho, who was watching the stage from the audience, shook his head. Assistant Manager Do Ra-hee, who also came to the awards ceremony, felt the same way as Director Oh Baek-ho. The response was amazing. ¡°It¡¯s almost like an ending, the atmosphere.¡± Director Oh Baek-ho nodded at Assistant Manager Do Ra-hee¡¯s words. I was worried about whether Four Directions Shinhwa would be able to break through this atmosphere and perform a proper ending stage. Chapter 134 # 135 Summit (2) The KK members were confused by the cameras pointing at them and the gazes all directed at them. The images of the members looking around with their mouths slightly open were captured on the screen. Obin, one of the Man to Man members sitting in the waiting area next to him, shouted to Dowook to leave quickly. Dowook finally came to his senses after hearing Obin¡¯s voice. The leader, Jeong Yoon-gi, was the first toe to his senses and stood up with a dazed look on his face. As Jung Yoon-gi got up and started walking out on stage, the other members followed suit. Dowook also walked along with the members at the very back. On the way out, several singers pped and congratted KK on winning the grand prize. Heo Geon stood up and shook hands with KK. Although he was the same grand prize candidate, Heo Geon was the one I didn¡¯t expect much from. Heo Geon was truly impressed while watching KK¡¯s performance earlier. All she had to do was stand and sing well, but KK¡¯s performance was truly jaw-dropping. The dancing, singing, stage manners, everything was perfect. It was a stage that made it clear why people unanimously say, ¡®K.K.¡¯s stage is the best.¡¯ So, for Heo Geon, it was good just to be nominated together, and it was also good that a singer he could fully recognize won the grand prize. Senior hip-hop singer Rusty Duo, whopeted in the same category as KK¡¯s hip-hop unit OK, also stood up and lightly hugged Jung Yoon-ki and Kim Won, who were ahead. Rusty Duo has known Jung Yoon-gi, who rose to prominence since his days as a ¡®student rapper¡¯, for a long time, and they really care about OK, who is contributing as much to the poprization of hip-hop as they do. Little Star, from Ara Entertainment, was also smiling brightly. In fact, as Little Star, there was nothing to feel good about, but there was also nothing to feel bad about. However, I could tell that thepany atmosphere would not be good. But first of all, it was the awards ceremony scene with cameras everywhere. They debuted a long time ago and were professionals among professionals. However, the Sabang Shinhwa members were not the only ones to smile brightly. It was fortunate that his face wasn¡¯t angry. I just forcefully raised the corners of my mouth and pped mechanically a few times. I didn¡¯t have a great will to receive the grand prize, but when I didn¡¯t receive the grand prize that I always received, I felt like the grand prize had been taken away. Even though they were the ones who insisted on disbanding, it felt like it was really over. I couldn¡¯t me anyone. It was a quagmire they had fallen into themselves. The fans of Sabang Shinhwa were also in as deep a quagmire as the members of Sabang Shinhwa. It was impossible. It was true that KK had be more popr, but there was still no group that they thought could surpass Sabang Shinhwa. ¡®There is a conspiracy. The grand prize has been lost!¡¯ The sadness of fans who firmly believed in the subject of Four Directions was quickly reced by anger. In fact, it has always been natural for fans to be the subject of Four Directions. To them, the current situation was no different from a natural disaster. Of course, the arrow of anger was directed at K.K. It seemed like it was all KK¡¯s fault that the Four Directions myth was copsing. However, the concert hall was filled with cheers for KK. ¡°K-K¡ª!!!¡± ¡°Do-Wook!¡± ¡°Jeong Yoongi!!!¡± ¡°congrattions!!!¡± ¡°Kaaaaaaaaaaaa!¡± It was a roar that seemed to tear your eardrums. Fans were happy as if they had won the grand prize themselves. While some fans hugged each other and shouted with joy, there were also fans who showed tears. Although they were not members of KK, they were fans who did their best to support the members of KK. There were times when I got into fights with severalpeting groups on the Inte, and there were times when I filed awsuit when maliciousments were made to members. When the music came out, I stayed up all night streaming it and voting with all my heart and soul. Therefore, the fans had no choice but to feel the same way as the 7th member. ¡°What should I do? ¡°Our children are the target.¡± ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Most of the crying fans were fans who had been with KK since the day he first received the Rookie Award. They were moved to tears without realizing it because they knew about the performances that KK had performed to get to this point and the sweat they shed on stage. Since her debut until now, she has been rising steadily, so it felt as if she had ascended to her seat in an elevator, but KK came from an agency that didn¡¯t even have an esctor. They climbed the stairs on their own with only their music. ¡°Wow I can¡¯t believe it. ¡°It¡¯s a target.¡± ¡°therefore. ¡°I really thought we wouldn¡¯t get it.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this the first time a small agency has won the grand prize?¡± ¡°It seems like it was Seo Tae-jun¡¯s first ride 10 years ago¡­¡± Fans chatted and watched the KK members go on stage. Aside from everything else, fans felt happy just by seeing their favorite members happy. On stage, Kim Ayoung was greeting K.K. who came up on stage holding a trophy. Kim A-young presented the trophy to Jeong Yoon-gi with a gentle smile. As Jeong Yoon-gi epted the trophy, Seok Ji-hoon, Ahn Hyeong-seo, and Kim Won snooped next to Jeong Yoon-gi to look at the trophy. Jung Yoon-gi handed over the trophy to the youngest member, Seok Ji-hoon, and stood in front of the microphone. This time, Ahn Hyeong-seo and Kim Won approached Seok Ji-hoon. Even after taking turns touching the trophy, the members could not believe this situation. Jung Yoon-gi, standing in front of the microphone, couldn¡¯t speak well as his eyes grew hotter and his throat filled with tears. ¡°Uh¡­¡± As Jeong Yoon-gi began his remarks, the audience once again stirred. There were also fans who raised their voices and yelled at each other to convey congrattory messages. Jeong Yoon-gi swallowed his saliva once and expressed his feelings with difficulty. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to say because I gave my eptance speech earlier¡­ I don¡¯t know if we will really receive this big of an award¡­¡± ¡°I love you!!!¡± While Jeong Yoon-gi paused for a moment, a loud voice was heard from the audience. Jung Yoongi, who was trying to hold back his tears, ended upughing at the sound of that voice. The members who were touching each other¡¯s trophies were now calmly standing behind Jung Yoon-gi, listening to his eptance speech. The members saw the light of the light stick swinging towards them. I didn¡¯t even cry because I couldn¡¯t believe it, but then it started to feel a little real. Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s eyes became moist as he handed over the trophy and held it in his hands. ¡°thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you so much to everyone who helped use this far. ¡°We will go even higher in the future!¡± ¡°Waaah!!!¡± ¡°Ahh!¡± Although it was brief, Jung Yoon-ki¡¯sment that ¡®we will go even higher in the future¡¯ was enough to send fans into a crucible of excitement. Fans also knew and felt the pleasure of seeing their favorite singer rise to higher and higher positions. With the fans cheering, Jung Yoon-ki stepped back and handed the microphone to Kim Won next to him. When Jung Yoon-gi received the dance performance award, he had already expressed his thoughts about thepany, naming them by name. I thought it would be right for the other members to have the opportunity to express their thoughts, rather than just me, who gave his impressions as a representative every time he received an award. This was the opportunity for all members to express their thoughts on receiving the award. Kim Won, who received the microphone, was excited and gave his eptance speech in English. ¡°Oh my gosh. Key Ring! I can¡¯t believe I am here. Key Ring all my fans you guys deserve this. Thank you Thank you¡­¡­. Thank you to my team the best team of the universe to me. And thank you to my family. Love you all!!!¡± Kim Won, who said thank you several times, opened his arms and waved widely. Among the fans, there were many foreign fans who were not good at Korean. Fans from foreign countries heard Kim Won¡¯s sentiments and screamed. Next to Kim Won was Ahn Hyeong-seo. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Hyungseo Ahn burst into tears as soon as he stood in front of the microphone. ¡°Huh. I really¡­ ck. I tried not to cry like a man¡­ but if I cried, the leader would definitely make fun of me for not being a man¡­¡± However, Jeong Yoon-gi¡¯s eyes, who were standing behind him, were already red and bloodshot. ¡®Mommy smiles¡¯ erupted from fans. Ahn Hyeong-seo was famous for being eloquent, but he was so tearful that he couldn¡¯t even speak properly and recited his eptance speech like a child. ¡°The grand prize¡­ I really like it. i love you. It¡¯s all thanks to the fans. mom! dad! I won the grand prize!!! ¡°My brother, who is in the military, will protect his country and stay healthy!!!¡± The simple and funny eptance speech made even the singers who were watching burst intoughter. Seok Ji-hoon took over the microphone. ¡°Thank you for the great award. Actually, I¡¯ve been on TV since I was young¡­ but I never once thought I¡¯d be able to get this far. ¡°I only made my face known a little, but I didn¡¯t know how to do anything properly¡­¡± This time, fans were moved to tears by the calm remarks of youngest member Seok Ji-hoon. I felt sorry for Seok Ji-hoon, who had suffered for a long time. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t havee this far if it weren¡¯t for the members. I am happy that it has finally been proven that all my efforts were not in vain. ¡°To our fans, thank you so much for loving us.¡± It was a statement that felt sincere. Ahn Hyung-seo, who was standing behind wiping away tears with his sleeve, became even more upset and turned around to hug Seok Ji-hoon, who wasing out. Even though they were trainees together, Ahn Hyeong-seo felt sorry for Seok Ji-hoon going through hardships from a young age. ¡°I¡­ thank you¡­. ¡°I¡­ I almost wasn¡¯t going to be a member of KK in the first ce¡­¡± The fans were very excited at Taehyung Park¡¯s thoughts after taking over the microphone. This was the first time I heard that Taehyung Park almost didn¡¯t be a member of KK. Taehyung Park lowered his head, shedding tears he had been holding back. Fans chanted Park Taehyung¡¯s name as he bowed his head. ¡°Park Taehyung!¡± ¡°Park Taehyung!!! don¡¯t cry!!!¡± Dowook, who was standing next to him, patted Park Taehyung on the shoulder. Taehyung Park barely raised his head again and continued his remarks. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can stay here, but I will try my best to be a more qualified person.¡± Finally, it was Dowook¡¯s turn. It was the summit that Dowook dreamed of. Seo Kang-Jun fell and he was at the top. Although there was still a big mountain left behind, Chief Seo Joong-won, the revenge that Do-wook had been thinking about from the moment he opened his eyes again and the dream he wanted to achieve had already be a reality. Rather, there were no tears. Dowook stared straight ahead with blue eyes. When Dowook¡¯s front view was captured on the screen, people held their breath for a moment. Dowook¡¯s face and atmosphere always had an aura that seemed to overwhelm someone. ¡°Thank you so much to the fans who made it possible for me to receive this award. ¡°This award truly belongs to the fans.¡± A low voice echoed throughout the awards ceremony. Those who were watching TV and changing channels also fixed the channel on TBN as if they were attracted by something at that moment. ¡°A lot has happened to get to this point. There were things that happened to me that I couldn¡¯t exin in words. This was my dream, my life, my everything. But when I actually got here¡­.¡± Do-wook chose his words. ¡°I¡­ have a new dream.¡± Dowook looked around the wide-open awards ceremony site. ¡°dream?¡± ¡°What kind of dream is this¡­.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, Dowook¡¯s face is so ecstatic.¡± ¡°I will make that dreame true too.¡± Fans at the scene listened nkly to Dowook¡¯s eptance speech. And at that time, there was an uproar on the Inte, with themunity being turned upside down in real time. Chapter 135 # 136 Summit (3) ¡°I will strive to brighten the world with better songs from now on. thank you!¡± KK¡¯s eptance speech ended with Dowook. There was a mix of members who were crying and members who could barely hold back their tears. After Do-wook finished his eptance speech, the members gathered around Jung Yoon-gi and hugged each other. The sight of the six members gathering together and sharing the joy of winning the grand prize touched people¡¯s hearts. *** After the TBN awards ceremony, Hit Entertainment held a grand dinner for KK, who won the grand prize. Even the president and vice president of Hit Entertainment gathered together to encourage the KK members. Milky Way, who won the main award at today¡¯s awards ceremony, also participated. She was the first grand prize singer produced by Hit Entertainment. The president also could not hide his pride and praised Kwon Heung-jo, production director who oversaw KK. As if a bundle of praise had been released, even team leader Lim Seong-an of the rookie development team was called in and received praise. Although KK was nned with production director Kwon Heung-jo looking at the big picture, team leader Lim Seong-an was not confident that it would turn out this well. Team leader Lim Seong-an looked at the KK members sitting at the center table of the restaurant with a happy expression. ¡°It might be toote to say this since the results have already been released¡­¡± As Team Manager Lim Seong-an spoke, Team Manager Shim Jun, who was next to him, asked what he meant. ¡°I remember the first time I saw Kang Do-wook at the audition.¡± ¡°Ah, Team Leader Lim chose Do-wook. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t chosen him then, I would have really hit the ground running and regretted it.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t have chosen it.¡± When Team Leader Lim Seong-an spoke firmly, Team Leader Sim Jun smiled as he poured water into his ss. ¡°He¡¯s someone you can¡¯t help but pick.¡± ¡°I thought it would work out somehow. ¡°From the moment I first saw you.¡± Team leader Sim Jun nodded. Team leader Sim Jun also recalled the time when Do-wook first thought of the idea of adding a piano prelude to the song of Brave Only Child. Dowook was already there from the moment the debut song ¡®Sorry but I Love You¡¯ was born. ¡°A lump of luck rolled in. The same goes for other members.¡± After greeting the stylists and other youngest staff members, Manager Oh Baek-ho sat down and joined the conversation between the two. ¡°I¡¯ve never been thisfortable with kids as a manager.¡± Team leader Sim Junughed at Director Oh Baek-ho¡¯s words. ¡°At first, they tried to discipline the monsters, but then again, they asked the director if they were rookies.¡± It has been a story for quite some time now. Director Oh Baek-ho frowned at Team Leader Sim Jun¡¯s words. ¡°what. ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± Director Shim Jun stiffened slightly as Director Oh frowned. Even though the rtionship was not particrly difficult, Team Leader Shim Jun instinctively stiffened when Director Oh Baek-ho made an impression. It was not because Team Leader Shim Jun was weak, but because Director Oh Baek-ho was very strong. ¡°Anyway, there will be quite a bit of change inside thepany this time.¡± Team leader Shim Jun deliberately diverted the conversation and nced at Hit Entertainment CEO and Director Kwon Heung-jo and Manager Joanie who were sitting at the table next to him. ¡°The person in the human resources department said that all three of us were talking. Everyone, there¡¯s not much time left until the sry negotiation, right?¡± At Team Leader Sim Jun¡¯s words, Manager Oh Baek-ho and Team Manager Lim Seong-an nodded slightly. KK¡¯s performance was such that it was natural to expect that those in charge of KK would receive sry increases and promotions. ¡°It¡¯s not a very bigpany anyway, so I don¡¯t have any expectations.¡± Director Oh Baek-ho answered. Team leader Lim Seong-an denied it and said, as if it wasn¡¯t true. ¡°Now it¡¯s going to be a bigpany.¡± Team leader Lim Seong-an of the rookie development team said that, and his eyes were sparkling. Team leader Lim Seong-an had recently started a new talent development project with the support of production director Kwon Heung-jo. For now, KK was enough, but it was time to steadily prepare for the future. Due to KK¡¯s poprity, Hit Entertainment¡¯s name became well known, and many trainees were joining thepany. Team Leader Lim Seong-an¡¯s n was to proceed quickly when good energy was riding on it. In any case, even if they started now, the team would not be able to debut until next year at the earliest. And the ce where Team Leader Lim Seong-an¡¯s gaze once again turned was to where the KK members were. ¡®Memories of sess are very important.¡¯ Team leader Lim Seong-an did not believe the saying that failure is the mother of sess. Her belief was that sess only begets sess. In that sense, Hit Entertainment had the key to sess halfway in its grasp. Just holding on to it well and not dropping it was half the battle. The members, who had not been able to eat properly because they were participating in the awards ceremony, were eating meat in a hurry. Gu Cheol-min and the coordinators shook their heads as if they couldn¡¯t stop the members. I had no idea how many servings had already been added. ¡°Ah, I haven¡¯t eaten too muchtely because I¡¯m on a diet, so this is all I can eat. ¡°It¡¯s a silma to me.¡± Jeong Yoongi put down his chopsticks and grumbled. ¡°Wow, Yoongi hyung, you¡¯re such a bastard.¡± ¡°What man? ¡°It¡¯s a boring topic.¡± ¡°Did you see me crying too?¡± ¡°This is real.¡± Ahn Hyeong-seo went against Jeong Yoon-gi¡¯s wishes and moved his chopsticks around without even listening. Jeong Yoon-gi also picked up his chopsticks again and ate the acorn jelly that was served as a side dish. It was Seok Ji-hoon who was stuffing meat into his mouth without saying a word. ¡°If anyone sees you, they will think you are starving at work.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true that I was starving.¡± To Gu Cheol-min¡¯s words, Seok Ji-hoon swallowed the ssam he put in his mouth and answered. The members practiced and dieted in order to look good on camera. There was a possibility that sadness would build up. ¡°But you left out my name in your eptance speech?¡± Jeong Yoon-gi, who was drinking water, stopped at the words of one of the coordinators. It was Jeong Yoon-gi who called so many people by name. I couldn¡¯t even remember if I missed it or not. ¡°This guy even forgets the lyrics to his songs sometimes. ¡°My sister understands.¡± Codyughed at Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s words, not knowing whether he was helping or cursing. ¡°Anyway, what is this new dream that Do-wook was talking about?¡± ¡°A child is the one who brightens the world through song.¡± This time, Jeong Yoon-ki answered Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s question. Because Do-wook¡¯s words were vague, some questions remained in Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s mind. ¡°Actually¡­¡± As expected, Do-wook, who had the feeling of ¡®not being able to eat¡¯, had emptied two bowls of rice. Dowook put down his spoon and opened his mouth. The members and those sitting around them pricked up their ears at Dowook¡¯s words. ¡°It will be a veryte matter, but I want to produce it myself in the future.¡± ¡°produce?¡± When Jeong Yoon-gi asked, Do-wook nodded. ¡°yes. I participated in the formation of members from the beginning¡­¡± ¡°What? Are you abandoning us?¡± Hyungseo Ahn asked loudly and yfully. Dowook was embarrassed and waved his hand saying he didn¡¯t mean it that way. ¡°No, of course that KK¡­.¡± Do-wook couldn¡¯t help but be even more embarrassed because Park Tae-hyung gave him a look as if he was asking if it was true. Jeong Yoon-gi smiled and stopped Ahn Hyeong-seo and Park Tae-hyung. Jung Yoongi seemed to think for a moment and then spoke sincerely. ¡°I¡¯m curious about that too.¡± Ahn Hyeong-seo also smiled and helped. ¡°I know. Dowook, if you do it again, you will do well. I think I can do it now. ¡°So aren¡¯t you the youngest producer?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s too early now¡­¡± ¡°No, I think you can do it now. ¡°Still, let¡¯s go for a long time.¡± ¡°Of course, bro.¡± Do-wook responded to Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s words. Other people also said one by one that they were looking forward to Dowook. It was the time when the warm atmosphere was ripening. Kim Won, who was drinking as much alcohol as he could get from those around him, fell down on the table. Koo Cheol-min took care of Kim Won. ¡°I think it¡¯s really important from now on. Be more careful¡­¡± Although Kim Won was lying down, Do-wook spoke seriously to the members about his concerns. Going down was so easypared to going up. Even if you step slightly wrong, you could easily slip. Once you reached the top, it wasn¡¯t the end. It was even more difficult to stay for a long time. There were too many people watching and too many people waiting for it to fall. ¡°You too, brother. ¡°Can¡¯t we just enjoy today?¡± Do-wook scratched the back of his head at the words of the youngest Seok Ji-hoon. It was because I didn¡¯t mean to nag the members. ¡°I¡¯ll be careful. As Hyungseo said, we should go on for a long time. ¡°I¡¯m just saying this because I think you can be a little less careful.¡± Taehyung Park also nodded cautiously. ¡°Okay¡­Do-wook.¡± There was no one present who did not know that Do-wook had the greatest contribution in getting to this point. Everyone trusted and followed Dowook with one heart and one mind. The members had a firm belief that they should not fall from this position because of their own mistakes, as they did note here through their own efforts, but through everyone¡¯s efforts. I didn¡¯t want to cause any harm. Dowook smiled as he looked into the serious eyes of each member. At that time, Kim Won, who was lying face down on the table, stood up and raised his ss. ¡°Let¡¯s make a toast, cheers! Cheers! ¡°Am sooooooo happy!¡± ¡°Ah, I think this guy needs to have a little less fun.¡± All the other membersughed at Seok Ji-hoon¡¯s words. *** After the dinner party,ughing and chatting happily, the members returned to their dorm. Even though the practice continued until the previous day and it was very hard, everyone was having a hard time falling asleep. Kim Won-man brought the trophy that Director Oh Baek-ho said he would bring to thepany, saying he wanted to sleep with it just for today, and he was snoring and falling asleep while hugging it. Jung Yoon-gi and Seok Ji-hoon were lying on their beds, replying to the congrattory messages pouring in on their cell phones. In the living room, Dowook, who had juste out from the shower, and Hyeongseo Ahn, who was writing in the fan cafe, were there. Taehyung Park was watching a rerun of the TBN awards ceremony that was broadcast live earlier. Do-wook, who was drying his hair with a towel, asked Ahn Hyeong-seo, who was holding his cell phone. ¡°Are you writing in a cafe?¡± ¡°uh? Uh oh. But the atmosphere in the fan cafe is strange. ¡°Is it okay to write?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the mood?¡± Today, Dowook was unable to check his phone as usual due to his busy schedule. Dowook asked, sat down and checked his cell phone. When I turned on the app, a portal site appeared. The number one real-time search term was, of course, K.K. KK KK Grand Prize Kang Do-wook, Ahn Hyeong-seo, Four Directions¡­. The ones that stood out among the search terms were Man to Man and Chae Eun-ho. It certainly seems that new member Chae Eun-ho caught the public¡¯s attention. ¡®As expected¡­¡¯ Do-wook thought as he clicked on the articles that appeared on the main page. Most of the articles were rted to KK¡¯s subjects. Most of thements were congratting KK. Dowook smiled happily as he looked at the photo of the knight they were embracing. While I was reading thements, a strangement caught my eye. -They pretended to do everything for the sake of their fans haha. As expected, I can¡¯t help it because it¡¯s spreading ¨C Don¡¯t spread rumors ¨C Rumors are all about photos being released haha ¨C KK is also a trash person? Haha ¨C But you didn¡¯t hit someone like Seojun haha ¨C What happened? -It¡¯s spreading in themunity now haha Dowook frowned and essed argemunity site where idol-rted news was posted first. Sure enough, the best articles from 1st to 3rd were all rted to KK. Fortunately, 1st ce was a post congratting KK for the grand prize. When I clicked on it, I found an article listing K.K.¡¯s grades so far and exining that K.K.¡¯s grades were worthy of receiving the grand prize. However, the second-ce post was a post asking for an exnation from KK members. Dowook clicked on the second ce post without dy. As soon as I clicked on it, what appeared was a torn letter and a picture of a pile of gifts that were haphazardly discarded. The gift also had photos of KK members attached to it. ¡´K.K. threw away fans¡¯ gifts haha. Can you exin?¡µ -What, really? -Is it real? real? real? -Our kids aren¡¯t like this¡­ It¡¯s probably the manager¡¯s fault . -How do you know they aren¡¯t that kind of kid? Seojun thought he was that type of kid? Haha ¨C I¡¯m sure the fans were very disappointed. Even though I¡¯m not a fan of KK, I¡¯m still heartbroken ¨C I¡­ I¡¯m being so rude¡­ ?? Is it true? I hope not ???????? -How could it not be~ That¡¯s all supported today on the KK fan site~ -There is a difference between my eptance speech and this photo¡­;; -I don¡¯t know why the members are criticizing something that the manager threw away. -The manager just threw it away? How could the members not know? -Hit Enter, cut the manager! -Don¡¯t the members know that fact? It looks like a fan letter that the members have already seen ¨C It¡¯s surprising, really ¨C Other fans came here on purpose to sway public opinion ¨C No matter how you look at it, driving public opinion is something that would be criticized ¨C Fans can¡¯t look down on good singers because they look down on them Something was going wrong. Do-wook calmly dissuaded Ahn Hyeong-seo from writing a post on the fan cafe. He then immediately called Director Oh Baek-ho. Chapter 136 # 137 Across the Sea (1) ¡°You weren¡¯t asleep, right?¡± -Oh, I just came in. Director Oh Baek-ho found a small house right near the amodation and was staying there with Koo Cheol-min. ¡°I have something you need to know about. ¡°I can¡¯t do it now¡­ Could youe early tomorrow morning?¡± Dowook asked carefully in an apologetic tone. In fact, tomorrow was a day off for the entire staff, including the KK members. Do-wook felt sorry for getting help from Director Baek-ho Oh until that day. -what¡¯s the matter? Director Oh Baek-ho asked as if he was worried. ¡°Ah¡­ there was an article posted on the Inte. I¡¯ll send you the link right now. ¡°I think I should check it out.¡± -okay. I¡¯ll see you and go early tomorrow morning. ¡°yes. Then take a break. thank you.¡± When Director Oh Baek-ho and Do-wook finished the call, Ahn Hyeong-seo and Park Tae-hyung looked worried. The two people had also checked the article posted on the Inte. ¡°This is a gift we also saw. Why is it abandoned here like this? ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why¡­ Cheolmin¡­ decided to take care of it¡­¡± The gift and letter in the photo arrived at the awards ceremony along with a lunch box support. The members had checked everything during rehearsals, and since they could not leave it in the waiting room, they decided to move it to a van. This was even more puzzling because it was Park Tae-hyung who also listened to Director Oh Baek-ho giving instructions to Gu Cheol-min. Dowook looked back at the two people and said. ¡°We can find out tomorrow.¡± Hyungseo Ahn nodded while looking at thements and sighed. ¡°Hatements are no joke. ¡°I think it¡¯s half congrattions and half curses that we won the grand prize.¡± Dowook wasn¡¯t in a good mood either, but it wasn¡¯t unexpected. Of course, I thought it was simply a controversy over KK¡¯s eligibility, but I had no idea that such a specific incident would break out. Following the controversial posts, posts were posted one after another cleverly driving the situation by maliciouslybining facial expressions and interviews from KK¡¯s broadcasts. Of course, there were manyments defending KK, asking what foolish agency would throw away gifts like that in a ce where everyone could see. However, it seemed clear that there was a group of people who were continuing to push the situation towards the bad side. ¡®They¡¯re probably the people who most disapprove of KK winning the grand prize¡­¡¯ Do-wook thought. By looking at the IDs of those who left negativements and looking at their previous posts, it was not difficult to find out what kind of group they were. Most of them were fans of other idols. ¡®I know you¡¯re upset, but¡­¡¯ In fact, it could have been overlooked, thinking it was just a fight between fans. However, something that would cause unrest within the fans should not have been created. One of the big reasons why KK was able to gain so much poprity was the fans. By reaching out to fans with a variety of content, creating a friendly image, and continuously appealing to fans that KK cares about them, fans were able to support KK as if it were their own business more than other singers. Even though it was a small and medium-sized agency, KK achieved the highest album sales thanks to the full support of its fans. The trust between KK and fans should not have been broken. Do-wook thought that this incident should be clearly addressed. *** The next day, after talking with Do-wook and Jeong Yoon-gi, Director Oh Baek-ho yelled at Gu Cheol-min. ¡°You should have taken good care of that!¡± ¡°sorry.¡± Gu Cheol-min kept his head down and repeatedly said he was sorry. When reporter Choi Seong-jun maliciously published an article about Do-wook¡¯s interview, in fact, there were many things that Koo Cheol-min could not do, and since it was amon urrence while learning the job of a manager, Director Oh Baek-ho was not very angry. However, in this case, it was clearly Gu Cheol-min¡¯s fault. Because we arrived in the waiting room, there weren¡¯t many support items. Except for lunch boxes, most of them were misceneous items such as letters and hand warmers that could be used in the waiting room. As a result, Koo Cheol-min left the things he had decided to move to the van to the fan-marketing team intern without thinking much about it. When the fan-marketing team intern in the waiting room said that he had to stop by the office toe back, Gu Cheol-min said that was right, pointed to the items with his finger, and asked him to move the items over there as well. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m confused. Can you tell me againter? ¡°I have a lot to take care of right now.¡± ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± Ku Cheol-min, who said that, did not stay in the waiting room to watch the rehearsal while the KK members were rehearsing. When it was time to go to the office, the intern was gathering his luggage and suddenly remembered Gu Cheol-min¡¯s request, but since Koo Cheol-min was not there, he was unable to pack it and headed to the office. It was difficult to know how the letters and gifts ended up on the street in the empty waiting room. There were some parts that were difficult to attribute to the intern. Clearly, the person responsible was Gu Cheol-min. ¡°If it disappearedter, you should have checked!!!¡± ¡°sorry. ¡°I have nothing to say.¡± Director Oh Baek-ho¡¯s voice rang loudly throughout the conference room. Gu Cheol-min bowed his head and apologized once again. Gu Cheol-min noticed that the gifts were missing from the waiting room, but he just thought that the intern had taken them. I was so distracted that I didn¡¯t even think to check. In fact, if it had been another agency, this matter could have been over with just oneint. However, like Dowook, the agency considered fans very important. The ideology of fans being ¡®customers¡¯ rather than ¡®bad guys¡¯ as they are often referred to in public was firmly established. ¡°How are we going to solve it?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± Tak! Director Oh Baek-ho frowned and mmed the floor of his desk at Gu Cheol-min, who was hesitant due to nervousness. ¡°Are you a little kid? ¡°If you¡¯re going to say something, you have to say it straight!¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I checked the CCTV in the waiting room¡­¡± Manager Oh Baek-ho¡¯s eyebrows rose to one side. Although it was Gu Cheol-min who made the mistake, it was still because I thought that Gu Cheol-min moved faster than expected. ¡°Some girls came in and took it out.¡± ¡°what?¡± Gu Cheol-min took out his cell phone and sent a video to Director Oh Baek-ho. It was an edited copy of the CCTV received from the security office of the concert hall. In the video, people wearing hats and masks were seen entering the waiting room anding out carrying items. After some time, a security guard found them in the hallway and asked how they got in. He was also seen holding out his staff ID card. In order to run the show, TBN had selected many young female staff members, so at first nce, they seemed no different from staff members. There was a possibility that it might actually be a staff member. The security guard, who was slightly tilting his head, waved his hand as if to tell me to leave the waiting room. They said hello while holding a pile of gifts and leisurely disappeared to the end of the hallway. ¡°What is this¡­¡± Director Oh Baek-ho¡¯s brows were wrinkled. *** ¡°I think it would be a good idea to post something on the Inte.¡± Assistant Manager Do Ra-hee, Director Oh Baek-ho, and KK members gathered in the conference room. The KK members were in the position that they could not remain silent about this incident. Even now, posts are being posted in real time saying they want to know the true feelings of the KK members. Of course, there were many posts saying that they trusted the members, but I didn¡¯t want to leave any misunderstandings. I really wanted to clear up the misunderstanding. These were the fans who shared the joy on this happy day. Assistant Manager Do Ra-hee responded to Do-wook¡¯s words. ¡°I don¡¯t know who this is and it¡¯s hard to reveal my face to find out who it is. The matter could have escted for no reason¡­¡± Manager Oh Baek-ho nodded at Assistant Manager Do Ra-hee¡¯s words. Posting something on the Inte right away could have made things worse. It only showed the taking of the gift and did not include a scene of the gift being damaged. It was difficult to check the CCTV under the streetlight in the photo. ¡°Depending on how you post, the response may actually be worse¡­ It is true that management was poor on our part¡­¡± ¡° But we can¡¯t just sit still like this! ¡°It¡¯s so unfair.¡± Hyungseo Ahn shouted. ¡°It will get better with time.¡± Jeong Yoon-gi spoke to Ahn Hyeong-seo while scratching his temple. Assistant Manager Do Ra-hee also looked embarrassed. It was not easy to take action at thepany level. ¡°First of all, it is clear that our staff did not dispose of it carelessly.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Assistant Manager Do Ra-hee nodded at Do-wook¡¯s words. ¡°Then wouldn¡¯t the situation be a bit better if I posted a post focusing on theft rather than mismanagement?¡± ¡°theft?¡± The word ¡®theft¡¯ itself had a lot of negative energy. If we focused on that, it was obvious that attention would be focused on whomitted the theft. But at the same time, there was a high possibility that it would be more chaotic due to fights on the Inte. Unless the culprit is clearly identified. ¡°I think it would be good to say that it is clear that the theft urred after checking the CCTV and that the identity of the person whomitted the theft is already known.¡± Assistant Manager Do Ra-hee nodded. I understood what Dowook was trying to say. Actually, it wasn¡¯t that difficult to figure out his identity. It may take some time, but all you have to do is ask the police to investigate. Or, if you distribute video captures among fans, the culprit will probably be caught. However, as time passed, interest dropped and KK¡¯s image was already damaged. It would end after the young criminals were hacked to pieces. Assistant Manager Do Ra-hee judged that it would ultimately be bad for KK¡¯s image for the agency to take the lead in such matters. Of course, if there was no way to turn this around, it would have been the method that should have been chosen in the end. ¡°We¡¯re thinking of filing aint, and we¡¯ll have to say that we¡¯ll give you leniency if you issue an apology.¡± ¡°yes.¡± Of course, even if I posted that apology, I would still get hacked to death on the Inte, but I thought I deserved that level of punishment. ¡°And it would be nice to post something like our sincere apology.¡± Assistant Manager Do Ra-hee asked back as if what he meant. ¡°Apology? The members didn¡¯t do anything wrong, so why¡­¡± ¡°After all, it was a gift we received. ¡°Even if it¡¯s not an apology, I want to express my regret.¡± The other members, including Jeong Yoon-gi, nodded at Do-wook¡¯s words. The situation had already been discussed with the members. Assistant Manager Do Ra-hee, who was once someone¡¯s fan, was deeply impressed. It made me think that I would be happy if I were a fan of Dowook or K.K. I felt like I could cheer more passionately than I did then. At the same time, I realized again why KK¡¯s fans support KK. *** Less than a day after the agency posted an announcement and the KK members posted heartfelt messages expressing their apologies, an email arrived at the fan-marketing team. The subject of the email was ¡®I¡¯m sorry.¡¯ It was an email from someone who was clearly one of the women who caused the incident. It said he was reflecting and asked that no charges be filed. Assistant Manager Do Ra-hee, who traced the email address, frowned. ¡°what¡¯s this¡­¡­.¡± Chapter 137 # 138 Across the Sea (2) [Subject: Sorry. I saw a notice posted on the Inte. There had been a fight with KK fans on the Inte the day before and I was very excited. One of my friends had been selected as a member of the staff, so I secretly went to the waiting room, found the KK waiting room, and impulsively did something . If he had nned this, he would never have revealed his face even though there is CCTV. I would appreciate it if you could look at it just once. I did not post the photo on the Inte, so it cannot be deleted . I am sorry.] Dora-hee looked at the email and shook her head. The photo gift was thrown out on the street near the awards ceremony, so anyone could have taken the photo. The important thing was to reveal that they were the ones who threw away the gift. Do Ra-hee was able to easily guess the culprit from the part where there was a fight on the Inte with KAK fans. However, since it was forbidden to make assumptions, before contacting the person who sent the email, the name of the person who sent the email was Bomi Kim. It was difficult to determine her specific identity based only on the name Bomi Kim. The email address of the email that arrived was ¡®[email protected]¡¯. When I entered my email address into Facenote, it showed up as an unregistered email address. Assistant Manager Do Ra-hee searched for email addresses such as ¡®bomebome¡¯ and ¡®bome2bome¡¯ just in case. Then, after some thought, I searched for an email called ¡®bome1123¡¯ with the birthdays of Sabang Shinhwa members. Then, member information appeared along with the name Bomi Kim. The 23-year-old was currently on a leave of absence from school. When I entered the page, the most recent post that Bomi Kim left an hour ago appeared. [I¡¯m in a bad mood] Thements below were full of swear words and ridicule such as ¡®You should have wrapped it tighter like that¡¯ and ¡®You idiot.¡¯ Kim Bomi was responding to thosements with ament telling her to ¡®shut up¡¯. As I was scrolling through the posts, I noticed that there were some photos of the TBN awards ceremony staff ID and some photos that clearly showed that they were fans of Sabang Shinhwa. Assistant Manager Do Ra-hee responded to the email with confidence. *** After some time, the controversy on the Inte was neatly resolved through the actions of Assistant Manager Do Ra-hee. Assistant Manager Do Ra-hee met in person with Kim Bomi, who sent the email. Kim Bo-mi knew the Inte well, so she knew what kind of uproar it would be if her personal information was circted on the Inte. Therefore, he said that he could post the apology written in the email on the Inte, but he didn¡¯t think there was anything else he could do. ¡°My true. This is ridiculous! ¡°How could someone who knows so clearly do something like that?!¡± Assistant Manager Do Ra-hee did not swear with her mouth because it was rted to thepany, but she cursed with her eyes. Do Ra-hee did not feel like she should not mess with Director Oh Baek-ho for no reason. Assistant Manager Do Ra-hee took a deep breath as she gave a speech about the KK members who were criticized because of Kim Bo-mi and the fans who were hurt. Kim Bo-mi, wearing a hat, only lowered her head under the pressure of Assistant Manager Do Ra-hee. ¡°You know we can sue, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­yes.¡± ¡°Then, what is Kim Bo-mi¡¯s life really like? ¡°It¡¯s different from the extent to which new information is spread on the Inte.¡± Bomi Kim looked at Assistant Manager Do Rahee with anxious eyes. There were two more aplices. Kim Bomi, who was the most anxious because the staff certificate was hers, took the initiative and sent an email as a representative. ¡°So, do as you say. ¡°Isn¡¯t it strange that we are being harmed so that you won¡¯t be harmed?¡± Kim Bomi nodded at Assistant Manager Dorahee who spoke sharply. However, Assistant Manager Do Ra-hee had no intention of revealing Kim Bo-mi¡¯s personal information. However, even if you just posted an apology saying that it was your fault, there was no evidence that the author was the real culprit, so it was necessary to post it with evidence that he was the real culprit. Assistant Manager Do Ra-hee did not believe everything Kim Bomi said that she was impulsive. Since there was an aplice, I thought there would be evidence of a conspiracy. In the end, Assistant Manager Do Ra-hee found out the circumstances in which Kim Bo-mi and two other people exchanged messages saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go into KK¡¯s waiting room and do something. We should at least rip our clothes in the waiting room. That will relieve our feelings. Let¡¯s create controversy at KK.¡± Immediately that afternoon, Bomi Kim wrote an apology and posted it on amunity site, attaching a photo of her staff ID and a screenshot of the conversation she was simting. As a fan of another singer, I had a bad feeling toward KK, so I did something I shouldn¡¯t have done, and I apologized to KK members and fans. Although the names were obscured, the profile pictures in the captured conversations were the faces of two Sabang Shinhwa members. Kim Bomi wanted to hide that she was a fan of Sabang Shinhwa until the end, but there was no way it wouldn¡¯t be revealed. Being a fan of Sabang Shinhwa was already a clear motive for the crime. When Bomi Kim¡¯s apology was posted, themunity once again became excited. As it became known that Bomi Kim was a fan of Sabang Shinhwa, it became known within the Sabang Shinhwa fandom who they were. As Kim Bomi¡¯s group caused even Sabang Shinhwa to be criticized, Kim Bomi¡¯s group was naturally branded as a bad group and ostracized by fans attending the site. Assistant Manager Do Ra-hee quickly released Hit Entertainment¡¯s position, including the contents of Kim Bomi¡¯s apology, through a press article. It was the first time this had happened, and since an apology was quickly posted, they were given leniency, but it was clear that leniency would not be given again. ¡´Scary fight between fans.. Due to the theft in the KK waiting room!¡µ ¡´From now on, KK¡¯s agency will take a hard line against maliciousments spreading rumors rted to KK!¡µ ¨C You have properly embarrassed Four Bang Shinhwa ¨C Sad¡­ ¨C Gao¡¯s falling, fans I did everything haha ¨C Shouldn¡¯t I have eaten beans and rice? Hit the enter is too soft, back off~ -Where have all the kids who cursed KK gone? LOL -Aren¡¯t you really crazy???? They say kids these days are scary and evenmit crimes??? -After all, our oppas couldn¡¯t have done that ?? ¨C Those inconsiderate kids should be punished¡­ Because it was something that happened between fans, it wasn¡¯t widely reported, but the public didn¡¯t even know that something like this had happened anyway. What was important were the fans. What Do-wook and the members wanted was to clear up fans¡¯ misunderstandings. KK¡¯s fans were angry at the clearly revealed story, but they were even more heartbroken by the fact that KK members were sincerely sorry that their fans¡¯ gifts were thrown away on the street, even though they had been stolen. Although there was a clear distance between the singer and the fan, the rtionship between them became even stronger. Also, I realized once again that as the KK members reached the top position, there were many people who were jealous and tried to pull them down. I thought I should be more careful about my actions because I don¡¯t know when, where, and how strange rumors might arise. *** Fortunately, the matter was resolved and the KK members arrived at Gimpo Airport with a much lighter heart. Today too, so many fans flocked to the airport that it was crowded. Airport security had a hard time keeping the fans at bay. In the past, these members would have said hello, but on days like today when there were too many people, it was difficult to say hello because it would only be a nuisance to regr airport users. KK members who were trying to go up to the departure hall had the dizzying experience of the esctor stopping because of the fans who followed behind them and the many fans who got on the front first and tried to take pictures of them. When the esctor with too many people on it stopped working, Manager Oh Baek-ho touched his forehead as he felt his fever rising. In the end, the KK members had to follow Director Oh Baek-ho and turn around and head up the stairs to the departure hall. ¡°Wow, today is truly the best ever.¡± ¡°Oh my gosh.¡± Jeong Yoon-gi and Kim Won shook their heads as they entered the departure hall. It was the first schedule after the awards ceremony, and since many things happened in a short period of time on the Inte, fans seemed to want to see KK¡¯s face even more. At the duty-free shop in the departure hall, K.K.¡¯s face was already disyed on the front page. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Ahn Hyeong-seo was amazed as he looked at the billboard with his face on it. ¡°I was wondering when I would get caught here.¡± ¡°It is now.¡± While talking with Seok Ji-hoon, Ahn Hyeong-seo walked towards the gate. It took longer than expected to get into the departure hall, so there wasn¡¯t much time left to board the ne. All members were seated in business ss. Shortly after the ne took off, the in-flight meal was served. Since the flight between Gimpo and Tokyo was very short, there was originally no separate in-flight meal, but it was a special meal served in business ss during the morning flight. ¡°Now that I think about it, we didn¡¯t even eat rice cake soup yesterday.¡± Seok Ji-hoon said while looking at the rice cake soup served as an in-flight meal. Yesterday, the first day of the new year, we were preparing for today¡¯s performance, so all lunch and dinner were KK members who met up in the practice room. ¡°I¡¯m d I can eat like this.¡± Seok Ji-hoon nodded at what Do-wook said while holding a spoon. Seok Ji-hoon spoke to Kim Won, who was visible diagonally. ¡°Brother Won! ¡°I eat and do it.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Ugh. ¡°Oki-oki.¡± At Seok Ji-hoon¡¯s words, Kim Won barely closed the Japanese book he was reading. Kim Won became crazy once he fell in love with a book. Kim Won devoted himself to studying Japanese conversation ahead of his schedule in Japan. Whether it was because of his high IQ, his excellent linguistic ability, or both, Kim Won¡¯s Japanese skills improved quickly. Now I was able to do basicmunication as well as read newspapers in their original form. ¡°You said you were going to appear on a variety show this time, right?¡± ¡°huh. ¡°I also need to study Japanese more.¡± ¡°You¡¯re good at it too. There¡¯s really no problem for the three of us. ¡°The remaining three are the problem.¡± In response to Seok Ji-hoon¡¯s sarcasticment, Ahn Hyeong-seo, who was sitting in the back seat, could be heard protesting that he was studying. Do-wook smiled softly, thinking that he should checkter to see if the New Year¡¯s gifts he sent to his family arrived safely. KK¡¯s first schedule of the new year was in Tokyo, Japan. In Tokyo, KK¡¯s Japanese regr album ¡´¤¢¤ª¤¾¤é¡µ had just been released yesterday. This time, KK nned to elerate her Japanese activities in earnest by appearing on showcases as well as Japanese music and entertainment shows with ¡´¤¢¤ª¤¾¤é¡µ. KK was already quite well known among Japanese K-POP fans. However, through this album, they will focus on promoting KK¡¯s music not only to K-POP fans but also to those who enjoy local Japanese music. Nakamoto, which was originally entrusted with only distributing music and albums, was entrusted with nning and production as well as Japanese album jacket photography. Although Hit Entertainment may have suffered some losses in terms of profit distribution, it had developed a perfect localization strategy. KK¡¯s poprity had reached its peak in Korea. Even in Japan, it was a good time to jump up one or two steps. This activity had a clear goal. Chapter 138 # 139 Across the Sea (3) *** The ¡®¤¢¤ª¤¾¤é¡¯ showcase held in Tokyo ended very sessfully. Thanks to the steady release of albums and tours in Japan, the group has clearly formed a solid fan base of fans who love KK¡¯s music. In addition, the strategy developed in cooperation with Nakamoto, starting with the concept photo, also seemed to have worked well. Of course, Japanese K-POP fans liked ¡®K-POP-ness¡¯, but they were fundamentally Japanese. They were giving a slightly more generous evaluation to theposition of the album tailored to Japanese tastes. It was also true that the quality was slightly higher than KK¡¯s previous Japanese albums due to Nakamoto¡¯s capital power. Basically, the song arranged in the Japanese version fits well with Japanese sensibilities. ¡®¤¢¤ª¤¾¤é¡¯ also entered the Oricon chart, heralding the smooth sailing of this Japanese activity. Now it was time to push a little further. After the showcase ended, the members returned to the hotel, took a quick shower, and went out to Shibuya Street to have dinner. Even though I was tired, the idea was to have dinner outside and enjoy the Tokyo nightlife just a little bit. The broadcast was scheduled from early tomorrow morning, and after that, the schedule continued for 3 days and 2 nights. Because the members were constantly running, even the short free time they asionally had was very sweet. In Korea, young people recognize you just by taking a step in front of your amodation, so Tokyo was a better ce to walk down the street. ¡°uh! That!¡­ ¡­ .¡± Taehyung Park, who was walking ahead with Won Kim, stopped. In front of the small theater that Taehyung Park pointed to as he stopped, there was a Japanese poster for ¡°Blue Whale.¡± Kim Won, who was next to Taehyung Park, pped and called the members together. ¡°wow! ¡°I never thought I¡¯d see Dowook¡¯s face here.¡± The members gathered in front of the theater and looked at the poster. Do-wook was also pushed by the members¡¯ fuss and checked the posters stered on the wall. The Japanese version of the poster had modifiers such as ¡®Cannes winner¡¯ and ¡®clearly revealing reality¡¯. After receiving favorable reviews at Cannes, Dowook¡¯s film was exported to several countries. Of course, because it was not amercial film, it was not screened in theaters on arge scale, but it was well received among lovers of art films. In particr, Japanese film magazines with simr sensibilities as Korea made their name known by selecting ¡°Blue Whale¡± as a work of interest. This is because the problem of school violence was a serious social problem that Japan experienced before Korea. ¡°World Wide Iga.¡± Jeong Yoon-gi was impressed. The KK members were amazed when they discovered Dowook¡¯s movie poster, but their eyes couldn¡¯t help but widen even more when they stood in front of a famous Japanese recordbel. KK¡¯s video was ying on the electronic disy board installed in front of the recordpany¡¯s main gate. The music video for ¡®¤¢¤ª¤¾¤é¡¯ was shot with slightly more intense colors. ¡°Oh, Director, can I stop by here for a moment?¡± In response to Seok Ji-hoon¡¯s question, Director Oh Baek-ho looked around and nodded. There were people passing by, ncing at the group of tall young men, but so far no one had noticed or followed them. It waste and the recordpany was just before closing time, so the store was empty. The members went directly into the recordpany store and looked in front of where their albums were stacked. Along with therge signboard, the notice ¡®K-K¡¯s new album, the new crown prince of K-POP¡¯ stood out brightly. Director Oh Baek-ho also had a new feeling when he personally visited the store where KK¡¯s album was sold in Japan. Through the interpreter who apanied him, Ahn Hyeong-seo asked various questions to the store staff. Although the store staff was a little puzzled, they answered the interpreter¡¯s questions with sincerity. ¡°They say it¡¯s really popr. He is by far the best among Korean singers right now¡­ ¡­ . Recently, it seems that fans are buying the first full-length album, perhaps due to the influence of the Aozora music video¡­ ¡­ .¡± Ahn Hyeong-seo nodded at the interpreter¡¯s exnation with a smile on his face. In fact, even without hearing an exnation, I was able to figure it out right away just by looking at the fact that it upies arge corner of the store. The store employee who was exining things seemed to have btedly realized that the members were K.K. Even though he was surprised, he gave a thumbs up for a moment and repeatedly said that it was great. The members who left the record store with their shoulders lifted were each holding a copy of KK¡¯s album in their hands. ¡°There are so many when I go to work, why should I buy this¡­¡± ¡­ .¡± Director Oh Baek-ho shook his head, but that was not what the members felt. ¡°It would be good if it goes up further on the Oricon charts.¡± Director Oh Baek-ho clicked his tongue at Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s answer. ¡°Buy six?¡± ¡°I bought another one. Manager. So, seven sheets.¡± Seok Ji-hoon opened two albums and answered for Manager Oh Baek-ho. Director Oh Baek-ho looked a little confused. ¡°Two?¡± ¡°yes. ¡°You can give it to your mother.¡± Seok Ji-hoon seemed to have read Director Oh Baek-ho¡¯s thoughts when he asked what he was going to use it for and quickly answered. Director Oh Baek-ho shook his head and thought that the KK members were still pure. As they received the grand prize and already received some recognition, it is easy to feelcent rather than improve, but the members wanted to constantly grow. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so hungry. ¡°Now let¡¯s go quickly.¡± At Jeong Yoon-gi¡¯s words, the group walked faster. On the way to the ramen shop, several locals recognized the KK members and shouted. Of course, due to the characteristics of the Japanese people, they did not approach me, but I could see that a significant number of people were now recognizing KK even in the middle of Tokyo. The members felt ufortable and a little proud at the same time. *** Early the next morning, a studio at a Japanese public broadcasting station. KK was rubbing her sleepy eyes and finishing her hair and makeup to appear on a famous Japanese morning entertainment program. Seok Ji-hoon¡¯s swelling was worse than usual, perhaps because he ordered and ate arger jumbo dish than the other membersst night. ¡°So Jihoon, you eat so well!¡± ¡°It got this big because I ate it.¡± Seok Ji-hoon responded strangely to Cody¡¯s scolding and started yelling in the waiting room. ¡°Aaaaaah!!!¡± The members were startled by Seok Ji-hoon¡¯s scream and looked at him. Seok Ji-hoon was screaming with his mouth wide open. My face was turning red. ¡°He¡¯s like that again.¡± Ahn Hyeong-seo only said one word, and the members immediately turned their heads and were busy memorizing their Japanese sentences. The method of squealing to rx the mouth muscles and generating heat at the same time to reduce the swelling of the face was a method that Seok Ji-hoon often used on days when his face was swollen. At that time, a staff member came in and filled the microphone for the members. This morning¡¯s broadcast was scheduled to be performed live in the studio along with a brief member introduction. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m nervous. ¡°I can be good at this, right?!¡± ¡°You can do it, bro. Would you like me to take a look at it?¡± The Japanesenguage skills of KK members could be clearly divided into beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. In the advanced ss, there were also Dowook and Kim Won. In the intermediate ss, there were Seok Ji-hoon and Park Tae-hyung, who studied quite hard. The beginner ss was originallyprised of Jeong Yoon-ki and Ahn Hyeong-seo. However, since leader Jung Yoon-gi raps and introduces the group in Japanese, he can now speak very basic Japanese. The problem was Ahn Hyeong-seo. Hyungseo Ahn was still the member with the weakest Japanese skills. Even though he had already performed several concerts in Japan, Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s Japanesenguage skills showed no signs of improving. I was putting in the necessary amount of effort, but I couldn¡¯t me him for being weak in foreignnguages, not even singing. Dowook offered a helping hand to Ahn Hyeong-seo, who memorized a short sentence of about two lines and was worried about forgetting it. Hyeong-seo Ahn did not hesitate and memorized his message to Do-wook. ¡°¤ª¤Ï¤è¤¦¤´¤¶¤¤¤Þ¤¹¡£¡± It started with ¡°hello,¡± followed by an introduction that he was in charge of talent at KK and a brief greeting to take good care of him in the future. Do-wook, who was standing in front, nodded. Although the ent was a little slurred, there was nothing wrong. Ahn Hyeong-seo gained confidence and spoke without hesitation, even thetter part of the message, ¡®I¡¯m sending you a wink to encourage you to have a lively day today!¡¯ And then he even winked at Dowook. Dowook burst outughing. ¡°Is it perfect?¡± ¡°Was there anything wrong?¡± ¡°yes.¡± Ahn Hyeong-seo smiled as if relieved by Do-wook¡¯s words. ¡°Then that¡¯s it. ¡°I have to do betterter.¡± And soon the live interview began. Starting with Jung Yoon-gi¡¯s greeting, each member gave his or her own message. The MCs asked a few set questions, and the short interview ended with a wink from Ahn Hyeong-seo, who memorized the words without difficulty. Afterwards, KK¡¯s stage continued. KK was making Japan¡¯s mornings more lively with a live performance that included both dancing and singing, which is rare among Japanese idol groups. The reaction of Japanese locals watching the live broadcast was also quite noteworthy. -Are the peopleing out now from Korea? -The most popr idol currently in Korea -I thought only AOB was good, but there are quite a few talented singers in Korea¡­ -Who just had the blonde hair? Handsome! -Wookie¡î -Proud KK Center~^^ -Is it possible to sing like that while dancing? Cool ¨C I think I¡¯ve seen that blonde hair somewhere. Was it at the movie theater? ¨C KK! The best! I¡¯ve been a fan since the previous album! -The member on the left speaks Japanese very well -He speaks English well too! A gifted student who studied abroad. ¨C I like Taehyung Park ¡¾o¡ä?¡õ?`o¡¿ ¨C The member who rapped is very fashionable ¨C KK everyone has great fashion sense ¨C These days, it feels like Korea is ahead of the curve ¨C Anyway, Koreans! -I want to see a Korean female idol group -Your body looks good~ Everyone is tall! It was a sessful morning entertainment debut. Since there was a recording of another entertainment program, KK went straight to the next broadcastingpany¡¯s studio after finishing the live broadcast. ¡°Don¡¯t panic too much.¡± Before recording, Director Oh Baek-ho gave a somewhat worried warning to the KK members. In fact, it was a program that Director Oh Baek-ho did not really want to catch. However, while entrusting the production of the album this time, all decisions regarding overall activities were also entrusted to Nakamoto. It was judged that the localpany Nakamoto knew better about the Japanese market. Of course it was true. However, Director Oh Baek-ho thought that if the program to be filmed today had been a Koreanpany, it would not have been aired. Of course, it is a schedule that would not have been possible without Nakamotosa¡¯s power. Director Oh Baek-ho didn¡¯t know much, but the entertainment program that was about to be filmed was not only a popr entertainment program broadcast in Japan¡¯s prime time, but it was also a very provocative program. For the sake of fun, the MCs did not hesitate to make demands that could be called ¡®harassment¡¯ to guests. The good news was that it was recorded. The interpreter, who received instructions from the staff, led the KK members into the studio. ¡®There shouldn¡¯t be any problems¡­ ¡­ .¡¯ Dowook thought as he entered the studio. Chapter 139 # 140 In the program Across the Sea (4), a special corner called ¡®Digging into KK¡¯ was scheduled to be broadcast for about 20 minutes. Just looking at the fact that the show decided to devote this much time to KK, rather than a native star, it was clear that KK¡¯s poprity had increased to some extent in Japan as well. Upon entering the studio, a male MC weed KK. Shinichi Watanabe, the solo MC on today¡¯s broadcast, was a formeredian and a famous Japanese MC loved by a wide range of people, from the younger generation to people in their 50s. There were three programs he was in charge of, and the viewership ratings for all three were quite good. Although he was a formeredian, he was popr with women due to his neat middle-aged appearance. He had a style that made peopleugh with his wit rather than with body-breaking jokes, and when it came to entertainment, he was called the epitome of ¡®¥Ä¥Ã¥³¥ß (Tsukomi)¡¯ and rose to the position of MC. Originally, ¡®Bokeh and Tsukomi¡¯ were often used among Japaneseedians consisting of two groups. To put it simply, Boke had the role of being bullied and Tsukomi had the role of mistreating them. The goal was to make peopleugh through a rtionship of mistreatment and abuse. Although Watanabe does not work as a duo, he mainly shows off his ¡®Tsukomi¡¯ aspect to the guests while watching the MC, confusing the guests and creating fun in the program by making the guests feel embarrassed. However, among Japanese entertainment MCs, there were those who regrly sexually harassed female contestants, so Watanabe¡¯s hosting method was considered ¡®gentlemanly¡¯ by some. It was a bit confusing to the guests, but it wasn¡¯t at the level of making up words that didn¡¯t exist. Watanabe waved his hand with a mischievous smile at KK as he entered. Even when we first greeted each other in the waiting room, Watanabe was very gentlemanly and shook hands with the KK members. When he entered the studio, he looked like a professional. After greeting Watanabe again in the studio, the KK members began introducing themselves to the camera. Since I had already introduced myself on the morning broadcast, I was able to introduce myself more naturally this time. ¡°Oh nice to meet you. nice to meet you! Here in Korea, the idol group KK is currently the most popr group in Korea. ¡°Right?¡± Watanabe asked the KK members lined up in a row. Since it was the same as the question in the script, Jeong Yoon-gi quickly understood the question and answered with a vague smile. ¡°Uh¡­if you call me that¡­thank you.¡± When Jeong Yoongi stammered his answer, Watanabe smiled and answered. ¡°As expected, the leader of KK who boasts that they are the best!¡± When Jeong Yoon-gi looked a little embarrassed by Watanabe¡¯s words, the camera in front of Jeong Yoon-gi took a close-up of Jeong Yoon-gi¡¯s embarrassment. ¡°I will be the best!¡± Kim Won ran out and shouted. In response to the energetic shout, Watanabe also said, ¡®Good, good! Let¡¯s do our best!¡¯ I passed the situation over. Members whose Japanese was not perfect were wearing microphones and earphones through which they could hear the interpreter¡¯s voice. Therefore, although there was no problem with importantmunication, I had no choice but to understand the question a stepte. Ahn Hyeong-seo, whose Japanese skills were weakest, and Park Tae-hyung, Jeong Yoon-ki, and Seok Ji-hoon, who still had trouble understanding everything the locals said, were wearing earphones. After the MC and members sat on the chairs prepared in the studio, a full-scale interview continued. ¡°First of all, KK¡¯s poprity in Korea! ¡°Let¡¯s find out!¡± Along with Watanabe¡¯s introduction, a prepared video was yed on the VCR in the studio. It was a video introducing the poprity of KK. There were images of KK fans lining up in line to see KK at her concert, and images of her receiving trophies for winning first ce on various music shows. In addition, while introducing the activities of the KK members, it was revealed what fields each person is active in as an individual. Adjectives such as ¡®cool¡¯, ¡®great¡¯, and ¡®outstanding¡¯ appeared in the huge Japanese subtitles. KK members also focused on the video with the intention of organizing their activities. Lastly, the video ended with the winner receiving the grand prize at the TBN awards ceremony just a week ago. ¡°and! Incredible! You won the top award in Korea! congrattions!¡± ¡°thank you.¡± Jeong Yoon-gi greeted Watanabe¡¯s praise as a representative. ¡°It appeared like aet from the beginning, and now it feels like the sun!¡± When Watanabe expressed it in an awkward way, Dowook smiled and responded. ¡°That¡¯s too much praise. Not even the sun¡­¡± ¡°The moon?¡± ¡°Trying to be the sun¡­.¡± ¡°Baby sun?¡± ¡°Haha yes. That would be good enough. ¡°There is still a long way to go and there is a lot of music I want to make.¡± Watanabe nodded to Dowook¡¯s answer. ¡°As expected, these are words worthy of a main member and producer of KK.¡± ¡°thank you.¡± ¡°I still have a ton of questions for Mr. Dowook. please wait for a moment. First of all, I want to ask a question to all of KK¡­ What is the secret to their poprity?¡± Kim Won answered Watanabe¡¯s question in fluent Japanese. ¡°We don¡¯t make music that thepany tells us to do, but we make the music we want to make at the time, with Do-wook at the center. So you can quickly follow trends or truly enjoy them.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ it looks good.¡± ¡°We also try hard tomunicate with the fans. ¡°By using SNS.¡± ¡°okay. So, who is the member who uses social media the best?¡± ¡°I guess it¡¯s Hyungseo.¡± ¡°Hyungseo?¡± Watanabe asked, looking around at the members as if asking who his ¡®brother-inw¡¯ was. Although the interpreter had not finished interpreting yet, Ahn Hyeong-seo raised her hand, waving the name tag on her chest when her name was heard. Next, I found out that the question was about the member who uses SNS best with earphones. ¡°Oh, did you say you are the member in charge of vocals?¡± ¡°yes!¡± ¡®Hi!¡¯ Tension oozed out of Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s tone as he answered. In Korea, Ahn Hyeong-seo was the most active talker on entertainment shows, but thenguage barrier was very big. ¡°How do you use social media?¡± Ahn Hyeong-seo answered Watanabe¡¯s question using all the Japanese words he knew. ¡°Photo¡­ Video¡­ Reply¡­¡± It was only three words, but fortunately, Watanabe seemed to understand what it meant. ¡°Do you answer fans¡¯ questions and talk to them often?¡± ¡°yes!¡± Hyungseo Ahn answered again. Watanabe asked with a grin. ¡°Do you tend to reply more to fans with pretty profile pictures?¡± ¡°no! at all!¡± ¡°Eh¡­ you¡¯re embarrassed now, aren¡¯t you? ¡°Your face is red?¡± Ahn Hyeong-seo was very embarrassed because he was unable to properly refute Watanabe¡¯s mischievous questions. Watanabe seemed to have decided to make fun of Ahn Hyeong-seo after hearing his poor Japanese. ¡°Our fans create more profiles with our faces rather than their own. So, it is not possible to know the faces of fans on social media.¡± Do-wook answered skillfully on behalf of Hyeong-seo Ahn. Watanabe shrugged his shoulders as if he had cooled off a bit and moved on to the next question. ¡°I heard that Do-wook is also a producer,poser, and vocalist¡­ he is always into dancing and acting.¡± Dowook expressed his gratitude with a humble expression in response to Watanabe¡¯splimentaryment. ¡°I even went to Cannes!¡± ¡°yes. ¡°It was a very honorable asion.¡± ¡°Actually, one of my acquaintances said he saw ¡®Blue Sky¡¯ in which Do-wook appeared. ¡°He said he was very impressed.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ thank you.¡± ¡°Do you have any desire to act more? ¡°I think it would be better to work solo rather than as a team, right?¡± ¡°yes?¡± ¡°If you do it alone, you don¡¯t have to share the profits, right?!¡± Dowook¡¯s expression hardened for a moment after hearing Watanabe¡¯s question. However, it was only as hard as a passing nce. ¡°no. Because the team is so important to me¡­ I want to do well both with the team and with my solo activities.¡± ¡°Eh¡­ I feel sorry for everything.¡± ¡°haha.¡± Dowookughed awkwardly at Watanabe¡¯s words. ¡°I can¡¯t do it without Do-wook~!¡± Kim Won lightened the mood in the studio by addingments at the right time. Watanabe looked at Kim Won and smiled. Watanabe also knew that it would be difficult to embarrass professional singers like KK with questions like these anyway. It was something that was passed off as a light joke. ¡°Then I would like to ask Jihoon, the youngest. ¡°Is Dowook an indispensable member of the team?¡± ¡°of course! of course!¡± Seok Ji-hoon answered confidently. Then Watanabe asked back. ¡°Then, who is the member who doesn¡¯t seem to need to be on the team?¡± ¡°yes?¡± Embarrassed, Seok Ji-hoon spat out Korean. This kind of question was unheard of in Korean entertainment and was not even in the script. Seok Ji-hoon spoke again in Japanese. ¡°Oh no!¡± ¡°It¡¯s so boring to broadcast like this. Is KK going to be a boring group?¡± Watanabe provoked him, but Seok Ji-hoon actually had experience surviving among mischievous professional entertainers through ¡¯48 Hours Camping¡¯. ¡°It¡¯s not fun, but it¡¯s a friendly group.¡± At Seok Ji-hoon¡¯s answer, Watanabe eximed ¡®ooh¡¯ and was amazed. ¡°Teamwork is great. Truly the best idol group in Korea! Then, one by one, ¡®You cannot be left out of this team!¡¯ ¡°I would be grateful if you could show such personal skills.¡± Watanabe passed the corner by naturally showing off his individual skills. As the corner passed, filming stopped for a moment and the set was rearranged. The rearranged set had a small stage-like tform in the center and terraced chairs at the back. The first to stand on the podium were Kim Won and Jeong Yoon-gi. Kim Won and Jung Yoon-gi have been preparing the first verse of American rap star AMINEM¡¯s hit song ¡®Standing¡¯. The apaniment yed and Kim Won and Jeong Yoon-gi were shown performing ¡®Standing¡¯ perfectly. It was one of the repertoires I had prepared when I was a trainee, and I practiced it again while preparing for this Japanese entertainment show. Although they could have performed their individual skills as they did in Korea, the members had a desire to continue to show new things on any broadcast. Moreover, it was difficult for Korean songs to receive a great response in Japan. When Kim Won and Jeong Yoon-gi¡¯s rap performance ended, Watanabe pped as if he was satisfied. In particr, Kim Won¡¯s fast rapping and good English pronunciation were evaluated as impressive. Afterwards, there was a dance break prepared by Taehyung Park and Jihoon Seok. In particr, when Park Tae-hyung came down to the bottom of the podium and performed a mid-air rotation, even the camera crew was filled with admiration. Next was Ahn Hyeong-seo. Hyungseo Ahn sang the Japanese original version of the song, better known as ¡®Star Flower¡¯ in Korea. Because it was a sad bad, the atmosphere felt a little dull, but it was not a bad way to show off Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s excellent vocal skills. Thest one was Dowook. Dowook was currently practicing the lines of Naoki, the main character in the drama ¡®Naoki Hanjo¡¯, which is considered a national drama in Japan. ¡®Naoki Hanjo¡¯ is about an ordinary banker who dreams of bing a bank president and takes revenge on his parents¡¯ enemies. Actually, I was nning to prepare a song, but the program asked Do-wook to prepare an act, saying that they wanted to highlight the fact that he was from the Cannes Film Festival. Do-wook was horribly focused and acted out Naoki¡¯s angry lines like the real Naoki. Watanabe shook his head and made a gesture that said he was truly amazing at the sight of Naoki showing off the whites of his eyes, a characteristic feature of Naoki¡¯s acting. ¡°Wow¡­ I really wish I could call him Korea¡¯s Naoki. ¡°No, should I say Naoki¡¯s son?¡± When Dowook came down from the stage in response to Watanabe¡¯s praise, he became a shy young man again and expressed his gratitude. ¡°Of course from Cannes! But¡­ Hyungseo¡¯s Star Flower¡­ I wonder if he may have practiced too little.¡± In an instant, the faces of all KK members stiffened. It was true that Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s Japanese was not good, but Ahn Hyeong-seo singing was wless. As much as I¡¯ve always prepared hard and am good at it, it was the first time I¡¯d heard such a reaction after doing something, so everyone didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°I worked hard¡­¡± Hyungseo Ahn answered, looking a little intimidated. ¡°¡­¡­ well.¡± Watanabe muttered skeptically. The expression on his face made it better that he didn¡¯t need an interpreter. ¡®If the recording ends like this, Hyungseo¡¯s image will be¡­ Fans will be angry, but for people in Japan who didn¡¯t know KK well¡­¡¯ It was at that time that Dowook quickly came to his senses. Ahn Hyeong-seo also thought that he couldn¡¯t finish filming like this while beingbeled as the most ipetent member among the KK members. Hyungseo Ahn suddenly raised his hand. ¡°I am¡­¡­! I¡¯ll do something else! Something else¡­ let¡¯s try it!¡± Chapter 140 # 141 Across the Sea (5) ¡®¡­¡­ Something else?¡¯ Not only Do-wook but also other members looked like rabbits in surprise at Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s sudden words. ¡®Did Ahn Hyeong-seo have any other personal skills?¡¯ Dowook looked at Ahn Hyeong-seo with slightly worried eyes. It was because of concerns that Ahn Hyeong-seo might have fallen for Watanabe¡¯s provocation. However, looking at Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s eyes, Do-wook soon put aside the worries in his heart for a moment. Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s eyes showed the determination that he would never finish recording while being treated like a fool. Of course, not everything was possible through will alone. However, Ahn Hyeong-seo was also a person with sufficient talent and talent. Dowook had faith that he would somehow do well. Watanabe asked with interest. ¡°Something else? What is it? ¡°I wonder what Hyungseo, who is only in charge of the team¡¯s SNS, can do!¡± Watanabe¡¯s attitude of ignoring Ahn Hyeong-seo could not be seen as personally correct. However, he did not ignore Ahn Hyeong-seo, whom he saw for the first time today, simply to harass him. It could be seen as Watanabe¡¯s way of extracting fun. There were clearly viewers who took pleasure in ignoring and making fun of someone. However, it depended on the guest¡¯s choice and ability whether to just end the recording or attack Watanabe. Even if the same method was used, the reaction was different for each guest. Watanabe was willing to give Ahn Hyeong-seo a chance if he wanted to do something. If I couldn¡¯t do it, I could create an even funnier image. In fact, if it wasn¡¯t done properly and was funny, it was a huge sess. Ahn Hyeong-seo was truly funny when he couldn¡¯t even be vaguely funny. ¡°Um¡­ Um¡­ C¡­¡± Ahn Hyeong-seo shouted excitedly, but his Japanese wasn¡¯t suddenly improving. Hyeong-seo Ahn stammered, pointing to the Coke bottle for indirect advertising in the MC seat. Do-wook, who was sitting next to Ahn Hyeong-seo, listened, and Ahn Hyeong-seo exined to Do-wook in Korean the personal story he was going to do. ¡°Can you do that?¡± ¡°uh. ¡°I¡¯ve only tried it once¡­¡± Do-wook frowned a little. Just thinking about it made my throat tingle. However, since Ahn Hyeong-seo wanted to do it, Do-wook looked at Watanabe and exined in Japanese. ¡°Can I have a Coke, please? ¡°It is said to be a talent technique of drinking an entire bottle of c in one go and then immediately singing.¡± ¡°Oh oh?!¡± Watanabe looked at Ahn Hyeong-seo with interest in Do-wook¡¯s exnation. The indirect advertising c prepared at the MC seat was contained in a 400ml stic bottle. 400ml of highly carbonated c was not an easy amount to drink. However, when I heard that he started singing right after drinking all the c, I couldn¡¯t help but be interested. Even if he failed while drinking c because of the pain caused by carbonation, the sight of him suffering seemed to be good entertainment even for viewers who like sadistic things to some extent. The other members also looked at Ahn Hyeong-seo with expressions of surprise or concern at Do-wook¡¯s exnation. Kim Won seemed to think that if he was going to do it anyway, he should help. ¡°I saw it! ¡°I saw it when I was doing this and it was a sess then.¡± He yed the role of a wind catcher and instilled anticipation. Hyungseo Ahn smiled. I did it as a joke while eating chicken and c at the dorm with Kim Won, but I didn¡¯t know I would show off my talent like this. Watanabe took the c from the MC seat and handed it directly to Ahn Hyeong-seo. ¡°I¡¯m excited to hear that it was a sess!¡± Ahn Hyeong-seo, who received the c, took a deep breath and prepared to drink it. The members next to him did not know that they could not know whether Ahn Hyeong-seo would seed or not. Jeong Yoon-gi just hoped that Ahn Hyeong-seo would not ruin his image by spitting out or burping while drinking c. It was a nerve-wracking moment even though it was just a personal performance on an entertainment program. For some reason, if it was an entertainment show, I wanted to make a point of seeing Watanabe for ignoring Ahn Hyeong-seo. ¡°Now¡­. let¡¯s start!¡± As soon as Ahn Hyeong-seo opened the lid, Watanabe announced the start. ¡°Ha!¡± Hyungseo Ahn began to gulp down his c. The camera took a close-up of Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s Mokuldae as he passed around a bottle of c. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Drinking c was even more painful to watch. Just imagining it made my throat feel sore. Seok Ji-hoon frowned and looked away from Ahn Hyeong-seo as if he were drinking c. Watanabe, who was dissatisfied because the filming seemed to have proceeded too smoothly without any majorugh points, looked at Ahn Hyeong-seo with interest with a satisfied smile. It wasn¡¯t bad to see Ahn Hyeong-seo trying his best to drink c. It was clear that a good picture came out. There were only two sips of c left. ¡°cheer up!¡± ¡°cheer up¡­¡­!¡± Won Kim and Taehyung Park gave words of support to Hyungseo Ahn in Japanese. ¡°Sigh¡­!¡± Ahn Hyeong-seo, who poured the entire bottle of c into his mouth while cheering, forced himself to swallow the carbonic acid rising from his chest and caught his breath. And then he started singing right away. ¡°Whoaaaaa¡ª!¡± It was ¡®Star Flower¡¯, which Watanabe pointed out as not having practiced well. Hyeong-seo Ahn sang the chorus of ¡®Star Flower¡¯ beautifully. Of course, I had difficulty breathing immediately after drinking a bottle of Coke, but I was able to use my skills and handle even theck of breathing as if it was an emotional process. ¡°¡­¡­ ha. ¡°That¡¯s it¡­ that¡¯s it.¡± After Hyungseo Ahn finished singing, he looked at Watanabe and said. After finishing the song, Ahn Hyeong-seo was busy digesting the coke that had not yet gone down, pounding his chest as if something was rising. ¡°Isn¡¯t that amazing?¡­¡± The members who were watching also apuded Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s individual skills. The same was true for Watanabe. ¡°What a great individual skill! ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have shown you this a long time ago!¡± Although there were still ironicments, Watanabe also pped and praised Ahn Hyeong-seo. *** ¡°Kkeok.¡± ¡°Ugh! ¡°What is so dirty!¡± In the car on the way back after finishing recording. Jeong Yoon-gi, who was sitting next to him, was startled by the belch that Hyung-seo Ahn couldn¡¯t bear and pushed him away. ¡°Ahh. ¡°You¡¯re pushing your hard-working younger brother like that!¡± ¡°Who told you to do it? ¡°He raised his hand and did it.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ if youe out like this, I will take revenge.¡± ¡°Why do you eldest brothers always do this? Be quite.¡± Jeong Yoon-ki and Ahn Hyeong-seo, who were bickering, stopped talking at the words of Director Oh Baek-ho, who was sitting in the passenger seat. Even then, Ahn Hyeong-seo continued to pound his chest to see if he was burping. ¡°Thank you for your hard work, brother.¡± Do-wook, who was sitting on the other side, spoke to Ahn Hyeong-seo. Hyungseo Ahn smiled proudly and made a V sign with both hands. ¡°hmm. It¡¯s true that you had a hard time. ¡°But please refrain from burping right next to me.¡± When Jeong Yoon-gi added another word, Ahn Hyeong-seo nced at Jeong Yoon-gi and did not respond again. In fact, it was true that all the members were amazed and surprised by the individual skills that Hyungseo Ahn showed today. I also felt like I could understand why Ahn Hyeong-seo did something personal that he never did. ¡®Ogi must have been activated¡­¡¯ After the recording, Watanabe visited Ahn Hyeong-seo separately and praised Ahn Hyeong-seo through an interpreter, saying that it was Hyung-seo who saved today¡¯s broadcast. Hyungseo Ahn also knew that Watanabe did not ignore him because of personal feelings. Anyway, I was satisfied that Ahn Hyeong-seo was able to get a good cut that deserved attention thanks to Watanabe. Ahn Hyeong-seo asked Watanabe for a photo without any hesitation, took a group photo with the members, and uploaded it to SNS asking people to look forward to the program that will be broadcast soon. The program PD also gave a very positive evaluation of the recording to the members and Director Oh Baek-ho. It has been said that all of the members¡¯ personal stories will be able to be released without editing. Since the content of the broadcast was meaningful and there were fun and surprises at the end, there was also talk of ns to extend the length to 25 minutes. ¡°But how did you hold back during the broadcast? How did you sing? I think it would be a big hit if we did it in Korea too¡­¡± Seok Ji-hoon, who was sitting in the back seat, asked. Seok Ji-hoon asked Ahn Hyeong-seo if he had any know-how and wanted to learn it and go to ¡¯48 Hours Camping¡¯. ¡°How can I hold back¡­. I just endured it!¡± But there was no such thing as know-how. Hyungseo Ahn shouted. ¡°You can¡¯t do this in Korea! ¡°It¡¯s a one-time use skill that can only be used once!¡± *** A few dayster. In the meantime, it was KK who showed short interviews and performances through broadcasts. The KK members finished their short but long schedule in Japan and were now packing their bags to return to Korea. When the entertainment program with Watanabe was broadcast, it received a bigger response than other broadcasts. Watanabe was an MC with a strong tsukomi personality who was well known to Japanese people. Nevertheless, there was a lot of praise for the KK members¡¯ sense of answering without being too embarrassed. Also, the individual skills shown in the personal skills corner were very impressive. It was clearly revealed that they were a talented group that did not miss anything in singing or dancing. In addition, the fact that Dowook was from the Cannes Film Festival caught the attention of Japanese people who were not fans. Like Korea, Japan also had a tendency to give generously to people who were ¡®recognized abroad.¡¯ In fact, Dowook¡¯s performance of ¡®Naoki Hanjo¡¯ was excellent. It was only one of the many programs he appeared in, but the fact that he had prepared to act in a popr Japanese drama specifically for that program was enough to melt the hearts of Japanese people. Thanks to this, Naoki was added to Dowook¡¯s Japanese nickname, Uki, and a new nickname, ¡®Uoki¡¯, was created. And as expected, the one that drew the most enthusiastic response when it was edited and uploaded on My Tube was Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s personal story of ¡®drinking c and singing¡¯. It spread widely as a humorous video, showing great interest not only among ordinary Japanese people but also in Korea. Korean fans felt that their hearts were somehow touched when they saw KK working hard in Japan. At the same time, I felt proud that K.K., who had good skills and personality, was Korean. Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s video of him drinking coke received tens of thousands of views. It has be a trend among MyTube users to record and upload videos imitating Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s personal skills. There were people spitting out c and there were many who said they couldn¡¯t do it. Thanks to this, Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s personal skills were left behind in a legendary video. Manager Oh Baek-ho announced the good news to K.K., who packed up their belongings in their hotel rooms. ¡°Guys.¡± When Director Oh Baek-ho called the members in a low voice, the members looked at Director Oh Baek-ho with excited eyes. Judging by Director Oh Baek-ho¡¯s mood, it seemed clear that there was good news. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°yes? ¡°It works?¡± ¡°It¡¯s March.¡± At the word March, all the members opened their mouths and looked nkly at Director Oh Baek-ho. ¡°Dome tour. ¡°It has been confirmed.¡± The Japanese fan base was growing exponentially and album sales were soaring. Since it was already popr, it was entirely possible for it to be even more popr. The dome tour, which was also the main goal of this Japanese activity, has been confirmed. It was an indescribably great achievement. Among Korean singers, only one group has made it to the dome tour. ¡°wow!¡± Kim Won shouted. It was good news. The KK members knew well, having seen the singers around them, how difficult it would be to go from an arena tour to a dome tour even if they had established themselves in Japan. This was possible because K.K. had grown by building its foundation step by step in Japan, from small concert halls to arena tours. ¡®Dome¡­¡¯ Do-wook also stood nkly, unable to hide his joy. The car to transport the KK members arrived, but everyone enjoyed the joy of having their dome tour confirmed without even thinking about getting in the car. The dome was a ce that could show off its prestige and was different from Korea¡¯srge performance halls in terms of size and facilities. Dowook¡¯s heart raced at the thought of performing there. At that time, Dowook¡¯s cell phone vibrated in his pocket. There was a notification in the email app that a new email had arrived. Chapter 141 # 142 What is your name (1) [FW: Hello from LIL] The sender of the email was Lee Dae-hyung, head of the fan-marketing team. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung delivered an e-mail to Do-wook along with an interpretation of the e-mail sent to the Hit Entertainment fan-marketing team¡¯s official e-mail address. ¡®Team leader Lee Dae-hyung is sending me an e-mail¡­¡¯ Do-wook looked puzzled and opened his e-mail box. However, it was difficult to see the contents right away. This was because Director Oh Baek-ho pushed the members into the car, saying it was time to leave. The members who got into the car searched about Dom on the Inte. These were members who only vaguely dreamed of a dome tour but did not know the details. ¡°Wow¡­. The sses are different in terms of capacity!¡± ¡°They say Tokyo Dome can amodate 55,000 people. It¡¯s really big¡­¡± Ahn Hyeong-seo was impressed, and Seok Ji-hoon also muttered while looking at the photo of Tokyo Dome. Jeong Yoongi, who was next to him, also read information about other Doms. ¡°Sapporo Dome is 50,000, Osaka Kyocera Dome is 40,000, Fukuoka Yahoo Japan Dome is 40,000, Nagoya Dome is 40,000.¡± Of course, the capacity varied depending on how the seats were installed, but it did not decrease much from the basic capacity. The majesty of the dome performance could be seen just by looking at the capacity. Everyone shook their heads, saying they couldn¡¯t even imagine the numbers that Jeong Yoon-gi was reading. ¡°Are we all going to do this?¡± Director Oh Baek-ho, sitting in the passenger seat, answered Kim Won¡¯s question while looking in the rearview mirror. Originally, I was going to go to the office in Korea and organize the schedule and let them know, but the members¡¯ interest was so great. Director Oh Baek-ho took out his cell phone and responded by checking the information received from the performance manager. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, Nagoya¡­ all the way to Sapporo. five things.¡± ¡°oh my god.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Each member expressed that they were surprised. Dowook was equally surprised. ¡°If it were a five-dome tour¡­¡± Among the singers who performed in domes, there were only a few singers who performed in all five domes. Dome tours were also difficult for popr Japanese singers. ¡°Are we this popr in Japan?¡± Hyungseo Ahn muttered in a dazed voice. The other members were equally dumbfounded. Somehow, it was difficult for members to know their reactions in real time in Japan than in Korea. The interpreter who was riding with us exined to the confused members. ¡°It¡¯s very popr. Of course, the 5 major dome tours are only possible due to the fact that fans from Korea, China, and other Asian countries alsoe to see the performances. Last year, we had an arena tour in Japan that was a sessful sess¡­¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Is that so?¡± ¡°As you can see from my recordpany, every recordpany has that kind of atmosphere. ¡°It¡¯s safe to say that all K-pop fans in Japan like KK.¡± It was difficult for the KK members to refrain from raising their shoulders as they heard the words of the interpreter who knew the local situation well. ¡°I think I¡¯ve definitely made an impression on the general Japanese public through this activity. Well, there is still no one who is not interested in idol music.¡± Dowook also nodded while listening to the interpreter. ¡®I¡¯m sure appearing on TV and being active on TV would have helped a lot¡­¡¯ The choice to entrust all Japanese activities to Nakamoto was truly an excellent choice. ¡°Oh! ¡°Of course we are a popr group!¡± Outside the window that Hyungseo Ahn pointed to while shouting, there was a billboard with a photo of KK¡¯s album jacket attached. ¡°That¡¯s just publicity rather than a popr group¡­¡± Jung Yoon-gi scolded him, but Ahn Hyeong-seo didn¡¯t pay much attention and just said what he had to say. I was already immersed in the joy of the dome tour. ¡°I heard the sound system is so good¡­ I need to do more live practice.¡± The other members also nodded at Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s words. Ahn Hyeong-seo seemed to have once again thought about making his own weapons and developing further through his activities in Japan. In fact,pared to other groups, Ahn Hyeong-seo was neither behind norcking. There was just a point to go further. It was Ahn Hyeong-seo who felt inferior to Do-wook for the main vocal position before his debut. However, Hyeong-seo Ahn has now be a person who chooses to improve rather than shrink just because he is a littlecking. ¡°When I go to Korea, I don¡¯t have much other schedules, so I¡¯m d I have a lot of time to practice.¡± As Do-wook spoke, he thought about his future schedule. KK¡¯s next full-length album was scheduled for May. Until then, there was no particr schedule other than the fixed schedules of individual members and major events. Of course, the album production team, led by team leader Sim Jun, was currently working hard to prepare the next album. Dowook was also writing songs in his spare time and thinking about what would be good for his next album. Even if the song was received from anotherposer, Dowook would make the decisive choice. Because it was an album released right after receiving the grand prize, it was true that Dowook felt a little burdened. ¡®The only thing that alleviates the burden is being able to predict trends¡­¡¯ However, trends are only one big factor in making good music and are not an absolute standard. For example, when techno music was popr, countless songs based on techno were released, but not all of them were loved by the public. ¡®Songs that go beyond the times don¡¯t follow trends¡­¡¯ Do-wook thought. KK¡¯s music now has a solid presence in the Korean market. It has also been proven to work in the Japanese market. ¡®And with this album, it¡¯s time to target a slightly wider market.¡¯ With that thought in mind, Do-wook opened his cell phone in the car, which had finally be quiet. The purpose was to properly check the email sent by Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung. [FW: Hello from LIL.] Looking at the title, Dowook remembered who LIL was. ¡®No way¡­¡¯ Do-wook felt his heart pounding as he clicked on the email. There was only one ¡®LIL¡¯ that Dowook knew. ¡®Coboration proposal between KK and LIL¡­¡­.¡¯ Dowook¡¯s eyes widened as he read the sentence in bold letters. It was a coboration proposal between KK and LIL. There was a high possibility that the LIL that Do-wook knew would be the LIL that would propose a coboration. LIL was a top pop star and international star, ranking second on Billboard¡¯s annual chartst year. He was a divine among gods who debutedst year and topped the Billboard charts with his debut song. He made his name known to people around the world with just one song, and the songs he released afterwards received even greater love, making him one of the world¡¯s leading stars in a short period of about a year. Of course, there were many opinions that we should keep an eye on LIL¡¯s future music activities, but the two songs ¡®IN THE DARK¡¯ and ¡®SOMEONE¡¯ that LIL releasedst year were already masterpieces that will live forever. It was a song that was popr in the ¡®wide market¡¯ that Do-wook had thought about a while ago that would ¡®go beyond the times¡¯. ¡®Besides, in reality, you will be loved for ten more years. A few more songs became hits¡­¡¯ LIL rose to the top as a male solo singer. Dowook quickly read the text tranted into Korean. As expected, LIL was right as Do-wook thought. The email was sent from LIL¡¯s managementpany. It was said that he listened to KK¡¯s music carefully and was impressed by the sophisticated music of ¡®LAST DANCE¡¯. In addition, since LIL was a singer who only sang while standing, it was said that he was very impressed by KK¡¯s performance where he danced while singing. LIL also said that he personally watched the performance version of the music video for ¡®Howl¡¯ several times. The content I saw was that LIL was recently nning a coboration album filled with songs coborating with other singers and thought it would be a good idea to sing one of the tracks with KK. ¡°Oh my¡­¡± After reading up to this point, Do-wook put his cell phone down on hisp for a moment and muttered in surprise. It was such an amazing thing even now, but Do-wook couldn¡¯t help but tremble a little because he knew that LIL would be an even bigger star in the future. Of course, it wasn¡¯t a regr album, but just participating in a special album was an ecstatic experience. LIL was a star produced in the American market. The US market was thergest global music market. In fact, the American market was truly a global market. Participating in LIL¡¯s album meant being able to step into the global market even a little. ¡°How could this happen¡­¡± Of course, it was true that KK was gaining poprity with fans from all over the world. However, it was concentrated in Asia. Dowook was curious about how LIL came into contact with KK¡¯s music. ¡°What happened¡­¡± As Do-wook muttered, Park Tae-hyung, who was sitting nkly next to him and looking out the window, asked Do-wook. Dowook shook his head. ¡°No, no.¡± Dowook answered first and then looked at his phone again. The recipient of Team Leader Daehyung Lee¡¯s email was Team Leader Sim Jun of the album production team. Dowook was used as a reference. Dowook received the email as the producer of KK¡¯s album. In fact, the content of the email included a desire to work with the producer who produced the ¡®LAST DANCE¡¯ album. Dowook clenched his fists. It was a moment to be recognized by a world-ss artist. My heart was full. At the bottom of the email, ament from Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung was added. [I was also shocked when I received the email. I was thinking about it while talking with Team Manager Shim, so I sent him an email, but I didn¡¯t expect to get a call like this. I would like to send you a reply after discussing it with the two of you. I sent detailed conditions and other information as an attachment, so I think you can look at them together. I hope Do-wook and the KK members can make a schedule as quickly as possible when theye to Korea.] Of course, Do-wook also had a strong desire to make a schedule quickly. As soon as I arrived at Gimpo Airport, I wanted to rush to thepany and have a meeting. I also wanted to shout out this news to the members and share the joy following the dome tour. However, it has not been finalized yet and the proposal has only just been received. Coboration work is something that can easily fall apart if done incorrectly. Even if all conditions were met, if good music was not produced, it would not be included on the album. So, it was impossible to hastily tell the members. It was because I didn¡¯t want to see the members have high expectations and then be disappointed. Do-wook quickly sent a message to team leader Lee Dae-hyung, asking him to schedule an appointment at his convenience, as he would be fine any time after 7 p.m. this evening when he arrived in Korea. Even after receiving a reply from team leader Lee Dae-hyung saying that he knew, Do-wook was busy calming his trembling heart by himself. I felt like my fever was rising, so I opened the window a little. Working with LIL felt like a dream. It was a dream I could never dream of. ¡°Hyung hyung¡­ It¡¯s the middle of winter now¡­¡± Only Seok Ji-hoon, who didn¡¯t understand the Englishnguage, coughed in the backseat and cautiously said a word to Do-wook. ¡°iced coffee. Sorry sorry.¡± Dowook became embarrassed and quickly closed the window again. But I still felt excited as if I was walking on clouds. Do-wook, who was reading the e-mail again, suddenly felt a doubt in thement section of team leader Dae-hyung Lee. ¡®Team leader Lee Dae-hyung¡­ did you send the email first?¡¯ Chapter 142 # 143 What is your name (2) *** ¡°Yes. ¡°It¡¯s true that I sent the email.¡± Team leader Lee Dae-hyung answered Do-wook¡¯s question. The very next day after returning from Japan, Do-wook had a meeting with Lee Dae-hyung, head of the fan-marketing team, and Shim Jun, head of the album production team. The three of them came to a cafe near thepany after Team Leader Shim Jun said that he was frustrated because he was always stuck in the office these days. Dowook was moving alone, the other members were in their dormitories, and he was mixed among the employees, so fortunately he was able to avoid the eyes of fans in front of the office. The cafe was a small shop behind the office, and there were only two tables, so even if fans came, there wasn¡¯t enough space to enter. At Team Leader Daehyung Lee¡¯s words, Team Leader Sim Jun smiled happily and put his arm around Team Leader Daehyung Lee¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Ask me to do anything. ¡°I¡¯m making drinks.¡± Dowook, who was standing behind him, muttered quietly. ¡°It¡¯s aw¡­¡± Team leader Sim Jun groaned at Do-wook¡¯s words. ¡°Pretend you don¡¯t know! ¡°I¡¯m a poor sried worker!¡± Dowook smiled and took out his card from his wallet. ¡°I made some money!¡± ¡°sure.¡± Team leader Shim Jun nced at Do-wook without being hateful and boasted that he would order the most expensive drink in the cafe. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung said he would enjoy it and ordered a warmtte. Dowook knew how hard the two team leaders worked for KK. Of course, it was their job, but Dowook knew because he was an employee of the agency that they worked much harder than thepensation they received as if it were their own job. For a singer to seed, the staff around him was also a very important factor. It was a job that I could never seed in alone. A drink worth a few thousand won seemed too cheap to express my gratitude, but I wanted to express my gratitude in this way at a time like this. Shim Jun, the leader of the album production team, had now left all album projects for singers other than KK to his team members. It was a situation where KK was leading the entire Hit Entertainment. Of course, existing singers from Milky Way and Monster Hit Entertainment were also active in their own ways. However, as he had been away for quite some time, he was now focusing on individual activities rather than group activities. Although Team Leader Sim Jun was out of the hands, the team members who grew up under Team Leader Sim Jun were doing their roles just as well as Team Leader Sim Jun. Thanks to this, Milky Way vocal members were active in OST music, and Kwon Ji-hyung¡¯s solo album was achieving good results. In the case of Kwon Ji-hyung, he was not at Do-wook¡¯s level, but like Do-wook, he actively interacted with his brave only child and participated in song production, so he contributed greatly to his solo album. It could be said that their prime as a group was past, but it seemed like their prime as a solo singer woulde soon. By focusing on KK¡¯s album, Team Leader Sim Jun had more time. Thanks to this, I was able to prepare for KK¡¯s next album in a little more depth. At the same time, I was worried about the same thing as Do-wook. Team leader Sim Jun thought that it was time for KK to look at overseas markets rather than the domestic market. It was a moment when I reached the top. By the time you shout ¡®yay¡¯ and hear the echoing back, you have to go down again. But just aim for the next mountain. Without Daum, the road down was just a ¡®downhill¡¯ road. Within the album production team, it was very difficult to worry about KK¡¯s next album. Team Leader Sim Jun¡¯s thoughts and concerns happened to reach Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung¡¯s ears. It was the day of the team leader-level luncheon to celebrate the New Year. Hit Entertainment¡¯spany policy rmended lunch gatherings rather than dinner gatherings. The entertainment industry was already famous for working day and night. In particr, the closer the work is to the celebrity, the more blurred the boundaries between work hours be. Therefore, it was a consideration at thepany level to not prevent employees from leaving work by holding apany dinner in the evening. Not only was the boundary between work hours blurred, but no one could beat the manager who was right next to them and managed their artists, but the album production team was no better. Working on music is a business, but at the same time it can be called art, so I didn¡¯t know when or how I would be contacted by people working on songs. If anyone, including a singer, producer, or engineer, decided to set the recording time at night, night became the working time for the album production team. There were many people who constantly sent mepositions and lyrics and asked for confirmation. The fan-marketing team also had a hard time. The employees who directly managed and were in charge of the fan club often went to music broadcasts and recording sites on weekdays and weekends and got into fights with fans. Internal marketing staff also received calls from rted parties day and night. In addition, there are many cases where teasers or music releases are released at midnight, so there are many cases where you have to wait until midnight. As the number of SNS and content to manage increased, I started uploading even on weekends. It was difficult for both teams and there was a lot of work to do together at the same time. In any case, there were many cases where the concept of the album was decided together, and the marketing direction also changed depending on who participated in the production of the album and what songs were included. Therefore, as soon as team leader Lee Dae-hyung went to the team leader-level dinner, he sat down next to team leader Shim Jun. The center of hit entertainment was KK. It was team leader Lee Dae-hyung who thought it was necessary to be especially close to team leader Shim Jun, who was in charge of KK¡¯s album. Because they already knew each other through work-rted conversations and Team Leader Sim Jun himself was not an odd person, Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung was able to easily have many conversations with Team Leader Sim Jun. In addition, Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung earned additional points from Team Leader Shim Jun by showing a friendly and polite attitude, such as putting down the spoon and chopsticks first in a situation where everyone was the team leader without any difference in rank. Anyway, while sitting and talking with team leader Lee Dae-hyung, team leader Sim Jun shared his concerns about the next KK album. When asked about the global market, Team Leader Daehyung Lee responded that it would be good to look for ways to market it as well. ¡°The roads are notpletely blocked like in the past, and now there is an amazing channel called the Inte. Do-wook and I are of the firm opinion that no matter what you do, as long as the song is good, it will work.¡± Team leader Lee Dae-hyung also nodded at Team Leader Sim Jun¡¯s words. However, the power of marketing clearly existed. That¡¯s why there are songs that don¡¯t hit no matter how good they are, while there are songs that are okay but do better than expected. ¡°I guess I need an opportunity.¡± This time, Team Leader Sim Jun nodded at Team Leader Daehyung Lee¡¯s words. Even though it was daytime, there was talk about going in and having a beer since it was called a pany dinner.¡¯ In such a noisy atmosphere, Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung thought deeply. While Team Leader Shim Jun was the type of person who was passionate about his work because it was a task given to him and he also liked making good albums, Team Leader Daehyung Lee was the type who was more interested in the fame that came with it rather than the marketing work itself. However, no matter where the goal is, the result is the same: hard work. Team leader Daehyung Lee thought that KK had infinite potential. It was a group that had the ability to produce music targeting the global market at a time when a good channel called the Inte was open. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung thought that KK¡¯s potential was his own potential. That was also the reason I moved to Hit Entertainment. It was an opportunity to proactively unfold one¡¯s potential. ¡®It might also be an opportunity to make a contribution.¡¯ Team leader Lee Dae-hyung thought. However, even though it was Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung, it was not something he could say for certain. The first thing to do was to give it a try. ¡°I thought that if American entertainmentpanies were interested in KK, some kind of opportunity would open up. I thought that this would serve as a bridgehead for entering overseas markets outside of Asia. The promotional effect will be enormous. That¡¯s why I sent the email.¡± Each drink was ced in front of the three people. Since Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung was exining to Do-wook in detail how he was able to contact LIL, all three drinks were as they were when first ced. Team leader Sim Jun¡¯s eyes sparkled as if he was hearing the details for the first time today. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung also did not have a specific n. I was just hoping that the managementpany would be interested in KK. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung was also a little surprised because he didn¡¯t know that it would immediately lead to a coboration. ¡°What email did you send?¡± Dowook¡¯s eyes sparkled with pure curiosity. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung answered with a friendly smile. ¡°It was an email selling KK. It¡¯s like a sales email¡­ haha.¡± There was a slightly awkwardugh. Because it wasn¡¯t a special email. ¡°I introduced a group called K.K. and attached several links to K.K.¡¯s music videos in order of highest number of views on MyTube. First, listen to it. That¡¯s it. Take a listen and contact us if you are interested. We are always considering entering the US market. Because there was nothing special about it¡­¡± In fact, rather than a coboration, it was an email asking for some kind of help, just as Nakamoto helped us enter the Japanese market. ¡°But wouldn¡¯t it work?¡± ¡°K.K.¡¯s music worked.¡± When Team Leader Shim Jun expressed his admiration and gave a thumbs up, Team Leader Daehyung Lee quickly responded. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung¡¯s answer was enough to melt the hearts of team leader Sim Jun and Do-wook. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung said it was an insignificant email, but Do-wook thought team leader Lee Dae-hyung had done something big. Do-wook was also an employee of the public rtions team when Kim Bo-myeong was in charge, but he didn¡¯t seem to have thought of making his name known by sending an email directly. Even if you thought about it, it was difficult to actually put it into action. I probably thought it wouldn¡¯t work and quit. ¡°Did you send an email to LIL¡¯s managementpany?¡± Team leader Lee Dae-hyung answered Do-wook¡¯s question. ¡°Yes. In fact, I also sent it to other famous managementpanies. ¡°There are a few more ces¡­ Although LIL is the only ce I have contacted.¡± ¡°Outside LIL! A sound that will make LIL wail loudly when he hears it!¡± Team leader Sim Jun reprimanded team leader Lee Dae-hyung. Dowook also shook his head. Regardless of entering the global market, my heart was swelled just by the fact that I was working with LIL, the best vocalist and artist. I was just grateful to Team Leader Daehyung Lee for giving me the opportunity to work with LIL. ¡°I only discussed sending the email with the director¡­ because I didn¡¯t want to disappoint Team Leader Shim or Do-wook for no reason.¡± ¡°I even care about things like that!¡± ¡°yes. are you okay.¡± Do-wook also doubled down on Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung¡¯s intentions. Dowook was also unable to convey this news to the members out of fear. ¡°I talked further with LIL¡­ and there were no problems with issues such as contracts and profit distribution. This has even been confirmed by Manager Joanie. However, they said that if it doesn¡¯t have the quality they want, it can¡¯t be included on the album. Even in that case, since there is work done, they say they will only pay the cost of the work.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Team Leader Sim Jun said, stroking his chin a little worriedly. ¡°Is there anything I can do to meet the demands of a world-ss star?¡­¡± ¡°All I have to do is do my best.¡± Dowook was worried, but at the same time, he thought it would be a good challenge. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung nodded and continued. ¡°He said he would like to receive the song within a month. ¡°It¡¯s going to be tight¡­ do you mind?¡± Dowook answered, clenching his fists. ¡°You can.¡± ¡°Haha, I¡¯m in great spirits! Good good. What song do you want? Did you even talk about that?¡± Team leader Lee Dae-hyung shook his head in response to Team Leader Sim Jun¡¯s question. ¡°I think it would be better to talk directly about that part¡­¡± ¡°Yes! great.¡± The two team leaders smiled at Do-wook¡¯s enthusiastic answer. In particr, Team Leader Shim knew how much Do-wook was struggling with KK¡¯s next album, so he thought it would be good to gain many helpful things through working with LIL before the album was released. *** As the contract proceeded without any problems, Dowook also informed the KK members of this fact. As expected, the members were overjoyed. Of course, there were members who couldn¡¯t even be happy for a while because they didn¡¯t believe it at all. However, a few dayster, a schedule arose where I had no choice but to believe in the coboration between LIL and KK. The members stood in front of theptop in the conference room with trembling hearts. Dowook was equally nervous. He was so excited that he couldn¡¯t even think about what would happen next. Chapter 143 # 144 What is your name (3) *** ¡°Wow¡­.¡± When LIL¡¯s face appeared on theptop screen, all the members gathered in one ce looked at the screen in fascination. On LIL¡¯s side, LIL was looking closely at the camera, as if KK¡¯s face had not yet appeared. Next to LIL was also the nner who nned this coboration album from LIL¡¯s managementpany. ¡°Is it really LIL? Real LIL?¡± ¡°What¡­ are you making a rhyme now?¡± Kim Won muttered in disbelief, and Ahn Hyeong-seo told an awkward joke. Hyungseo Ahn was also in a tense state with his shoulders tense before his first greeting with LIL. Speaking of coboration, it was a win-win situation for both KK and LIL by bringing together each other¡¯s strengths and creating synergy. Knowing each other well was also important to highlight each other¡¯s strengths. Of course, coborating did not necessarily mean that there would be active exchange between the coboration participants. In cases where people thought they were just business partners, there were cases where they only received songs from a producer and even recorded them separately. However, if you think of it as a musical exchange rather than just a business partnership, emotionalmunication with each other was definitely a way to improve the quality of the songs. ¡°I think it would be nice to see LIL¡¯s face through a video call.¡± Due to the realistic distance, it was not possible to meet right away and have a face-to-face conversation, but Do-wook thought it would be better to say hello and talk through a video rather than start producing the song without even saying hello. Although we will continue to send messengers or talk on the phone to exchange opinions about song work, it seemed like it would be good for futuremunication to have a conversation by looking at their faces and reading their expressions. It was Dowook who suggested a video call, and LIL happily epted the offer. Due to the time difference between LIL¡¯s schedule and Korea and the United States, it was not easy to schedule a video call, but today, under the guidance of team leader Daehyung Lee, we had the opportunity to say hello for the first time. -Hello! As if the connection was finally made properly, LIL on theptop screen waved his hand and greeted the KK members. There was a slight interruption, but it was so vivid that you wouldn¡¯t think you were 14 hours away by ne. Even though LIL had a rough beard and was wearing a beanie, he had a look that made even that look stylish. In fact, LIL¡¯s age was about a year older than KK¡¯s older brother, Jeong Yoon-gi. Despite the small age difference, LIL looked like she was in her 30s. LIL is not a serious form of presbyopia, but it is true that Westerners look older than Asians. To LIL, it was clear that the KK members looked like high school students. ¡°hello. My name is Daehyeong Lee and I am in charge of KK. ¡°Let me introduce the members here.¡± First of all, Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung came as the person in charge of KK. Album production was Team Leader Sim Jun¡¯s domain, but today was just a simple greeting, and Team Leader Sim Jun¡¯s English skills were not at a level where he could converse with locals. Do-wook had seen many of them during New York Fashion Week, but the other members were momentarily impressed by Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung¡¯s fluent English. After a moment of admiration, the members hurriedly said their names and greeted them. I was in a hurry and felt awkward, so I only greeted them with an honest Korean pronunciation, saying ¡®Hello Hi Nice to meet you¡¯. ording to the textbook, ¡®How are you?¡¯ They were so honest that it was strange that no member asked. The members greeting each other looked like shy girls. ¡°Oh my¡­ I am Hyungseo.¡± With Ahn Hyeong-seo saying his name, the greetings of those who did not know or speak English well ended. Dowook handed the greeting he had prepared to LIL. ¡°I am Dowook. I¡¯m so happy to be able to work together like this. Thank you for the great opportunity.¡± LIL¡¯s eyes widened slightly and she spoke to Dowook. ¡°Oh¡­¡­ Dowook! Are you theposer of LAST DANCE? It was very impressive. I hope that the song we will sing together this time will also be like that.¡± Although he already knew the contents through an email sent by team leader Lee Dae-hyung, Do-wook couldn¡¯t hide his happiness after actually hearing praise from LIL. Even though he was not Do-wook, the members also showed proud expressions as their lips naturally lifted when LIL praised Do-wook. ¡°It¡¯s a great opportunity for me as well. Let¡¯s have fun working!¡± Do-wook nodded loudly at LIL¡¯s words. Thest person left was Kim Won, who should y a big role in LIL¡¯s interactions with the members. Among the members, he was the only one who couldmunicate with natives without any problems. Kim Won quickly greeted me as if he was very excited. ¡°This is Kim Won! I¡¯m KK¡¯s rapper. I was a big fan of LIL, but to hear his voice and then talk to him on the phone like this¡­ It feels like a dream. ¡°If I feel like this, I think I can fly.¡± LIL responded, waving his hand with a happy expression. ¡°Call me when you can fly in the sky. ¡°I think I can make more money with that.¡± Kim Wonughed at LIL¡¯s joke. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung alsoughed and sighed. In fact, when I proposed a video call, I was considering that LIL would reject it. As Team Manager Lee Dae-hyung knows, a pop star with a good reputation is closer to finding a needle in the desert. I heard that there are many pop stars who have a good image on the surface, but when you actually talk to them, they differentiate depending on the person they are talking to and maintain an arrogant attitude. Rather than it being a question of character, if you live a more extravagant life than anyone else, receiving the attention of countless people around the world and being treated as a goose thatys golden eggs, you are bound to get swept up in it. At the same time, in order to maintain that life, you have to keepying golden eggs, so you inevitably be sensitive. However, despite being a world-famous star, LIL¡¯s attitude was not arrogant, so the KK members were not offended. It was not because LIL had a favorable attitude toward anyone, but because he recognized KK¡¯s music to some extent and treated him as an artist he should work with. It was true that LIL, who swept the world in just one year, was arrogant and sensitive like other pop stars. ¡°I want to talk about the songs that will be included in the album, at least in rough form¡­ so that I can start working on the songs.¡± When Do-wook stuttered in English, the nner who was sitting next to LIL, a white man wearing horn-rimmed sses, answered on LIL¡¯s behalf. ¡°This album features several singers other than you. Although it is a coboration album, it is basically LIL¡¯s album. LIL¡¯s color must not die. ¡°The concept of this album itself is to reveal LIL¡¯s colors based on LIL¡¯s unique voice, no matter who or what song we do.¡± Dowook nodded slowly. In some ways, it was a great feeling of confidence. ¡®The album concept is the singer itself. ¡®You can do this because your own color is clear.¡¯ This was possible because LIL has his own husky yetfortable voice. Dowook was both impressed and envious. I thought it would be great if KK or Dowook themselves could be singers like that someday. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung stood behind and quietly and simply interpreted for the other members so that they could follow the conversation to some extent. ¡°The music LIL wants to make with KK is clear. They want to make sophisticated yet exciting music. Because I thought KK¡¯s energy was good. If I were to just look at the atmosphere, it would be ¡®IN THE DARK¡¯ among LIL¡¯s songs. ¡°I want to keep the funky rhythm alive.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Do-wook nodded, entering important keywords into his head. Since this video was being recorded anyway, he could watch itter while working on the song, but Dowook wanted to get as much information as possible while talking on the phone anyway. ¡®If we¡¯re not careful, we can just collect the cost of the work and end up canceling it¡­ so we can¡¯t make it like that.¡¯ LIL, who was sitting, added his opinion. ¡°I was deeply impressed by the harmony building in LAST DANCE. ¡°I think I felt that it was the power of the group rather than solo.¡± Dowook¡¯s brows narrowed slightly at LIL¡¯s words. However, it wasn¡¯t enough to be noticeable on the screen. Dowook was able to immediately figure out what song style LIL and the promoter wanted. ¡°thank you. Hmm¡­ after listening to the exnation, I think I understand the overall color of the song that LIL wants.¡± LIL smiled broadly and gave a thumbs up. ¡°As expected, you are a great producer, just like I heard. I¡¯m also looking forward to the results.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I will make sure to send you the guide I worked on as soon as possible.¡± The nner also sent a positive response to Do-wook¡¯s words. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung, who was behind him, had doubts about whether things were going well, but he felt fortunate that Do-wook seemed to have gotten the hang of it. As the story about the song came to a close, Kim Won rxed the mood and asked LIL. ¡°LIL can I ask you onest question?¡± ¡°What is it? ¡°If I can give you an answer, I will.¡± LIL answered willingly. ¡°Where did you get that brooch on your chest? It¡¯s so stylish that I want one too. ¡°Where can I buy it?¡± At Kim Won¡¯s question, LIL¡¯s expressionpletely changed from before and became brighter. Everyone watching the screen could feel that it was a sincere smile, not a business smile. ¡°Unbelievably, you were the only one today who took interest in this brooch. And unfortunately, you can¡¯t buy this.¡± It was morning in Seoul, but it waste at night where LIL was. Even though she had a happy expression on her face, LIL¡¯s voice, which was a bit subdued, went up a notch as she exined the brooch. ¡°What did you say your name was? one? ¡°Is that the one from ¡®only one¡¯?¡± ¡°yes that¡¯s right.¡± LIL was delighted with Kim Won¡¯s answer, saying that she was the only one who recognized the brooch. The brooch was designed by LIL herself. One of LIL¡¯s hobbies, as she is very interested in fashion, was designing fashion essories herself. If you roughly sketch out the shape you want, there are bound to be people nearby who will make it for you at LIL¡¯s location. Kim Won knew about LIL¡¯s hobbies after researching them in advance. When I saw the unique, eye-catching brooch that looked a little flimsy, I thought it must have been made by LIL. While listening to Do-wook¡¯s story about song work, Kim Won was able to figure out to some extent what kind of song LIL wanted. And Kim Won was now one of the people who knew Dowook quite well. It was easy to predict that no matter how LIL Do-wook was, he was not someone who would just be dragged around. That¡¯s why I thought it would be a good idea to be a little more likeable towards LIL. This is what people do anyway¡­ The greater the liking, the more likely one is to listen to the other person¡¯s opinion. The day of the recording arrived quickly, and the phone call with LIL ended with Kim Won hugging her and even saying that she wanted to give Kim Won the brooch in person. After the call ends. Do-wook said thank you to Kim Won. It was clear that KK¡¯s image to LIL had definitely improved thanks to Kim Won. ¡°No, thank you. Because I really like LIL too¡­ But the song LIL wants¡­¡± Kim Won chose his words. The conversation was so fast that the members who could not hear the interpretation properly signaled with their eyes shining that they wanted to hear what was being said. ¡°that¡¯s right. LIL ispletely the main and we are the sub. Of course, I expected it to some extent, but it was more than that. ¡°It¡¯s to the point where they want to use us as a full chorus.¡± ¡®IN THE DARK¡¯, which I mentioned as an example, was perfectly LIL¡¯s song. This meant that among LIL¡¯s songs, it was a song that I couldn¡¯t imagine being sung by anyone other than LIL. LIL¡¯s resounding voice naturally resonated in my ears just by hearing the title. ¡°I guess we should go that way, right?¡± It was clear that he was the best singer in Korea, but he was definitely notpared to world-ss singers. The size of the market was different. Kim Won asked cautiously. As expected, Dowook shook his head. ¡°Of course, since it is LIL¡¯s album, he should be the main character. Whether it¡¯s a chorus or something else, we may be in a position where we should be honored just by putting our name on it. But¡­¡± Do-wook thought hard, ¡°I won¡¯t do that. ¡°We need to make it so that they don¡¯t have to do it. So that KK won¡¯t be embarrassed to have their names listed next to each other.¡± Chapter 144 # 145 What is your name (4) *** In fact, working with LIL this time was a big deal for KK, but it was also very meaningful for Dowook¡¯s career as aposer. Dowook participated as aposer and lyricist in the title song and many of the b-side songs on KK¡¯s album, and was now firmly established as a producer. However, Dowook¡¯s work as aposer and producer was limited to KK. It was not a matter of skill, but rather a matter of choice and concentration. The only time I worked on another singer¡¯s song was a local album with Taehyung Park. However, because it was a joint work with Brave Only Child, it was not entirely Dowook¡¯s work. Even though KK was participating, the first song given to another singer would be the song given to LIL. ¡®Even as aposer¡­ it¡¯s definitely a huge opportunity.¡¯ Do-wook opened the door to the terrace of his amodation and took a deep breath. The cold air outside made me shiver, but there was nothing better than cold air to clear my mind. There, the full moon was brightly illuminating the terrace. Under the moonlight, Dowook reflected on his dream. As a singer myself, I have a big dream of leaving behind good songs and producing good singers. Do-wook, who did not think about anything other than revenge for fear of when he would wake up in a reality that did not seem to have changed his body again, was already nning for the distant future and living his life faithfully as ¡®Kang Do-wook¡¯. With Dowook¡¯s current musical insight andposition ability, in fact, with a certain amount of effort, he was able to pull out a song where LIL wanted to be the center and KK existed like a shadow. But Dowook didn¡¯t want to do that. As this is not an opportunity thates easily, I wanted to show that KK could stand shoulder to shoulder with LIL. ¡®It¡¯s okay to be a little greedy¡­¡¯ In order to do that, Kang Do-wook, as aposer, really had to do his best. ¡®It has to be a song that can convince LIL.¡¯ At that time, the terrace door opened and Ahn Hyeong-seo came in. ¡°Aren¡¯t you cold?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to go in now.¡± ¡°Okay,e in quickly. Lee Won cooked ramen~! ¡°Take a bite.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± After the video call with LIL, Kim Won became known as ¡®Lee Won¡¯ among the members. It was Lee One, taken from ¡®Only One¡¯. Among Kim Won¡¯s fan pages, there was a fan page called ¡®ONLY ONE¡¯. It was a fan page that had been consistently taking photos of Kim Won since her first album. It was clear that the fan page master would be very happy to hear it. It was almost midnight. When Do-wook stopped at the word ramen, Hyeong-seo Ahn pulled him in. ¡°Just one bite, just one bite! In addition to the period of inactivity, the members often hadte-night snacks as they gained more experience and trust, and Director Oh Baek-ho¡¯s supervision weakened. However, Do-wook, who has thorough self-management, has always been excluded from thete-night snack membership. ¡°You¡¯re going to be working all night again today. ¡°Aren¡¯t you hungry?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Music is my food¡­ I guess that¡¯s not the case!¡± When Ahn Hyeong-seo spoke in an over-the-top tone, Do-wook chuckled. ¡°Brother,e and have a bite. Lee Won¡¯s ramen skills are perfect!¡± ¡°what? ¡°It¡¯s Ilchwiwoljang.¡± Jeong Yoon-gi narrowed his eyes and corrected Seok Ji-hoon¡¯s words. Seok Ji-hoon was an amazing youngest child with a neat personality, good manners, and excellent fashion sense, but perhaps because he had been in the entertainment industry since childhood, Seok Ji-hoon sometimes revealed hisck of knowledge. Dowook hesitated for a moment and then headed towards the table with Ahn Hyeong-seo. The smell of ramen was too strong to resist the temptation. And as Ahn Hyeong-seo said, I was nning to stay up all night working on a song today, so I think it would be better to eat at least one bite for dawn. Slurp! The sound of the members sitting around inhaling ramen noodles resonated loudly throughout the dorm. The six bags of ramen I had boiled in a pot, which I had to add a little to, were disappearing in an instant. ¡°It¡¯s delicious, bro.¡± Kim Wonughed at Do-wook¡¯s words. Even though he was smiling, his hands were moving the chopsticks to pick up the noodles. They were boiled so that each person could eat one, but they were eaten too quickly. ¡°Someone who will eat rolled rice.¡± At Jung Yoon-gi¡¯s question, all the members looked at him. Taehyung Park said hesitantly. ¡°Ah¡­ if you even eat¡­¡± ¡°Me! ¡°I want to eat!¡± Hyungseo Ahn raised his hand. ¡°Uh¡­ Then me too!¡± Taehyung Park also raised his hand as if he was possessed. In the end, after everyone finished eating a lot of rice in the pot with only the soup left, some members began to say that they were full. Dowook was the first to put down his spoon. Seok Ji-hoon also patted his stomach as if he couldn¡¯t eat anymore. Although he was smaller than the other members, Ahn Hyeong-seo was secretly a glutton. Seok Ji-hoon stopped Ahn Hyeong-seo, who was about to eat more rice, by pretending to do so. ¡°Is the work going well?¡± After filling our bellies, the conversation began. Do-wook, who was drinking water, slowly nodded in response to Jeong Yoon-gi¡¯s question. ¡°What¡­¡± Do-wook hesitated, uncharacteristically for Do-wook. The reality was that the genre or overall direction had not yet been determined for sure that it would work. ¡°It¡¯s difficult¡­¡± Jung Yoongi muttered as if he was talking to himself as he wiped his mouth. Everyone knew it would be a difficult task. Especially after Dowook said that LIL wouldn¡¯t be able to do whatever she wanted. ¡°For now, I¡¯m trying to properly understand LIL¡¯s music style.¡± ¡°Are you listening to the LIL album?¡± ¡°In addition to the songs included in the LIL album, I also look at songs covered at performances or sung by other singers because I think it will help me figure out the style.¡± Do-wook answered Seok Ji-hoon¡¯s question. Do-wook was literally consuming all of LIL¡¯s music. All of the members had a strong desire to help, but were unable to figure out how to help. ¡°Don¡¯t be too burdened. ¡°Because I don¡¯t have to work with LIL.¡± Do-wook nodded at Jeong Yoon-gi¡¯s words. I couldn¡¯t help but feel the pressure, but just having the members trust and follow me like this gave me great strength. *** Do-wook, who returned to his room and studio after eating ate-night snack, was listening to LIL¡¯s song again today. Dowook, who already fully understood the KK members¡¯ characteristics, pros and cons, and how to utilize them while living next to them and doing music activities together, had a good understanding of them. Dowook was confident that if LIL was understood as if he were the 7th KK member, it would be of much help inposing the song. ¡®Even if the song is the same, each singer sings it differently. Where to give strength, where to rx¡­. Breathe differently¡­. If you understand these things, you can even read the singer¡¯s heart to see what he or she is trying to say through the song. .¡¯ It was time to listen to LIL¡¯s ¡®IN THE DARK¡¯ again. Ahn Hyeong-seo came in with a knock. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± In response to Do-wook¡¯s question, Hyeong-seo Ahn held out something. The ck object the size of a palm was an external hard drive. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°What¡¯s in the external hard drive? ¡°Hehe.¡± Hyungseo Ahn responded with a sinisterugh. Dowook was dazed for a moment, trying to understand what he meant. ¡°I feel like you are having a hard time alone. ¡°I wonder if it will help.¡± ¡°yes?¡± This was when Do-wook asked back as if he was wondering what he was talking about. ¡°No way¡­¡± ¡°Videos of LIL¡¯s performances so far. ¡°I downloaded and organized everything by date, including everything posted on MyTube and other overseas music sites.¡± Dowook, who had been thinking of another video, was embarrassed and epted the external hard drive. Do-wook was embarrassed by Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s prank, but soon his heart warmed. ¡°I was wondering if doing something like this might help. ¡°I¡¯ve been doing this for a few days now, and since you were listening to LIL¡¯s music, I thought it went well.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ thank you so much, bro. How did you organize everything? ¡°There must have been a lot.¡± Hyungseo Ahn said with a smile. ¡°I had quite a bit saved up to practice vocals, so I did it quickly. ¡°I also included additional performance videos from interviews that LIL said he liked.¡± Do-wook said his thanks again while holding the external hard drive tightly. It wasn¡¯t a direct help, but it definitely helped save time by not having to search for videos one by one. ¡°Thank you. ¡°Good luck then.¡± When Hyeong-seo Ahn connected the external hard drive he had passed along to hisptop, hundreds of videos were organized into folders. There was also a cover video that Dowook had not seen yet. Dowook began clicking through the videos one after another. It¡¯s three o¡¯clock in the morning. Dowook, who was watching the video, rubbed his sleepy eyes and clicked on one video. ¡®I guess I should at least wash my face after seeing this.¡¯ It was a video of a small concert hall performed before LIL became famous, that is, less than a week after releasing his debut song ¡®IN THE DARK¡¯. The video and sound quality were poor, as if it was not an official video but was filmed by an audience member at the concert using a cell phone. Because the sound quality was not good, I thought I could just skip it, but the reason I didn¡¯t pass it on was because the ylist for that performance was different from the ylist for the recent performance. After singing ¡®IN THE DARK¡¯, LIL sang an unplugged version of a famous singer¡¯s song. Do-wook, who found the song¡¯s apaniment a little surprising, opened his eyes wide when LIL¡¯s song began. ¡®¡­ This is it!¡¯ The hand holding the mouse gained strength. Dowook finally had a direction for the song he was going topose. Do-wook jumped up from his seat, quickly went to the bathroom, washed his face, and came back. Now it was time to elerate work on the song. *** The song guide to send to LIL was almost finished. Once I set the direction and started, the work progressed quickly as if sailing on a favorable wind. Dowook first yed the song to the members. The members¡¯ reaction was surprising. The genre that Dowook chose could basically be seen as R&B. Since LIL was an amazing vocalist, it was predictable that it would be in the R&B genre. LIL also wanted exciting music, and since KK, who has two rappers, would participate, I thought there would be some hip-hop elements as well. However, although the song Dowook brought was hip-hop R&B, it had a very jazzy feel. Just listening to it, it seemed like a soft-toned vocal would be better than a powerful vocal. ¡°The song is so good. ¡°Do you want to keep listening to it?¡± Do-wookughed happily at Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s evaluation. The key thing Do-wook thought about whenposing the melody was to create a melody that would make you want to ¡®listen to it over and over again.¡¯ Dowook worked hard to create a melody that would make people want to keep listening to the pleasant beat that would make them tap their feet and head while walking while listening to the song. ¡°But I thought it would be a little deeper. ¡°LIL is a power vocalist.¡± In response to Kim Won¡¯s words, Do-wook yed the video he had seen. ¡°LIL has this kind of voice¡­¡± Even though the sound quality was not very good, LIL¡¯s voice rang through the microphone and echoed throughout the concert hall. Instead of a powerful vocal, the voice sung with a little less strength was very sweet. Since the basics were solid, it was natural that it would be good to listen to. Dowook nned to bring to life LIL¡¯s soft tone, which was hidden behind his powerful voice and unique high-pitched tone. At the same time, this style of music would also be very suitable for KK vocals, including Kim Won and Jeong Yoon-ki¡¯s rapper Ahn Hyeong-seo. ¡°Still, LIL will want to utilize his strengths, so I¡¯m going to try to put in a little bit of effort in the second half.¡± The members nodded at Do-wook¡¯s words. ¡°You might like it because it¡¯s different from the songs you¡¯re used to¡­¡± Ahn Hyeong-seo muttered. You probably know Ahn Hyeong-seo because he was an excellent vocalist. Dowook also knew this because he thought about it from the perspective of a vocalist. ¡®Good vocalists want to take on challenges. Because he wants to show everything he has¡­.¡¯ Dowook hoped that LIL would ept this song. It was also an opportunity to show that I could do this well. ¡®Of course, it¡¯s hard to be sure.¡¯ Dowook thought. I was sad to think that the coboration with LIL might fall through. *** And at that time, Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung, who was monitoring in the office, could not believe his eyes. ¡´[Exclusive] KK! Joining hands with world-renowned star LIL?¡µ ¡®What the hell¡­!¡¯ Chapter 145 # 146 What is your name (5) ¡°Why on earth is this¡­¡± Team leader Lee Dae-hyung quickly clicked on the article. The article said that KK was preparing an album with world-renowned pop star LIL. The release date of the album is currently undecided, and it also contains information that song work has begun. It was a very brief article. The general content was correct, but the fact that it was LIL¡¯s album and not KK¡¯s was wrong. ¡®It looks like he only half-heard and wrote this¡­¡¯ Team leader Lee Dae-hyung quickly confirmed the reporter¡¯s name. He was an entertainment reporter who was also on Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung¡¯s list. However, he was not a reporter who was particrly close to other agencies or had any contact with Hit Entertainment, but rather an ordinary entertainment reporter. Naturally, most of thements were positive, such as people saying they couldn¡¯t believe it, but also saying they were curious and looking forward to how it came to fruition. It was bound to be a favorable response. However, it was not yet time for such an article to be published. It was because I was the one who decided whether Dowook¡¯s song would be included in LIL¡¯s coboration special album. It was a matter ofter to find out where the reporter got the information. First, the article had to be taken down to prevent follow-up reports from spreading rapidly. ¡°Mr. Hyojin! ¡°Please take a moment to check this.¡± ¡°yes!¡± At the call of Team Leader Daehyung Lee, Nam Hyojin, who was sitting in the office, got up from her seat and came to Team Leader Daehyung Lee¡¯s desk. Nam Hyo-jin was an intern in the fan-marketing team until recently, but recently became an employee. There was a lot of work to do, but the main task recently was responding to media and broadcast advertising officials. ¡°This article here¡­ check it out.¡± Team leader Lee Dae-hyung¡¯s voice inevitably showed fatigue. In the case of projects that are still under discussion, when the media gets involved, things often go wrong in one way or another. ¡®Of course, since LIL likes Do-wook¡¯s song, he should participate in the album¡­¡¯ Fortunately, LIL did not include any confidentiality provisions regarding the album. LIL¡¯s position was that because they were coborating with so many singers, word of mouth could spread anywhere and they could enjoy promotional effects through it. In fact, talk of a coboration with another British singer was secretly spreading overseas on the Inte. Nam Hyo-jin looked at the article with her eyes closed and looked surprised. Not long ago, Nam Hyo-jin received instructions from team leader Lee Dae-hyung to establish a promotional strategy for the coboration with LIL and was writing a press release in preparation for the future. ¡°How is this¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll find out. Hyojin, please quickly write a correction and send it to me.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ should I say this is groundless?¡± ¡°no. ¡°It is true that we have been in contact with LIL regarding work, but please tell us that nothing has been decided.¡± Nam Hyo-jin nodded eagerly. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung swallowed his saliva once and added. ¡°Oh, and is there an article we were nning to send tomorrow?¡± ¡°Are you talking about the dome tour?¡± ¡°yes. Make sure to get it all done today. And I guess I¡¯ll have to release the tour teaser today, which I was originally going to upload tomorrow evening. ¡°You¡¯ve received all the work from the design team, right?¡± ¡°yes. ¡°I will send the article and tell you when Assistant Manager Do Ra-heees back after the meeting and I will post it today.¡± ¡°is it so. ¡°You know as quickly and urately as possible, right?¡± ¡°yes!¡± Nam Hyo-jin answered and returned to her seat. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung first called the reporter who wrote the exclusive report. *** ¡´KK Japan 5 dome tour confirmed! Second record as a Korean singer!¡µ ¡´K.K. is on the verge of conquering Japan! We also made a trip to Japan!¡µ ¡´We¡¯ve only been in contact with KK LIL¡­ The members are currently working hard to prepare for the dome tour!¡µ ¡´KK¡¯s dome tour in March! Various aspects of advancing to Japan ¨C What do you do with LIL in the morning? Are you going to World Star? -It¡¯s not confirmed with LIL. The dome tour alone is amazing! Haha -Isn¡¯t it difficult for a Japanese singer to do 5 dome tours? It¡¯s so cool ¨C you¡¯re a KK guy, right? -I don¡¯t think there are any singers who perform live like this in Japan haha. I¡¯m proud of KK! -I am truly proud as a citizen of the Republic of Korea. This is cultural diplomacy haha ¨C KK served in the military? -The guys are still in their early 20s¡­ -Aren¡¯t they popr in China and other Asian countries as well? Shoes is recognized haha ¨C the grand prize singer is K.K^0^! ¨C In Japan, Ahn Hyeong-seo had a hard time with Coke one-shot, so I¡¯m d that the hard work was worth it ¨C My heart breaks ?????? ¨C That was funny hahahaha Sugeesgeww ¨C It really took the inte by storm haha I almost died trying to copy it ¨C You shouldn¡¯t imitate me carelessly. I squirted all over the room and got scolded by my mom ¨C hahahahahaha¡­ ¨C Go! Yen Expedition! -Now it¡¯s time to start! (Yen!) A trip to earn yen! -I can hear it, I can hear it~~~ The sound of yen being earned~~~ -I wish I could share some¡­ -When will KK promote in Korea? I¡¯m going to lose my eyes while waiting for KK ¨C I heard that if you go to Japan, you will be a driver in Hamheung. What if KK takes that route too? -They said the Korean album will be released right after the dome tour ends. -It looks like they don¡¯t rest. They work like cows. Really. -Now he seems to be working harder than a cow¡­ -I want to see Kang Do-wook¡¯s face. The government should set a quota for Kang Do-wook to appear on TV more. If he can¡¯t meet it, he will be forced to appear -You want to see his face? I also want to watch it every day ¨C can¡¯t I be a news anchor? ¨C I admit that Kang Do-wook¡¯s face is more interesting than the annoying news. When the article about the dome tour came out, people¡¯s attention focused on the dome tour. There were many people who were still looking forward to working with LIL, but since it was not confirmed, their response was to wait and see. At that time, Dowook was attaching thepleted file to the email. ¡°I¡¯m nervous¡­.¡± It was a moment where Do-wook couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous. Of course, it wasn¡¯t about writing Dowook¡¯s songs, whether it was revising or changing direction. It was the first time thatposer Kang Do-wook met an artist who could be called a ¡®client.¡¯ When ites toposers, there are cases where they give already-made songs to singers who are a good fit, but there are also cases where theypose songs upon request. ¡®It will have a great influence on future work.¡¯ After clicking the send button to send the email to the album production team, Dowook took his hand off the mouse. When Dowook sent the file to the album production team, the album production team was supposed to deliver it to LIL. The person in charge of the album production team would be waiting for Dowook¡¯s email, so it would be immediately delivered to LIL along with the content of the email he had written. In the email, the intention and exnation of the song Do-wook worked on were scheduled to be tranted into English. After much deliberation, I chose an arrow and the arrow had already been shot. There was no point in worrying or being nervous anymore. As soon as Do-wook thought that, he got up from his seat. The Japanese dome tour was just around the corner. The members had to fully familiarize themselves with the Japanesenguage songs on the new full-length album, which were not avable during thest Japanese performance, and learn the newly designed stage set list for the dome tour. Dowook was also working on a song, but he unconditionally attended group practice and devoted himself to practice. Now that the song work is finished, I feel like I can make good use of my personal practice time until I get feedback from LIL. *** When Do-wook came out to the practice room, the members who came first weed him. The members¡¯ atmosphere was more noisy than usual. When Do-wook looked at him with a puzzled face, Tae-hyung Park said. ¡°We¡­ one more advertisement.¡± ¡°What advertisement?¡± Dowook asked, taking out his phone and checking the messages. In the group room where Director Oh Baek-ho and Koo Cheol-min¡¯s KK members were all present, there was a message sent from Director Oh Baek-ho. It was a message that I couldn¡¯t check because I was preparing right away after sending the song. ¡°Cokemercial!¡± Kim Won shouted. [My brother did something. Our group¡¯s c advertisement is going for 3 months! Now your ransom has risen a lot haha] At the same time, Do-wook also checked Director Baek-ho Oh¡¯s message. For some reason, the members were surrounding Ahn Hyeong-seo. Hyungseo Ahn seemed to be in a very good mood. Everyone shrugged their shoulders and told everyone to thank me. ¡°Thank you, thank you. ¡°Thank you so much!¡± Unable to ovee Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s love, even Jeong Yoon-ki came to say thank you to Ahn Hyeong-seo. ¡°thank you. ¡°I wanted to do a beveragemercial.¡± When Do-wook also helped, Hyeong-seo Ahn lifted his chin. Seok Ji-hoon, who was looking at Ahn Hyeong-seo, asked. ¡°But what if the advertiser asks me to do that again? One shot?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do that twice!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t we recruit you because we knew you could do that?¡± ¡°How can it not be done with editing?¡± As Ahn Hyeong-seo spoke in embarrassment, Seok Ji-hoon smiled conspiratorially from behind and said to Ahn Hyeong-seo with a serious expression. ¡°Maybe I need to practice.¡± ¡°omg? is it?¡± While Ahn Hyeong-seo was seriously thinking, the practice room door opened and choreography teacher Noh Tae-hyun and the dance team came rushing in. Noh Tae-hyun said that he would start practicing the choreography in ten minutes, so he told them to warm up until then, and he started to warm up himself. Even as they dispersed and warmed up, the members did not stop teasing Ahn Hyeong-seo, saying that he would be the one who should drink most of the c. At that time, the oldest and most experienced member of the dance team approached me and asked. The current dance team and I have been working together since KK¡¯s second album, so our friendship is quite close, and we are like older brothers and younger brothers. ¡°Is it true that LIL is participating in the album?¡± ¡°yes? It¡¯s not like that. ¡°We just kept in touch.¡± ¡°Oh yeah? Did you really contact me? Amazing, Great. ¡°Aren¡¯t we going to go to a concert in America togetherter?¡± The dance team members chatted excitedly at Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s answer. Ahn Hyeong-seo somehow noticed Do-wook¡¯s feelings. This was because Dowook, who had just returned from sending the song, would feel burdened by such expectations. ¡°As long as that happens, there is nothing more to wish for.¡± However, Dowook responded to the dance team members with a rxed face. After the dance team members turned around and left, Ahn Hyeong-seo grumbled that she didn¡¯t know why the article had alreadye out, which was only a burden. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung was looking into it, but the reporter didn¡¯t have any particr intention and was only repeating that he had leaked it from an acquaintance, so it wouldn¡¯t be easy to find the source of the article. Do-wook thought that since people¡¯s interest in KK was so high, there was bound to be a lot of information flowing out. As interest increased, the risks that had to be taken also increased. ¡®It is fortunate that no damage urred. The only important thing is to be more careful¡­.¡¯ Do-wook thought and answered to Ahn Hyeong-seo. ¡°I¡¯m OK. Still, thanks to your quick processing, I only got one or two articles. ¡°It has been corrected.¡± ¡°okay. And you can really work with LIL! If you don¡¯t like it and say you can¡¯t do it with us, we¡¯ll fix it. We don¡¯t mind just doing the LIL chorus.¡± ¡°no. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°okay. The song is really good. ¡°I hope your ears will like it too.¡± ¡°Are you already a brother?¡± ¡°Do you look too friendly? ¡°Then, Lil senior?¡± ¡°If you consider our debut year, we would be the seniors.¡± ¡°Ah then, Lil junior.¡± Soon, choreography practice began. The members, including Do-wook, were extremely focused and sweating. There was no sweat as transparent as the sweat I shed the moment I sang and danced. It was a sweat made solely out of passion for the stage, without any selfish intentions. *** The answer I received from LIL the next day was a formal reply saying they would listen more carefully and then contact me. After that, there was no contact from LIL for quite some time. Time passed quickly, and LIL¡¯s answer finally arrived to Do-wook, who was preparing for the performance in tension at the Osaka Kyocera Dome, the first day of the Japan dome tour. Chapter 146 # 147 Today, not tomorrow (1) *** ¡°I Kay You Kay!¡± ¡°let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°K-K!¡± The six KK members put their hands together and shouted slogans in loud voices. It was 1 minute before the performance started. Starting with Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Sapporo Dome, Nagoya Dome, and Fukuoka Yahoo Japan Dome. After performing in four ces, the KK members finally entered Tokyo Dome. From the moment they stood at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka, the KK members were already captivated by therge stage, the audience filling up the stage, the colorful lights, and the sound of music that would make their hearts flutter. They were all people who came to see KK. Even on a big stage in Korea, it was bound to be overwhelming, but on a big stage in a foreign country, it was a different kind of emotion. Although we don¡¯t speak thenguage properly and live in different cultures, we listen to K.K.¡¯s music and be crazy about K.K. They shout out the names of the Korean members and pronounce ¡®I love you¡¯ in broken Korean. It was such an amazing feeling when I saw overseas fans. However, with more than 40,000 fans gathered together, it was inevitable that it would be overwhelming. Tokyo Dome will be the finale of this Japan tour. Tokyo Dome¡¯s symbolism alone was enormous. This meant that the phrase ¡®conquering Japan¡¯, as stated in the article¡¯s headline, was not an exaggeration. Even in Japan, there are ten singers who can sell out Tokyo Dome. One of those ten fingers became singer K.K. from Korea. Moreover, the reason why KK¡¯s entry into the Tokyo Dome was meaningful was because KK did not erase their nationality as ¡®Korean¡¯. Most singers who entered the Japanese market tended to release songs with a strong Japanese vor on separate Japanese albums. However, KK only changed thenguage to Japanese, arranged the song as it was sung in Korea, and included it in the Japanese regr album. Additionally, whenever a sensitive question was asked on a variety show or in an interview, I answered directly rather than avoiding it. Even whenparing Korea and Japan, I never answered that I liked Japan unconditionally. In fact, because of this, it was criticized by anti-Koreans who were anti-Korean and the Korean Wave, but KK¡¯s position was clear. As a Korean singer, I did not want to stop or bend the path I had taken to gain Japanese fans. However, at the same time, he showed that he was always grateful for the warm love from Japanese fans, embracing them. Actually, it was sincere. KK¡¯s hard work, corresponding skills, KK¡¯s unique music, and sincere heart. All of this worked in the end and KK was able to go up to the Tokyo Dome stage. ¡°˜S¤·¤¤¤Ç¤¹¤«£¿¡± Hyungseo Ahn picked up a towel prepared on the floor, wiped away his sweat, and asked the audience in poor Japanese if they were happy. When the fans answered yes in unison, Ahn Hyeong-seo smiled brightly, feeling overwhelmed. Fans cheered even more as Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s cute, smiling squirrel-like face appeared on the screen broadcasting on stage. The performance of ¡®Windy Day¡¯ had just ended. As the blue lights moved, the members disappeared from the stage one by one, leaving Ahn Hyeong-seo alone in the spotlight. The next stage was that of the hip-hop unit OK. Then, an interlude was yed along with Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯sment to enjoy it better. Hyungseo Ahn began singing the chorus of OK¡¯s first album, ¡®Don¡¯t Go Back¡¯. ¡®Don¡¯t Go Back¡¯ was a song where Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s high notes stood out. Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s voice entered the middle andtter part of the performance and divided the audience¡¯s enthusiasm. Hyungseo Ahn worked very hard since the preparation period for the concert to perform a perfect live performance during this dome tour. During each private practice session, I received one-on-one lessons with a vocal teacher and worked on bad habits while singing that I had not yet been able to ovee. In order to take care of my neck, I tried to save it as much as possible during the tour. The members were secretly surprised to see that Ahn Hyeong-seo, who likes to talk and talkatively, did not speak even ten words a day to save her voice when she came to Japan. These were actions that showed the will to properly demonstrate one¡¯s skills on this tour. In thest entertainment show, Ahn Hyeong-seo was quite worried after realizing that she had no proper role in KK because it was Japan and she couldn¡¯t make peopleugh. No matter what anyone says, Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s strength was singing. Ahn Hyeong-seo promised that singers should show themselves through singing, keeping in mind Do-wook¡¯s habit of saying, ¡°As long as the music is good, it¡¯s okay.¡± Thanks to consistent practice and thorough management, Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s neck was in excellent condition even during the tour that continued day after day. Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s voice singing the killing part of ¡®Don¡¯t Go Back¡¯ seemed to pierce the dome. Afterwards, Kim Won and Jung Yoon-gi, who had changed their clothes, came out and sang a rap song. Kim Won sensibly changed the rap lyrics, ¡®Pleasee here, I¡¯m here¡¯ to something like ¡®Pleasee to Tokyo, there¡¯s me in Tokyo¡¯. The lyrics for each part were typographically disyed on the screen for Japanese fans who may not be familiar with the song because the official Japanese music has not yet been released. Watching the sensuous typography video, you could feel that every detail was paid attention to for the performance. The audience who came here already knew OK¡¯s ¡®Don¡¯t Go Back¡¯, which was popr in Korea, and sang the repeated parts together while looking at the screen. ¡°Everyone, hands above your heads!¡± The audience began to apud to the beat as Jeong Yoon-ki raised his hands above his head and encouraged apuse. Jung Yoon-gi rapped quickly, feeling the sound of the bass pounding through the dome and the sound of apuse. Even though the rap was in Japanese, Jung Yoon-gi¡¯s diction was very urate. The catchy lyrics were as good as those of any other Japanese rapper. It was a hip-hop stage with a more free atmosphere, slightly different from KK¡¯s music. The audience felt as if they were bing free as they watched the three people moving around the wide stage. Every time I pped, my body felt lighter. Hyungseo Ahn adjusted his hand microphone and spit out thest note. After OK¡¯s stage ended in the scorching heat, it was Dowook¡¯s solo stage. The three people, Ahn Hyeong-seo, Kim Won, and Jeong Yoon-gi, disappeared behind the stage and Do-wook, wearing a colorful cubic-studded suit, ran onto the stage. When Dowook came out, the cheers grew louder again. It was the same in Korea, but in fact, in Japan as well, if you were to rank the poprity of the KK members, Dowook was in first ce. Do-wook was a tall handsome man who is not often found in Japan. There was a time when Japanese fans posted more SNS posts praising Dowook¡¯s appearance than Korean fans. Moreover, the polite feeling of pursuing a ¡®right life¡¯ truly captured the hearts of Japanese fans. The humility I feel when speaking Japanese also ys a big role. There was no reason not to like it because there was nothing missing when it came to singing and dancing. As it became known that he was good at acting through entertainment, Dowook¡¯s poprity, which was originally high, was rapidly soaring even in Japan. Although he was not very popr in Japan, there were a small number of Korean drama fans who had seen ¡®Get Ready 1999¡¯ and movie fans who knew Do-wook through ¡®Blue Sky¡¯. ¡°Kyaaaaaa¡ª!¡± ¡°Wookiee!¡± ¡°Wookie! Wookiee!¡± When Do-wook appeared, the voices of fans chanting ¡®Wookie¡¯ rang through the dome. Dowook drew an even louder response by pretending to put his ears on his hands. ¡°Wookie!!!¡± ¡°Uki-chan!!!¡± Japan was famous for its quiet audience responsepared to Korea or other countries. Nevertheless, the voices of Japanese fans calling out for Do-wook did notg behind those of other countries. ¡°Then let¡¯s go!¡± Dowook¡¯s solo song ¡®Darling¡¯ started with Dowook¡¯sment. Do-wook walked across the stage, showing off his brilliant footwork to the interlude. Thest song was ¡®Blue Sky¡¯. It was definitely the most popr song in Japan, so when the prelude to ¡®Blue Sky¡¯ started ying, the decibel of cheers changed. The dazzlingly bright key ring lightstick waved. The members did their best to perform ¡®Blue Sky¡¯. Since it was thest song, my whole body was already wet with sweat and I was so exhausted that I wanted to lie down on stage right away, but I gathered all the energy I had left in my feet. I was out of breath, but I was also very moved. The members¡¯ eyes were already moist as they passionately sang ¡®Blue Sky¡¯ in front of 50,000 spectators. *** [KK embroiders Tokyo with six stars!] [Registration up to Tokyo Domepleted! KK filled the Tokyo Dome] [(Exclusive) Now it¡¯s America! KK goes to the US to work with LIL] [KK is getting on a ne to the US! Meeting with world-ss pop star LIL] [Love call to LIL KK¡­ Kang Do-wook grows once again as aposer] While the members were returning to Korea after the Tokyo Dome performance, articles about KK were reported one after another in Korea. KK¡¯s Tokyo Dome performance meant that Korean singers were popr even in Japan, which has the world¡¯s secondrgest music market, and was even briefly reported on KVS 9 o¡¯clock news. It was rare for an idol to appear on the 9 o¡¯clock news. When the news of KK¡¯s entry into the Tokyo Dome was reported on TV news, real-time search terms were soon dominated by KK. Even people who had no interest in the music industry or idols started looking into it out of curiosity because they heard that it promoted national prestige. In such a situation, as the news of the coboration with LIL was again exclusively reported, KK¡¯s real-time search word ranking, which had been declining, rose to first ce again. Themunity reaction to the news that the coboration with LIL was confirmed was on the verge of explosion. It wasn¡¯t just amunity where stories about idols were mainly posted. Even in themunity of people who like foreign pop stars, they were dumbfounded by the meeting of their favorite pop star and a Korean idol. Overseas ¨C Why on earth is LIL coborating with an idol from an unknown country like Korea? Does KK¡¯s agency have a lot of money? -You¡¯re Korean too? Haha. You¡¯re heard of in Korea too; ¨C Listen to KK¡¯s song first. It¡¯s way ahead of the debut song. ¨C Nowadays, it¡¯s not something to ignore because it¡¯s an idol song. Please think again. -LIL must have listened to it and said he would ept the song because it was good hahaha How much money do you have so you think it would be worth the money? haha ¨C I heard you contacted me because I liked Last Dance. Listen to Last Dance. It¡¯s surprising that among Korean idols, there was someone capable of producing songs of this quality. -If it¡¯s LIL. It¡¯s really awesome ? I¡¯m jealous of KK when I see LIL ¨C I suddenly see him sucking on idols when I hear he¡¯s working with LIL ¨C If it¡¯s a pop song, it¡¯s more problematic to cover it up and criticize it -_-; -It seems like a dream that there is music in our country that follows trends faster than most pop music. In the old days, I couldn¡¯t have imagined it. Opinions were divided in themunity, which tends to be tonitarian due to envy of pop culture, but it was a moment when even those people had no choice but to acknowledge KK. At the moment when the Inte was hot with their story, the KK members were packing their bags again as soon as they returned to Korea. In order to record with LIL, I decided to visit LIL¡¯s studio in person. Production director Kwon Heung-jo¡¯s idea was to go to the United States and experience the bigger world by seeing the working environment there. The first word of the reply from LIL began with ¡®Sorry¡¯. Because of this, Do-wook thought he was being rejected. However, he said he was sorry for making you wait so long. After much consideration, LIL decided to try something new as Do-wook intended. LIL¡¯s honest answer was that the song itself that Dowook sent was so good that he didn¡¯t want to miss it. ¡®LIL¡¯s choice must be correct¡­ the oue must be sessful¡­¡¯ Do-wook zipped the suitcase with a half-worried, half-anticipated heart. The sound of the suitcase being zipped was clear. Chapter 147 # 148 Today, not tomorrow (2) *** In front of the ¡®New Scope Records¡¯ headquarters building in New York, USA. The members, who arrived at their New York amodationte yesterday afternoon and slept to adjust to the time difference, got dressed early in the morning and gathered in front of the headquarters. This trip to the United States was apanied by album production team leader Shim Jun, fan-marketing team leader Lee Dae-hyung, Oh Baek-ho, and Koo Cheol-min. Joanie, the nning and operation team manager, was also there. News Corp Records was one of thebels under ¡®Music Universe¡¯ that dominated the world¡¯s No. 1 American music market. Music Universe was one of thepanies that literally dominated the music market, including broadcasting stations, radio channels, Inte music channels, and recordbels. Among the dozens ofbels owned by Universe, News Corp Records has been thebel that has been performing the best recently. News Corp Records¡¯ vision was to present the most pop music that was ahead of the trend. With that vision, and with sessive sesses such as Lady Nana and Lena Del Rey and Jerrell Williams, News Corp Records began to gather singers with distinctive and outstanding vocals. We worked hard not only to recruit existing singers, but also to discover and debut new singers, and among them, LIL was the standout achievement. LIL was immediately put forward as the face of News Corp Records followingst year¡¯s mega-hit sess. News Corp Records¡¯ operating policy and nning ability, based on the solid capital of its parentpany, were worthy of imitation. It was Sunjin¡¯s management method that not only arge agency but also Hit Entertainment, which dreams of entering the global market, wanted to learn somehow. Manager Joanie Joanie of the nning and operation team participated as the person in charge of handling the main contract following the sessfulpletion of LIL¡¯s coboration album. An external consulting attorney was also present. Since the contract had already been reviewed, it did not matter whether Team Manager Shim Jun or Team Manager Lee Dae-hyung signed the contract, but Manager Joanie thought it was a good opportunity to learn how News Corp Records operates, so she boarded the ne herself. It was clear that there would be a lot to be gained by entertaining the person in charge and talking naturally while negotiating the contract. News Corp Records also offered KK a tour of their headquarters as a way to promote and consider those who would be working together. Manager Annie Annie and Team Leader Daehyung Lee entered the department¡¯s conference room to sign a contract, while KK and Team Leader Baekho Oh looked around the inside of the News Corp Records building. Inside the building, like a museum, there was an exhibition hall containing albums released by past News Corp Records. Even though it was one of Uniserve¡¯sbels, it was possible to know the history of American pop culture just by collecting albums released by News Corp Records. Everyone opened their mouths and looked at the jackets on disy. ¡°There¡¯s also a Geminem album.¡± Jeong Yoon-gi muttered as if he was curious. It was clear that the music genre called hip-hop was a genre that was difficult for white people to join as it originated from ck people. It was a special genre for white people, who were usually in a position of discrimination. In such an American atmosphere, Geminem created a crack in the mainstream hip-hop market that had been solidified with his amazing skills. Even those who initially refused to acknowledge how a white person could revive the spirit of hip-hop eventually had no choice but to acknowledge Geminem. Geminem was, of course, a rapper who had a great influence on hip-hop artists Jung Yoon-ki and Kim Won. While Jung Yoon-gi and Kim Won were arguing in front of Geminem¡¯s album about whether this album was better or whether this album was a masterpiece, Ahn Hyeong-seo was standing in front of Lady Nana¡¯s album. ¡°It would be great to have just one singer, but to have all these singers¡­¡± Do-wook also thought about how amazing it was several times as he looked around the entire exhibition hall. ¡®It would be nice if I could make an album that could be ced next to these albums someday.¡¯ While I was thinking about that, the person in charge guiding me exined that I would soon be able to meet LIL. As Kim Won interpreted the person in charge¡¯s words, the members took their eyes off the album. Rather than the album full of famous songs in front of me, my mind was filled with thoughts about LIL, whom I would soon meet. The members and team leader Oh Baek-ho and Shim Jun left the headquarters building and headed to LIL¡¯s exclusive studio to meet LIL. LIL¡¯s private studio was located about a 15-minute drive from the headquarters building, and News Corp Records provided a limousine and driver for KK. The limousine passed through Central Park and headed to LIL¡¯s studio. Although it was a leisurely afternoon, the limousine the members were riding in was unable to speed up due to traffic congestion in central New York. In fact, it was better for the members to go slowly. I cooled my nerves by looking at the forest of buildings spreading out the window. ¡°So this is¡­¡­.¡± The limousine stopped in front of the gray building. As we entered the building, the security guard who checked the KK members nodded. A News Corp employee who hade with us from News Corp headquarters pressed the elevator button. When I got off the elevator, I immediately saw the studio door. Kim Won looked at the studio door and mumbled in English without realizing it. As I opened the door and entered, LIL, who was sitting on the sofa in front of the customer service table, stood up and weed the members. ¡°Hi guys. Wee to my studio. Come ine in!¡± The members suddenly entered the studio, weed by LIL. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it make you look younger when you see it in person like this?¡± The KK members responded with awkwardughter to LIL¡¯s joke while exchanging greetings. ¡°Oh one! ¡°I really wanted to meet you.¡± When LIL shook hands with Won Kim, he especially emphasized his pleasure by saying that he really wanted to meet him. Kim Won, who was less nervous because he was used to English, responded with a light hug. When Kim Won thanked LIL for inviting him to the studio, LIL shook his head and shouted ¡®No¡¯. ¡°I am the one who is grateful to you foring this far. Thank you for making such a beautiful song. ¡°I¡¯m really looking forward to this work.¡± Although it was difficult to pronounce the name Do-wook, LIL pronounced Do-wook¡¯s name quite urately and naturally greeted Do-wook who was next to Won Kim. Dowook received LIL¡¯s greeting a little stiffly. LIL smiled and introduced the person next to her. It was producer Dan Wilson. Dan Wilson was an attractive man with a bushy beard. Dan Wilson reached out to Dowook. Dan Wilson extended his hand toposer Do-wook, not KK member Do-wook. He was a talented person who produced all of LIL¡¯s albums since their debut. At the same time, he was also the general producer of this coboration album. ¡°Just as LIL said, he wrote a very beautiful song. It will get a good response if it is included in this album. It¡¯s the only song that feelsfortable. Both listening and singing. That¡¯s why I chose your song.¡± It was literally like that. When LIL was worried about receiving Dowook¡¯s song, which was not the style of song he expected, it was Dan Wilson who changed LIL¡¯s mind. When Dan Wilson received Do-wook¡¯s song, he quickly realized that Do-wook decided and proceeded with the direction of theposition as a producer, not a singer. At the same time, KK was also looking for a way to stand out by choosing a genre that was challenging for LIL. ¡®That¡¯s clever in many ways.¡¯ Thinking about it, Dan Wilson persuaded LIL. It would never have been a bad choice to try using less powerful vocals for one song. Dowook responded to Dan Wilson¡¯s words. ¡°ah. thank you ¡°Thank you for suggesting the direction of the arrangement well¡­¡± After the song was decided to be included on LIL¡¯s album, Dowook exchanged more emails with Dan Wilson than with LIL. Dowook adjusted the overall sound ording to the arrangement direction suggested by Dan Wilson. Being able to work with an emerging master like Dan Wilson was also an endless opportunity that came with working with LIL. Dowook spoke to Kim Won in Korean. ¡°I only added one instrument to the back, and it felt like the song came to lifepletely. It felt like I found a hidden inch. I would like to say that I really liked that¡­¡± Since he couldn¡¯t say long stories quickly in English, Do-wook spoke to Kim Won, and Kim Won interpreted Do-wook¡¯s words in fluent English, as expected. It goes without saying that Won Kim would be a better interpreter than most professional interpreters. First of all, Kim Won himself knew KK¡¯s music well as well as musical terminology, and he had worked with Do-wook for a long time, so he was able to express the thoughts ofposer Do-wook well. In addition, Kim Won had a unique linguistic sense. He spoke in a friendly manner to LIL, using appropriate ng, and used advanced English to address employees and other people he met for the first time who needed to be more formal. Dan Wilson, who heard Kim Won¡¯s interpretation, shrugged his shoulders and replied that that¡¯s what he does. Afterwards, Dowook exchanged greetings with the light brown-haired woman and the woman¡¯s lover who were next to Dan Wilson. They were a couple of lyricists who would add lyrics to songs written by Dowook. The lyricist couple also sang ¡®Beautiful¡¯ to Dowook, saying the song¡¯s melody was very beautiful. Dowook¡¯s song became a song with the motif of lovers in the universe through a couple of lyricists. It was about people living on distants and sharing love through messages. The lyrics about the numerous messages they sent bing stars in the universe were very impressive. After exchanging greetings, team leader Sim Jun and members LIL Dan Wilson and the lyricist couple headed to the recording studio. In the recording studio, veteran engineers with at least ten years of experience were preparing for recording. Dowook¡¯s eyes widened as he looked at the recording studio equipment. ¡®This is what different sses of capital mean¡­¡¯ Dowook looked at a mixing machine with high specifications and thought that he would like to try using it just once. I swallowed my saliva automatically. It was a mixing machine that I had only seen in MyTube videos. Even the recording studio microphone was top-notch. Even though I described working with LIL as ¡®an honor,¡¯ things that I had not previously understood wereing to me. ¡®I can record my songs here!¡¯ Dowook¡¯s eyes lit up. Since LIL and producer Dan Wilson were not in a position to take time off from their schedules, recording was scheduled to bepleted today. LIL entered the recording studio confidently. The first batter to record was LIL. LIL was nning to record his own part first and then record the group partter. In fact, there was no reason for LIL to stay in the other members¡¯ recordings. LIL cleared his throat and sent a sign saying it was okay to start recording soon. The other members watched the recording studio situation from the waiting sofa at the back of the recording studio. Dan Wilson gave up his seat next toposer Dowook. The song yed and the eyes of LIL and Dowook, both wearing headphones, met through the ss window of the recording studio. LIL naturally closed her eyes and began to sing softly, as if whispering love. The songs that rolled off the tongue in my mouth were definitely different from the songs LIL usually sang. However, the members in the back also had surprisingly good voices. ¡°Where is the love? I¡¯m sailing through the light¡ª¡± Even though I only sang one line, I felt like my ears were pricked up. However, Dowook¡¯s expression was not bright. ¡°Hmm¡­ I wish you would stop singing.¡± Dowook thought quickly and conveyed his thoughts. No matter how great a singer and excellent vocalist LIL was, Dowook was theposer. In response to Do-wook¡¯s words, producer Dan Wilson gave a signal to stop singing. The song stopped and LIL looked at Dowook with eyes as if asking what was the problem. LIL¡¯s eyes as she looked at Do-wook, who had stopped singing, werepletely different from the eyes that weed Do-wook a moment ago. Dan Wilson was also looking at Dowook as if asking him to speak. Chapter 148 # 149 Today, not tomorrow (3) Do-wook judged that his English skills were insufficient to convey his opinion without any misunderstanding, so he delivered the story through Kim Won. ¡°I wish I could sing a little more calmly and without any technique. I¡¯m not saying you should sing it in a dry way¡­. The song itself has a very sweet atmosphere, so if the vocalist sings a sweet voice, it can be too sweet¡­.¡± ¡± Hmm¡­.¡± ¡° ¡°And I wish I sang it with a little more sincerity¡­¡± Kim Won and album production team leader Sim Jun, who were listening, nodded. LIL and Dan Wilson, who knew nothing about Korean, looked at Do-wook and Kim Won as if they were curious about what Do-wook was talking about. Kim Won took turns looking at Dan Wilson and LIL and ryed Dowook¡¯s words. Kim Won exined that the synergy between the sweet melody and the sweet voice seemed too strong, so it would be better to take away a little bit of technique and emotion. Additionally, it was emphasized that the lovers in the lyrics are ¡®true lovers.¡¯ Dan Wilson, who heard Kim Won¡¯s words, made an unknown expression for a moment, then looked at Do-wook and smiled lightly. On the other hand, LIL frowned and opened the microphone to speak. ¡°In my interpretation, I think it is right to sing it like this to save the song. ¡°It¡¯s a love song.¡± Dowook looked a little troubled by LIL¡¯s rebuttal. Of course, the way LIL sang just now wasn¡¯t bad either. it was good. However, the slightly exaggerated vocals were not much different from the way LIL originally sang other songs. It was said that it was not the best for the song Do-wook made. ¡°Then¡­¡± It was when Do-wook was trying to suggest that we sing it the way we originally sang it and sing it the way Do-wook suggested. Dan Wilson, who was sitting next to him, called LIL. ¡°I think it would be better to follow what Mr. Kang says?¡± LIL¡¯s eyebrows immediately wrinkled at Dan Wilson¡¯s words. Dan Wilson was the person who created what LIL is today. LIL knew that Dan Wilson required new attempts and changes from him. That was the intention of this coboration album from the beginning. Even if I just kept doing what I had been doing, I was in an environment where I could easily fall into mannerism. Dan Wilson didn¡¯t want LIL to stop already and be a coward who couldn¡¯t do anythingter when he really needed to make a change. ¡®Did that young Asian producer even think like that? I guess that¡¯s not true¡­¡¯ LIL thought and had no choice but to nod. Of course, Do-wook didn¡¯t think specifically about it. However, the method that Do-wook thought would work, that is, the method of increasing KK¡¯s proportion by attempting apletely new genre, waspletely consistent with Dan Wilson¡¯s intention. Dan Wilson was surprised to hear the song Do-wook sent at that point, and was now once again surprised by Do-wook¡¯sments. Dowook was pinpointing exactly what LIL needed. ¡®Currently, LIL relies too much on his own skills. In fact, expressing emotions is not really empathized, but is just a technique. If this singing style continues for a long time, it will just be a singing machine.¡¯ While Dan Wilson thought, LIL worked on his neck again. People outside the recording studio calmly waited for LIL toe up with a new interpretation of the song. The KK members repeated their parts with their eyes and ears in a recording studio full of tension. Soon LIL¡¯s song started again. ¡°Where is the love? ¡°I¡¯m sailing through the light¡ª¡± This time, it was definitely more in and without any technique than the previous sung. When the technique was removed, LIL¡¯s true voice was revealed. A husky voice echoed dreamily through the recording studio. It really was a voice that seemed to miss a lover in a distant star. Everyone¡¯s eyes opened wide to LIL¡¯s song. No, in fact, it was a voice that made me want to close my eyes. The expressions of all those who heard the song brightened, but LIL did not see such a reaction. It was because I fell in love with the song. ¡®This is it! You must be feeling it yourself as you sing it.¡¯ Dowook thought. In fact, LIL thought that the song was much better after hearing it with his own ears. LIL naturally closed her eyes and savored the song. As I sang, I was falling more and more into the song. In many ways, it wasfortable to let go of the technique and strength that I had tried to melt into the song. Of course, there were some inconveniences as I let go of the skills that had be a habit, but I felt emotionallyfortable. Instead of thinking that I was singing a song, I could think of it as telling a story about lovers in love. So I fell in love with the song, and even though I sang it calmly, I felt the emotion. Even after her part was over, LIL, who had been immersed in the song for a while, came out of the recording studio booth. Dan Wilson smiled with satisfaction and gave an expression that said, ¡®Look!¡¯ LIL originally trusted his producer, but was surprised once more. LIL looked at Dan Wilson and then at Dowook, then greeted Dowook. ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful song.¡± ¡°Thanks to LIL¡¯s voice, it became a beautiful song.¡± LIL smiled happily at Do-wook¡¯s answer. It was said that it was the first enjoyable recording in a long time. *** The subsequent recording proceeded smoothly. As expected, the one who was the smoothest was Kim Won. Kim Won finished recording in just two takes. Beforeing to the United States, the members were worried about Jung Yoon-ki, who was in charge of the rap part, which was not written in English, but surprisingly, he did a good job. When I was practicing rapping, I also practiced a lot with foreign songs, so my English pronunciation was pretty good when I was rapping. Hyungseo Ahn also had a lot of practice singing pop songs, so he had no trouble singing his part. In fact, Seok Ji-hoon and Park Tae-hyung¡¯s part was less than two bars, so it was correct to say that there was no problem. The distribution of parts was done by Dan Wilson in direct consultation with Dowook when the guide for the song with the lyrics waspleted. As a producer, Dan Wilson was fully aware of the musical colors and skills of the many singers with whom LIL would coborate on this album. As he has more than ten years of experience as a producer, in the case of KK, after listening to one or two songs, he quickly figured out each person¡¯s color and ability and allocated parts. Other than requesting some adjustments to the distribution of parts suggested by Dan Wilson, Do-wook had noints. It was the moment when I confirmed that he had urate judgment. However, what was disappointing was that Seok Ji-hoon and Park Tae-hyung¡¯s parts were rtively few. Actually, there weren¡¯t that many other members. ¡®Because it¡¯s not KK¡¯s album¡­¡¯ Do-wook thought. The only thing that could make up for that was that there was a part in the second verse where the members came together and built harmony, like the a cappe version of ¡®Windy Day¡¯. ¡®K-K¡¯s presence will definitely be there in terms of rap and harmony.¡¯ As aposer, he needed to give direction to the other members, so Dowook¡¯s turn was thest. Because he was a little exhausted, Dowook¡¯s recording proceeded after an hour¡¯s rest. LIL, who left the recording studio first due to other schedules during the break, delivered homemade sandwiches and coffee to the KK members through their manager. ¡°Then shall we go?¡± Dan Wilson asked Dowook who entered the recording studio. Now it was time to return to the singer¡¯s position. Dowook nodded. As aposer, Do-wook gave all kinds of advice to the members and even to LIL, but it was different when he was a singer. If everyone could sing like that right away just because they knew theoretically, everyone would have be the best singer. Dowook put his headphones back on and started singing to the apaniment that was ying. ¡°Where is the love? ¡°I¡¯m swimming in the river you¡¯ve been¡ª¡± The part sung by Do-wook was a part where the same melody was repeated right after the chorus sung by LIL. Dan Wilson focused on the song he heard. Once again. Dan Wilson asked Dowook to sing again about five more times without anyment. Compared to other members, the recording time was taking longer. Since it was not mentioned why it had to be sung again, Do-wook sang the same part continuously in the same way. When I sang the same part for the seventh time, I finally got the OK sign from Dan Wilson. Dowook looked at Dan Wilson with a sigh of relief. ¡°great. ¡°You were nervous, right?¡± ¡°Ah yes. thank you.¡± Dowook realized that tension that he had not felt was seeping into his voice. Dan Wilson had Do-wook continue to sing in an attempt to bring out his uniquefortable breathing. Dowook recognized Dan Wilson¡¯s intentions and expressed his gratitude. And even though the OK sign had already been given, Dowook sang the same part once again. I wanted to bring out the best voice. ¡°You¡¯ve been¡ª.¡± Dowook finished the song by dragging out thest note. Dan Wilson couldn¡¯t help but be impressed. The mid-low voice was attractive in apletely different way from LIL. ¡®It¡¯s the perfect tone that goes well with any song. Perfect. But paradoxically, at the same time, the potential for development is enormous.¡¯ Dan Wilson stood up, thinking. The recording of the song ¡®Call you the love¡¯ with KK, which will be included in LIL¡¯s special album, has beenpleted. ¡®Even though this song may not cause a storm of response¡­ I think it will receive steady love from quite a few people.¡¯ Dan Wilson shook Do-wook¡¯s hand for his hard work. Dowook held the hand of world-renowned producer Dan Wilson. *** Shortly after, LIL¡¯s special album was officially released in the United States and around the world. contained a total of eight songs. Among them, the title was ¡®Waterfall¡¯, the same as the album name, and was a coboration with Ray, one of America¡¯s most loved rappers. Along with the heavy sound, LIL¡¯s refreshing vocals like a waterfall were excellent. Ray¡¯s rap of ¡®maximum skill level¡¯ was added to enhance the level of perfection. ¡®Waterfall¡¯ proudly ranked first on the JTunes chart, the No. 1 music site in the U.S., showing LIL¡¯s potential. KK¡¯s song ¡®Call you the love¡¯ was included on track 5, the second track after the title, and despite the fact that there were many coboration songs with numerous stars, it was ranked 14th, the third highest ranking on the album. . The ranking, which was not very high at first, gradually increased, reaching 14th ce and then 10th ce the following week. American local media rmended ¡®Call you the love¡¯ as a song from LIL¡¯s album that reveals new charms. In addition, ¡®Call you the love¡¯ was highlighted as a song that whispers love among American teenagers and was shared on various social media channels. At the same time, the ranking went up. Those who fell in love with ¡®Call you the love¡¯ wondered who KK was. The name of KK, a singer who wasrgely unfamiliar to Americans, was bing increasingly known. The reaction in Korea was beyond words. Despite being a pop song, it ranked first on all music charts. Dowook smiled happily as he looked at ¡®Call you the love¡¯, which was proudly on the music charts. Dowook and the members returned to Korea, rested, and prepared to work on their next album. Do-wook picked up the cell phone he had ced next to his desk. ¡®father¡¯. Dowook found his father in the call list and made a call. -Yes, Dowook. My father¡¯s voice came from the other end of the phone. At one time, it was very awkward to call him father, but now I was used to it. ¡°Is it okay to call now?¡± -That¡¯s why I called you. ¡°yes. ¡°What I asked you to do is¡­¡± Chapter 149 # 150 Today, not tomorrow (4) Do-wook¡¯s father, Professor Woong-cheon Kang, was smiling happily while answering the phone in the professor¡¯sb. My previous son was not a bad student who got into serious idents, but he was alwayste to school and his grades were not good, so he could not be said to be a diligent student. It was true that his wife, who was a professor like him, was unable to pay much attention to her children because she was busy taking sses and researching at school. So, it was a time when I thought I would be lucky if I didn¡¯t get into an ident, but one day, I guess I grew up after puberty, and I started to show a lot of maturity. When Professor Woong-cheon Kang called his wife and told them that he wanted to be a singer and attend a vocal academy, he did not show much, but he was very happy and proud. No matter what the oue was, having a goal was a positive thing. Other than going to the academy, auditioning for an entertainmentpany, and actively supporting me while I was a trainee so that I wouldn¡¯t have to face any financial difficulties, there wasn¡¯t much help other than that. In any case, that level of financial support was at the level of pocket money that Do-wook would have received if he had just attended school normally. Nevertheless, Do-wook did not give up easily and was passionate about the goal he had set. Professor Woong-cheon Kang sometimes found it difficult to hide his surprise because his son seemed to have be apletely different person, but he was proud that he was growing into a good adult. Even though he couldn¡¯te home often due to his life as a trainee and a celebrity, Do-wook regrly contacted his wife and himself to say hello. I thought the oue didn¡¯t matter, but Dowook had now be a famous celebrity whose face even Professor Kang Woong-cheon¡¯s acquaintances knew. Although I refused, I once received a call saying they wanted to interview Do-wook¡¯s parent, Professor Woong-cheon Kang. Professor Woong-Cheon Kang was very proud of his son who was achieving great sess even at a young age while taking great care of himself as his parents. Meanwhile, Professor Woong-cheon Kang recently received a call from his son Do-wook. I thought it was a regr phone call to say hello, but Dowook told a different story. ¡°I want to invest.¡± ¡°¡­¡­invest?¡± ¡°yes.¡± Now Dowook¡¯s profits, as is known, were considerable. First of all, as a member of KK, there was revenue from album sales, physical sales of goods, etc., performance revenue, and advertising revenue. In the meantime, he even split the profits 1/n with members of Hit Entertainment and other distributionpanies, but despite this, a significant amount of money came back to Dowook. In addition, Dowook hasposed and written numerous songs himself. By releasing a solo album, the profits from music were significant. Through this work with LIL, there was only one song on the music site in the U.S. market, but the revenue generated from it was significant as he was listed as aposer. Inparison, the expenses were not much. In addition to living in a dormitory, I did not buy a separate house or car. Since the activity fee was lent by thepany and settled after deducting the activity fee, there was no other money involved in daily life. At most, he spent money on personally purchased equipment and civilian clothes, but recently fans have been providing Do-wook with support for things he needs, and he has been busy using and certifying the things that have been supported. Do-wook¡¯s parents didn¡¯t even need to send him living expenses because they were currently working as professors. In the end, thergest expenditure was in the form of donations. Therefore, money exceeding hundreds of millions was piling up in the bank ount. I was running a few funds based on the bank¡¯s rmendation, but it wasn¡¯t a lot of money. Professor Woong-cheon Kang was a little surprised when Do-wook, who did not seem to have much interest in money, suddenly said he would invest. ¡°Do you have a trustworthy consultant nearby?¡± Professor Woong-Cheon Kang majored in economics, so fortunately there were quite a few financial experts around him. Professor Woongcheon Kang asked. ¡°I¡¯d like you to tell me what kind of investment you want to make.¡± ¡°One is stock investment¡­ I want to umte quite a lot of shares. Step by step. And one, I would like to invest in smallpanies that have not yet been listed.¡± Professor Woong-cheon Kang quickly thought of financial experts he knew. When a suitable person came to mind and said there was someone who could take charge, Do-wook said. ¡°Then, I would like to ask him for consulting on some of my assets. First of all, could your father meet with you on your behalf and request a request? If your father is busy¡­¡± ¡°No. That¡¯s all you can do. No matter how busy I am, will I be busier than you? ¡°I saw an article saying you were going to Japan.¡± ¡°yes. The Osaka performance has just ended. ¡°I think I¡¯ll be going to America soon.¡± In this way, Professor Woong-cheon Kang entrusted Do-wook¡¯s assets to a consultant on his behalf. Do-wook conveyed the amount and details he wanted to invest to Professor Woong-cheon Kang via email. Professor Woong-cheon Kang entrusted this task to his student, who took his ss a long time ago and is now a sessful investor, and asionallyes to say hello to him. -Oh, that friend said he invested as you said. The investment in the agency was made in my name. ¡°yes.¡± -And I heard you bought stocks from the music site you mentioned. I¡¯m worried that the outlook for the future isn¡¯t good and I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m still living. Is that okay? Do-wook nodded at Professor Woong-cheon Kang¡¯s words. The site where Dowook said he would invest in stocks clearly did not have a good outlook right now. Thergest site in the rapidly growing music market was ¡®Pineapple Music.¡¯ Next was ¡®BN Music¡¯ owned by cable broadcaster TBN. The future of Jam Music is clearly bleak because the third-ranked music site, ¡®Jam Music¡¯, does not have a high market share, and only the market share of the above two sites continues to increase. But Do-wook had other thoughts. If I had seen the immediate profit anyway, I would have made money by investing in things that would do well in the future from the moment I had money. Of course, money will be an important means to achieve your dreams, but it is only a means. What Dowook valued was not money. This investment was justying the groundwork for a bigger dream toe. ¡°are you okay. Know it and invest. ¡°I know you must have been inconvenienced, but thank you, father.¡± -no. I can do this for my hard-working son. First of all, he said he would report on his investment via email at intervals. He said he wanted to see you in person. ¡°Hmm¡­ I think it would be better to contact you through your father for the time being.¡± It wasn¡¯t a matter of doing something illegal or making a lot of money, but it wouldn¡¯t be good if it was known that he was investing in something that was attracting public attention. -okay. i get it. Don¡¯t get hurt and take care of yourself. ¡°yes. ¡°I will definitely go home on my day off.¡± -Don¡¯t overdo it. ¡°Your father. ¡°Please say hello to your mom too.¡± After finishing the phone call, Dowook stretched and stood up. Today was the day I had an appointment with Yoosung Fashion CEO Lee Yu-min. *** Hit Entertainment fan-marketing team member Nam Hyo-jin was drinking with a friend at a cocktail bar near her office after work. ¡°The team leader brought us here to our team dinner. Isn¡¯t the atmosphere really nice?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s really good?¡± Nam Hyo-jin¡¯s best friend nodded his head and answered. ¡°If you¡¯re the team leader, is that guy who¡¯s said to be quite handsome? ¡°Try to do well.¡± ¡°what! ¡°Just try to do well.¡± ¡°why. ¡°I heard there¡¯s a small age difference between them, they¡¯re capable, and they have good personalities.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s a bit unexpected. And a boss is just a boss.¡± The two sat at the table and ordered cheese nachos, the least expensive snack, and two cocktails. ¡°Ah, to a ce like this, it takes payday for a lowly person like me toe.¡± ¡°But just because you became a full-time employee, you can do these things and do well, Nam Hyo-jin?¡± ¡°I was so sessful that I almost got fired as soon as I became a full-time employee.¡± ¡°what? why?!¡± Nam Hyo-jin answered softly as she picked up a handful of nachos that had just arrived, put them in her mouth, and chewed them. He looked dizzy just thinking about it. ¡°No, our Do-wook¡­¡± While speaking, Nam Hyo-jin looked around. Since it was near thepany, I was checking to see if anyone was involved. In fact, Nam Hyo-jin was a big fan of KK. The reason I joined Hit Entertainment was partly to see KK and Dowook. In reality, whenever I came across Do-wook every time I went to and from the office, my heart pounded and even my ears turned red, and I was trying hard not to show it. Fortunately, many of thepany¡¯s female employees looked at Do-wook with adoration, so Nam Hyo-jin¡¯s behavior did not stand out that much. ¡°Do-wook told his close friends that he was working with LIL and told them to keep it a secret¡­ but the news broke the very next day. It was a lot of work to sort that out¡­. The team leader called me and gave me instructions, and my hands were sweating¡­ Sigh¡­.¡± Nam Hyo-jin found out about the news about working with LIL. was so happy that she shared the news with her close KK fans. It was because I wanted to share the joy quickly. ¡°Hey, why did you tell them that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m a crazy bitch. Never again! ¡°Never say that again!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­.¡± Nam Hyo-jin¡¯s best friend shook his head. Nam Hyo-jin chewed her wagjak nachos while making a promise. Do-wook, who covered his face with a Burberry coat and hat to meet CEO Lee Yu-min, found a familiar face as he entered the bar. ¡®Was he an employee of the fan-marketing team?¡¯ Do-wook, who didn¡¯t feel the need to pretend that he was with a friend, headed toward the room inside the bar. One of the reasons officials frequently used this bar was the room inside. If you go to a corner hallway that regr users don¡¯t know about, like a secret space, there is a room there. Dowook naturally went to the room, opened the door, and entered. A man in histe thirties was sitting in the room with CEO Lee Yu-min. He was an official at the Korean branch of a global fashion brand. ¡°nice to meet you.¡± The man stood up and handed Do-wook a business card. ¡®Coco Korea Branch Manager Jeong Jin¡¯ The reason CEO Lee Yu-min called Do-wook today was to introduce him. Do-wook had expectations when CEO Yu-min Lee said that good news was waiting for him, but he couldn¡¯t help but be surprised the moment he received the business card. ¡®At Coco? What kind of news is this?¡­¡¯ Because I didn¡¯t expect it to be this good of news. ¡®Coco was one of the top three luxury brands. When ites to luxury goods, most people think of Coco first. ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± Dowook shook hands with Branch Manager Jeong Jin. ¡°Seeing him in person like this, he is really handsome. ¡°You¡¯ve heard this too many times, right?¡± ¡°no. thank you.¡± ¡°Your fashion sense is also really good, as CEO Lee Yu-min said. ¡°I never thought a Burberry hat would look so good.¡± Dowook responded with a smile to the series ofpliments. ¡°Please sit down for now, Mr. Jeong-jin and Mr. Do-wook. ¡°Are we going to talk about work as soon as we meet?¡± ¡°Ah, I was just praising your sense. CEO.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the job of a fashion person to praise fashion.¡± Branch Manager Jeong Jin smiled shyly at CEO Yu-min Lee¡¯s scolding. Dowook also smiled and took a seat across from the two. *** Do-wook, who was having a light chat with Jeongjin branch manager Lee Yu-min and getting information about trends in the fashion industry, left the room to go to the bathroom for a moment. Dowook, who was leaving the room, stopped for a moment when he saw the back of a familiar man entering the room next to him. He was the head of the fan-marketing team, Lee Dae-hyung. It was no wonder that Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung came here for a drink. But at the moment I didn¡¯t feel good. Do-wook looked toward the room where team leader Dae-hyung Lee was heading. The room had an opaque window. Dowook carefully approached the window. Ara Entertainment general manager Seo Jung-won was sitting there along with team leader Lee Dae-hyung. Chapter 150 # 151 Counterattack (1) However, because the window was opaque, Dowook could not see it. If you look closer, you could see it, but Do-wook stepped back. It could have simply been a drinking party with friends, but Dowook could have been suspicious for no reason. Team leader Daehyung Lee¡¯s personal life should not have been interfered with. ¡®I¡¯m anxious, but¡­ It¡¯s been a while since I decided to trust team leader Lee Dae-hyung.¡¯ Do-wook thought as he entered the room where he originally was, CEO Yu-min Lee and branch manager Jin Jeong. He was someone I decided to trust. After moving to Hit Entertainment until today, Team Leader Daehyung Lee has been doing his best. ¡®On this side, we have to show faithfulness for the other party to also remain faithful.¡¯ Dowook thought. I didn¡¯t trust this person named Lee Dae-hyung. It was about believing in the passion and greed that drove team leader Daehyung Lee to move to Hit Entertainment. When Do-wook returned to the room, CEO Lee Yu-min and Branch Manager Jeong Jin, who had finished drinking the cocktails they had ordered, called the cocktail bar manager. Branch Manager Jeong Jin is the second son of an electronicspany, one of the top 100panies, and had maintained a close rtionship with CEO Lee Yu-min after meeting him at an entrepreneur¡¯s meeting when he was young. Both of them were very interested and knowledgeable in fashion and art, and despite the age difference, theymunicated well, and it was CEO Lee Yu-min who helped his close younger brother, Branch Manager Jeong Jin, in many ways until he joined Coco. Although he was the second son in Jeong Jin¡¯s family, he strongly insisted on taking over the electronicspany. It was CEO Yoo-min Lee who persuaded Jeong-jin¡¯s parents, saying that talented people like Jeong-jin should be in the fashion industry. Even though they wanted to tell them not to worry about their children, maintaining their friendship with the Yoosung family was also a very important issue for them, so they couldn¡¯t just ignore what CEO Lee Yu-min said. In the end, the parents supported Jeong-jin, thinking that good things were good things. As he heard about the rtionship between the two, Do-wook thought about the world of ¡®people at home.¡¯ They also had their own dreams and goals. However, at the same time, it urred to me that more interests than those of ordinary people were either sharply conflicting orplicated and flowing in one direction. ¡®It¡¯s the same for me too. In order to bring down the entertainment industry tycoon named Seo Joong-won, we will have to make good use of the numerous web of interests.¡¯ As Do-wook thought for a moment, the manager quietly opened the door to the room and came in. When the manager arrived, the two ordered cocktails ording to their tastes. There were a lot of menus that you would normally see at a cocktail bar, but here, you could tell the bartender what vor or aroma you wanted and the bartender would create a cocktail to suit your taste. Dowook ordered another ss of the lowest alcohol fruit-vored cocktail. ¡°Hmm¡­ how much did we talk about? hmm. These days, the Korean market in Asia has be a market that the fashion industry cannot ignore.¡± Representative Lee Yu-min crossed her legs and nodded at what Branch Manager Jeong Jin said. CEO Lee Yu-min was dressed very shy today as well. An amber gem the size of a thumb was shining softly under the light on the neck. Branch Manager Jeong Jin was wearing a very small Coco brooch on his white shirt, and even just looking at it, he looked very ssy. I felt like I was learning about fashion just by looking at these two giants of the fashion industry. ¡°Isn¡¯t the size of capital itself too smallpared to Japan or China? China is really growing bigger every day. ¡°Our Yoosung Fashion¡¯s operating profits are nowrgely determined by sales in China.¡± ¡°Actually, anywhere¡­ um. However, among those Chinese customers, there are many who like Korean actors and singers. In that respect, it has also gained influence in Korea.¡± As he spoke, Branch Manager Jeong Jin looked at Do-wook. ¡°It¡¯s thanks to Hallyu stars like Do-wook.¡± CEO Lee Yu-min was also smiling while looking at Do-wook. Dowook put down the ss he was holding at the sudden attention. ¡°Ah¡­ no.¡± ¡°This guy is so humble that it¡¯s a shame.¡± CEO Lee Yu-min said while deliberately frowning. ¡°Honey, now you¡¯re the top no matter what anyone says? ¡°Try being a little arrogant.¡± ¡°haha. If you say so, I will admit it. It¡¯s thanks to me, right? ¡°Korea¡¯s influence in the global fashion market is everything.¡± Both CEO Lee Yu-min and branch manager Jeong Jin burst intoughter at Do-wook¡¯s joke. ¡°If you go that far, there¡¯s nothing else I can say.¡± CEO Lee Yu-min shook his head. Branch Manager Jeong Jin stoppedughing and continued. ¡°That¡¯s why. Mr. Dowook.¡± Dowook waited for Branch Manager Jeong Jin¡¯s next words. Branch Manager Jeong Jin¡¯s dark eyebrows moved slightly. ¡°This time, Coco headquarters is looking for a new male muse for this year¡¯s F/W. ¡°Asian.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Is that so?¡± The ¡®muse¡¯ that Branch Manager Jeong Jin refers to is the main model of the new advertising campaign for the F/W season. Even in one fashion brand, numerous advertisements were poured out for each line and country. Among them, the advertising campaign was the most important and revealed the brand¡¯s color and sense of purpose. Do-wook, who had thought about being a Korean Coco pictorial model, blinked quickly at therger scale than expected. ¡°hmm. The Korean branch will also rmend models. ¡°I will expand the influence of the Korean branch and somehow ensure that Korean models are selected for my promotions.¡± Branch Manager Jeong Jin spoke cautiously but firmly. ¡°If Mr. Dowook isn¡¯t so bad, I would rmend Mr. Dowook.¡± No matter what top star he was, there would be no one who would refuse to be Coco¡¯s muse. Therefore, rather than being a ce to ask Do-wook¡¯s intentions, this meeting could be said to be a ce where Branch Manager Jeong Jin tested Do-wook. Dowook looked at Branch Manager Jeong Jin. As he said, Branch Manager Jeong Jin seemed confident that the person rmended by Korea would be Coco¡¯s muse. And in fact, from Branch Manager Jeong Jin¡¯s perspective, there was no rmender better than Dowook. ¡°thank you. ¡°If given the opportunity, I will make it worthwhile for you to rmend me.¡± At Do-wook¡¯s words, Branch Manager Jeong Jin rxed his expression and smiled. Although he was definitely humble, he wasn¡¯t the type tock confidence. I liked it very much. ¡°great. Hmm¡­. The CEO here said that there is no one better than Do-wook as an advertising model. ¡°There is no need to worry about causing problems.¡± CEO Lee Yu-min asked Do-wook with a gesture of his chin as if he was right. Dowook responded with a smile. ¡°Please be patient for the time being. For both of us.¡± ¡°yes. All right.¡± *** Do-wook briefly conveyed information about the Coco Muse matter to Director Oh Baek-ho. Although he delivered it to Lee Dae-hyung, head of the fan-marketing team, through Director Baek-ho Oh, Do-wook also briefly saw the head of the fan-marketing team, Dae-hyung Lee, as he passed by the office. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung was impressed, saying that Do-wook was the marketing method itself even when he was not working. ¡°It hasn¡¯t even been decided yet.¡± ¡°If you said it that way, it must be because you have some belief in it. ¡°For now, we decided that only I, Director Oh, and Director Cho would know about this matter.¡± ¡°Yes¡­.¡± ¡°Like thest time I worked with LIL, it could leak out and ruin the work for no reason.¡± Team leader Lee Dae-hyung said with a friendly smile. Do-wook suddenly remembered seeing Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung at a cocktail bar a few days ago, but quickly shook his head. First of all, there was no strange feeling from the current team leader Daehyung Lee. However, there was a ¡®perhaps¡¯. ¡®If this contact bes known to the outside world, then we have no choice but to suspect team leader Lee Dae-hyung.¡¯ Although he did not show it at all to Director Oh Baek-ho, Do-wook maintained a faint sense of caution. Bing Coco¡¯s muse was a great opportunity for Dowook. However, even if something went wrong and he could not be a muse, Dowook had nothing to lose as a singer or actor. That¡¯s why I trusted team leader Lee Dae-hyung and took a gamble. In a way, it was a test of team leader Lee Dae-hyung, so I couldn¡¯t say Ipletely trusted him, but because I trusted him, it was something I could test. ¡°How is the song work going? ¡°Call you the love is still at the top of the Pineapple chart¡­ I think KK¡¯s next album will do even better.¡± Do-wook responded to team leader Dae-hyung Lee¡¯s words. ¡°I hope so too. ¡°We are discussing various opinions with Team Leader Shim and the members.¡± ¡°The goal is aeback in May, right?¡± ¡°yes. If it can be done by then¡­¡± ¡°Well, KK¡¯s fan base is solid now, but it¡¯s not good if there¡¯s a long hiatus¡­¡± Do-wook nodded, agreeing with team leader Lee Dae-hyung¡¯s words. . The reason for preparing for theeback as quickly as possible was to prevent fans from leaving. ¡°I¡¯m not saying you should think hastily. ¡°But our team regrly uploads behind-the-scenes videos once a week!¡± Perhaps because he thought he had said something pointless, Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung quickly changed the topic. After exchanging stories about working while taking care of your health, Dowook headed toward the album production team. Today was the day of the next KK regr album concept meeting. There have been several meetings, and today we finally decided on a concept among several candidates. *** ¡°manager! ¡°Here is an interview article that appeared today.¡± Nam Hyo-jin from the fan-marketing team organized the printed articles into a folder and brought them to team leader Lee Dae-hyung. Because there were so many articles on the Inte, employee Nam Hyo-jin scraped them and only sent links to team leader Lee Dae-hyeong, but when an important article with a lot of content came out like today, the rule was to print it out and report it separately. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung, who was attending to other work, thanked Nam Hyo-jin and handed him a folder. The article published today was an exclusive interview with KK conducted with Newspatch, a leading entertainment newspaper. [Exclusive] The story behind the KK-LIL coboration ¡°LIL contacted me first, and it was like a dream.¡± (1)] [Exclusive) The story behind the KK-LIL coboration work ¡°I am proud to be a member of KK..¡± (2)] [ Exclusive) The story behind the KK-LIL coboration work ¡°Entering the global market? ¡°I think if I focus on Korea, I will seed someday..¡± (3)] It was an interview series thatsted a whopping three pages. It was proudly disyed on the main page of the portal site. Due to the coboration with LIL and the sess of ¡®Call the Love¡¯, the public¡¯s attention was once again focused on KK. In order to continue this momentum until theeback, team leader Daehyung Lee conducted an interview in coboration with Newspatch. When they said that only Newspatch could publish an exclusive article, it was an unconditional call. Photos from the US work provided by Hit Entertainment were also disyed on the main page. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung carefully read the printed interview. I had already checked the brief questions and answers via email, but as details were added to the article, I had to check to see if there were any parts that could be problematic. ¡°Huh?¡­¡­¡± Team leader Lee Dae-hyung, who was reading the article, stopped at Do-wook¡¯s answer. [The fact that we were able to work with LIL this time was actually a result of efforts at thepany level. Daehyung Lee, head of ourpany¡¯s marketing team, did a lot of hard work. It¡¯s true that LIL liked KK¡¯s song, but wouldn¡¯t he have had to listen to the music first for that to happen? In that sense, I would like to express my infinite gratitude to the marketing team.] Team leader Lee¡¯s name was on it. ¡°Haha¡­¡­¡± Team leader Lee Dae-hyung felt many emotions. I remembered meeting Director Seo Jung-won a few days ago. Headquarters manager Seo Jung-won had personally contacted team leader Lee Dae-hyung to scout him again. The purpose was not purely to scout this team leader. ¡°This is it.¡± Team leader Lee Dae-hyung picked up the cell phone on the desk and found Manager Oh Baek-ho in the cell phone list. As a member of Hit Entertainment, which will work together to achieve KK¡¯s sess, it was time to talk about the doubts I had. Chapter 151 # 152 Counterattack (2) *** The atmosphere in the album production team meeting room was very hot. This was because heated meetings were taking ce over the concept of KK¡¯s next album. KK¡¯s debut album was created after a long period of careful nning with the participation of not only the album production team members and team leader Shim Jun, but also the rookie development team and production director Kwon Heung-jo. Brave Only Child came on as a producer and Do-wook also expressed his opinion on the title song, improving its level ofpletion, but the most basic elements could be said to be thepany¡¯s ns. However, as the KK members¡¯ experience umted, albums were no longer created solely through thepany¡¯s ns. Members increasingly participated in the album¡¯s early nning and production stages. As Dowook became a producer, other members also became more active in their participation. Since it was his album, the desire to do better, the desire to help Dowook, and the desire not to fall behind all yed a role. Thanks to this, members were now giving more opinions and raising their voices at concept meetings than employees. The staff yed a role in actively epting the members¡¯ opinions, conveying objective reactions from the outside, and pushing the album in a realistic direction. ¡°Well, the songs with strong vocals as the title track did well, but¡­ Anyway, there is no disagreement that the title of this album should be dance.¡± Everyone nodded at Team Leader Sim Jun¡¯s words. Leader Jeong Yoon-gi said. ¡°I think I definitely get a good response when I show my powerful side through dancing on stage.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good to be powerful, but when ites to dancing, I think you should go for the ¡®blue sky¡¯ vibe. ¡°We are continuing to maintain the image of ¡®passionate youth¡¯ that KK has promoted.¡± When one of the members of the album production team mentioned ¡®blue sky¡¯, he said: Originally, at Hit Entertainment, in the case of a singer who has established a certain image after debut, songs that fit that singer¡¯s image will be released, so when they receive the song, they say, ¡®This is it!¡¯ I chose the method of choosing the best song I wanted as the title. Once the title was decided, a strategy to promote the album was developed from various angles, and the detailed concept of the album was supposed to follow. However, for this KK album, we decided to select a title with a more detailed concept. This was possible because Do-wook is an all-round producer andposer who excels at any genre, and it was also something that Do-wook suggested first. Thetter method was good for building the desired image, and Do-wook had recently realized that working with a clear concept suited his style rather than working on a song blindly. ¡°I think there were a lot of fans who were happy to y with me during ¡®Blue Sky¡¯.¡± Hearing his teammate¡¯s words, Ahn Hyeong-seo nodded, thinking of the exciting stages he had yed. When singing ¡®Blue Sky¡¯ at a concert, it couldn¡¯t be more exciting and enjoyable when the fans sing along as one and the singing voices fill the concert hall. There was a time when I couldn¡¯t control my excitement while singing, so I hit an extremely high-pitched ad-lib and my voice went out of tune during the concert. ¡°I like singing because it¡¯s exciting.¡± ¡°And then you also have a sound deviation?¡± When Jeong Yoon-gi added a word to Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s words, Ahn Hyeong-seo frowned and answered without giving up. ¡°brother. ¡°Is it because you were excited that you chewed on the lyricsst time?¡± Jeong Yoon-gi closed his mouth at those words. The hot potato of the current conference was genre. There was no disagreement about the dance genre itself, but opinions diverged in two directions. One was to use a powerful electronic song as the title, such as ¡®Very Sorry¡¯ or ¡®Howl¡¯, with more emphasis on individual performances. The other was to focus on pop dance with a popr melody that is easy to sing along to, such as ¡®Blue Sky¡¯. ¡°The best response so far is ¡®Blue Sky.¡¯¡± A team member added: Statistically, it was true that ¡®Blue Sky¡¯ received the best response. Not only did the album sell well, but it was still ranked in the top 100 on the music charts. However, Team Leader Sim Jun¡¯s thoughts were a little different. ¡°But then it seems like it¡¯s going too easy. no?¡± ¡°Easy isn¡¯t a bad thing. ¡°Why bother taking the easy route¡­¡± A team member refuted Team Leader Sim Jun¡¯s words. Because it was not a matter of right or wrong, but a difference of opinion, opinions could be freely shared regardless of rank. The KK members also looked worried. In fact, it was more of a problem because no matter which direction I took, I liked it in different ways. Kim Won, who was thinking quietly, said. ¡°Umm¡­ I think the reason people were able to sing along to ¡®Blue Sky¡¯ after hearing it just once and the variety of reactions was good was that it was a remake song.¡± Kim Won nced at Do-wook sitting across from him and continued speaking again. ¡°If you want to make it, you have to be able to make it, butposing a song that can take over the public faster than a remake song¡­¡± It was something different from my faith in Do-wook. The assistant manager of the album production team, who was quietly listening, spoke. ¡°KK has been growing its fandom and gaining poprity step by step. It is difficult to say that the sess of ¡®Blue Sky¡¯ is simply the sess of the blue sky itself¡­¡± Team Leader Sim Jun gestured as if asking him to continue talking. ¡°If you look at the data analyzed by the fan-marketing team at thest regr meeting, there was a significant increase in the size of KK¡¯s fandom once during ¡®Very Sorry¡¯ and also during ¡®Howl¡¯¡­ and with the OK album and Dowook¡¯s solo. ¡°It was steadily increasing even while the album was released.¡± ¡°That was it.¡± ¡°If you think that the firepower gathered like that exploded from the ¡®blue sky¡¯¡­¡± When Team Leader Sim Jun asked the assistant manager what the conclusion was, the assistant manager answered. ¡°The reasons for KK¡¯s musical sess can be found in so many different ces. However, as Yoongi said, I think a powerful stage would be better for growing the fandom.¡± Team leader Sim Jun, who listened to everything the assistant manager said, raised a new topic. ¡°Now, let¡¯s think about the target and goal of this album. ¡°While thest album focused on a wider generation, our target this time is the overseas market.¡± The team members and other members¡¯ eyes lit up when they heard the words ¡®overseas market.¡¯ It hasn¡¯t been long since KK sessfully entered the Japanese market and sessfullypleted its dome tour. Targeting the Chinese market was also sessful. It was also extremely popr in other Asian countries where K-POP culture is already established. The ¡®overseas market¡¯ that Team Leader Sim Jun refers to is no longer just Asia, but the Western world, including Asia. When Hit Entertainment employees first joined thepany, they never imagined that they would produce an album for a singer that would not only be a top hit in Korea but also enter the global market. As KK grew step by step, so did thepany and its employees. Because of this, I was very proud and had great enthusiasm for this album. ¡°What will work better in overseas markets? What are the global trends? ¡°You have to think about things like that.¡± ¡°The global trend is an Anglo-American trend anyway, but it is also a Korean trend, so I can¡¯t help but think about it.¡± Kim Won added to Team Leader Sim Jun¡¯s words. ¡°But I think it won¡¯t work out if we just follow British and American pop. ¡°Anyway, those people are the best at pop music.¡± Seok Ji-hoon, who had been thinking about a lot of things in his own way, said. Everyone nodded as if they agreed with Seok Ji-hoon¡¯s words. Do-wook, who was sitting and listening carefully to everything he said, opened his mouth as if he had gathered his thoughts. ¡°That¡¯s my opinion too. As Jihoon said, that¡¯s what they do best. ¡°Even if we are targeting overseas markets, I think we should do what we do best.¡± This issue was something that Team Leader Sim Jun and I had been thinking about since the end of ourst album promotions. While I was worrying about that, I had the opportunity to work with world-renowned pop star LIL thanks to Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung¡¯s idea. While working with LIL and talking with staff members on several asions, Do-wook was gradually gaining direction. ¡°What I have realized more clearly recently is that you must have your own color. ¡°It would be great if that color works in overseas markets.¡± Everyone listened to Dowook¡¯s words. ¡°And I think it¡¯s important to do what is possible ¡®now.¡¯ ¡®What I can do well now¡¯. ¡°The fact that you can and can do itter means that it doesn¡¯t have to be right now.¡± Team Leader Sim Jun, who was thinking quietly, said. ¡°If it¡¯s KK¡¯s color¡­.¡± KK has consistently put a hip-hop color on electronic sounds and performed strong performances like group dances. That was what KK did best than anyone else. No group in Korea had both rappers and vocalists as talented as KK, and there were few groups in the world that were able to perform live and deliver as powerful a performance as KK. It was a neat conclusion. ¡®A stage where you can¡¯t take your eyes off and can¡¯t help but listen! ¡®Wepete on stage!¡¯ Both employees and members felt like an overall picture was being drawn. Immediately, Jeong Yoon-gi opened his mouth. ¡°I hope it feels stronger than Howl¡­¡± ¡°Break the beats even more!¡± Kim Won joined Jung Yoon-gi¡¯s words. Employees of the album production team also added: ¡°If the bass feels grand, I think it will be a bigger stage.¡± ¡°It feels like KK ispletely releasing the youthful energy she has been carrying on! ¡°I think the lyrics should go in that direction as well.¡± Taehyung Park, who was quiet, also stammered out his opinion. ¡°Uh¡­ it¡¯s an interlude¡­ if it¡¯s a song that can include acrobatics or group dances that we¡¯ve done in the past¡­¡± Do-wook met Park Tae-hyung¡¯s eyes and said, I nodded. It was true that they were definitely drawing the same picture. ¡®Ah¡­ I hope a good songes out. ¡®I can¡¯t wait to stand on stage with the members!¡¯ Dowook clenched his fists in anticipation. Team leader Sim Jun smiled and gave a thumbs up. ¡°Good good. There is a song that Yoongi originally brought to be included in the OK album. Would you like to develop it and include it in this album? ¡°I think it fits well with the concept.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Jeong Yoongi asked, looking a little surprised. He never thought that his song could be included in KK¡¯s album. ¡°Really.¡± ¡°Then, among the songs I received, I will select and upload songs that are worthy of being included in this album. manager.¡± A team member in charge of guessing external songs said. It was the album name of the next KK album. *** ¡°So I guess I made a scouting offer to team leader Lee Dae-hyung toe back. And he subtly asked me about Seojun.¡± ¡°Seojun?¡­.¡± Inside the dorm. Director Oh Baek-ho and Do-wook were talking separately at the dining table. After finishing a long meeting, the members sat down on the sofa and floor in the living room and watched a rerun of the music show that aired this evening. Director Oh Baek-ho hade to talk with team leader Lee Dae-hyung while the members were in a meeting. ¡°It looks like he offered not only an annual sry but also future promotions¡­ In any case, he said that his judgment that he thought there was more he could do here was unwavering. ¡°He said that the reason he was called was not because of the team leader¡¯s abilities, but because he had the feeling that he was targeting KK or you.¡± Director Oh Baek-ho frowned and continued. ¡°They asked if there was anything involved. ¡°For now, I said there wasn¡¯t any.¡± Do-wook¡¯s mind becameplicated as he did not know everything about Director Seo Jung-won¡¯s intentions. ¡°Team leader Lee Dae-hyung and I are going to talk about it¡­¡± At that time, the sound of first ce being announced was heard from the television the members were watching. ¡°First ce for the second week¡­! man to man! It¡¯s man to man! congrattions!¡± The cheers of Man-to-Man fans seemed to pour out of the television. Chapter 152 # 153 Counterattack (3) Seo Kang-jun left and Ara Entertainment added Chae Eun-ho to Man-to-Man. It was natural for the spotlight to fall on Chae Eun-ho, as he was the member who filled the vacancy of Seo Kang-jun, who had been heating up the Inte for almost a month, and was also the member who made a spectacr debut performance at the awards ceremony. In addition, Chae Eun-ho was called an ace at Ara Entertainment, which had hundreds of trainees. In fact, it was understandable why Chae Eun-ho, who debuted at the TVN Awards, was called Ace. He was a talented person with both good looks and skills. Originally, the poprity of a group was not only due to the charm of each member, but also the chemistry and rtionships between members were also important. There have been groups in the past that had problems and had members withdraw or rece several times, but most of them went downhill after that. Therefore, the spotlight that was poured on Chae Eun-ho actually had a negative connotation, saying, ¡®There is no way things will go well.¡¯ However, Chae Eun-ho surprisingly brought new energy to Man to Man, attracting fans, and contributing greatly to Man to Man¡¯s good results. Previously, due to the rivalry between Seo Kang-jun and Do-wook, who debuted as actors around the same time as KK, Man to Man had to always bebeled as ¡®second ce¡¯ even though it achieved decent results. Man to Man was a group that almost copsed once, and KK is currently in the position of a major star that Man to Man can¡¯t surpass. Rather, that point caused Man-to-Man to be evaluated as just Man-to-Man. Thanks to this, Man to Man took first ce on music shows for two weeks with the new album released at the awards ceremony. Afterwards, they quickly prepared an album and made aebackst week, and their new album ¡®Call Me¡¯ was dominating the charts with incredible momentum. ¡°Wow¡­ Look at the voices of the Man to Man fans. ¡°It¡¯s really popr.¡± Hyungseo Ahn, who was watching television, said. Seok Ji-hoon answered as if he were a little dumbfounded. ¡°Our fans¡¯ voices are louder.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but. ¡°Weren¡¯t the man-to-man fans like that justst year?¡± There was a problem inparing it to KK¡¯s fandom, which is said to be thergest in Korea. As Ahn Hyeong-seo mumbled, Park Tae-hyung, who was next to him, also nodded as if he was surprised. ¡°The poprity¡­ seems to be growing a lot¡­¡± It was definitely an amazing momentum. The fact that they released two albums in such quick session and both albums were of good quality was a testament to the power of Ara Entertainment. It was the power of capital and know-how. ¡®Of course it¡¯s not yet at the level where KK needs to be nervous¡­¡¯ Man-to-man¡¯s leap forward was the same as that of General Manager Seo Joong-won. ¡®Let¡¯s not be impatient. It will take some more time to recover from your shaky position. Man to Man has not yet reached the top¡­¡¯ It would take time for General Manager Seo Joong-won to take over the position of President of Ara Entertainment. Meanwhile, Do-wook was nning to somehow bring down Director Seo Jung-won. Dowook bit his lip for a moment. Director Oh Baek-ho continued the conversation, which was briefly interrupted by the sound of the television. ¡°You want to speak directly with Team Leader Daehyung Lee? Hmm¡­ Are you really nning on telling me everything?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. till now. ¡°But I got caught for bringing up Seojun¡¯s story there.¡± ¡°I got that too. Do you know something? Reporter Choi Seong-jun¡­ Actually, we didn¡¯t do anything, right?¡± Director Oh Baek-ho asked as if to confirm. Certainly, Do-wook did nothing directly to cause Seo Kang-jun¡¯s downfall. In order to expose Seo Kang-jun¡¯s school violence, all he had to do was have Reporter Choi Seong-jun¡¯s younger brother write a letter and work with Reporter Choi to think about a method. Also, reporter Choi began reporting on the college entrance exam corruption issue in earnest after hearing Do-wook¡¯s words. What happened after that was like Seo Kang-Jun¡¯s own downfall. It wasn¡¯t that Do-wook manipted or nned anything. It was all due to Seo Kang-jun¡¯s actions and actions. It was self-employed and it was a benevolent response. ¡®It was reporter Choi Seong-jun who made the move¡­ but it is true that reporter Choi Seong-jun and I cooperated.¡¯ Dowook thought. Seo Joong-won was helpless as a series of incidents urred and watched his son fall from the entertainment industry. I wasn¡¯t the type of person to just ignore it afterward. ¡®Retaliation¡­¡¯ At first, when Do-wook and reporter Choi Seong-jun expressed their intention to take revenge, Director Oh Baek-ho was worried and thought that only after Do-wook increased his power would he be able to take down Seo Kang-jun. Considering that Seo Kang-joon, the perpetrator of school violence in the past, disguised himself as a victim and pushed Do-wook towards him, retaliation was a natural step. ¡®So reporter Choi Seong-jun also hid himself as much as possible by handing over the data to other reporters. Reporter Choi Seong-jun¡¯s position was that there was nothing to be afraid of even if it were revealed¡­¡¯ It would not have been difficult for Director Seo Jung-won to recognize the existence of reporter Choi Seong-jun. It could be that Do-wook, who had been in contact with him, was also found out. However, it was difficult to guess how they would retaliate. ¡°That¡¯s true, but I may have found a connection somehow. ¡°If it¡¯s that person.¡± Director Oh Baek-ho nodded at Do-wook¡¯s words. I thought that if Director Seo Joong-won had decided to do something and tried to find out, it could have happened. Then, a thought suddenly crossed Director Oh Baek-ho¡¯s head that Seo Kang-joon was not the only person Do-wook said he would seek revenge on. ¡°Do-wook, you¡­ aren¡¯t you? Seo Joong-won, that person is a vicious person. I know you¡¯re angry about your friend, but that¡¯s why Seo Kang-jun can¡¯t even set foot in the entertainment industry anymore. As far as Director Seo Joong-won¡­.¡± It was literally like that. Even Seo Kang-jun said he could have punished him, but it wasn¡¯t Director Seo Jung-won. He must have be more sensitive due to his son¡¯s failure. ¡°As time passes, Director Seo Joong-won will be the CEO of Ara Entertainment and will have a stronger influence in the entertainment industry, right?¡± Do-wook calmly asked Director Oh Baek-ho. Director Oh Baek-ho was once again surprised. It was a widely circted rumor among entertainment industry officials that General Manager Seo Joong-won would be the CEO of Ara Entertainment. Director Seo Joong-won¡¯s contribution was definitely significant in putting Ara Entertainment in the ranks ofrge entertainmentpanies and growing it to this point. In addition, General Manager Seo Joong-won was growing his power in thepany by being greedy not only in production but also in management. With the president of Ara Entertainment stepping down from the front line, most officials thought that the next president would be General Manager Seo Jung-won. The treatment that Director Seo Joong-won received at various broadcasting stations and newspapers was also treated as an acting president, not as the head of the headquarters. Even so, Director Oh Baek-ho did not expect Do-wook to know that much. Dowook had a tremendous understanding not only of music but of the industry as a whole. When Director Oh Baek-ho nodded, Do-wook continued. ¡°If time passes and my father is in that position, Seo Kang-Jun might also be able to find his feet again. In this entertainment industry¡­¡± ¡°Are you even thinking about it¡­¡± ¡°There are still many celebrities who appear on TV and make a living by somehow changing their image even if the public doesn¡¯t forgive them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°But it would be even easier if you were Seo Joong-won¡¯s son, Seo Kang-jun.¡± Director Oh Baek-ho crossed his arms and sighed. What Dowook wanted to say was not an exaggeration. The pattern is to reflect on yourself a bit after an ident and thene back in tears. It was something that was happening a lot even now. ¡°And the one who created the monster named Seo Kang-jun whomitted violence against others¡­ was Seo Joong-won.¡± Dowook spoke in a serious tone. ¡°I don¡¯t think Director Seo Joong-won should be in that position either.¡± Do-wook spoke and looked at Director Oh Baek-ho with unwavering eyes. ¡®That¡¯s why I ran all the way here from the beginning, bro. Even though now I have a dream of sharing purely good music with more people¡­¡¯ It was something I couldn¡¯t bear to say. Nevertheless, Director Oh Baek-ho had a feeling that Do-wook would never change his mind with his clumsy persuasion. Do-wook said as if he knew Director Oh Baek-ho¡¯s concerns. ¡°I¡¯ll still be okay. Judging by the fact that they were trying to embarrass Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung, they may not have had a proper feel for it. So, in fact, even if it is not Seo Kang-jun¡¯s problem¡­ it would already be eye-catching to see that at the top is K.K., who is not a singer from Ara Entertainment. ¡°You¡¯ll want to get rid of it.¡± ¡°I was already upset that a rivalry was forming.¡± Director Oh Baek-ho also agreed. Even if Seo Kang-joon¡¯s incident was not Do-wook¡¯s fault, Ara Entertainment already regarded KK¡¯s existence as a thorn in their eyes and hoped that KK would copse at any time. ¡°But we are not in a position where we will copse right away if we copse now.¡± Director Oh Baek-houghed at Do-wook¡¯s words. KK was now on a roll with the full support of arge fandom. They had established themselves as the best group in Korea, both in name and reality, and were now facing the world. Unless the members themselves cause trouble, they are hasty in touching it. ¡°¡­I will strike first before you face ridiculous retaliation.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± Director Oh Baek-ho nodded while sighing. That might have been the right way. If the opponent is Director Seo Joong-won. ¡°Let¡¯s have a meal with this team leader soon.¡± ¡°yes.¡± Do-wook responded and gave Director Oh Baek-ho a look of trust. *** [Man to Man No. 1 for 3 consecutive weeks! Call and have a st!] [A fan meeting was held to express gratitude to the Man to Man fans who overcame the crisis] [Man to Man fan meeting site¡­ Sweet voice echoing in Hwajeong Gymnasium] [Man to Man fan meeting site full of tears andughter¡­] [Man-to-man started again with the mind of a rookie! Was it effective? 1st ce for 3 weeks in a row!] -Oh man to man~~ I¡¯m rooting for you~~~!! -The other members are having a hard time because of Seojun?? -Obin seems to have gotten better at dancing. I fell in love with his dancing when I saw thatmercial a long time ago¡­ -I love you, Bin~! -Call me and I¡¯m lucky -?????? I¡¯m going to call you and get lucky? -Call me and get sticky ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? Do you cry from foreign countries now? -I saw Seojun when I went sightseeing¡­ He¡¯s still handsome¡­ But I was scared when I thought about him swinging his fist with that handsome face¡­ He had a tough face. -He had a tough face, so what can I do? Do you want sympathy votes? Does Seojun still have fans ? ¨C I¡¯m not a fan, I just wrote a review, so what¡¯s the fuss about? -Man to man fighting! Have fun! -At one time, it was a man-to-man that waspared to KK, but what happened hahahaha ¨C KK is so popr now~~!! ¡ª¡ª-Over the top¡ª¡ª -Where do you attract KK? Private apartment in Gangnam VS monthly rent in Gangbuk ¨C Why are they so high.. KK fans are so special.. ¨C What¡¯s so special? It¡¯s true that they can¡¯t even jab, but when they perform at the KK Dome, they¡¯re an unheard-of gym in Korea ¨C Tell me if you haven¡¯t been to Hwajeong Gymnasium. The momentum of Malja Man to Man¡¯s new song ¡®Call Me¡¯ was surprising. Because Do-wook was also human, he felt uneasy in many ways. Director Seo Joong-won, the momentum of Man to Man, and the pressure for KK¡¯s next album have been weighing on Do-wook. But the more it happened, the more Dowook thought of one thing. ¡®KK¡¯seback¡­.¡¯ I wanted to make aeback as soon as possible and go on stage to sing and dance. Dowook was even more focused onposing the title song for KK¡¯s album. I was so absorbed that I had no time to worry about anything else. All day long, Dowook¡¯s mind was filled with thoughts about the song. On the third night after starting full-scale work on the title song, Dowook woke up from a light sleep, kicked off the nket, and got up. Dowook quickly turned on hisptop. I had to write down the notes that came to mind before they disappeared. Chapter 153 # 154 Counterattack (4) *** ¡°Wow¡­ Do-Wook-ah, this is really amazing.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this a clearer sign of a big hit than a ghost in a recording studio? Ma Dowook, you are truly amazing.¡± ¡°of course. ¡°It¡¯s a song that came to me in a dream!¡± The members gathered in the studio within thepany said a word one by one. Hyeong-seo Ahn and Yoon-gi Jeong praised Do-wook after taking off. It wasn¡¯t apliment I gave on purpose, it was apliment I gave because I couldn¡¯t get enough of it without beingplimented. Since it was not a deep sleep, it was closer to a song that Do-wook came up with while not even sleeping properly, rather than a song that came to mind in a dream. However, the members seemed to want to think more dramatically that a good thing is a good thing. Dowook woke up and started working,pleting the title song without sleeping for 24 hours a day and eating and drinking minimally. It was an incident that stunned the album production team, which had nned to only capture basic beats within a week. Team leader Shim Jun, who received a call from Do-wook, who hadpleted the song in one day, looked dumbfounded and muttered that there was no need to push himself this hard. Dowook also had no intention of overexerting himself by consuming his stamina. If the work got stuck or became sluggish, Dowook also nned to take a break and continue the remaining work. However, the song really came to mind like a dream, and the subsequent work was seamless. Although the arrangement hasn¡¯t beenpleted yet, I wanted to quickly let the members hear thepleted song. I had been awake for over 24 hours and was so dazed that I had no idea what my song was like. I wanted to share it with the members and get their honest evaluation. Upon hearing Do-wook¡¯s call, the members postponed all other practices and schedules and rushed to the studio a monthter. Kim Won, who was listening to the conversation between Jeong Yoon-gi and Ahn Hyeong-seo, asked. ¡°Recording studio ghost? ¡°What is¡­.¡± ¡°Uh¡­. It¡¯s notmon these days¡­. Sessful singers always say they saw a ghost or heard a ghost¡¯s voice in the recording studio¡­ or something like that. ¡°Because I said¡­ If you say you saw a ghost in the recording studio, it¡¯s seen as a sign of great sess.¡± ¡°oh?¡± At Taehyung Park¡¯s exnation, Won Kim opened his eyes wide and looked curious. Kim Won, who grew up in a Western culture, was ignorant of Korean ghost stories and proverbs, and was the type of person who was extremely curious about such things. Seok Ji-hoon gave additional exnation to Kim Won. ¡°I think there are a lot of ghosts in the recording studio because it¡¯s a ce for singing.¡± ¡°Do ghosts like singing?¡± ¡°They say so.¡± ¡°Wow, it somehow feels like a pain down my spine.¡± At Kim Won¡¯s words, question marks appeared on both Park Taehyung and Seok Jihoon¡¯s faces. ¡°It¡¯s sad to be sad, and it¡¯s true to be cool. ¡°At times like this.¡± Dowook rubbed his sleepy eyes and corrected Kim Won¡¯s words. Even though Kim Won was doing well, he made mistakes in using words like this once in a while. However, without such a mistake, it would be difficult to believe that Kim Won did not live in Korea. This was because he spoke Korean perfectly. ¡°No one has seen a ghost in this studio yet¡­ but anyway, it¡¯s a great premonition. Thanks to our producer who woke up and started working even when we were sleeping!¡± Seok Ji-hoon nodded at Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s words. ¡°Even without that, it was always a big hit.¡± That¡¯s true, and everyone nodded in agreement. When he heard that it was all thanks to Do-wook, Do-wook smiled a little shyly and touched the machine. ¡°I haven¡¯t mixed it all the way to the end yet¡­ I think you can just listen to the first verse and think it¡¯s perfect. And¡­ I would like you to be honest about your impressions.¡± ¡°okay!¡± ¡°I finished it in one day anyway, so it doesn¡¯t matter if they tell me to turn it over¡­¡± Do-wook said, looking back at the members. I hoped that Do-wook would express his honest feelings without worrying about being offended. The members shook their heads as if they knew what Dowook was worried about and told him not to worry. ¡°yes.¡± Of course, Dowook didn¡¯t think that the members would hesitate in expressing their feelings because they were so concerned about being considerate of Dowook. Everyone knew that honest appreciation would be more helpful to Dowook, and it was important to everyone. If a song is not good, there is a limit to its ability to achieve good results no matter how popr it is. So it was time to try our best to choose good songs. There was no album that was unimportant, but this album was just as important as it was released this time. First of all, it was a position that had to be maintained. The members were recently realizing that maintaining the position was more difficult than looking up and running. When I was a rookie or gaining poprity, I couldn¡¯t see my surroundings. It was true that there was no room for that. Like a racehorse, I ran with the hope that at least one more person would recognize KK¡¯s music. However, when I got up there, I finally had the energy to look around and could see down below. When I watch Man to Man or other recently popr idols, I can¡¯t help but think, ¡®How long can I stay in this position?¡¯ However, it wasn¡¯t just looking down. KK had set a new goal of conquering the world market and was working hard to achieve it once again. ¡®I thought it would be nice to win the grand prize once¡­ but now I¡¯m heading to a bigger and wider ce.¡¯ Do-wook was filled with such emotion whenever he talked about future events with the members. Dowook thought and yed the song he had prepared. I was always nervous about showing off the songs I had written to others. ¡®I wonder what it would be like¡­ We tried to bring out the color of KK¡¯s music as much as possible and made the sound more powerful than before.¡¯ thud-! thud-! From the beginning, the sound of the bass was unique. The members concentrated on listening to the song. The expressions on the members¡¯ concentrated faces were as serious as ever. In the middle of the first verse, the beat slowed down and the notes in the melody part began to rise to a higher pitch. Although there were no lyrics attached and no guide provided yet, this was the section where the thought ¡®If high-pitched vocals exploded here¡­¡¯ came to everyone¡¯s mind. thud! Boom ¨C boom ¨C boom! The refrain is ¡®This is the hook!¡¯ It was so intense. It made me want to stomp my feet on the floor and jump up. While the apaniment was ying, the members could not even breathe properly. I was focused on the song as if I had only been given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It was the same with Dowook. ¡°Oh!¡± Manager Oh Baek-ho and Koo Cheol-min, who had just opened the door and entered the studio, unconsciously held their breath in an atmosphere where no sound could be heard except for the apaniment of the songposed by Do-wook. The members only nced at the two people for a moment. When the two heard that the first draft of the song waspleted and the members had gathered together, they packed rice from a nearby restaurant for the members who had not eaten until after lunch. It was now two o¡¯clock in the afternoon. It was 1pm when Do-wook, who had been working roughly in his room and came out to the office studio, finished working on the song all night and contacted the members. Most of the members just woke up and left, so there was no time to eat. Director Oh Baek-ho and Gu Cheol-min moved slowly and sat down on the sofa, putting the packed rice on the table. After the song ended, there was silence in the recording studio for a while. Dowook, who was sitting in a chair and operating the buttons, slowly turned around. The members were standing behind. Dowook asked cautiously. ¡°Uh¡­ how do you feel?¡± In response to Do-wook¡¯s question, Jeong Yoon-gi, who was standing cross-legged with his arms crossed, made a ¡®hmm¡¯ sound. ¡°So¡­¡± Do-wook swallowed his saliva once out of nervousness. ¡°Is it too bad?¡± At Jeong Yoon-gi¡¯s reaction, Do-wook¡¯s tense shoulders rxed. A groan like an exmation of ¡°ah¡± spontaneously burst out. ¡°really. Ma, it¡¯s really the best. ¡°Am I the only one who got goosebumps?¡± ¡°No me too!¡± ¡°Me too¡­¡± Ahn Hyeong-seo and Park Tae-hyung responded to Jeong Yoon-gi¡¯s question. Without exception, Kim Won and Seok Ji-hoon expressed their admiration by raising their thumbs. Everyone was thrilled with the feeling that this was ¡®the song¡¯ they had hoped for during the concept meeting. While promoting OK, Jung Yoon-gi was also focusing onposing and producing. Although I still had a lot to learn, I had started to write songs that were soplete that Shim Jun, head of the album production team, asked me to put them on KK¡¯s album. That¡¯s why Jeong Yoon-gi was able to better understand how great the song Do-wook has currently selected is. It felt like all the necessary elements were there. I felt like I wasn¡¯t missing out on any of the results. ¡°Do-Wook¡­ How can you make something like this in one day¡­ Wow¡­¡± Park Tae-hyung could not continue speaking and only admired it. Even Park Tae-hyung, who was usually quiet, expressed his admiration, and this time, Do-wook became a little more embarrassed. ¡°Can we continue like this? Verse 2 is also like this¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, of course! But I have something to ask you.¡± ¡°Ask, bro.¡± ¡°Uh¡­. will the high notes be my part?¡± ¡°Ah, I guess that¡¯s probably the case if things go on like this.¡± Ahn Hyeong-seo nodded to Do-wook¡¯s answer. It was definitely going to be a killing part. Originally, Ahn Hyeong-seo was in charge of the high-pitched parts and yed a role in bringing the song to life, but this high-pitched parts had more impact than in other songs. That section was also long. ¡°Is it not that good?¡± ¡°no no! Absolutely not! It¡¯s not that it¡¯s not that good, it¡¯s that I really like it. ¡°I thought I should do well.¡± Hyungseo Ahn responded by waving his hand. It was truly a satisfying part for Ahn Hyeong-seo. At the same time, it was a part that showed how much Do-wook, who must have paid attention to the members¡¯ parts whenposing the song, trusted Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s skills. ¡°You¡¯re still doing well, brother.¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t mean to hear such praise~!¡± As Ahn Hyeong-seo spoke with a smile, Seok Ji-hoon quietly muttered behind him, ¡®I think that¡¯s right.¡¯ Ahn Hyeong-seo nced at Seok Ji-hoon. ¡°But the song has so much variation that it feels like two songsbined¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I did give that feeling on purpose¡­¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not strange. Okay good! But wouldn¡¯t it be better to add one more bridge word when going from a fast tempo to a slow tempo?¡± Do-wook nodded at Kim Won¡¯s words and quickly wrote down the contents on the notepad next to him. I tried not to miss any part of the powerful choreography, the excellent vocals, or the rap part, and although the song was only one song, it varied into various forms. So, Dowook thought while working that it might be refreshing but also awkward at the same time. ¡®As expected, I need to modify that part a little more.¡¯ Thinking about it, Dowook felt fortunate that the members responded well. Of course, for this song to be the title song, more additional work was needed and confirmation from the album production team and others remained. ¡®But¡­ it definitely has the feel of the song itself that I wanted. It should also be a song that the public wants¡­.¡¯ Dowook clenched and unclenched his fists. ¡°How much more time is left to work on the song?¡± Director Oh Baek-ho, who was sitting, approached and asked. Director Oh Baek-ho, like the members, was equally surprised to hear that Do-wook hadpleted the song. ¡°If we say it¡¯s okay to go on like this¡­ we just need to arrange the second verse a little more. Afterwards, I¡¯ll add the lyrics, start recording, and finish the mixing¡­ I think I¡¯ll have to send it to Team Leader Shim today and talk about it before I can finish the work.¡± Director Oh Baek-ho nodded. It would take at least a day for the album production team leader Shim Jun and other team members to listen and give feedback. ¡°Then finish your meal first. ¡°I¡¯m sure everyone is hungry.¡± Members flocked to the table. After listening to the entire song, the members felt dizzy from the smell of kimchi stew wafting through the recording studio. Gu Cheol-min quickly unwrapped the package and set up the spoon and chopsticks. ¡°Brother, pleasee quickly and eat too.¡± Everyone sat down, but Dowook was still there. At Seok Ji-hoon¡¯s call, Do-wook turned off the machines and cleaned up the ce. ¡°I¡­ can I just go into the dorm and sleep?¡± Dowook¡¯s eyes were so wide as he said that. If he stayed awake a little longer, Do-wook¡¯s seemingly perfect good looks would crack. Dowook felt relieved after hearing all the evaluations of the song, and as his tension eased, he was rapidly feeling tired. ¡°Wow, hurry up and go to sleep!¡± ¡°Good job. Dowook.¡± ¡°Okay, go to sleep now! I think sleepinges before eating. you.¡± Director Oh Baek-ho sent Do-wook as if he was worried. Do-wook returned to his lodgings and fell asleep as soon as hey down on the bed. *** Once the song came out, album preparation proceeded at a rapid pace like a sports car driving on the Autobahn. The members who received the choreography opened their mouths. Even though it was difficult, it was because it was too difficult. It was a choreography that took my breath away just by looking at it. Before anyone couldin, choreographer Noh Tae-hyun announced the start of practice. Noh Tae-hyun also knew how important choreography was to the title song of this album. The expectations within thepany were high and there was pressure. Noh Tae-hyun literally risked his life and death topose this choreography. Since it was such a choreography, it was natural that it felt overwhelming for the KK members. However, the members also tried their best to follow the choreography. The sweat from the members was soaking the practice room. Although it was difficult, preparations for the album were progressing smoothly. Nothing else seemed to be any problem. The problem arose two days before the title song was recorded. ¡°Oh, Chief! ¡°We¡¯re in big trouble!¡± Seok Ji-hoon came out of the room and called Manager Oh Baek-ho. The eyes of the members gathered in the living room turned to Seok Ji-hoon. Chapter 154 # 155 The one who wants to wear the crown (1) ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Do-wook and Jeong Yoon-gi asked in surprise as they were doing a final check on the song Jeong Yoon-gi wrote andposed at the living room table. However, Seok Ji-hoon, who was holding a cell phone, was busy conveying the situation to Director Oh Baek-ho, as if he could not hear the two people¡¯s voices. ¡°I think I need to go to the hospital, Hyungseo. yes yes. I can barely hear my voice. ¡­¡­yes. All right.¡± Do-wook and Jeong Yoon-gi, surprised by Seok Ji-hoon¡¯s words, stood up. Jung Yoongi quickly opened the door to the room Jihoon and Ahn Hyeongseo were sharing as roommates and entered. ¡°Ugh!¡± Jeong Yoongi made a sound without realizing it due to the rushing moisture. Their room was filled with jungle-like moisture. Dowook also frowned at the damp air. Ahn Hyeong-seo, who was lying down covered in a nket, wriggled and woke up at the sound of the door suddenly opening. ¡°uh! Don¡¯t get up. ¡°Please lie down, brother.¡± Do-wook quickly stopped Ahn Hyeong-seo. Ahn Hyeong-seo opened the door with half-closed eyes and confirmed that it was Do-wook and Jeong Yoon-gi who came in, and thenid down again as if he knew. Jeong Yoon-gi looked around the room and figured out the identity of the moisture. Although it took up a lot of space, arge humidifier upied the desk where Ahn Hyeong-seo and Seok Ji-hoon never sat, which was far from books. It seemed like it was turned on because Ahn Hyeong-seo had a cold. Ahn Hyeong-seo has been suffering from a mild cold for four days, not long after starting choreography practice. Since I had just started practicing choreography, I was unable to rest properly. As the songs included in the album were decided one after another, we had to handle all the asional recording schedules. I took medicine and got an injection at the hospital as soon as possible, but there was no sign of my cold getting better. Hyeongseo Ahn gulped and coughed. ¡°I told you not to overdo it.¡± Jeong Yoon-gi sighed, scolding Ahn Hyeong-seo as if he was talking to himself. It was a rebuke that came out more like a sigh of worry rather than a reprimand. Even though he was told not to overexert himself, Jeong Yoon-gi knew best that he had no choice but to overexert himself. Theeback was only about a month and ten days away. Once the title song recording waspleted, jacket filming and music video filming were waiting. The members clearly knew the scheduled schedule, but it was a situation where no one could say they wanted to rest just because it was difficult. Moreover, Hyungseo Ahn was very satisfied with his part in the title song and was waiting for hiseback more than anyone else. It was Ahn Hyeong-seo who achieved vocal growth once again while doing a dome tour in Japan and working with LIL in the United States. This song was a song that could embody all that growth. Ahn Hyeong-seo, who felt that he had an opportunity to properly show his skills to KK fans, tried to somehow leave a strong impression as a vocalist, not as a member of KK, but as an individual Ahn Hyeong-seo. So I couldn¡¯t take a break from practicing even more. Even after choreography practice was over, Ahn Hyeong-seo continued to practice singing. It was no exaggeration to say that he had sung his part in the title song hundreds of times to find the best voice and best breathing method. ¡°Hyung¡­. Can¡¯t you hear my voice?¡± Ahn Hyeong-seo, who was looking at Jeong Yoon-gi and Do-wook as if asking why they came in while lying down, slowly nodded. The members didn¡¯te out of their rooms all day, so I thought they were sleeping for a long time due to the drug. Seok Ji-hoon, who shared the same room, btedly noticed Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s serious condition and called Director Oh Baek-ho. ¡°They say it¡¯s noting out. ¡°I thought it would be bad to use my voice for no reason, so I told him not to say anything.¡± Seok Ji-hoon, who had grabbed a ss of warm water after finishing his phone call with Director Oh Baek-ho, spoke from behind the two people standing nkly. ¡°Didn¡¯t the hospital say it was just a cold the day before yesterday?¡± Seok Ji-hoon nodded. Ahn Hyeong-seo, who went to the hospital with his manager Gu Cheol-min before practice time the day before yesterday, reported that he had a mild cold and devoted himself to practice again. Then it was clear that my physical condition had worsened. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Ahn Hyeong-seo groaned in frustration. When I made a sound, I grabbed my neck and closed my eyes, probably because my throat hurt. If my throat hurt like this and I couldn¡¯t hear my voice, it definitely wasn¡¯t something I could just pass off as a cold. ¡°What did Director Oh say?¡± Dowook asked. ¡°The manager can¡¯te because he¡¯s in a meeting right now, but Cheol-min ising. ¡°They say it would be better to go to a big hospital.¡± Do-wook and Jeong Yoon-gi nodded to Seok Ji-hoon¡¯s answer. After some time, Gu Cheol-min came to the dorm and took Ahn Hyeong-seo to the hospital. The faces of Taehyung Park and Won Kim, who returned to their dormte and heard the news, were also filled with deep sorrow. Although it was physically tiring, the atmosphere in the dormitory, which was mentally vibrant, quickly became gloomy. This was even more so because it was Ahn Hyeong-seo who was the mood maker of the dorm. ¡°Recording the day after tomorrow¡­.¡± ¡°It seems difficult.¡± Do-wook answered Seok Ji-hoon¡¯s question that wasn¡¯t a question. It was unfortunate that I had to worry about the recording schedule for the day after tomorrow even though my colleague was not feeling well. ¡°Huh¡­¡± Leader Jeong Yoon-gi¡¯s sigh deepened. ¡°Even if I get better today after going to the hospital, wouldn¡¯t I need to rest for a day or two more?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ If you get sick during activities¡­¡± Taehyung Park said with concern at Jung Yoon-gi¡¯s words. Just the assumption that they would get sick during the activity made everyone¡¯splexions be even darker. ¡®It¡¯s definitely worse.¡¯ Dowook, who almost copsed on stage, knew best. Ahn Hyeong-seo was also excluded from practice in a sports entertainment show after tripping over Seo Kang-jun¡¯s tackle. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t the right time for me to be active, but even at that time, I was anxious to get back to practice as soon as possible, but this time, it was even more so since myeback was just around the corner. ¡®It would be good if I rested for a few days and got better¡­¡¯ That¡¯s what Do-wook thought, but his premonition was not good. *** As expected, Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s throat didn¡¯t just hurt because of a cold. At first, it was just a normal sore throat, but due to constant use of the throat, he was showing early symptoms of vocal cord nodules. Of course, the symptoms themselves were not serious. The doctor said that if I get enough rest for a while, I will get better quickly. However, Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s upation was a singer. A singer who is about to make aeback. There was no way the phrase ¡®taking a break¡¯ was possible. The members surrounded Koo Cheol-min and Ahn Hyeong-seo, who returned from the hospital. Director Oh Baek-ho, who came back in a hurry after finishing the meeting, was waiting for the two people who had gone to the hospital to return to the dorm. It was a nice spring day, but Koo Cheol-min delivered the news instead of Ahn Hyeong-seo, who was covering his neck with a muffler and covering his mouth with a mask. Everyone could not hide their stunned expressions at the word vocal cord nodule. Hyeong-seo Ahn, who looked at the reaction, took out his cell phone and sent a group message. [I¡¯m so, so sorry. I¡¯m sorry??] After taking the medicine, I was able to speak a little better, but my throat still hurt when I spoke, and the doctor told me to save my throat as much as possible. In order to get better as quickly as possible, Ahn Hyeong-seo decided not to say anything, but she wanted to express her apologies. ¡°It¡¯s okay, brother¡­¡± Do-wook couldn¡¯t continue speaking out of sadness. Hyungseo Ahn started writing something on his cell phone. Attention was focused on Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s fingers. [I¡¯ll get better quickly until the recording day] ¡°What can I say? It¡¯s a shame that a person who likes words can¡¯t talk. ¡°Go and rest.¡± Hearing Jung Yoon-gi¡¯s words, Ahn Hyeong-seo burst into tears and trudged into his room. There was no one who could say anything to Ahn Hyeong-seo. Ahn Hyeong-seo was the one who didn¡¯t manage his condition well, but it wasn¡¯t because he drank, smoked, or enjoyed entertainment outside that he became unwell. Ahn Hyeong-seo was the person who was most upset about his body deteriorating during practice. Rather, it was Director Oh Baek-ho and Do-wook Jeong Yoon-gi who were ming themselves with heavy hearts because of Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s condition. Managing singers was the manager¡¯s job. That¡¯s why there was a manager. Director Oh Baek-ho med himself for taking Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s condition too lightly. Jung Yoon-gi med himself for not being able to take care of his members as a leader. Even though I knew Ahn Hyeong-seo was having a hard time because I was in a hurry to practice, I thought it would be okay so I left it alone. It was the same with Dowook. ¡®I may have put too much pressure on Ahn Hyeong-seo¡­¡¯ As Ahn Hyeong-seo has achieved vocal growth since his debut through constant efforts, Do-wook poured those expectations into this song. It was Ahn Hyeong-seo himself who immediately recognized it. It was an effort to allow Ahn Hyeong-seo to demonstrate all his skills, but it could have been a burden. ¡®As a producer, I should have relieved that burden¡­¡¯ Do-wook thought. But it was not the time to just me yourself. In conclusion, no one was at fault and the important thing was what to do next. *** The KK members, excluding Ahn Hyeong-seo, and the album production team leader Shim Jun and Oh Baek-ho gathered together. Lee Dae-hyung, head of the fan-marketing team who had to adjust the promotion schedule for KK¡¯s album, was also there. ¡°Right now, we don¡¯t even know when we can record, right?¡± When Team Leader Shim Jun asked, Director Oh Baek-ho answered. It was two days ago that Ahn Hyeong-seo visited the hospital with Gu Cheol-min. Hyungseo Ahn went to the hospital one more time. The cold itself was gone, but it was still best not to put too much strain on the vocal cords. ¡°The doctor¡¯s opinion is that even if you can¡¯t do it, you should rest for about two weeks without overexerting yourself.¡± ¡°Two weeks¡­¡± Team Leader Sim Jun muttered while checking the calendar. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung¡¯s hands also moved quickly. ¡°There is no disagreement that it would be better for the members to rest for two weeks and fully recover before starting recording or other activities.¡± Director Oh Baek-ho also conveyed the members¡¯ opinions. It was a conclusion reached after discussion while Ahn Hyeong-seo was asleep after taking medicine. Team leader Sim Jun, who had to coordinate the entire album production schedule, narrowed his eyes. The difficulty level of this choreography was so high that choreography practice took ce before recording the title song. Choreographer Noh Tae-hyun had choreographed the choreography based on the guide version of the song and the part distribution provided by Do-wook. After recording, it took a considerable amount of time to practice for the full version. If the recording was dyed, everything else would also be dyed. It was time to make a decision. ¡°Director Oh, the broadcast schedule hasn¡¯t been set yet, right? ¡°Team Leader Lee¡¯s side too¡­¡± Team Leader Shim Jun asked, looking alternately at Director Oh Baek-ho and Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung. ¡°We were nning to put out a MyTube ad to coincide with the release of the concept photo and music video¡­ We can just postpone that.¡± Fortunately, Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung¡¯s schedule was fully adjustable. Director Oh Baek-ho also nodded and answered. ¡°There are broadcasters who are discussing aeback show, but since it was just a discussion, the schedule needs to be re-arranged.¡± ¡°I think it would be best to postpone the originally nnedeback date by about a month.¡± Team leader Sim Jun said while checking the schedules of other singers. When making aeback schedule, we also had to think abouteback schedules with other major singers. Although the timing could not be perfect, there was nothing good about having big singers sh with each other for no reason. Now, if there was talk that KK¡¯seback would be dyed for about a month, it was clear that it would also affect other singers¡¯eback schedules. ¡®It¡¯s been a month¡­¡¯ It may have been short, but it could have been a long time. In the past, there was no problem maintaining poprity with only one album released a year, but not now. Do-wook was a little worried because the timing, which should have been dyed with the album, was dyed. ¡°I¡¯m worried about the fans. In the meantime, Jihoon has no other activities in the country other than entertainment¡­ so it is impossible to release a unit album or any other album in such a short period of time.¡± Coincidentally, team leader Lee Dae-hyung also seemed to have the same thoughts as Do-wook. ¡®There has to be something to get us through this period.¡¯ Dowook thought of a way. I needed something to fill the gap. ¡®Is that enough?¡­.¡¯ Chapter 155 # 156 Those who want to wear the crown (2) *** [Red g for KK¡¯seback postponement!] [KK¡¯seback scheduled for early July.. due to member health] [¡°Let¡¯s meet in good health after a little more rest!¡± KK¡¯seback postponed due to health issues] [Who is the singer scheduled to make aeback in the future? Expected singers!] . . -Don¡¯t get sick and stay healthy, Hyungseo! ¨C Stay healthy, Hyungseo! 22222 ¨C Stay healthy, Hyungseo! I¡¯ll wait¡­ 33333 ¨C I cried during night time because I was worried about my older brother.. ?? ¨C You¡¯re harassing my precious older brother!! The sky is indifferent!! Hyungseo¡¯s sweet voice is the truth!! ¨C (((((Hyungseo¡¯s sweet voice))))) ¨C I hope you rest well ande out healthy ?? ¨C I couldn¡¯t sleep all night because I was worried about you ??? I¡¯m really going crazy. Are you okay, Hyungseo??? -Hyungseo¡¯s fans must be really worried¡­ I¡¯m also worried like this??;; -We lend all the toilet paper we have to Hyungseo fans -Doukmari toilet paper group- -Really, don¡¯t overdo it and let¡¯s get some rest! I¡¯ll wait¡­ -Didn¡¯t you drink too much c and damage your vocal cords? Hahaha -Are you cumming? Do you want tough? -Are you a sensitive boss? It¡¯s a fight hahahaha ¨C I wanted to listen to KK¡¯s song ??; There aren¡¯t too many songs to listen to these days~~! -Hello^^ I¡¯m a Man to Man fan who was passing by! Please listen to Man to Man¡¯s call! Really good! I guarantee it! -Who will believe it if a fan guarantees it? -It¡¯s good to call. I want to hear KK¡¯s song quickly -Who is waiting for KK¡¯seback? Only the fans are waiting.. -Everyone except you^^ -Nim! I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anyone here waiting for you? ^-^* ¨C I¡¯m really looking forward to KK¡¯s new song. Recently, I listened to the Call You the Love song I sang with Lil so much that I tore the song ¨C I tore it up lol ¨C I¡¯m so looking forward to it too? Let¡¯s get well soon, brother! -After working like a cow, it¡¯s time to rest. -Please upgrade to a cultivator~! ¨C Hahaha crazy haha what is a cultivator hahahahahahaha ¨C Grandpa.. take a good night¡¯s sleep.. ¨C KK fighting??????! Don¡¯t forget that you always have a key ring supporting you from behind! Theeback, which could have been done at the end of June even if pushed back by a month, was postponed to July because of the quarter. At the end of June, when quarterly awards are given out during awards season, album sales are counted as the second quarter, so it was better to aim for the third quarter. Hit Entertainment revealed the truth without hesitation about the reason for dying KK¡¯seback schedule. A news article was immediately published saying that Ahn Hyeong-seo had a neck problem and that the members were in poor condition due to continued activities, and that they would make aeback after recovering their condition. It was not wee news for those who were waiting for KK¡¯s album, but since it was a matter of health issues, no one pushed for aeback. The fans¡¯ reaction was also as expected. There were fans who were worried about Ahn Hyeong-seo, who practiced to the point of showing symptoms of vocal cord nodules, and were also concerned about the physical condition of the other members, but there were no fans who criticized Ahn Hyeong-seo. Rather, the unity of KK fans was at its peak due to concerns about the members. There were also quite a few people preparing to purchase the album together while waiting for theeback. In addition, they were raising money for advertising support tomemorate theeback by holding an event during theeback for KK, who must have been going through a lot of hardships. I was sorry for making the fans worry, but it definitely helped keep the fans in line rather than just announcing that theeback schedule would be pushed back or proceeding without any notice at all. At the production director Kwon Heung-jo¡¯s meeting, there was a lot of talk about using this period as an opportunity. Just like KK, the employees who worked tirelessly tried to establish a new foothold. Lee Dae-hyung, head of the fan-marketing team, was nning an internal reality program to be run within thepany to prevent fans from leaving during the long hiatus. In addition to releasing a behind-the-scenes video, it was about the members ying the Manitou game at their dorm. We were nning to produce about five 10-minute episodes and were coordinating production with the video team. The external filming team, which was preparing concept photos and music videos, was also preparing new filming that had not been attempted due to the tight schedule. The overall visual concept scale of the next album seemed to grow significantly. In addition, the choreography for the title song is so difficult that even the KK members, who are now able to master most choreography in 3-4 days, are having a hard time. The choreography in question could also be further improved. Since the schedule was not tight, we were able to prepare step by step and improve the perfection of the choreography. However, it continued to bother me that KK¡¯s music other than ¡®Call you the love¡¯ was not released. It was a time when music charts were increasingly controlling the music market. A singer¡¯s name must be consistently listed on the music charts so that the public does not forget the singer¡¯s name. KK¡¯s regr album being pushed back meant that subsequent OK unit albums and Dowook¡¯s solo albums would also be pushed back sequentially. ¡°The name of thepany¡­ was Hwa & Su¡­¡± Do-wook searched the name of the productionpany on his cell phone, thinking of another way to fill the gap. When I searched Hwa & Su, information on the productionpany appeared. Dowook nodded while looking at the dramas he had produced. ¡®This is the right ce.¡¯ Dowook sent a text message to team leader Sim Jun of the album production team. [Brother, do you know anyone at the drama productionpany Hwa&Soo?] *** A few dayster, Do-wook had a slightlyte lunch with Oh Baek-ho and team leader Lee Dae-hyung. It was an event prepared by Director Oh Baek-ho. It was a Korean restaurant specializing in bibimbap near the office. The restaurant at 2 o¡¯clock on a weekday afternoon was so quiet that you wouldn¡¯t expect it to be bustling during lunch. Of the fifty or so tables, only three or four were in progress. The three people sat in a sunny window seat and ordered three bowls of bibimbap. After drinking water, Director Oh Baek-ho and Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung started talking about the baseball game that was on the newsst night. ¡°It was 17 to 3, so I wondered if there was ever a game I saw recently where the score difference was this big.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really watch baseball, but the inte was all over the news about it, so I watched it too. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be difficult to maintain such a difference in scores in the future?¡± ¡°Sure, sure. Absolutely not. Wow really. ¡°I¡¯m so d it¡¯s not the team I¡¯m rooting for.¡± Team leader Lee Dae-hyung clicked his tongue and shook his head. Dowook quietly shook his head, thinking that a game with an even greater score difference of 23 to 1 would ur in the near future. ¡®That¡¯s also a game where the team that team leader Daehyung Lee is rooting for gets 1 point¡­ That¡¯s the kind of game¡­¡¯ While we were talking about trivial things, bibimbap happened toe out. While eating, the real conversation began. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung naturally brought up the story of the day he met Director Seo Jung-won. When I was contacted by Seo Jung-won, the head of the headquarters, I asked, ¡®Is this a scouting offer?¡¯ He said he thought about it, but when he went there, he was surprised to see that it was actually a scouting offer. ¡°Ara Entertainment is number one in the industry, so of course they have a lot of pride¡­ and in fact, they have a lot of manpower. So, there are very few cases of re-scouting people who have gone to otherpanies. ¡°It¡¯s surprising.¡± In fact, the fact that I went out there meant that I could leave Hit Entertainment. However, Dowook did not think badly about himself. Anyway, when I came from Ara Entertainment to Hit Entertainment, I received a scouting offer. Whichpany Team Leader Daehyung Lee chose was a personal matter for Team Leader Daehyung Lee. There was no point in arguing about that. ¡°Iknow, right. ¡°The team leader is a truly desirable talent.¡± ¡°no. no. I¡¯m trying to brag about myself. That means Ara is paying more attention to KK than ever. ¡°Because we have never missed the top spot among male idol groups.¡± However, stealing Hit Entertainment¡¯s internal information was a different matter. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung said the same thing, so since he chose Hit Entertainment, he told Director Oh Baek-ho every single detail to prevent any misunderstandings. I also submitted a report to Manager Joanie. ¡°He pretended to praise me and subtly asked about KK.¡± ¡°What¡­¡± ¡°Well, what was the strategy that Mr. Daehyung came up with? If you look closely, is it better to work with KK than man-to-man? Not even remotely. ¡°Obviously.¡± ¡°There would have been nothing to hide. ¡°That¡¯s what taking this team leader means.¡± ¡°Haha, that¡¯s right. Director Seo was actually someone who knew that I wanted to be an executive in thepany. Because Ara is such argepany, there areplex interests involved. I decided that it would be difficult for me to upy a certain position within thepany, so I left thepany. I told Mr. Do-wook before, but¡­.¡± Do-wook nodded. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung spoke openly about his true feelings, so Do-wook was able to trust team leader Lee. It was the same this time too. ¡°Director Seo promised that he would elevate me to the position of manager within three years.¡± Director Oh Baek-ho opened his eyes wide, as if he was a little surprised. The position of manager at Ara Entertainment meant being one of the key figures. ¡°What were the conditions?¡± Director Oh Baek-ho asked. ¡°The goal was to beat KK within the next year man-to-man. ¡°It was a condition where there was no need to worry about investment or support.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡± Do-wook was surprised that a bigger deal was made than expected. As team leader Daehyung Lee, it was an offer he had no choice but to ept. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung was able to have as much authority as he wanted and try everything he wanted to do through Man-to-Man. Of course, if Man to Man fails to defeat KK within the next year, team leader Lee Dae-hyung will not be able to get the position of manager, that¡¯s all. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung had nothing to lose in reality. ¡°But.¡± Team leader Lee Dae-hyungughed a little and told why he turned down the offer from Director Seo Jung-won. ¡°No matter how many people say that idols are ¡®made¡¯ singers¡­ in reality, they reach the top and be sessful. The efforts of the singers themselves are essential. If you look at Man-to-Man now, you wouldn¡¯t have to worry about that¡­¡± Director Oh Baek-ho nodded as if he understood what he meant. Team leader Daehyung Lee continued. ¡°But you can¡¯t beat a singer who ¡®makes it himself.¡¯ Also, a singer who is making it ¡®well¡¯. That¡¯s what KK is doing. KK even epted thepany as part of ¡®itself¡¯ as a member of the group. ¡°A ce where singers andpanies are separated can never beat that.¡± This is the rtionship between Hit Entertainment and KK that Team Leader Daehyung Lee has felt so far. We all headed towards the top as one body. In addition, the KK members, especially Dowook, had tremendous talent. Everything was perfect. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung did not have the confidence to create a better group than KK at the same time. ¡°I wanted to be one with KK like this. I decided that would be better for my future. ¡°It would be a better qualification to be in charge of KK¡¯s marketing than to be the manager of Ara Entertainment.¡± Team leader Lee Dae-hyung was confident. It seemed like the bigger world was calling to Team Leader Daehyung Lee. Do-wook and Director Oh Baek-ho were rather touched by that firm will and confidence. It was a great evaluation of KK. ¡®He is a person who will be big.¡¯ As he ran with KK without looking elsewhere, demonstrating his capabilities to the fullest, Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung¡¯s abilities were being demonstrated in a much more positive direction than when he was affiliated with Ara Entertainment, where he had to walk a tightrope in many ways. ¡°Probably, Director Seo Joong-won thought that I would definitely ept this offer. You would have thought that an ambitious guy like me would not turn down the position of manager of the first agency. But I refused¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this harming the team leader in some way?¡± When Do-wook asked, team leader Dae-hyung Lee shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s true that it was filmed, but what can I do? Unless I am an Ara Enter employee. More than that, I asked him if he knew reporter Choi Seong-jun.¡± ¡°You mean reporter Choi Seong-jun?¡± Director Oh Baek-ho asked again. ¡°yes. You¡¯re the reporter who published a bad article about Mr. Do-wook¡¯s interview at that time, right? So I answered that I had received an apology for something like that. I thought we were friends, but he said he wasn¡¯t. ¡°He said something happened to him because of Seo Kang-joon.¡± Dowook¡¯s prediction was correct. Director Seo Joong-won seemed to have found out that reporter Choi Seong-jun was behind Seo Kang-joon¡¯s work. And for some reason, they are suspicious of the rtionship between reporter Choi Seong-jun and Hit Entertainment. ¡°Is there something¡­is there something I don¡¯t know?¡± Team leader Lee Dae-hyung asked. Manager Oh Baek-ho and Do-wook¡¯s gaze passed. Chapter 156 # 157 The one who wants to wear the crown (3) ¡°Actually¡­¡± Do-wook opened his mouth carefully. ¡°I have met separately with reporter Choi Seong-jun.¡± ¡°yes? Separately?¡± Team leader Lee Dae-hyung asked back as if he had not thought about it at all. Director Oh Baek-ho nodded and added. ¡°I received a separate call from Do-wook saying he wanted to apologize. ¡°We met at a time when we weren¡¯t satisfied with the revised article alone¡­ I felt embarrassed and wanted to meet you once.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°When I went there, he told me that he was bound to be prejudiced against idols.¡± ¡°Ah¡­. Well, there may be a story, but that doesn¡¯t mean they published an article like that about the innocent Mr. Do-wook¡­¡± Team leader Lee Dae-hyung said, shaking his head. The waiter cleaned up the table of the three people who had already finished their meal. Sujeonggwa was served for dessert. The inside of the restaurant was still quiet. ¡°So what was it about?¡± Do-wook answered again to Team Leader Dae-hyung Lee¡¯s question. ¡°The story was that my younger brother had suffered severe school violence. It was a miserable story¡­¡± Do-wook¡¯s expression darkened for a moment as he spoke. It was because it reminded me of Seongjun Choi¡¯s younger brother. I heard that he is currently undergoing treatment by going out for a walk once a week and going to the hospital regrly. ¡°The perpetrator of that violence was Seo Kang-joon, not Seo-jun¡­ But when he turned on the TV and saw Seo-jun smiling with an angel-like face, Reporter Choi was filled with anger.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Team leader Lee Dae-hyung let out a groan that sounded like a sigh. Do-wook felt his mouth was a little burned so he swallowed a sip of the crystal fruit. There was a sweet yet bitter taste in my mouth. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung nodded, recalling the series of incidents rted to Seo Kang-jun that had urred not long ago. His face looked as if he had some idea of what had happened. ¡°Is there a friend who wrote the usation on the Inte with that handwriting¡­¡± ¡°Yes. ¡°He was reporter Choi Seong-jun¡¯s younger brother.¡± ¡°okay.¡± Team leader Lee Dae-hyung muttered as if he felt sorry. ¡°At that time, they asked me to post an article on the Inte¡­ I did it with reporter Choi. ¡°I also had a friend who was a victim of school violence¡­ I just couldn¡¯t forgive him for being such a person, working as a celebrity, and being loved by so many people.¡± Do-wook did not say that he even spilled information about graduate school to reporter Choi Seong-jun. I thought this exnation would be enough. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung¡¯s expression became serious at Do-wook¡¯s words. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung thought about General Manager Seo Jung-won¡¯s position. ¡®Reporter Choi Seong-jun, the person behind what brought Seo-jun down, and his rtionship with Hit Entertainment.¡¯ Director Seo Joong-won probably thought about it in his own way. Director Seo Jung-won¡¯s way of thinking was, ¡®If there is an obstacle to one¡¯s work, remove it.¡¯ So, you might havee to the conclusion that if there is someone else behind reporter Choi Seong-jun, it might be KK¡¯s Hit Entertainment, which was a rival group to Man to Man. If he even found out that Reporter Choi Seong-jun and Do-wook were in personal contact, I don¡¯t know if he had any confidence that he wasn¡¯t trying to dump Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung for no reason. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung felt a little ufortable as he thought about it. Director Seo Joong-won was one of the types of people who should not be touched. Not only was it rumored, but in reality, he was a person who would do whatever it took to work. Rationally, Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung thought Do-wook¡¯s judgment was wrong. The reason why Director Seo Joong-won just watched KK¡¯s sess was because he ignored KK. I thought how sessful it would be if a small and medium-sizedpany like Hit Entertainment, which had little power, did well. While they were letting go, KK had reached the top, and Man to Man had be the second-ce group. In that situation, it was as if he had thrown a noteworthy bait to Director Seo Joong-won to further keep KK and Do-wook in check. Reporter Choi Seong-jun should not have been helped in the slightest. However, it was Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung¡¯s reason. Considering the person named Kang Do-wook, it was the most rational decision that Do-wook made. I thought that if Do-wook¡¯s personality was upright and upright, he might not have been able to forgive Seo Kang-joon. ¡°okay.¡± Team leader Lee Dae-hyung gathered his thoughts and opened his mouth. ¡°Well¡­ if that¡¯s the case, I don¡¯t think Director Seo will have anything toin about. Now that KK has already be Director Seo¡¯s target, I don¡¯t know how he will react. As Director Oh here knows¡­ he is a person who will go to any lengths to do his job.¡± Director Oh Baek-ho nodded as if he knew it well. Dowook didn¡¯t know either. ¡°So¡­¡± So it was Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung who was trying to wrap up the story by saying that it would be better not to get involved anymore. In a rare urrence, Do-wook spoke without listening to everything Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung said. ¡°So.¡± ¡°yes?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I don¡¯t want to be bullied by Director Seo Joong-won.¡± ¡°Ah yes. That should be it. of course.¡± ¡°I want to be someone who can control and shake up Director Seo Joong-won.¡± Team leader Lee Dae-hyung¡¯s eyes widened at Do-wook¡¯s words. His mouth opened as if he was surprised. ¡°What good things have you done without any hesitation? It must have been only evil things. So, Team Leader Lee is also worried. ¡°I will prevent evil people like Director Seo Jung-won from using their power tomit evil acts.¡± ¡°How¡­¡± ¡°First of all, I have to have that kind of power.¡± After some time, Dowook continued speaking. ¡°It would be better if we could exploit his weaknesses.¡± Director Seo Joong-won tried to take advantage of team leader Lee Dae-hyung. If so, it was the same for Do-wook. Moreover, Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung was a person who waspletely determined to be in the same boat as KK. From Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung¡¯s perspective, it was natural that he had to keep Division Manager Seo Joong-won in check, who never knew when he might harm KK. So, Do-wook was confident today that team leader Lee Dae-hyung would help him. ¡®That will also be a great help¡­¡¯ Such a premonition passed through Do-wook. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung was seeing affection in Do-wook that he had never seen before. What was blooming in Dowook¡¯s ck eyes was a certain determination. *** Album production team leader Sim Jun called Do-wook, who was practicing his choreography in the practice room, separately. It was rted to Dowook asking me a while ago if I knew about the productionpany ¡®Hwa&Su¡¯. When team leader Shim Jun asked what was going on, Do-wook expressed his desire to participate in the drama OST to prevent KK¡¯s music hiatus. When told that it was a drama OST, team leader Shim Joon weed it, saying it was a good opinion. However, there were two problems: how to participate in which drama OST. First of all, it was important what kind of drama it was. The performance of the drama was directly linked to the performance of the OST. Although there were rare cases where only the OST itself appeared, it was close to a form that the drama¡¯s performance was proportional to the music score. Additionally, if she participated in the OST of a drama that did not have high viewership ratings and was not noticed by the public, it could have been a loss for KK. Of course, even if the viewership ratings are not high, the OST provides basic music scores, so the so-called ¡®elevated¡¯ singers who are not famous tried to sing the OST in order to somehow get into the drama. However, a famous singer like KK had to give top grades, not basic grades. If the music didn¡¯t do well, KK¡¯s music score could be affected regardless of the drama. If KK were to participate in the OST, KK¡¯s name would definitely be included in the drama¡¯s promotion strategy. And ¡®how¡¯ was also the problem. There were a lot of people involved in the drama¡¯s OST. Not only was it able to achieve basic results on the music charts, but even if it didn¡¯t do well, the royalties were considerable as they were paid every time the drama aired. In addition, if the drama achieved even average or better results, more additional revenue was generated. It was also possible to automatically advance overseas. Therefore, no matter how popr KK was, there was no guarantee that KK would be able to participate in the OST if numerous interests such as drama productionpanies, investors, and broadcastingpanies came in. Moreover, in the OST market, KK says, ¡®If he (she) sings it, it¡¯s guaranteed!¡¯ He wasn¡¯t that type of bad singer. As if reading Team Leader Sim Jun¡¯s mind, Do-wook mentioned a specific drama productionpany and drama. ¡°Isn¡¯t there a new dramaing out there now?¡± Team leader Sim Jun did a little research and immediately a drama called ¡®Sessors¡¯ came out. It was a drama written by star writer Jeong Eun-soo. The main cast was also very strong. All young stars in their 20s were gathered together. Therefore, it was already predicted that the drama would be a huge hit, and eachpany had invested a considerable amount of PPL. Filming has already begun and there are still about two weeks left to air. ¡°Oh, I see. Do-wook, since you are an actor, you know this well, right?¡± ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s not like that.¡± ¡°But the board is so big¡­ we don¡¯t do OSTs well. I don¡¯t know if I can intervene. ¡°Once you say you¡¯re going to do it, I think I¡¯ll contact you.¡± It was just as Team Leader Sim Jun said. There was even a former idol actor among the supporting actors, so there was a high possibility that the agency would take over the main OST song. ¡°I did contact you first. ¡°I wish we could have a meeting.¡± ¡°yes. thank you.¡± Dowook also did not proceed with 100% certainty. In fact, everything happened like that. ¡®Just because I know it will do well doesn¡¯t mean it will do well for me¡­¡¯ However, I thought it was the quickest and most powerful way to show my presence and at the same time not be forgotten by the public. Team leader Sim Jun, who had said he would wait for a call, asked Do-wook with a very serious expression. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Yes, what¡¯s the problem?¡± ¡°But¡­ what if you get a casting offer? What if I said I would change the lead actor?¡± ¡°Haha, you too.¡± Do-wook, who was momentarily nervous at the words of team leader Sim Jun, lost his temper and burst intoughter. ¡°How can I beat Joo Min-ho!¡± When Do-wook spoke with a smile, Team Leader Sim Jun joked with Do-wook and told him to be confident. Dowook could onlyugh awkwardly. Ahn Hyeong-seo, who was practicing choreography in the practice room, came to the water purifier to get a drink of water, and when he saw team leader Shim Jun, he greeted him. ¡°Are you feeling okay?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ I¡¯m really better now. sorry.¡± Hyeong-seo Ahn has been in that state ever since he got sick. Even when I told them it was okay to stop being sorry, they didn¡¯t listen, so I kept saying the words ¡®sorry¡¯ and ¡®sorry¡¯ even though the members called me ¡®sorry bot¡¯. ¡°You must have the hardest time. ¡°Don¡¯t use your neck yet.¡± ¡°yes.¡± Ahn Hyeong-seo turned around to answer and drink water, and the sight of him looked lonely. Team leader Sim Jun looked at Ahn Hyeong-seo with worried eyes. However, Do-wook was not very concerned about Ahn Hyeong-seo. I feel very sorry that theeback has been pushed back now, but when I return to normal condition and make aeback, Ahn Hyeong-seo will also be able to relieve the burden. ¡®I wish I could participate in the OST to quickly relieve Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s burden¡­¡¯ Do-wook thought. *** A few dayster, an unknown number was picked up on Team Leader Sim Jun¡¯s cell phone. It was a call from the productionpany ¡®Hwa & Su¡¯. Chapter 157 # 158 The one who wants to wear the crown (4) Team leader Shim Jun contacted the director¡¯s office, which can be said to be the powerhouse of Hwa & Su productionpany. The director was away, and the secretary who answered the phone asked what I wanted to meet with the director for. At the time, team leader Shim Jun expressed his intention to meet with the director, saying that as he had discussed with Do-wook, the KK member was a fan of writer Jeong Eun-soo and wanted to meet him. There were often cases where celebrities or famous people contacted thepany saying they wanted to meet each other. Of course, if that was really the intention, the manager, not the album production team leader, would have contacted me. However, I had no choice but to ignore it because it was more natural and there was a higher chance of meeting. There was no prior agreement, so I couldn¡¯t just say I wanted to participate in the OST work. The call I just received was from my secretary. Of course, being contacted meant something positive. In this way, Do-wook soon met the director of the productionpany Hwa & Soo and Jeong Eun-soo, who can be said to be the best star writer of the drama, at the same ce. Team leader Sim Jun apanied Do-wook. The meeting between the four took ce at a high-end Korean restaurant in Ilsan. This was because artist Jeong Eun-soo¡¯s studio was located in Ilsan. Team leader Sim Jun and Do-wook, who arrived first, prepared course A for four people. Writer Eunsoo Jeong and director Mijeong Kwon of Hwa&Soo arrived about ten minutester than the scheduled time. When the two people pushed the door of the tatami room and entered, team leader Sim Jun and Do-wook, who were sitting, stood up. ¡°hello.¡± ¡°hello.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry I¡¯mte. I¡¯m sorry.¡± As soon as Director Kwon Mi-jeong opened her mouth, she apologized. Team leader Sim Jun quickly responded that it was okay. Writer Jeong Eun-soo, who was standing behind him, greeted him with a quiet nod. Writer Jeong Eun-soo had permed short hair and was wearing horn-rimmed sses. Although he was about forty-five years old, he looked young enough to be believed to be in histe thirties. Of course, it could have been that she looked younger because she had an unadorned face without any makeup. He was dressed in a shirt and jeans. Writer Jeong Eun-soo looked very tired as she sat down. ¡°Thank you for being here. ¡°I ordered the course first. It will be okay, right?¡± ¡°Of course, then.¡± Director Kwon Mi-jeong answered with a friendly smile. He was definitely a person who cared for writer Jeong Eun-soo and at the same time took care of numerous broadcasting officials. As soon as everyone was seated, the waiter brought out pre-dinner food. Team Leader Sim Jun and Director Kwon Mi-jeong continued their conversation while emptying the pre-dinner food. I could sense that writer Jeong Eun-soo seemed tired. Director Kwon Mi-jeong said that she felt that Team Leader Shim and Do-wook were looking at the signs of writer Jeong Eun-soo. ¡°Right now, our writer Jeong¡¯s drama has begun filming¡­ and will be aired soon. So I¡¯m a bit busy. Because I was writing a script. ¡°Today, I stayed up almost all night and slept during the day, and then I just woke up and came out.¡± Director Mi-jeong Kwon¡¯s exnation allowed Team Leader Shim and Do-wook to understand the condition of writer Eun-soo Jeong. I wasn¡¯t even conscious yet, but I was dragged out to dinner. Team Leader Sim Jun looked a little sorry and asked. ¡°You mean ¡®sessors¡¯?¡± ¡°You know. There was some publicity involved. yes that¡¯s right. ¡®Sessors.¡¯¡± Director Kwon Mi-jeong responded with joy. ¡°You must be busy working on the script¡­ We are inconvenienced by the writer for no reason.¡± ¡°Oh no. Writer Jeong also has to eat anyway. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Writer Jeong?¡± Director Kwon Mi-jeong tapped writer Jeong Eun-soo on the side and asked. Writer Jeong Eun-soo seemed toe to her senses only after eating some cold vegetables served as pre-dinner food. ¡°that¡¯s right. ¡°They¡¯re all just trying to make a living¡­¡± Team leader Sim Junughed at writer Eun-soo Jeong¡¯s words. ¡°And I came out because Do-wook said he contacted me. Honestly, if it were anyone else, I wouldn¡¯t be here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. ¡°We also wanted to meet Do-wook.¡± Director Kwon Mi-jeong agreed and said. Team leader Sim Jun nced sideways at Do-wook. Do-wook had to hold backughter for a moment because he seemed to be saying, ¡®Look, you could be the main character if you do this.¡¯ It was nice that Team Leader Shim Jun recognized him, but he was evaluating him too highly. It was a drama that even went into filming. ¡°It¡¯s an honor, author.¡± ¡°He¡¯s my fan. Really?¡± Writer Jeong Eun-soo responded to Do-wook¡¯s words. Dowook was not embarrassed and answered yes. ¡°What do you like best? ¡°In my drama.¡± ¡°Me!¡­ Ah, ¡®Now On Air¡¯ is my favorite.¡± Do-wook thought, Oops. I almost said that I like a drama that hasn¡¯t evene out yet. Eunsoo Jeong said as if she was a little surprised. ¡°When asked what they liked about my drama, not many people said, ¡®It¡¯s currently on air.¡¯ I thought you would say ¡®Secret Garden¡¯ or ¡®Lovers in New York¡¯. Mr. Dowook. Oh, were you too young when you did ¡®Lovers in New York¡¯? Mr. Dowook?¡± Team leader Shim Junughed at those words and said, ¡°You¡¯re so young!¡± He answered excitedly. It was clear that writer Jeong Eun-soo liked Do-wook¡¯sment that he liked ¡®Now on the Air.¡¯ I came to my senses and felt better, so even the way I spoke changed. When ¡®Lovers in New York¡¯ was airing, Do-wook and Kim Bo-myeong were young. Nevertheless, the catchphrase ¡®Baby, let¡¯s go!¡¯ Even Do-wook knew about it. It was so popr that the entire nation had said it at least once. Writer Jeong Eun-soo, who created a national drama based on the clich¨¦ theme of a chaebol man and a poor woman, has been on a roll ever since. ¡®Secret Garden¡¯ was a drama that sweptst year. This time, it was a love story between a wealthy male protagonist and a poor female protagonist with a bit of fantasy added, and there were more than one person who imitated the male protagonist¡¯s speaking style. ¡®Now Broadcasting¡¯, which came out in the meantime, was also a drama that was quite popr, although it was notparable to the two dramas. It was a drama that overturned the rtionship between the male and female protagonists that writer Jeong Eun-soo had maintained, and realistically captured the stories of broadcasting officials such as actors, writers, producers, and managers. ¡°Ah¡­ I guess since I¡¯m a guy, I¡¯m not really interested in romance?¡± Author Jeong Eun-soo asked with suspicion that this might be the case. There must be an arrogant actor who says he is not interested in romance in front of a professional romantic drama writer, but Dowook was not that kind of actor. However, it wasn¡¯t like I was faking interest. Writer Jeong Eun-soo¡¯s drama was actually very interesting. ¡°no. I also like the author¡¯s other works¡­ And wasn¡¯t ¡®Now Broadcasting¡¯ also a romantic drama?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. ¡°It¡¯s the same with everything written by a snobbish writer who only writes about chaebol male leads.¡± Writer Jeong Eun-soo said something self-deprecating like a joke. Poprity and antipathy were proportional to singers and drama writers alike. Writer Jeong Eun-soo was oftenbeled as a snobbish writer who only chased viewership ratings without any quality to his work. The fact that writer Jeong Eun-soo himselfughed it off meant that he had a lot of leeway. Dowook epted without embarrassment. ¡°So it¡¯s a drama. ¡°It¡¯s not that the writer is a snob, but he gives us illusions and dreams that reality cannot provide.¡± ¡°Oh my goodness. ¡°All I had to do was for my young friend to be good-looking, so why even talk to him?¡± Author Jeong Eun-soo smiled and said as if she was genuinely in a good mood. Director Kwon Mi-jeong also smiled. ¡°They said they were fans, but it looks like they¡¯re real. really. Whew.¡± Even though I brought writer Jeong Eun-soo to this event, I was worried that writer Jeong Eun-soo¡¯s feelings might be hurt by today¡¯s event. In other times, it would have been fine, but these days, I was in the middle of working on the script. It wasn¡¯t long before the first broadcast, so I was in a very sensitive state. But fortunately, thanks to Do-wook, writer Jeong Eun-soo seemed to be in a good mood. There was a reason why director Mi-jeong Kwon wanted to meet Do-wook with writer Eun-soo Jeong at a time when she was busy. ¡°Are you thinking about appearing in a drama? So, let¡¯s meet¡­¡± Director Kwon Mi-jeong spoke openly. It was because I thought that if Dowook, who is also an actor, asked to meet, it would be for an obvious reason. Dowook said, shaking his hand. ¡°no! no. I contacted you because I was really a fan and wanted to meet you. I had no idea that you would be busy as you were writing the script. sorry.¡± Director Kwon Mi-jeong looked puzzled at Do-wook¡¯s words. ¡°Isn¡¯t it true?¡± ¡°yes. no.¡± I was even more puzzled because Dowook seemed sincere. Of course, Dowook was sincere. I had absolutely no intention of asking to appear. Now is the time to focus on KK¡¯s activities, not the time to go into drama alone. ¡°It¡¯s a shame.¡± ¡°yes?¡± Do-wook asked what writer Jeong Eun-soo said as if he was wondering what she meant. ¡°Actually, both I and Director Kwon here are fans of Do-wook. ¡°While watching Do-wook¡¯s debut film, I wondered where director Shin Yun-ho brought a friend like that¡­. He¡¯s an idol.¡± ¡°Oh yes¡­.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know much about idols. Well, it was just like that until then, but I also saw ¡®Blue Whale¡¯. ¡°I know someone who is a cinephile, so we saw him at a small theater together, and he was so different that I thought he was the same actor I saw in ¡®Get Ready.¡¯¡± ¡°thank you.¡± ¡°First of all, if you want to be the male lead in my drama, your face is important, and your face is the star. ¡°I think it would be great if Do-wook did it.¡± Do-wook simply thanked writer Jeong Eun-soo for his praise. Dowook was truly dumbfounded. Writer Jeong Eun-soo was a writer who would be even better in the future. Thebel of a snobbish writer, which is now attached to him, was short-lived. If a series of dramas with viewership ratings exceeding 50% was a hit, it would no longer be able to bebeled as such. Increasingly, the world of author Eunsoo Jeong¡¯s work captures both fun and depth. It was because I had no idea that writer Jeong Eun-soo would keep an eye on Do-wook. ¡®Really¡­¡­.. Every day is a different life. ¡®My life is bing more than I dream of.¡¯ Do-wook thought to himself in admiration. ¡°Oh, our writer Jeong actually has a drama he¡¯s been nning for a long time?¡± ¡°Is that so? What¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m not at the stage to say it yet, but since we¡¯ve seen each other and we get along well, it would be nice if we could work together in the future.¡± Team leader Sim Jun and Do-wook nodded at Director Kwon Mi-jeong¡¯s words. ¡°Please contact me anytime. ¡°I definitely want to appear in writer Jeong¡¯s drama.¡± Director Kwon Yi-jeong and writer Jeong Eun-soo¡¯s expressions brightened at Do-wook¡¯s words. Actually, I wanted to cast him in ¡®Heirs¡¯, but Do-wook¡¯s casting was canceled due to problems with the investor. It was Director Kwon Mi-jeong who I really regretted at that time. Director Kwon Mi-jeong and writer Jeong Eun-soo were veterans who had been doing this work for quite some time. Although Do-wook has already be a star, we can be sure that he will be even more sessful in the future. I had a desire to catch it before that. Therefore, I was very happy when Do-wook contacted me first. It was because I fell in love with movies after watching an art film and was worried that I might not move on to dramas like some other actors. While eating, we exchanged stories about dramas and singers that we don¡¯t know much about, creating a friendly atmosphere. While talking about going to the U.S. to work with LIL, Shim Jun, the head of the album production team, talked about the differences in technology and treatment of technicians. Likewise, in the drama industry, he said that there was a big difference from the American drama market, and a consensus was formed as people in the entertainment industry. When the story ripened, Team Leader Sim Jun brought up the story. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m a fan of writer Jeong Eun-soo¡¯s dramas, so even if I can¡¯t appear in the drama, I still want to work together somehow.¡± Director Mi-jeong Kwon¡¯s eyebrows slightly raised at Team Leader Sim Jun¡¯s words. I thought there must have been a separate main topic. However, he pretended not to know and asked fussily what it was. ¡°Oh my, what is it? ¡°It would be nice if we could do anything together.¡± ¡°That OST¡­.¡± ¡°Ah¡­.¡± As soon as the word OST came out, Director Kwon Mi-jeong¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°I¡¯m still upset because of that. You may know this, but there are so many people willing to dip their feet into it. So much? ¡°It¡¯s salty.¡± At Director Kwon Mi-jeong¡¯s words, Team Leader Sim Jun¡¯s expression darkened slightly. After thinking for a while, Director Mijeong Kwon continued. It was absolutely no loss if KK participated in the OST. ¡°Plus, this time, there¡¯s a separate song that even writer Jeong is pushing¡­ I think that might be the main theme¡­ If it¡¯s okay if it¡¯s not necessarily the main theme¡­¡± When director Kwon Mi-jeong became slurred, writer Jeong Eun-soo also helped. ¡°I know. There¡¯s a song I¡¯m obsessed with this time, so I¡¯m nning on contacting them tomorrow. ¡°I wish you had contacted me a little sooner.¡± Writer Jeong Eun-soo spoke with regret, but Do-wook replied that it was okay and asked. ¡°What kind of song is it?¡± ¡°Oh, Mr. Do-wook will know the song better, so would you like to listen to it? He¡¯s a neer, so I rmend it, but I also have some concerns.¡± Writer Jeong Eun-soo took out her cell phone and opened a music yer app. Soon, music that writer Jeong Eun-soo was obsessed with started ying. Chapter 158 # 159 Forever (1) The song started with piano apaniment and progressed rhythmically and powerfully. The melody of the chorus was also powerful. Even though I only had a rough guide, the melody was so clear that I wanted to add lyrics to the repeated refrain. It was also a good melody to be yed at important moments in dramas when the male and female protagonists meet. ¡°Oh¡­¡­.is thisposed and sung by a rookie? I think it would suit the writer¡¯s drama very well, right? The song is really good. ¡°I really want to be introduced!¡± After hearing the song, team leader Shim Jun momentarily forgot that he had to win the main theme for the OST and spoke with pure admiration. As soon as I heard it, I felt that it was a good song and that it was a very popr song. It seemed like someone whoposed songs of this level could easilypose a song that would be included in a Hit Entertainment singer¡¯s album. Plus, the tone was just as good as Do-wook¡¯s. Even just listening to the rough guide, thefortable tone and pitch were excellent. ¡°Oh my, since an expert said that, I really believe it. really.¡± Director Kwon Mi-jeong nodded and said. Writer Jeong Eun-soo answered with a proud expression. ¡°Maybe he¡¯s a new singer¡­ I think so. ¡°Actually, it was sent to me via email by a fan of mine.¡± ¡°A fan?¡± ¡°Yes, a while ago, I saw an article about ¡®The Sessors¡¯ in the email and I heard that Iposed and sang it myself¡­¡± Writer Jeong Eun-soo continued. ¡°Honestly, at first, I thought it would be quicker to send something like a song to thepany. I¡¯m not really interested in OST¡­ so thepanies do it themselves. But I couldn¡¯t help but listen to what he sent me as a fan, so I listened to it.¡± ¡°I liked it so much. It matches the atmosphere of the drama. It¡¯s like watching a drama. Writer Jeong is pushing it, and the music director also said he likes it¡­ so I¡¯ll have to give it a go first.¡± Director Kwon Mi-jeong said in a resigned tone. The actors¡¯ agencies, investmentpanies, and broadcastingpanies were all in a hurry to somehow include a song in the OST album, but the main theme song was handed over to a rookie who did not even know it. As a result, if the song was good and had a positive effect on the drama, Hwa & Su productionpany would not hesitate. However, director Mi-jeong Kwon was having a hard time meeting the demands of writer Eun-soo Jeong. ¡°I¡­¡­¡± Do-wook, who had been quietly listening, spoke up. The eyes of the three people who were talking to each other turned to Dowook at once. Dowook said with a slightly embarrassed and embarrassed expression. ¡°I¡­ this is the email I sent¡­¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes widened at Do-wook¡¯s words. ¡°Oh my!¡± The first to notice the situation was Director Kwon Mi-jeong. The person who was most fascinated was Team Leader Sim Jun. This was because it was something that Team Leader Sim Jun had no idea about. ¡°Yes¡­ your song?¡± Dowook smiled shyly and nodded. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Team Leader Sim Jun was so entranced that he let out several exmations. There was also a shock that he didn¡¯t know it was Do-wook even after listening to the song he guided, having produced albums with Do-wook¡¯s voice since his debut. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t tell you. ¡°I sent it to the author as a fan¡­ I had no idea the author liked it this much¡­¡± Writer Jeong Eun-soo also responded in a daze to Do-wook¡¯s words. ¡°ah! I¡¯m nning to reply tomorrow¡­ But is this Do-wook¡¯s song? Oh my god, I really didn¡¯t know. It¡¯s so amazing. For some reason, I really liked the song. ¡°I heard Do-wook is good atposing music, and it¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Ho Ho. So, you really have so much talent!¡± Director Kwon Mi-jeong almost apuded in praise. Do-wook, who decided to participate in the OST of ¡®Heirs¡¯, asked team leader Sim Jun to meet with the productionpany of ¡®Heirs¡¯. Afterwards, while waiting for the meeting, I thought of the drama ¡®Heirs¡¯ that I watched the other day. Dowook also didn¡¯t watch the entire episode, but he had enjoyable memories of watching episodes 1 through 8. At the time, the OST wasn¡¯t that famous, so it didn¡¯te to mind, but the popr scenes from ¡®Heirs¡¯ immediately came to mind. It was the scene where the male protagonist meets the female protagonist for the first time in the blue sea and the scene where they confess. Thinking about those scenes, I could easily figure out what kind of song I shouldpose. Dowook thought he couldn¡¯t wait for a call from the productionpany. The drama was about to air, and OST work could also be in progress. ¡®I have to try something¡­¡¯ Dowook¡¯s current desire to work on an OST was not necessarily about filling KK¡¯s gap. If KK were to record the OST for ¡®Heirs¡¯ and the results were not bad, KK would be recognized in the OST market. If KK members could consistently participate in OST work, it would be of great help in many ways in the long term. With many thoughts in his mind, Do-wook worked on the song in his spare time and sent it to writer Jeong Eun-soo by email. I wondered if writer Eunsoo Jeong would listen to the song, but I also thought that if she did, she would probably like it. ¡®It is true that writer Jeong Eun-soo already worked on the song knowing the content of the drama he wanted to write¡­ so it is an advantage. ¡®If writer Jeong Eun-soo would listen¡­¡¯ Although there was no case where the writer directly participated in the OST, it was calcted that if writer Jeong Eun-soo liked it, it would definitely be advantageous. The reason I didn¡¯t reveal that I was KK was because I wanted to appeal to the fact that Iposed the song purely as a fan. In fact, this song was a song that naturally came to Do-wook¡¯s mind while thinking of ¡®Heirs¡¯ before he thought of sending the e-mail, so the contents of the e-mail were half true. However, there was no reply from writer Jeong Eun-soo who checked the email. Dowook was a little disappointed, but he thought there was nothing he could do. Writer Jeong Eun-soo may have only read the email and not listened to the song, and since it was her first timeposing an OST song, there may have been many shorings. I was fortunate that the productionpany responded at that time, offering me a position. The original n was to win an OST song under the name of ¡®K.K.¡¯ Therefore, I couldn¡¯t help but feel sad when I heard director Mi-jeong Kwon say that it would be difficult for KK to take the main theme song because writer Eun-soo Jeong had a different song she liked. ¡®Isn¡¯t it possible¡­¡¯ What came to Do-wook¡¯s despondent ears was a song he hadposed. Perhaps because he recorded the guide in a hasty manner in his room at the office instead of recording in a studio in the office, his voice was difficult to hear, and even team leader Shim Jun didn¡¯t know it was his own voice. ¡°If the owner of this song is Mr. Do-wook and K.K. sings it¡­ I don¡¯t think there will be any objection from the broadcastingpany, right?¡± ¡°oh. Of course, writer Jeong. ¡°I just need to appease a few agencies.¡± Writer Jeong Eun-soo had a close rtionship with director Kwon Mi-jeong, to the point where she called her sister. Director Mi-jeong Kwon was the one who guided Eun-soo Jeong from the time she was a new writer to where she is now. At the two people¡¯s words, Team Leader Sim Jun¡¯s mouth opened wide and his face smiled. I felt like the matter had been resolved in one go with Do-wook¡¯s unexpected email. It was said that Do-wook would have contacted me anyway if I had just waited, but what was revealed here was very dramatic. It was clear that this position would have brought Do-wook perfectly into the eyes of writer Jeong Eun-soo. ¡°Oh, but how did you write this song? I thought I had read the sessors script. Was it leaked?¡± Writer Jeong Eun-soo asked Do-wook cheerfully. It wasn¡¯t a bad lie, but Dowook hesitated a little before answering. ¡°Ah¡­ I just saw the character introduction¡­¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s really amazing. The more I see. ¡°If I appear in Writer Jung¡¯s dramater, will you write a song for me too?¡± The atmosphere became even more cordial as Do-wook responded that he understood what Director Kwon Mi-jeong said. *** ¡®Heirs¡¯ first broadcast date. The KK members sat around in front of the television in their dorm. It had been a long time since all six of us had gathered together to watch television. An advertisement was ying on television. As expected, since it was a drama written by writer Jeong Eun-soo, there were a lot of advertisements, so the advertisements continued to appear. ¡°When watching a drama, at least eat a chicken¡­.¡± ¡°Use it.¡± Ahn Hyeong-seo, who had brought up the topic of chicken, immediately shut his mouth when Director Oh Baek-ho shouted. Ahn Hyeong-seo was definitely gaining energy as theeback date approached. My bodypletely improved, my neck condition recovered, and I was able to record the ¡®Heirs¡¯ OST without difficulty. ¡°There¡¯s less than a month left until oureback, so I need to take care of my body.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Ahn Hyeong-seo responded, pretending to be sullen, but Director Oh Baek-ho was not one to fall for something like that. ¡®There are exactly 23 days left¡­.¡¯ Do-wook thought again, his gaze turned toward the television. Theeback date, which seemed like it would nevere, was getting close enough that we had to count down D-DAY. In the meantime, the KK members worked hard to prepare for theireback, spending all their time in the practice room except for recording their own programs. The choreography, which was difficult to follow at first, has now be so perfect that no matter how many times it is done, the movements are not wrong. The recording of the title song had already beenpleted, so they were currently practicing live with MR on. The choreography was difficult, so performing live was definitely not easy. ¡°uh! Let¡¯s begin! wow!¡± Kim Won shouted. After themercial, the broadcastingpany¡¯s logo appeared, and the first episode of ¡®Heirs¡¯ began. From the beginning, it was an eye-catching scene with the California beach in the background. Joo Min-ho, who ys the shirtless male protagonist, yed beach volleyball with beauties on a dazzlingly blue beach. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Kim Won and other members¡¯ mouths naturally opened. Of course, it wasn¡¯t because of Joo Min-ho¡¯s strong muscr body. It was because of the Western beauties ying beach volleyball together. ¡°Close your mouth, close your mouth.¡± Jeong Yoon-gi closed the chin of Kim Won, who was sitting next to him, with his hand and scolded him. Jeong Yoon-gi¡¯s pupils wererger than usual for a moment, but he came to his senses the fastest. Afterwards, the content of the ¡®sessors¡¯ that Do-wook also knew continued. Watching the scene reminded me of a drama I watched before. When there was a scene where the poor female protagonist, who lives a hard life working part-time, was crying alone near where the male protagonist lived, Seok Ji-hoon shook his head and said to himself. ¡°You¡¯re really pretty when you cry. ¡°That older sister has been this pretty ever since she was young.¡± Hyungseo Ahn asked with shining eyes. ¡°Hey, what is it, youngest! ¡°Do you know that beautiful woman?¡± ¡°We yed child roles together.¡± ¡°It¡¯s different as expected. Child actor¡­¡± As I watched it, it was thest scene. The male protagonist found the female protagonist crying with a sad face and grabbed her hand. The ending was in a scene where the female protagonist looks at the male protagonist, startled by his hand suddenly snatching him away. And along with the ending, the ¡®Say It¡¯ OST of ¡®Heirs¡¯ sung by KK was yed. The KK members concentrated for a moment. Tell me you like me ¨C I¡¯ll tell you I love you ¨C Tell me you only see me ¨C Do-wook and Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s voices singing in harmony were incorporated into the drama. Immediately after, Jung Yoon-ki¡¯s rap continued and subtitles came out. -The Heirs OST ¡®Tell Me¡¯ (K.K.) will be released at midnight today on Pineapple Music. Along with reactions to the drama, reactions to KK¡¯s OST also began to be posted on the Inte. Director Oh Baek-ho checked his cell phone and spoke to the members. ¡°The music video filming location has been decided.¡± While watching the trailer, the members¡¯ heads, who were soaked in the lingering feelings of the drama and the OST song they sang, turned towards Manager Oh Baek-ho. Director Oh Baek-ho¡¯s expression was not good. Director Oh Baek-ho would also go to the filming location with KK members. ¡°You guys seem to be in big trouble now?¡± Chapter 159 # 160 Forever (2) *** [As expected, it¡¯s Jeong Eun-soo! ¡®Heirs¡¯ first broadcast viewership rating: 15%] [Chaebol again? This time it will be a little different.. Smooth start amidst concerns about ¡®Heirs¡¯] [KK¡¯s participation in ¡®Heirs¡¯ OST good results along with the ¡®Tell Me¡¯ drama!] [KK did it again! Sessors OST music chart soaring] [The moment when Joo Min-ho?Kim Shin-ae held hands! Highest viewer rating 16.3%] [Women¡¯s hearts are shaken by the reveal of top star Joo Min-ho¡¯s abs!] [Joo Min-ho, Kim Shin-ae, Park Jung-bin, and even Lee Jennie¡­ ¡®Sessors¡¯ young stars are all gathered!] [Joo Min-ho and Kim Shin-ae¡¯s ending scene, KK¡¯s ¡®Tell Me¡¯ is everything I did it!] ¨C Sessors are really fun hahahaha ¨C It¡¯s so cringy¡­ why are you watching something like this¡­ hahahaha I can¡¯t watch it because my level is low ¨C Your level is even lower ??? ¨C It depends on people¡¯s tastes hahahahaha ¨C Writer Jeong¡¯s anyway. It¡¯s obvious, but you can see how they¡¯re pouring cold water on the viewer. You don¡¯t have to look. -But this time, it¡¯s even worse than the others. Haha. ¨C Wow, during the line (At Satan¡¯s school¡­. Gabriel¡¯s appearance¡­.) What the hell is this? It¡¯s really shocking ¨C yes. crane. go. etc!!!!! -The actor who did the narration should be given an award haha ¨C I admit this line was really hard for me too ¨C It¡¯s true that it¡¯s cringy, but I enjoy seeing the faces of handsome men and women ¨C Still, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any writer who writes this in a fun way every time hahaha ¨C This is the first episode, so I¡¯ll have to watch it in the future. It¡¯s definitely fun! Haha ¨C There are so many heart-pounding points~~~????? I also like KK¡¯s song~~??? ¨C KK¡¯s OST is really great!!! -say it! It came out just right, and the voice was so good that I was really impressed. But it was a KK song, and now they¡¯re even doing an OST, so it¡¯s going well! -I¡¯ve been waiting for KK oppas¡¯eback, so it¡¯s great to hear their voices like this! -Really..?? I hope ites out quickly??! -¡´¡´¡´Tell me, please stream it so I can rise up the music chart ranking¡µ¡µ¡µ -Joo Min-ho is a good guy -Isn¡¯t Kang Do-wook also acting in KK? It would have been appropriate even if they had been sessors this time ¨C Look, there are already actors who are acting well, but I think it was a careless remark ¨C No hahahaha why are you being so sensitive? Hahaha, there¡¯s no mention of what kind of role it would be good to go in hahaha How can this bepared haha ¨C the part where I don¡¯t know what it means to be careless??;; -Kang Do-wook¡¯s drama Deodorizing~~~~ -What does deodorizing mean? I heard that the Winter Olympics will be held in Sochi -Grandpa ..?? Wish came true..?? -It seems like it¡¯s been a while since I sang a KK song! May it rise to #1 on the music charts! -KAK, what are you doing these days? Writer Jeong Eun-soo¡¯s ¡®Sessors¡¯ did not seem to be as popr as previous works, but it was expected to easily surpass the 20% viewership rating. What was as good as the viewer ratings for ¡®Heirs¡¯ was the poprity of the OST ¡®Tell Me¡¯ sung by KK. Even people who don¡¯t watch the drama clicked on it with the thought that it was ¡®K.K.¡¯ that they could trust and listen to, and it entered the music charts at number 2. As the broadcast continued, the poprity of ¡®Tell Me¡¯ grew, and it was stillpeting with bad singer Heo Geon¡¯s song for first or second ce on the music charts. It was a performance that was enough to soothe the hearts of KK members who were anxious that their next album might not do well ahead of theireback. And that time. KK stood in the middle of the desert, leaving behind fans looking for them in Korea. *** ¡°Is it a big deal?¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Music video shooting¡­ You said the concept changedst time, right?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. We couldn¡¯t go to the concept revision meeting. I heard it only increases in scale. Where is it? Are you going abroad at least?!¡± ¡°But bro, what¡¯s the big deal¡­¡± When Manager Oh Baek-ho announced that the music video filming location had been decided, the KK members rushed to ask. The previous music video concept was to film using mirrors and water to express the youthful passion and sweat and continuous effort contained in the title song. First of all, we were nning to create a mirror room covered in mirrors. I tried to convey the message that ¡®it continues¡¯ by showing scenes where shapes appear endlessly and repeatedly like a maze. The main technique was to express the appearance more beautifully by adding sparkling effects with lighting and CG. The scene where the members dance with 1cm of water spread on the ss floor against a background that feels like the Milky Way was selected as the main scene to show the group dance of the chorus. It seemed like various scenes could be captured with the water sshing. However, as theeback schedule was postponed, the fan-marketing team and album production team held a new meeting with an outsourced music video filmingpany. Under the direction of production director Kwon Heung-jo, it was decided to further expand the music video. Now that we have ample capital and time, Director Kwon Heung-jo¡¯s idea was to invest more in music videos, which can be said to be our business card, as we aim to enter the global market. Since the members said the scale would berger, they thought about filming in arger studio with more expensive equipment. ¡°Wow¡­¡± However, the ce the members arrived was Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The members, who arrived in Dubai 14 hours after being put on a ne and making a stopover, could not help but be entranced. Just like in New York, there was apletely differentndscape from Korea. The members were overwhelmed by the gorgeous high-rise building, which was so spectacr that no matter how much they tilted their heads, they could not see everything. The music video filming team was scheduled to arrive on a different ne the next day. To manage their condition, the members stayed at a hotel in the center of Dubai and took a one-day vacation. The spacious hotel room was located on the 72nd floor, and the room on the 72nd floor had a panoramic view of the city of Dubai through floor-to-ceiling ss. The hotel rooms themselves were all equipped with thetest facilities and were very nice. The weather in Dubai was very hot with strong sunlight, but that was only outside, and inside the hotel room it was like heaven. Rolling around on soft beds, the members drank tropical fruit juice and went to the hotel pool to swim, enjoying a break as if they were on vacation rather than filming a music video. Until then, other than the fact that I was tired because the flight was long, I had no idea what Director Oh Baek-ho meant by the ¡®big deal¡¯ he was talking about. This was because Director Oh Baek-ho avoided exining the content of the music video, saying that he could listen to a detailed exnation when the director came. And the next day. All staff, including the music video filming team, coordinators in charge of makeup and costumes, and severalpany employees, arrived. Afterpleting preparations, the KK members headed to the filming location early in the morning in the local guide¡¯s car. The members were full of anticipation and had searched for possible locations to film the music video on the Inte the day before. ¡°Madinat Souk? Are you going there? Are you filming there?!¡± Hyungseo Ahn asked in an excited voice. Madinat Souk was a famous tourist destination in Dubai that I visited yesterday. Just by looking at one picture, you¡¯ll think ¡®Middle East!¡¯ It was a ce that gave me that feeling. It seemed like filming a music video with that ce in the background would create an exotic and mysterious atmosphere. In response to Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s question, the other members also looked at Jo Soo-seok¡¯s director Choi, who exined the contents of the music video. Director Choi was the director in charge of filming the music video for this title song. This was director Choi, who previously filmed the music video for ¡®Howl¡¯. At the time, the music video was filmed using a one-take technique, bringing out the rhythmic choreography of ¡®Howl¡¯ well. Thepany decided that Director Choi was the right person to direct this music video, as they needed to capitalize on KK¡¯s sensuous and splendid performance. In fact, Director Choi was a person who produced sophisticated creations worthy of the 21st century, but in reality he gave off the air of a third-rate film director. Therefore, when filming the music video for ¡®Howl¡¯, the members had to film with doubts, wondering, ¡®Is that director really¡­¡¯ The result was very sensuous, unlike Director Choi¡¯s actual appearance. Thanks to this, the members no longer had to worry about the quality of the music video even though Director Choi looked like a fashion terrorist wearing a shabby jumper and hiking pants. Director Choi answered Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s question slyly, touching the end of the old cap he was wearing. ¡°It¡¯s not? Today¡¯s photoshoot is in the desert! ¡°Did you say Director Oh didn¡¯t exin it?¡± ¡°yes?¡± It was Taehyung Park who was surprised to hear the word desert and asked. Taehyung Park was even more surprised at his question and covered his mouth. The sound seemed toe out of my mouth first because I was surprised. ¡°desert! Just think about it! Vast and mysterious¡­! ¡°How great is nature!¡± ¡°yes? What is that¡­¡± Director Choi¡¯s untimely praise of the desert made even Do-wook ask what he meant. Only then did Director Choi properly exin Do-wook¡¯s question. ¡°I¡¯m going to capture such a beautiful scene and the image of KK dancing dynamically and sweating in it!¡± Jeong Yoon-gi was already leaning his forehead against the window with his eyes closed. It was as if he had predicted his future. The other members opened their eyes in disbelief and gave expressions of ¡®probably not.¡¯ Seok Ji-hoon shook his head. ¡°A¡­ in the desert?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right~!¡± When Director Choi shouted loudly, Muhammad, who was acting as a local guide and driver, looked surprised, and Director Choi said, ¡®Not that bad!¡¯ and reassured Muhammad in poor English. The car carrying the members, who were surprised by the sudden desert filming, arrived in the desert of Dubai. I thought the word ¡®mangmangdaehae¡¯ was only used for the sea, but it was ¡®mangmangdaesa (ɳ)¡¯. The first sight of the desert was as vast and beautiful as Director Choi said. But that was only for a moment. The hot sun was burning brightly on the top of my head. The members wore different outfits and stood in a line to confirm their location. Even though I only stood there for a moment, sweat was rolling down my forehead. In addition, it was difficult to even move a few steps to fit into formation. Every time I moved, my feet sank into the sand and my shoes quickly became covered in sand. Jeong Yoon-gi, who is weak in the heat, stood helplessly, fanning his hands without even thinking about moving. ¡°What is all this about¡­¡± Ahn Hyeong-seo muttered nkly. ¡°Isn¡¯t something like this usually done with CG? ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that cost less money than this?¡± For the first time in a long time, Seok Ji-hoonpletely agreed with Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s words. It was hard to think about what this was all about. The coordinator came over and once again touched up my sweaty makeup. ¡°Oop sand sand went in. sister!¡± Kim Won, who was opening his mouth while applying lip product, was in an uproar because sand got into his mouth. It was crazy to see them spitting out sand. It felt like sand was getting into our mouths and nostrils every time the wind blew, which made all the members feel ufortable. It felt like my eyes were stinging, so I kept rubbing them, but every time I did that, Cody said it would remove my eye makeup. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s possible to dance here¡­¡± Taehyung Park said while moving his body. Do-wook, who was next to him, looked at Tae-hyung Park with concern. The person with the lightest body here was Taehyung Park. If Park Taehyung was in an environment where he couldn¡¯t dance, there was no need for the other members to say anything. ¡°Will it be difficult?¡± When Dowook asked worriedly, Taehyung Park, who was moving a little more, answered. ¡°You can jump¡­ but just on the floor¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯ll probably be difficult.¡± Dowook nodded. It must have been a decision made after much deliberation by thepany and the music video team. If I thought it was impossible, I wouldn¡¯t have even tried, so it wasn¡¯t impossible. ¡®But¡­¡¯ Do-wook thought. The filming team was busy preparing for filming. After the rehearsal, we had to hurry to get pictures of KK performing the choreography just in time for the sunset. Just moving the equipment took a lot of effort. The staff all rolled up their sleeves and wrapped their faces in towels and set up their filming equipment in the desert. Preparing to prevent sand from entering the equipment was also a task. ¡°and. Gazelle!¡± ¡°what? Where, where!¡± Meanwhile, three gazelles were caught by Kim Won. The members¡¯ gaze turned toward the gazelle. The slender gazelles quickly disappeared across the desert. ¡°It¡¯s amazing, but¡­¡± Jeong Yoon-gi muttered helplessly, wiping the sweat from his forehead. Dowook also nodded. It was such a beautiful ce that I couldn¡¯t even imagine what kind of picture I would get. The problem was that it was beautiful to look at, but not beautiful to dance with. ¡®Really¡­¡­. Will it be possible to beautifully include dancing in a music video?¡¯ Amid the worry, a loud voice rang out announcing Director Choi¡¯s standby for filming. Chapter 160 # 161 Forever (3) That¡¯s how filming began. The title song of KK¡¯s 4th full-length album was ¡®Continue¡¯. What message can KK, who has now reached the top level in the country, deliver to those who like them and live with them in the same era? Dowook and other members and the album production team put a lot of thought into that part. From debut until now, KK has ced more importance on the message that can be conveyed to those in theirte teens and early 20s, who are KK¡¯s peers and who will mainly consume KK¡¯s songs, rather than simple love song lyricsmonly sung by singers in the music industry. I sang about the dreams and passion of those wavering and wandering youth. However, it was absurd for KK, who had already achieved her dream to some extent, to continue singing about wavering and wandering youth. So the message we decided on was ¡®It will continue.¡¯ ¡®I still have the passion to reach higher ground and I will continue there with you.¡¯ ¡®We never end.¡¯ ¡®Even if we fall, even if people tell us to stop, we keep running.¡¯ Depending on the interpretation, the lyrics could be about KK¡¯s aspirations for the world or about the rtionship between KK and her fans. Simply looking at the lyrics, it could be interpreted as a love story between lovers who hit the wall of the world. The interlude of ¡®Continue¡¯ yed. It was a very grand sound from the beginning. However, unlike the sound in the song, the actual sound was very quiet. If it had been a studio shoot, the song would have been yed so loudly that my ears would ring, and the shooting would have been done while I was intoxicated with the song. However, the sound equipment brought to the desert could not have been good. The music was going to be added anyway, so as long as the members could listen to the song and do the choreography, that was enough. If you brought an expensive speaker and it breaks down due to sand getting in, it would be a disaster. In that sense, the filming team had prepared protective gear for their equipment even before it left Sangh. Although the sound was barely audible, as soon as the song started, the members took their posture and looked at the camera without blinking their eyes, as if they had been suffocated by a sandstorm. As promised during rehearsal, the cinematographer began capturing each member in order, starting with a close-up of Do-wook¡¯s face on the far left. Judging that it would not be possible to use it otherwise, the cinematographer hung the support bar and camera on his chest to capture a close-up image while moving. The goal of this shoot was to go without as many NGs as possible. Time was limited as we had to capture a group dance scene at sunset, but the members were not the only ones who had difficulty making NGs. Filming this music video was as difficult for the staff as it was for the members. ¡°Okay, nice look! That¡¯s right! ¡°More close-ups!¡± Director Choi shouted while monitoring the filming screen. As a veteran of music video shooting who has worked with Director Choi for a long time, the cinematographer was able to capture the movements during rehearsal without error. The cinematographer¡¯s assistant stood behind him, his feet stuck in the sand, clinging to him as if he were still steady, and suggested which direction to take. The members and staff were filming with one mind and one mind. The current filming was the intro scene. Almost the intention of starting with a strong impression was expressed as is. ¡°First of all, since your face is so strong, you can eat it for nothing~!¡± Director Choi smiled with satisfaction, thinking that it was an excellent choice to use Do-wook¡¯s face against the backdrop of the desert as the first scene of the music video storyboard he created. ¡°Cut! only once! Let¡¯s go one more time~!¡± Director Choi shouted and gave each member a little more direction. ¡°Taehyung, do you think you could look a little stronger? And leader! The leader tilts his head slightly to the right! ¡°It looks sharper on the screen that way!¡± One more close-up shot was taken. Next was the full shot just before moving from the intro to the song. Drones were used as equipment, and four-wheel drive vehicles with open tops were also used. A drone filmed the hugendscape of the desert from above and the KK members in it. Then, a cinematographer in a four-wheel drive vehicle quickly drove around KK and filmed the members standing in the desert. Even after just filming the intro, the members were able to predict that the scale of this music video would be enormous, as Director Choi assured. ¡®It will be a music video that willst a long time.¡¯ Dowook thought. Although the members themselves were filmed without much movement, just standing in poses and making good facial expressions, their outfits were drenched in sweat. The cinematographer who was carrying the camera seemed to be already feeling dehydration symptoms. A short break was given. Still, it could be said that the intro filming went smoothly. The next shoot was a group dance shoot for the chorus of ¡®Continue¡¯. The filming equipment was installed in front of the members. It was a photoshoot that captured the members dancing in a group dance. Even when filming music videos in a studio, group dance filming involved more NGs than individual filming. This was because if one person was wrong, they had to go again. ¡®You will be able to do it.¡¯ Do-wook strengthened his resolve in his mind as he thought about the preparations for this group dance scene on the sand. Although it was a short period of time, the members still found a way to synchronize their group dance on the sand to some extent by adjusting their movements and preparing. Taehyung Park¡¯s contribution was great. Taehyung Park, who was worried about whether he could dance, realized that he needed to y the song at about 1.2x speed in order to keep everyone on beat. Even if you dance to the anchor, since you are dancing on sand, the speed of the dance inevitably slows down. The problem was that each individual¡¯s body¡¯s reaction speed was different, so the group dance became different. Taehyung Park¡¯s opinion was that if you try to move your body at 1.2 times the speed to the song, only then will you be able to dance properly. It was Do-wook whoplemented Park Tae-hyung¡¯s opinion. If you try to move at a speed of 1.2 times, it will naturally put a lot of strain on your physical strength and make it difficult to capture the details of the dance. So Do-wook conversely suggested dancing to the song yed at 0.8x speed. What was important was the uracy of the dance. If filmed at 0.8x speed, it would be like on sand, but if the members put in a little effort, they would be able to pull off all the movements urately. Led by apanying choreographers Noh Tae-hyun and Park Tae-hyung, the members practiced the song at 1.2x speed, 1x speed, 0.8x speed, etc. and studied how to best dance together even on sand. When dancing at 0.8x speed, the uracy of the movements improved. Of course, there were cases where some people kept moving their arms at a fast pace, but I had no choice but to be careful while filming this part. After filming at 0.8x speed, getting it in sync with the actual song was an editing problem. After listening to Do-wook¡¯s exnation, Director Choi readily gave an OK sign, telling him not to worry about that. ¡°How about three?¡± ¡°uh?¡± Ahn Hyeong-seo, who was quietly getting his makeup touched up next to Do-wook, asked as if he didn¡¯t know what he was talking about. ¡°I thought it would be good to at least make a bet¡­¡± Dowook said, smiling softly. It was true that it felt a little burdensome to think about doing the choreography myself. Do-wook¡¯s thought was that the other members would be more burdened than Do-wook, not less burdensome. So, I wanted to cheer up the members who were probably worried. ¡°bet?¡± Jeong Yoon-gi showed interest and asked about the word ¡°bet.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bet to guess how many takes will bepleted. ¡°The person whose number is furthest from the actual number loses.¡± ¡°If you bet, you don¡¯t get it.¡± Jeong Yoon-gi, who quickly understood Do-wook¡¯s intentions, expressed his intention to actively participate in the bet. Hyungseo Ahn¡¯s expression also brightened. ¡°Oh great! good! What should I bet?!¡± When Ahn Hyeong-seo announced his intention to participate, Kim Won, who was practicing his arm movements behind him, naturally stretched out his arm and held out his hand. ¡°me too!¡± When Kim Won participated, Park Tae-hyung and Seok Ji-hoon also automatically participated. ¡°Then the person who lost the bet¡­ should we have ate-night snack during practice?¡± Dowook suggested. Ate-night snack during practice was nothing more than a piece of chicken. Even when the members ate at the dorm, the standard was one chicken per person, but during practice, the members of the dance team were also included. So, it was a suggestion I made because I thought it could be the subject of a bet. However, Seok Ji-hoon, the youngest, crossed his arms, rested his chin, and shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s too weak.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ huh? is it?¡± Even Dowook was momentarily embarrassed and asked back. ¡°under. ¡°Let¡¯s share the bizarre photos we took on our phones on our fan cafe.¡± As expected, the youngest was strong. It was clear that he had be stronger through the numerous entertainment penalties he faced while filming ¡¯48 Hours Camping¡¯. The other members also had a sad look in their eyes for a moment, as if they felt a greater psychological burden from having their bizarre photos published on the fan cafe than shootingte-night snacks. Once it was revealed, it was for life. It was a bizarre photo that would follow me for the rest of my life. ¡°Good good good!¡± Kim Won shouted and Do-wook also nodded. Hyungseo Ahn was the first to suggest the number of times. ¡°I¡­ um, not five times!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t intentionally make a mistake just to win your bet.¡± ¡°What does this guy really think of me?¡± Ahn Hyeong-seo red at Jeong Yoon-gi. ¡°There is a man named Gao. I¡¯m betting I¡¯ll finish it in one go!¡± ¡°omg. ¡°I¡¯m so anxious to lose¡­ because I want to reveal bizarre photos!¡± While Ahn Hyeong-seo and Jeong Yoon-gi were bickering, the other members also decided the number of times one by one. The coordinator who was helping me fix my makeup wrote down the information on my phone. [Kang Do-wook (3) Ahn Hyeong-seo (5) Jeong Yoon-gi (1) Kim Won (2) Park Tae-hyung (6) Seok Ji-hoon (7)] Hoping to finish filming quickly regardless of the bet, the members gathered together and shouted slogans. Filming resumed with slogans. Director Choi shouted, standing behind the camera. ¡°Even if one person is wrong, we will cover it somehow through editing! ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much!¡± The KK members, who were standing at an angle with an air of solemnity for filming due to Director Choi¡¯s nonsensical Inte speaking style, were exhausted and burst intoughter. The sun that was hovering over the top of my head slowly went down, and the sand was already turning red. The chorus of ¡®Continue¡¯ yed at 0.8x speed from the simple speaker. It was thanks to practice that it was possible to dance such difficult choreography in any situation. The KK members worked hard and prepared for theireback without missing a single day, from the time the song and choreography came out to the present day. It was a time of constant effort. *** KK¡¯s amodation a week before hereback. The members were all gathered in front of theputer in the living room. A concept teaser was scheduled to be released starting at midnight the day after tomorrow. Before that, the members had agreed to post bizarre photos ording to the results of the bet. ¡°Okay¡­ then it will be time to update the photos.¡± Chapter 161 # 162 Forever (4) Seok Ji-hoon sped his hands together and waved them. As a result of a bet that took ce at the music video filming site, the update fell on Seok Ji-hoon, the winner. The loser, perhaps naturally, was Jeong Yoon-gi. ¡°maybe. I am OK. This is all because I am the leader! It happened because I was the leader! ¡°It¡¯s proof of my responsibility!¡± Even Park Taehyung was looking at Jeong Yoongi with pitiful eyes. Jeong Yoon-gi, who received Park Tae-hyung¡¯s sad look, shouted loudly. At the time, he said that he wanted to finish filming the music video in one go, but it was something he said with the intention of believing in the abilities of the KK members as the leader of KK¡­ but it still didn¡¯t make sense. Even when I usually do personal studio photography, I filmed twice as standard. In fact, the average number of group shots was three at most. No one guessed the number of group dance shots. This was because I had to take more than ten pictures. There were five on the first day. So Ahn Hyeong-seo thought he had won and was running happily. However, the words that came back from Director Choi were cruel. Since the sun had set and I couldn¡¯t take pictures anymore, I decided to take another picture tomorrow. The pictures taken so far are good, but it was Director Choi¡¯s desire to capture a better picture. However, it was not a personal greed, and the members wanted to return to Seoul with the best results since they hade all the way to the Dubai desert. In the end, filming continued until the next day. In total, the KK members danced in the desert about 14 times. The KK members, who returned to Seoul and took a break for a day to choreograph in the practice room, enjoyed the effect of practicing as if they were running with sandbags on and then taking the sandbags off. Anyway, in the end, Seok Ji-hoon, who spoke the most times, won, and Jeong Yoon-gi, who spoke the fewest times, lost. Do-wook took one look at the photo of Jeong Yoon-gi that Seok Ji-hoon uploaded on theputer to update, and then turned his head because he could no longer see Jeong Yoon-gi. It was Ahn Hyeong-seo who provided the bizarre photo of Jeong Yoon-gi. Ahn Hyeong-seo, who loves taking pictures, not only has his own ¡®selfies¡¯ but also has arge number of photos of the members. Among them, there were many funny photos that were taken carelessly and without timing. In addition, Ahn Hyeong-seo and Jung Yoon-ki spent their trainee days together, so there were quite a few pre-debut photos. In the photo, Jeong Yoon-gi was 18 years old. A young boy who had just moved to Seoul to be a singer was holding a piece of cake in his bare hand, his expression contorted, not knowing whether he was crying orughing. ording to Hyeong-seo Ahn¡¯s exnation, this day was Jeong Yoon-gi¡¯s birthday. The trainees had nned a n to surprise Jung Yoon-gi, and that day, Jung Yoon-gi had a ¡®lucky¡¯ day. Even though they said happy birthday, the trainees did not give me a single gift and even said something cold and that I should practice harder. Jung Yoon-gi was on the verge of exploding when even the trainee ssmates he trusted turned cold on him on his birthday, not knowing when he would make his debut after already going through a difficult life as a trainee. The person who reached the peak was Noh Tae-hyun, the choreographer who was in charge of training trainees in dance at the time. Tae-Hyeon Noh also joined the mock and gave an evaluation of Jung Yoon-gi¡¯s dancing skills that was about ten times more cold-hearted than usual. In the end, Jung Yoon-gi ran out of the practice room with a young heart. What was waiting for Jeong Yoon-gi when he ran out of the practice room was a cake brought by another trainee. The mischievous trainees sang a happy birthday song to Jeong Yoon-gi, who was unable to speak due to a mix of anger and embarrassment, and cut the cake and gave it to Jeong Yoon-gi¡¯s bare hands. ¡°Hehe, I heard everyone was really mischievous back then!¡­¡± As Ahn Hyeong-seo spoke in an out-of-body manner, as if he wasn¡¯t there and that he wasn¡¯t included among the people who plotted the plot, Jeong Yoon-gi quietly clenched his fists. I held it. Just by looking at this photo, it was obvious that it was Ahn Hyeong-seo who was filming the scene with the most excitement and giggling. In the photo, Jung Yoon-gi had a youthful face long before he received a camera massage. It seemed like it could be said to have been washed in in water. On top of that, Jung Yoon-gi, who had juste to Seoul and started to look stylish, wore rather excessive and bizarre fashion. Wearing a muffler with a lot of skulls on it, a red short-sleeved T-shirt, and a white beanie. I was a mess from head to toe. In the photo, Jung Yoon-gi looked like he was crying and resenting something, but it was a photo that made viewersugh to death. ¡°Oh, maybe it¡¯s because I was young, but look at how fair my skin is!¡± Jeong Yoon-gi put a lot of effort into packaging his photo. In fact, it was Jung Yoon-gi who protested quite fiercely until a little while ago, saying that the pre-debut photo was ridiculous. However, it was also true that it was the funniest photo, so the tug-of-war between the members who wanted to upload this photo and Jung Yoon-gi, who said no, was very tense. Jeong Yoon-gi boasted that since he had an image, he would probably ask Director Oh Baek-ho and he would say no. The photos posted by members on fan cafes and SNS were strictly managed at thepany level. It was only possible to update bizarre photos with permission from Oh Baek-ho¡¯s director. Following Jeong Yoon-gi¡¯s words, the members posted the photo in the group message room and asked Director Baek-ho Oh for permission. [Director Oh Baek-ho: Haha, it looks funny] That was the first thing he said. Jeong Yoon-gi¡¯s brow furrowed in an instant. However, it seemed like they wouldn¡¯t allow me to post that ¡®funny looking¡¯ thing on the fan cafe, so I persevered. [Oh Baek Ho: I can¡¯t y with my face anyway, I¡¯m not shining] [Ahn Hyung -seo: ?? ??? ??? ??? ??? That¡¯s right. ! All right! Thank you~ (emoticon)] Jung Yoon-ki resigned himself to updating the photo, leaving only a bigger wound. ¡°For no reason can I just say it once¡­ haha¡­¡± Along with Jung Yoon-gi¡¯s deep sigh, a photo clearly showing his pre-debut appearance was posted on the fan cafe. [Title: A gift to fans before theeback (close your eyes ande in) Hello, this is your eternal maknae Jihoon^^ The music video will be released the day after tomorrow! I¡¯m so nervous¡­ You¡¯ll know when it¡¯s revealed¡­ We had a bit of a hard time haha A little haha I ¡®m not condescending at all^^; Just put in that much effort! I would appreciate it if you could know. And at the music video filming site, the members made a small bet. The winner was of course the strongest maknae v^^v, and the loser was the leader hyung^^~! The details of the bet will be exined after the music video is released! Please look forward to the music video! Then, we will reveal the penalty photo of the loser. (photo by Brother Fans were excited to see Jung Yoon-gi¡¯s unique and chic appearance. Because it was funny and true, it spread across the Inte and became a ¡®funny meme¡¯. Jung Yoon-gi¡¯s pre-debut photo was useful in many situations, such as when he couldn¡¯t eat what he wanted to eat or when he couldn¡¯t cry or smile when he got his hands on something he really wanted to eat and was annoyed. It was an exquisitebination of the cake in her hand and her facial expression. There were many fans who were curious to hear that the members had made a bet, and there were also many fans who were happy to see the members getting along well with each other. It became a small event for fans who were waiting for theeback. Expectations for the music video have also increased to see what the content of the music video will be, as Seok Ji-hoon even said he had a hard time. *** The viewership rating for the final episode of writer Jeong Eun-soo¡¯s drama ¡®Heirs¡¯ was 20%. While ¡®Sessors¡¯ was aired, it continued to remain in the top 10 on the music charts, and KK¡¯s ¡®Tell Me¡¯ also enjoyed poprity. The next day, with the end of ¡®Sessors¡¯, ¡®Tell Me¡¯ also fell to below 10th ce. However, along with that, KK¡¯s new songs were proudly ranked from 1st to 8th on the music charts. A total of 8 songs included in KK¡¯s 3rd full-length album ¡®Continue: We Continue¡¯ entered the music charts with a ¡®line up¡¯. Although there have been quite a few times when the title song entered first ce, this was the first time that all album songs lined up side by side and upied all the top rankings. It was one of the few things that happened in the history of music charts. In the past, when a band that was loved by the nation as a member of an audition program released a new album, they seeded in ¡®lining up¡¯ 6 of the 9 songs included in the album, but this was only the second time for an idol singer¡¯s album. If you look at the real-time charts there, the graphs are amazing. Other No. 1 songs also enter with a high curve upon first entry, but this time, the unit of number of users at entry was different. If the average number of users when ranking first on a music site is around 40,000, when ¡®Continue¡¯ ranked first this time, the number of users reached 90,000. It was an amazing number. It is not for nothing that they say that it broke through the roof of the charts. It was a testament to how much not only KK¡¯s fans but also the pop-listening public wait and listen to KK¡¯s music. [#1 on all charts upon release of KK¡¯s 3rd full-length album ¡®Continue¡¯!] -What is a real-time chart? -What¡¯s going on with the graph¡­I can¡¯t believe it even when I see it -Awesome¡­there¡¯s only KK on the music chart lol -KK should stop dictating music sources??;; -This song is really good. All the songs on the album are good.. These days, when digital singles are popr, it is rare to find a singer who prepares such arge selection of songs.. I support KK! -There was also a song that the hottest DJ in New York participated in. Was it HEy? suggestion! ¨C Among the songs included, it is a bad called ¡®Goodbye¡¯ and I really like it?? ¨C KK is good at everything, even dance bads ¨C Trust and listen to KK! It¡¯s worth the wait~! -The graph went through the roof. It went through the roof. K-kick through the roof! ¨C KK Now, I feel like there is no Korean singer who canpete with me haha.. The miracle of the Han River, the next small and medium-sized miracle! I never thought it would be like this.. -The sound tastes like capital haha. It feels like it has developed further after going to the US and working on it haha. -Japanese smell~~~~ -Real.. high quality part. -I want to see the stage quickly. If the song is this good. The stage is ?? -The music video has now been released! //watch?k=McdKWsVi -?? The showcase for KK¡¯s 3rd album held at a concert hall in Hangangjin Station was filled with fans who flocked to see KK and reporters who were invited to report. There was a crowd of people. KK, who performed three previous hit songs and two new songs, also took the time to release the music video inside the concert hall in line with the MyTube music video release time. Led by KK members, fans started counting down. ¡°oh! buy! 3!¡­¡­.¡± Do-wook¡¯s heart also trembled at the sound of the countdown shouted by the fans. ¡®Indeed¡­¡­.¡¯ ¡°This!!!¡± ¡°Day!!!¡± ¡°Kyaaha -ah! It was a huge cheer filled with anticipation. At the same time, the music video was yed through the theater¡¯s cathode ray tube. And the number of views of the music video that had just been released on MyTube was also increasing. An unusual energy wasing. Chapter 162 # 163 From the Universe (1) KK¡¯s music video was uploaded to MyTube at 6pm sharp. At 6:10 PM, the number of views of the music video had already exceeded 5,000. We were on the verge of surpassing 10,000 cases within 30 minutes. It was incredible speed. Considering that it took an hour for the previous full-length album, ¡®Blue Sky¡¯, to reach over 10,000 views, it was twice that speed. A major factor was the increase in fans not only in Korea but also overseas. KK¡¯s poprity among overseas K-POP fans was already considerable. In particr, their poprity in China and Japan wasparable to that of their own singers. It was no exaggeration to say that the K-K craze was spreading everywhere there was the word ¡®Korean Wave¡¯, from Taiwan, Thand, Vietnam to Indonesia. Although it wasn¡¯t a big deal, KK¡¯s name was well known to Western K-POP fans who existed as a fan base. In the West, fans of K-POP ced great importance on ¡®performance.¡¯ Singing and dancing to group dance was a genre that Western bands and pop singers did not do well, so it became a point of attracting fans. In that respect, KK was a group that could catch the attention of Western fans with considerable talent among K-POP singers. Nevertheless, liking K-POP or K-K in the West was a very manic thing. It was the work with LIL that helped break down the high wall. Those who listened to LIL¡¯s music were introduced to KK¡¯s music, and the wall was lowering little by little. Moreover,pared to other pop songs, KK¡¯s music pursued a very ¡®contemporary¡¯ pop style that did notg behind trends at all. Those who encountered KK¡¯s music in this way recognized KK as a pop singer just like other Western singers, instead of limiting him to the category of ¡®K-POP singer¡¯. Those who saw KK¡¯s performance thought it was a fantastic stage and became KK¡¯s fans, no different from Korean fans who want to see KK¡¯s performance. In this way, a wide, if still shallow, interest was formed in North and South America. When KK¡¯s new song music video was updated, they also started clicking, and existing fans and new interest groups gathered to create a tremendous effect. Fans were left speechless at the music video released at the showcase. ¡°So¡­ so good!¡± ¡°Hey sister! oh my god! ¡°It¡¯s really awesome!¡± ¡°Ugh, what should I do? My heart¡­ Mr.! Wow, curses areing out. ¡°It¡¯s nice to get cursed at.¡± ¡°I understand why Jihoon had a hard time. ¡°That¡¯s real, not CG, right?¡± ¡°Ugh, I went to Dubai because I had an unofficial schedule at the time¡­ That¡¯s Dubai.¡± ¡°Wow¡­. Amazing¡­. How can you dance like that from over there¡­.¡± ¡°Sister¡­. I feel like crying.¡± ¡°what? why are you crying?¡± Fans were amazed while watching the music video. At the same time, I felt a certain sense of wonder. Even song and dance videos. It was all a work of art, like art. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ I think KK is so amazing.¡± There were also fans who cried in front of the work created through the efforts of the KK members and the staff members who helped them. Even though he was not his brother, child, or lover, the singer he liked seemed so amazing. ¡°That¡¯s really cool.¡± What is it, dancing on the water?¡± The scene that followed the dancing scene in the huge desert was a studio scene. Every time the members stamped their feet, water sshed and water droplets sparkled and shone on the screen. Afterwards, it moved to interlude and there was Taehyung Park¡¯s solo dance part. Taehyung Park showed off three turns while wearing a ck silk shirt and pants that fit well. The moment Park Taehyung finished his turn and jumped, the music stopped as if time stopped and the screen also turned ck. The silence thatsted less than a second soon led to the starry night sky of the desert. It felt like stars were falling. Everyone who was watching the music video was sucked into the screen. The arranged music video version of ¡®Continue¡¯ apaniment yed over the night sky. The atmosphere of the quietly flowing apaniment changed and the original powerful song ¡®Continue¡¯ appeared, and the screen brightened up, bing a desert under the hot sun again. ¡°The music video was really well chosen.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. ¡°You must have made a lot of money through KK¡­ I feel like you know how to spend money properly.¡± ¡°Who is the director?¡± ¡°Here¡¯s the information¡­ It¡¯s the director who filmed Howl.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t that famous to begin with, right? Anyway, if possible, you can bring someone in to use it. ¡°Do you think it will be a big hit again this time?¡± ¡°It¡¯s going to be a huge hit this time.¡± ¡°Write it quickly. hurry. ¡°Blockbuster scale¡­.. Try pulling out a whole bunch of articles with words like this.¡± The hands of the reporters who had been invited to the scene quickened. The lives of reporters involved being asked to write good articles. In fact, it was more beneficial for them to write provocative articles about negative issues rather than good articles because they could increase the number of clicks. However, sometimes I ended up writing good articles voluntarily. This was when a singer came out with really well-made music. Because it was so obvious, it was important at this time to quickly add a lot of information to the article rather than extract provocative phrases. The reporters included the music video filming location and episodes during the filming period of the music video director based on the information in the press release distributed by Hit Entertainment in advance. A photo of the showcase was attached there. When the music video screening ended, fans cheered endlessly. The members who were watching the music video together came up on stage with overwhelmed expressions. I had already seen thepleted music video, but seeing it like this made me feel special. I was also nervous. The members kept looking back while watching the music video to check out the atmosphere in the audience. Seeing the fans¡¯ ecstatic faces, the members themselves felt ecstatic. My desire to repay with a good performance grew. KK started the stage with high spirits. This was also the ¡®Continue¡¯ stage that was revealed for the first time today. Con¡ªCon¡ªContinue! We keep moving forward! We are still young are forever young We go on! I¡¯ll call you forever, I¡¯ll run forever ¨C Con¨D Con¨DContinue! We keep moving forward! ¡°Forward!!!¡­¡­. I¡¯ll run!!!¡± ¡°Forward!!!¡­¡­.¡± Fans who had already memorized all the lyrics to the title song ¡®Continue¡¯ through the music released at midnight cheered for KK by singing along. ¡°Waaah¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Kyaaa!¡± ¡°Ahhhh!!!¡± As KK¡¯s group dance began with the chorus, there were screams and moans here and there. Before we knew it, the dance team members wearing ck clothes were standing behind the members. The stage seemed full as twenty dance team members came on stage. Standing behind the members wearing white clothes with red ents, they looked likerge shadows. The members and the dance team moved as if they were one, stretching their arms and legs in a controlled manner. The stage seemed to be shaking. The choreography continued as if they were running in ce, with some acting as if they were holding on while others were running away. Even though each person seemed to be doing a different choreography, there was order within it and I could feel the explosive power. It was a jaw-dropping sight. It was a stage where viewers could imagine how much effort was put into getting the movements right. In the music video, during Taehyung Park¡¯s turn when he was dancing alone, the dance team left quickly and the members helped Taehyung Park¡¯s solo dance stand out from behind. The membersid down on the floor in a circle with their knees together and spread their bodies like flower petals. Among them, Taehyung Park took a turn. There was a soft charm that was contrary to the powerful appearance from before. From the sight of the members turning around with their hair flowing, to the members lying down, it filled the field of view, creating a feeling of beauty. Afterwards, the song returned to a fast tempo and reached its climax. ¡°I¡¯ll always be in your heart¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D!¡± Hyeong-seo Ahn pulled out a high note with ease. He was one of the members who had been dancing wildly just a moment ago. The high notes that Hyung-seo Ahn produced were so stable that it was hard to believe that they were live. There was no loss of voice or breathing. It was a part that made me feel refreshed. ¡°It¡¯s increased again. My brother¡¯s singing has increased again!¡± ¡°Ah. oh my god. ¡°I¡¯m really very touched.¡± It was also a voice that washed away the worries of fans who were worried about Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s neck condition. ¡°¨D¨DWe continue to move forward.¡± The beginning and end was, of course, Dowook. The word ¡®as expected¡¯ was very fitting. Dowook deliberately rxed his energy in thest part and sang as if he was chanting. The speaking-like singing voice resonated in the hearts of the fans who were listening to the song. I really felt like I had the strength to keep moving forward. Sweat dripped from Dowook¡¯s bangs as he performed his best on stage. Do-wook¡¯s face was captured on the screen installed at Do-wook¡¯s showcase, so much so that every drop of sweat was visible. ¡®done.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s it!¡­¡¯ Hearing the shout that cut through the heat, Do-wook felt his heart beating rapidly. At that moment, not only Dowook but also the fans who were watching the members on stage could feel it. This album was a sess. The performance of the title song of this album was a performance that will leave asting impression. A very long time. *** [KK blockbuster music video released! I have a feeling that ¡®Continue¡¯ will be a hit!] [Movie? Music video? KK Dubai desert shooting music video released!] [The greatesteback ever! [A scene of new history being written by KK] . . [¡®Continue¡¯?! The record continues! My Tube exceeds 1 million views!] [KK¡¯s endless run! KK is filled with gymnastics this summer!] [KAK, who is rocking the Japanese archipgo, is holding another dome tourter this year!] [KAK has been appointed as a public rtions ambassador for Dubai Tourism! He was also selected as a UAE airline model!] [K.K. ¡°We didn¡¯t know it would be like this.¡± ¡®Continue¡¯ poprity surpasses expectations¡­] Even though they were only able to fulfill music broadcast schedules, KK¡¯s poprity was rapidly rising. Every time the ¡®Continue¡¯ stage was performed, a captured scene of the ¡®Continue¡¯ stage was uploaded to the main portal site. Every day, new news emerged and articles about KK poured in. The KK members werepletely beside themselves. What was especially surprising was the number of views on My Tube. It seemed like only yesterday that it surpassed 1 million views, but soon it reached 10 million. KK¡¯s Facenote no longer containedments only in Korean, Japanese, or Chinese. Not only English, but also Vietnamese, Russian, Arabic, and Spanish¡­ People of countless different nationalities andnguages imed to be KK¡¯s fans. Album sales had already reached 500,000 units. There was even talk within thepany that it might be a million-seller at this rate. The response was so enthusiastic that the KK members had no idea what to do. Interview requests poured in from all over, and Korean media was not the only ce receiving interview requests. Because they had to deal with so many media outlets, the fan-marketing team had even expanded its staff. When ¡®Continue¡¯ activities were entering their third week. After finishing the music broadcast, Dowook climbed into the van and spoke to the members who were about to fall asleep. ¡°I¡­ I have something I want to tell you.¡± Jeong Yoon-gi, who had closed his eyes with his head against the window, opened his eyes. Hyung-seo Ahn put down the cell phone he was holding, and Won Kim also raised his lowered head. ¡°uh?¡± ¡°What?¡± Dowook looked closely at the faces of the members who were asking questions as if they were curious. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­.¡± Chapter 163 # 164 From the Universe (2) ¡°Ma¡­¡­¡± Jeong Yoon-gi suddenly sensed something ominous. It seemed like he didn¡¯t know what Do-wook was trying to say. ¡°Let¡¯s release one more song.¡± ¡°uh?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Yes?¡± ¡°This time, it¡¯s Yoongi¡¯s song.¡± The members all looked at each other with puzzled expressions at Do-wook¡¯s words, which seemed a little apologetic but enjoyable. Koo Cheol-min, who was sitting in the passenger seat, looked around as if there was something wrong with the turbulent atmosphere in the back seat, but could not figure out the cause. This was because even the members could not know exactly what Do-wook was talking about. *** The intense ¡®Continue¡¯ music video filming in Dubai took ce over three days. Now that the desert filming waspleted, there was still studio filming left to go back to Seoul. The studio shoot took ce a weekter. This was because Dowook had a personal schedule in the meantime. Unlike the members heading to Incheon from Dubai International Airport, Do-wook, team leader Dae-hyung Lee, and the youngest manager who was newly hired under Koo Cheol-min headed to Charles de Gaulle International Airport. It was Paris. Branch Manager Jeong Jin, who met with President Lee Yu-min not long ago, officially contacted us through Hit Entertainment. The message was that they wanted to select Dowook as Coco¡¯s new season muse. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung already knew what Do-wook was talking about, but he thought it was truly amazing. It was definitely something that would remain as an incredible event for Dowook personally. Even if you look at it as a team rather than as an individual, it was somehow beneficial. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung thought that even if the schedule was not possible, it had to be done. Fortunately, although it was a little tight, it wasn¡¯t an unreasonable schedule because it wasn¡¯t the activity period. Coco¡¯s side even invited Dowook to a meal with Saul Niguez, Coco¡¯s chief designer and director, before the full-scale photo shoot. Although there was a separate founder who created Coco, it could be said that it was Saul Niguez who created the ck and white image that has now be Coco¡¯s signature colors. Saul Niguez, who became Coco¡¯s chief designer at the age of 40, is still active today, even as a gray-haired old man, and is considered one of the most influential figures in the fashion industry, along with ¡®bombe¡¯ editor-in-chief Joey Wintour. Saul Niguez chose Dowook as his muse and wanted to meet him. Of course, it could have been a business process, but Branch Manager Jeong Jin added that Saul Niguez was so fascinated by Do-wook¡¯s face and atmosphere that he even listened to Do-wook¡¯s songs. It meant that Saul had a significant crush on Do-wook. Branch Manager Jeong Jin seemed to be in a very good mood as he organized the detailed schedule and spoke to Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung. As Branch Manager Jeong Jin, it was natural for him to feel good as the model he posted as the representative from Korea was selected without much difficulty. Thanks to this, I had the opportunity to go to the headquarters with Do-wook as nned and make an impression on the superiors at the headquarters. ¡®If the position of Coco¡¯s muse has already been decided¡­ then there is something more that can be gained¡­¡¯ thought team leader Lee Dae-hyung. Dowook also had such thoughts. It really wasn¡¯tmon to have a meal alone with Saul Niguez. It was well known that people would buy an hour with Warren Buffett, the investment genius, for money. People would line up to have a meal with Saul Niguez if they could buy it with money. If you are from the fashion industry or have even the slightest interest in fashion. Dowook, who went from Dubai to Paris, met with Branch Manager Jeong Jin there. After meeting with Branch Manager Jeong Jin and having a brief conversation, Do-wook immediately headed to the restaurant where he had arranged to have lunch with Saul Niguez. The ce that Saul Niguez personally rmended to Dowook, who was visiting from Korea, was a Michelin 3-star restaurant in the city with a good view of the Eiffel Tower. When I entered the restaurant, the staff asked me if I wanted to make a reservation, and Branch Manager Jin Jeong mentioned Saul Niguez¡¯s name. The staff led the two people to a well-organized and set table. ¡°Don¡¯t be too nervous.¡± ¡°Ah yes.¡± ¡°haha. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m nervous.¡± Branch Manager Jeong Jin relieved Do-wook¡¯s tension with light words. There was no other reason why Dowook was a little nervous. Although Saul Niguez was a great person, the fact that he was French was something that Do-wook was worried about. ¡®Since we¡¯re talking in English, there won¡¯t be any majormunication problems, and since we have Branch Manager Jeong Jin, it¡¯ll be okay.¡¯ Dowook sat down and thought. After about 5 minutes of waiting, the restaurant door opened and Saul Niguez came in. The appointment time was on time. Saul Niguez was with his assistant, Anna. Although she was only a secretary, she had the appearance of a French beauty who could be considered a model, with her tall height, slim body, and cool features. Do-wook had his first greeting by shaking hands and giving light hugs to those who arrived. ¡°Bonjour!¡± On the way from Dubai to Paris, Dowook practiced his greeting by blowing hard on the ne. I put on my earphones and tried to imitate the original pronunciation as much as possible. ¡°Enchant¨¦ de vous rencontrer.¡± It was a formal greeting saying it was nice to meet you, but Saul Niguez¡¯s expression brightened when Do-wook spoke French, which he had not expected. Before asking the question as if he knew how to speak French, Branch Manager Jeong Jin tactfully said that Do-wook seemed to have been practicing. It was a short sentence, but the pronunciation was so good that even Branch Manager Jeong Jin almost thought Do-wook knew French. Only then did Saul Niguez nod his head as if he understood and offered to shake my hand again. ¡°Ang Nyeoheung¡­. Hasheyo¡­?¡± Do-wook looked happy at Saul Niguez¡¯s Korean and said, ¡°Merci.¡± He expressed his gratitude. He said he had previously learned greetings in Korean from his friend. Anyway, we ate and the next conversation was conducted in English. Dowook¡¯s worries aboutmunication were unfounded. Because Do-wook¡¯s English skills were more developed, there were no restrictions on saying what he wanted to say, conveying it to the other person, and listening to what the other person said. While working with LIL, Dowook realized even more that if he were to enter the global market one day, English, the world¡¯smonnguage, would be essential. There was a reason why each idol group included members who could speak foreignnguages such as English. Therefore, even after work, I continued to build my English skills by talking to Kim Won in English or watching videos, and now I am able to speak English at the level of an average international student. Since there was virtually nonguage barrier, throughout the meal, not only Saul Niguez but also his secretary, Anna, naturally fell in love with Do-wook¡¯s polite, humble, yet not self-conforming attitude. To be picky, Saul Niguez was one of the best in the world, but Dowook was Coco¡¯s muse that he personally chose. It was a meeting I had while I already had a crush on Do-wook. Saul Niguez praised Do-wook by saying that when he met him in person, the atmosphere he felt in the photo was stronger and the scent of a person who loved life was intact. In his expression, there was a saying that there was a ¡®deep¡¯ atmosphere as if he had lived his life twice. Dowook felt a little ufortable at that moment. ¡®It may be nothing more than a simple expression¡­ but after all¡­ it is the gaze of a master.¡¯ In fact, the reason Saul Niguez wanted to talk with Dowook was to finally determine whether it would fit the atmosphere of the new season of Coco and whether it would fit well when seen in person. So to speak, it was the final interview. Even if it had already been decided, Saul Niguez¡¯s temperament would have been enough to cause his selection to be cancelled. However, the meal had already be more than an interview. Saul Niguez truly felt a human attraction for the star from the East. A depth and unique atmosphere that is quite different from his young appearance. Healthy energy that flows even through lightughter. When Saul Niguez showed a little more curiosity about Do-wook, Do-wook introduced himself to K.K. Saul Niguez, who had watched Dowook¡¯s video but had only seen a brief video of his solo performance, also showed curiosity about KK by asking if they were a boy band. Dowook did not miss the moment and showed ¡®LAST DANCE¡¯, which paid the most attention to visual beauty among KK¡¯s music videos. Branch Manager Jeong Jin thought that Do-wook was not normal, but he did not expect that he would be able to continue the conversation so smoothly with Saul Niguez. In addition, he was naturally promoting himself. While Branch Manager Jin Jeong was inwardly amazed, Saul Niguez watched KK¡¯s video and gave his impressions. ¡°Oh¡­ that¡¯s good. It¡¯s beautiful.¡± In fact, it was a typicalpliment. It was true that it was a positive review, but it didn¡¯t seem like it was something that would really catch Saul Niguez¡¯s eye. For Saul Niguez, K-POP was also a very unfamiliar genre. Dowook was a little disappointed, butter set a new goal of creating music that would receive rave reviews from people like Saul Niguez. But it didn¡¯t end there. Saul Niguez thanked K.K. for introducing him to good music andter expressed his desire to give K.K. a gift of clothing. Branch Manager Jeong Jin¡¯s eyes widened. Of course, Saul Niguez was a fashion design artist, but he was also a business expert. It was not that there was no prior information about Dowook or KK, and he had already heard from his secretary, Anna, that they would have considerable influence in the Asian market. For a luxury brand like Coco, quality was as important as poprity. ¡®Luxury¡¯ is not a luxury product for nothing. After meeting Dowook, I felt like I could give the costumes to a group called K.K. Dowook gratefully epted Saul Niguez¡¯s proposal. *** ¡°We get all of our filming outfits from Coco. ¡°It¡¯s a limited edition made specifically for KK.¡± ¡°Oh, you were a model¡­ but what about us?¡± ¡°yes.¡± Do-wook answered Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s question. All the members listened to Do-wook with their mouths open. Dowook thought that now that ¡®Continue¡¯ was receiving such a strong response even in the Americas, it was time to push it further. However, I had no intention of releasing another album. The album was currently enjoying its best sales. In this case, there was no need to distribute album sales by releasing additional albums. Profit was important, but records were also important. ¡®Records make history.¡¯ So, when Do-wook released his 3rd full-length album, he talked to the album production team about releasing a remixed version of the digital music. If ¡®Continue¡¯ works in the global market as nned, we willy the foundation for the next step. And the song that Dowook would make a remix version of was ¡®Go low Go high¡¯, a song included in the albumposed by Jeong Yoon-gi. ¡®Go low Go high¡¯ was a song that could be said to be an extended version of ¡®Go high¡¯ that was included in the OK album. There was a reason why Do-wook thought of Jeong Yoon-ki¡¯s song. What KK is good at. I found it and created ¡®Continue¡¯. It was a song that brought out the best performance. Next, if there¡¯s something I want to show the world, it¡¯s the hip-hop genre that KK has always based on. Hip-hop has been a genre that has clearly established itself as a mainstream genre in the global market, including the United States, from thete 90s to the present. Dowook decided that the momentum of ¡®Continue¡¯ could be maintained by producing a high-quality music video with Coco¡¯s costumes and the power of a visual director from Coco who was introduced by Director Jeong Jin. ¡®It¡¯s time to unleash all of KK¡¯s diverse charms.¡¯ The members who heard Dowook¡¯s exnation nodded. At the same time, the tiredness was forgotten for a moment, and the atmosphere changed to a cheery atmosphere where everyone wanted to continue the momentum quickly. It was K-K who rose to the top with passion. However, unlike the other members, Jung Yoon-gi¡¯s face was very dark. It wasn¡¯t simply because of the pressure of performing his own song. ¡°Do-Wook¡­ I appreciate your idea to promote my song as a producer.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ yes?¡± ¡°As aposer, I am against it.¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because it¡¯s a burden¡­¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s not a burden. ¡°If you want to get out, you have topletely change the song.¡± Chapter 164 # 165 From the Universe (3) ¡°If there is any problem with the song¡­¡± In response to Do-wook¡¯s question, Jeong Yoon-gi roughly brushed his bangs. ¡®Go low go high¡¯ was a song that had already been recorded and included in the album. As it is a separate music release, it will undergo some remixing, but if you think of it as a follow-up song, all you have to do is prepare the choreography and release it. The story was that it was alreadyplete. ¡°I guess it¡¯s because of you.¡± ¡°Um¡­ me?¡± Dowook pointed to himself and asked back. The other members stiffened and tensed as Jeong Yoon-gi pointed out Do-wook. ¡®Is it a fight!¡¯ ¡®Should I¡­ stop him?¡¯ ¡®Do-wook, Yoongi-hyung, whose side should I take?¡¯ ¡®If only¡­ we could get along well¡­¡¯ Many thoughts shed through the minds of the remaining members. In fact, even though they were active for a long time, the KK members did not have a single fight. Of course, there were times when we bickered when we were tired and couldn¡¯t sleep, and even if it wasn¡¯t a situation like that, we couldn¡¯t help but bicker as men of the same age live together 24 hours a day, but there was never a serious disagreement. This was because the pirs of Jeong Yoon-gi and Do-wook were in perfect harmony. Although the positions of leaders Jeong Yoon-gi and Do-wook actually ovepped somewhat, Jeong Yoon-gi and Do-wook respected each other and yed their respective roles. Jung Yoon-gi showed himself as a leader and big brother by scolding the members whenever they had behavioral problems, such as neglecting practice or beingzy. Dowook was the person who led the musical side of KK. As such, it was Jeong Yoon-ki whopletely followed Do-wook¡¯s opinions regarding activity ns and musical direction. The same was true for other members. In fact, Do-wook never expressed an opinion that could be opposed. However, Jeong Yoon-gi pointed out that Do-wook was the problem. ¡°okay. you. ¡°You.¡± *** Fortunately and naturally, the fight between Jung Yoon-gi and Do-wook did not ur. Jung Yoon-gi, who returned to the dorm, brought a piece of paper printed with the lyrics he wrote during the recording of ¡®Go low go high¡¯ to Do-wook¡¯s room and was checking the parts with a pen. ¡°From here to here.¡± ¡°yes.¡± ¡°Two lines like this.¡± Dowook nodded. The part he sang was correct. Jung Yoon-gi started checking other members¡¯ parts as well. ¡®Go low go high¡¯ was also a song for which Dowook distributed the parts after consultation withposer Jeong Yoon-ki. If you look for the lyrics organized by part, you will probably find them in the room, but Jung Yoon-gi was checking them with such a serious expression that Do-wook could not speak and just watched what Jung Yoon-gi was doing. ¡®Is there a problem with the part?¡¯ Dowook thought. However, I remember it proceeding smoothly without any noise at the time. ¡°This is all me and Won¡¯s rap part¡­ Don¡¯t you think this is Hyungseo and Jihoon¡¯s part?¡± ¡°yes that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Taehyung has a part here.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Taehyung¡¯s part¡­ won¡¯t it be too much for filming a music video?¡± Dowook asked. Only then did Do-wook get a rough idea of what the problem Jeong Yoon-gi was talking about was. Part distribution was one of the most sensitive issues in group activities. If priority was given to talent or a voice suited to the song, there were bound to be members who were conspicuously missing a part. Even though the members understood each other, they were not fans. Also, the members themselves could fall into a sense of helplessness, feeling like they were of no help. Even if they were active elsewhere, singers shined the brightest when they were active on stage. Knowing this well, it was not possible to distribute it equally by adjusting to every minute and every second, but in the areas where it was possible, producer Do-wook made an effort to ensure that members who did not have parts had as many opportunities as possible. In the case of the title song, thepany, starting with the album production team leader Shim Jun, also gave detailed opinions on the distribution of parts. Thepany had a big picture in mind and wanted to distribute the album mainly to members who wanted to make a ssh or to popr members. Therefore, when ites to songs that are not active, Dowook has been more free to distribute parts to members who usually do not have parts. In the case of ¡®Go low go high¡¯, as it is a hip-hop based song, Jung Yoon-gi and Kim Won naturally became the main characters. Unusually, the vocal part was short and the rap part was long. So now that I¡¯m here, it seems like the vocal members, especially Taehyung Park, don¡¯t have much of a part to y. As it was a special song, the music broadcast was scheduled to be shorter than the concept of a follow-up song, but it was enough to impress leader Jung Yoon-gi. Do-wook felt grateful to Jeong Yoon-gi for pointing out something he had not thought about. ¡°no.¡± ¡°yes?¡± ¡°Wow, Taehyung is also Taehyung, but you are so awesome! ¡°There is none.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡­¡± Do-wook was one of the members who had many parts in the title song, always standing shoulder to shoulder with Ahn Hyeong-seo. Therefore, when the parts for ¡®Go low go high¡¯ were distributed, most of the vocal parts were given to Ahn Hyeong-seo and Seok Ji-hoon. Because it is a very rhythmic song, there were parts where I thought the two people¡¯s voices were better suited to this song. At the time, Jung Yoon-gi agreed with Do-wook¡¯s opinion, but this was when he was not promoting this song. Jeong Yoon-ki firmly believed that Do-wook was the main yer of this team. Dowook was the face and center of KK. Jeong Yoon-gi thought that Do-wook¡¯s part could not be performed in a song thatsted only about 10 seconds in a song thatsted about 3 minutes. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Rather, Taehyung has a small part, but what if Taehyung stands in the center during the interlude and goes into the choreography part¡­¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not okay. ¡°When arranging the remix version, you should shorten the rap part a little and have Dowook make your part.¡± Dowook fell into thought for a moment. But no matter how you think about it, the core of this song was the rap part. ¡°This song is centered around rap, but if you shorten the rap part¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s too much rap. ¡°It¡¯s almost a genuine hip-hop song, but apart from the part, I wonder if the public will be okay with it.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ll be okay with the hook and vocals¡­ And actually, I listen to a lot of hip-hop these days.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s right.¡± Jeong Yoon-gi nodded as if he agreed to that point. ¡°Of course, all of KK¡¯s songs are songs in which we are the main characters, but it is true that there are members who stand out more. Every song. This time it¡¯s just rappers.¡± Dowook clearly stated that he had no intention of reducing the rap part at all. Jeong Yoon-gi also knew that there was a good reason why Do-wook chose this song. Jung Yoon-gi must have made his choice after more consideration than himself. Therefore, it was very difficult for Jeong Yoon-gi to logically defeat Do-wook. Jung Yoon-gi also liked Do-wook¡¯s intention to show how good and outstanding KK is not only in dance but also in the hip-hop genre. But this wasn¡¯t it. Of course, Dowook¡¯s part could have been less in about one song. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to provide synergy for Continue activities?¡± Jeong Yoon-gi asked. It was probably a decision made considering the sess of OK, a unit of KK without Do-wook. However, what Dowook and the members are currently looking for is not the level of sess of Unit OK. Jeong Yoon-gi wanted to point out that point precisely to Do-wook. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Whether domestically or internationally, you are the most popr member of KK and you are also the most well-known member, so does it make sense for Dowook to only show up in passing? uh? Okay, let¡¯s say the other members are also famous in Korea. ¡°Overseas, they say you¡¯re a movie or a drama, so they get a lot of attention.¡± Jeong Yoon-gi spoke openly. I didn¡¯t necessarily say who came in first ce, but it was just a fact. It¡¯s been that way since I debuted, so it¡¯s no longer a matter of pride. ¡°Yes, we are a team, so we all do this together. I like it and am thankful that you are willing to trust and leave it to the members. Dowook.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°If now is the time to attack more, as you said, I don¡¯t think there is any need to save resources. ¡°You are this team¡¯s greatest resource.¡± Do-wook and Jeong Yoon-gi said this and had nothing more to say in response. What Jeong Yoon-gi said definitely made sense. What Dowook wanted to show through ¡®Go low Go high¡¯ was the skills of rappers and the color of KK¡¯s hip-hop music. As I was only thinking about that, and as a producer, I was focusing on the other members, I felt like I was forgetting about myself as an important member. ¡°But we can shorten the rap part¡­¡± Dowook trailed off. However, not only were there not many other vocal parts, it was also not possible to bring in other members¡¯ parts. ¡®The length of the song is not long, so should I lengthen it a little¡­ No, then the bnce of the entire song may be lost.¡¯ As Do-wook was struggling, Jeong Yoon-gi also showed a worried expression. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± For a moment, Dowook¡¯s room was filled with silence. Then, Jung Yoon-gi, who wasughing, said half jokingly and half seriously. ¡°Do you want to rap?¡± ¡°Yes?!¡± It was a very sudden and embarrassing story. Even Do-wook, who was not always surprised, was surprised and made a loud noise. Jung Yoongi paid no heed to it, just quietly looked at the paper with the lyrics written on it and pointed out a part with a pen. ¡°Okay, that will do! ¡°This part right here!¡± What Jeong Yoon-gi pointed out was the hook section where Kim Won and Jeong Yoon-gi repeat the same lyrics as if they were exchanging them. ¡°I chose a rap song because my brothers were good at it, but I tried to rap¡­ No, you know I¡¯ve never rapped before.¡± ¡°Is this ce good? It¡¯s intense here! It¡¯s not easy either. ¡°Give it a try.¡± ¡°Hyung¡­¡­¡± ¡°Really. Just give it a try. ¡°Kids who are good at singing are also good at rapping.¡± This was the case with many of the trainees that Jung Yoon-gi saw. Dowook said he would definitely support the vocal part from the beginning, and since his debut was decided not long after joining, he did not take rap sses separately, but originally, most trainees took both vocal sses and rap sses to find their own parts. At that time, trainees who were good at singing could rap at least halfway, perhaps because they had an excellent sense of rhythm. As Jeong Yoon-gi continued to work, Do-wook had no choice but to agree. I sighed and remembered the rap that Jung Yoon-ki said. I remembered it right away because I had already listened to it dozens of times during the recording. Do-wook¡¯s idea was that after listening to Do-wook¡¯s poor rap, Jung Yoon-ki¡¯s idea of having Do-wook sing the rap part would be resolved immediately. ¡°When they go low we go high we go the highest ever That¡¯s where I stand.¡± Dowook bobbed his head and rapped to the beat. The lyrics, ¡®When they go low we go high.¡¯ were taken from a speech by the First Lady of the United States. Kim Won said it was a speech that left a deep impression on him. As it quoted such a speech, ¡®Go low go high¡¯ was a song that revealed the resolute will to maintain one¡¯s dignity until the end, even if someone starts a muddy fight to bring one down. It was definitely the central lyric of the song and a weighty part. ¡°uh?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Do-wook and Jeong Yoon-gi¡¯s eyes met in surprise. Chapter 165 # 166 From the Universe (4) *** ¡®Go low Go high¡¯ music video filming site. The sight of six men, now grown men, standing in a line wearing clothes made by Coco, a top luxury brand, was so cool that people apuded. Based on a logo-embossed graphic T-shirt and ankle-length pants, each member wore essories such as sunsses, nes and brooches, giving them a very shy look. Even a small earring could cost a considerable amount if it had Coco¡¯s logo on it. Coco¡¯s products were all ten to one hundred times the price of ordinary products. Although it is said that it is the value of the designers¡¯ concerns, the hard work of the craftsmen who produce it, and the history of the brand, the reality is that it is difficult for ordinary people to buy even a wallet. Just considering the price of Coco¡¯s products worn by each member, it is well over 10 million won. It was worth it. It was shy yet dripping with elegance. The Coco brooch attached to Taehyung Park¡¯s chest was dazzlingly shiny. Ahn Hyeong-seo, who coveted this brooch the most among the essories, looked at it with envy and exaggeratedly said. ¡°It¡¯s dazzling, it¡¯s dazzling!¡± Park Taehyung smiled awkwardly and answered. ¡°Hyung¡­ the hat is really cool too¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re being rude, kid. ¡°My brother¡¯s face is also covered!¡± Ahn Hyeong-seoughed as if it were absurd at Jeong Yoon-gi¡¯s words following Park Tae-hyung¡¯s answer. ¡°what? Oh, that guy is real. ¡°My brother covered it up with sunsses.¡± ¡°Ma¡­¡± Jeong Yoon-gi was at a loss for words because it was true. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s really great. ¡°Who wants to take a selfie with me?¡± When Kim Won shouted while standing in front of the full-length mirror on one side of the studio, Ahn Hyeong-seo excitedly went to Kim Won¡¯s side. Seok Ji-hoon, who was resting on a simple chair, stood up quietly and drew a V shape next to Kim Won. It seemed true to some extent that people¡¯s moods change depending on their clothes. Perhaps thanks to the clothes that fit them well and fit well, the KK members were in excellent condition. At that time, the song ¡®Go low go high¡¯ started ying through the speakers at the filming site again. It was Dowook¡¯s personal photo shoot time. The scattered members gathered towards the set. Dowook was lip-syncing his part in the camera monitor. Today¡¯s filming location was white and clean like never before. There were no other props. This was because it was all going to be CG processed. Therefore, it was a piece of cake to film while lying down, considering the ¡®Continue¡¯ music video filming, in which the members had to choreograph in a studio with a white background and make meaningful gestures during individual filming. Dowook waved his hands and sang the part to the rhythm, and at the end, heughed like a viin who seemed to despise the world. Although it did not fit Dowook¡¯s usual image, it was an expression that perfectly suited the mood of the song. ¡°Kill them all!¡± It was as if he could literally kill anyone, and the members were excited to see Dowook¡¯s expression. Dowook also appeared to be more intoxicated by the cheers of the members and took more and more active poses. ¡°Oh, Kang Do-wook!¡± ¡°He¡¯s good at being realistic. Good job bro!¡± Kim Won put his fingers together and whistled. Do-wook¡¯s part was originally supposed to be Jeong Yoon-gi and Kim Won¡¯s part, but it was given to Do-wook. Jung Yoon-gi asked him to give it a try, and Do-wook did the rap part so perfectly that he could start recording right away. Of course, it was an easy part, but it was truly a talent that made me think that there was anything I couldn¡¯t do musically. The part that was added with Do-wook¡¯s voice felt like the lyrics were delivered more urately. Weight is added. ¡°He¡¯s even good at rap¡­¡± Ahn Hyeong-seo muttered as if he was jealous. ¡°Fraud.¡± Seok Ji-hoon added from the side. Other members also nodded. Filming was repeated several times. Each time, Dowook showed off his excitement with different impromptu choreography. Everything was so good that directing the music video was a concern. When the fifth filming took ce, Dowook took off the thin jacket he was wearing and threw it towards the camera. Suddenly the jacket flew towards the camera. An unexpected and emotional scene was created naturally. The corners of the director¡¯s mouth went up. ¡°okay! It was great! ¡°Thank you for your hard work, Dowook!¡± Dowook¡¯s personal filming ended with the director¡¯s greeting. Next was the ending cut filming. The ending choreography for ¡®Go low go high¡¯ had the six members standing in a line and running one step at a time and kicking. As the apaniment yed, the members were recording numbers in their minds. ¡°One, two, three!¡± The staff counted out loud. In response to the slogan, the members jumped up like they were flying and kicked into the air. *** [K.K.¡¯s never-ending flight is dominating the world¡¯s music charts!] To continue the poprity of ¡®Continue¡¯, a remix version of the song ¡®Go low go high¡¯ is being released. ¡®Go low Go high¡¯ wasposed by member Jeong Yoon-gi, showing that in addition to Kang Do-wook, who is active as aposer and producer, there are other members with excellentposing skills¡­ This remix version was made in coboration with famous American DJ Kalma, making it a global star. It was confirmed that he had stepped up as a . ¡­¡­ Currently, the music video for ¡®Continue¡¯ has over 10 million views on MyTube, and ¡®Go low go high¡¯ has over 300,000 views, showing surprising momentum. -This music video is so cool~!!! -The choreography is so cool???? I wish there were more music broadcasts, a week is too short~~~! -Kick hahahaha -Taekwon K! Yay! -Koreans are Taekwondo after all -Kicking, but the guy wearing sunsses was too low lol -Yoongi~ Let¡¯s work hard~! Taekwon-K Fighting ¨C ?-// ¨C Kang Do-wook I didn¡¯t know there was also a gangachimi; -If you watch Blue Whale, he appears as an idiot, but both of them act like gangsters well there -It was good because it was new, but if you meet them on the street, you¡¯ll get bored -It¡¯s acting, right??? -If it¡¯s any other celebrity, I don¡¯t know, but don¡¯t mess with Kang Do-wook. Let¡¯s be humane~ -Continue and Gorogoha performances are continued in the music room. I saw you and thought you were fainting ¨C KK, are you physically okay? -People in Korea don¡¯t know much about it, but working with DJ Kalma is really amazing. He¡¯s the most popr DJ in New York right now. Every club is making a fuss because he can¡¯t be called, and hip-hop singers who want to work with him are lining up. I don¡¯t listen to idol music, but I¡¯m really surprised that he worked with Kalma. ¨C Pretending to know is awesome ¨C KK is also really great. He is the most popr idol in Korea right now^^; -Our Dowook also raps~ It¡¯s really cool! -I am rina from rio. uki oppa.. I love YOU!!! -Wow, a foreigner leaves ament on a Korean portal. -I¡¯m an international student living in an Irish vige. This is a really rural area, so it¡¯s hard to hear pop music, let alone K-pop, but I went to the supermarket today and was surprised to hear K-K song on the radio, which made me feel proud as a Korean citizen. ¨C I went on a trip to Guam and it came on the radio¡­ ¨C Gukppong! Biguuuuuuuuu~~~!!! -My shoulders are shaking for no reason -Gorou Gohai has a lot of English lyrics, so foreigners seem to be more familiar with it -Rap scene guy~ ¡°We¡¯re really getting a good response.¡± Ahn Hyeong-seo, who was using his cell phone with his head in the hands of Cody, spoke to Seok Ji-hoon who was sitting next to him. ¡°That¡¯s right. Producer Hyun Joo-hyuk also came by earlier and encouraged us and looked at us¡­ I guess we could call this a feeling of unprecedented times.¡± ¡°Hey, you talk like an old man.¡± Ahn Hyeong-seo shook his head at Seok Ji-hoon¡¯s words. At the SVS ¡®Life Song¡¯ set, the goodbye stage for KK¡¯s 3rd full-length album was in full swing. The members were preparing for the stage in the waiting room. It was natural as he was quite popr and had umted years of experience, but KK¡¯s treatment waspletely different from before. Arge A4 piece of paper with the words ¡°¡­¡± written on it was posted in thergest of the waiting rooms. Considering the time when several singers shared one waiting room, it is now a space where even dozens of dance team members can waitfortably. Just because there was more space, it didn¡¯t mean that there was more time. Rather, since we had to prepare for two stages in a row, there were a lot of things to check, including costumes. Today¡¯s broadcast was pre-recorded, and KK prepared full versions of both ¡®Continue¡¯ and ¡®Go low Go high¡¯. The coordinators were busy trying to put on costumes for the members. Members waiting for their turn were eating packed lunches and snacks sent by fans as support. A huge cake with KK¡¯s photo printed on it arrived, but the actual amount that the members who were controlling their food could eat was about the size of a finger. In such a hectic atmosphere, the door to the KK waiting room opened. This was already the fifth time the waiting room door had been opened. The members turned towards the door once again. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Kim Won opened the door and cheered softly as he saw the peopleing in one after another. Looking at the white mini dress and flower-decorated outfit, I could tell that this was the team I had seen during this activity. It was ¡®Cherry Girl¡¯, which had just debuted. ¡°hello! ¡°This is Cherry Girl~!¡± ¡°Hello, KK seniors!¡± The girls¡¯ voices rang out in the waiting room where there were only male members. Groups of juniors wereing one by one to say hello to KK¡¯s waiting room. The members, who were each doing their own thing, stood up hesitantly, as if they could never get used to this greeting no matter how many times it was repeated. Since it was something they had said countless times when they were rookies, they knew very well how embarrassing it would be if they did not ept the greeting. The members greeted the new singers as warmly as possible. ¡°Here¡¯s our album! ¡°Please take care of me, senior!¡± ¡°¡­¡­yes. ¡°Thank you.¡± Of course, there was nothing that could be done about Jeong Yoon-gi¡¯s tone bing more blunt due to embarrassment and awkwardness. As with other rookie groups, the members handed out signed CDs and introduced themselves one by one. ¡°I¡¯m Jin¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re really pretty, Jin Na-eun!¡± Cherry Girl member Jin Na-eun paused with a surprised expression on her face. This was because Kim Won said his name before even introducing himself. In addition, the modifier ¡®really pretty¡¯ was just emerging on the Inte as a modifier that Jin Na-eun¡¯s fans had begun to use. Kim Won expressed his joy with a proud expression. Jin Na-eun smiled shyly and said thank you, and the Cherry Girl members looked at Jin Na-eun, who was recognized by KK Kim Won, and looked envious. The KK members looked at Kim Won in wonder as to how he even knew the name of Jin Na-eun, who had just debuted. In fact, Kim Won¡¯s high IQ was even more valuable when gathering information about girl groups. I knew that Kim Won was very interested in and knew about girl groups, but I didn¡¯t know if he even knew the nickname of the girl group that debuted a month ago. Cherry Girl was able to leave KK¡¯s waiting room with lively steps, saying thank you for recognizing her for her performance rather than Kim Won¡¯s performance. ¡°brother. ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t like girl groups too much!¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. ¡°Fans¡­¡± After Cherry Girl left, Ahn Hyeong-seo criticized Seok Ji-hoon and Seok Ji-hoon also joined in. Kim Won waved his hand. ¡°paddle! paddle! It¡¯s not that kind of interest. ¡°I really respect.¡± ¡°Do you not respect male groups?¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡­.¡± Kim Won was embarrassed by Do-wook¡¯s quiet blow and closed his mouth. Taehyung Park was also quietly giving Kim Won a look, demanding that he find out the truth. Jeong Yoongi chuckled and shook his head. In fact, being able to joke around like this was possible because even though Kim Won was very interested in the girl group¡¯s stage and information, she didn¡¯t actually build any friendships other than a business rtionship. It was not an easy task for a young and energetic person, but KK was managing her private life thoroughly so as not to cause any damage to the team due to her actions. At that time, there was another knock on the waiting room door. ¡°There¡¯s not much time left for the stage¡­¡± Gu Cheol-min mumbled a little after checking the time. The door opened and a man came in. It was Chae Eun-ho from Man to Man. Chapter 166 # 167 From the Universe (5) Today, the day of KK¡¯s goodbye stage, was also the day of Man to Man¡¯seback stage. Man to Man¡¯s albums were being released without stopping. Seo Joong-won, general manager of Ara Entertainment, pushed Man to Man¡¯s activities with more determination than before. It was clear that General Manager Seo Jung-won was also trying to take advantage of the upward trend when the response was good. ¡°hello!¡± Chae Eun-ho¡¯s voice rang out loudly in KK¡¯s waiting room. At one point, the members froze as if they were ying ice skating, then released themselves and stood up to greet Chae Eun-ho. ¡°Oh!¡± ¡°not¡­ ¡­ hello.¡± The atmosphere was different from the awkwardness felt when other rookie groups arrived. This was inevitable because ¡®Man to Man¡¯ was KK¡¯s senior group. However, Chae Eun-ho debutedter than KK. ¡°Hey Dowook, it¡¯s been a while! ¡°It¡¯s been a while, everyone!¡± While the members were confused for a moment, the one who came in after Chae Eun-ho was Obin, a member of Man to Man. Obin had previously worked with Dowook on the ¡®Rendezvous Project¡¯. ¡°Hello brother.¡± ¡°long time no see. Seniors.¡± Do-wook and Jeong Yoon-gi weed him warmly. Obin smiled kindly and said that he was listening to KK¡¯s song well. ¡°The Continue choreography looks really difficult. ¡°I also wanted to learn.¡± In response to Obin¡¯s words, the KK members countered that they wanted to see Obin dance. KK and Man to Man had a rivalry for a while. Aside from the rivalry, as peers who follow the same idol as their profession, it would have been natural for them to build a friendship, but the reason they couldn¡¯t do so wasrgely due to Seo Kang-Jun¡¯s influence. At the time Seo Kang-jun was around, the atmosphere among the Man to Man members was generally depressed, and even though Obin had a personal rtionship with Do-wook, he was unable to develop a closer rtionship with Do-wook due to the cynicism of fellow member Seo Kang-jun. Rather than avoiding it because it was scary, it would have been closer to avoiding it because it was dirty. I didn¡¯t want to ruin the team atmosphere by going against the feelings of fellow members for no reason. In that atmosphere, Do-wook remembered Obin, who cared about Do-wook. Dowook thought about not forgetting his gratitude. Anyway, due to Seo Kang-jun¡¯s incident, Man to Man faced a crisis where the team could havepletely disintegrated, but as a result, Man to Man was in a better mood both externally and internally after Chae Eun-ho came in. It was truly a blessing in disguise. Although none of the Man to Man members said it out loud, even other singers were aware of the atmosphere. Obin said that he was proud as a Korean singer about KK being loved all over the world and that they should work harder as well. And then he pulled the shoulder of Chae Eun-ho, who was looking flushed next to him. ¡°Eunho here is our new member. He¡¯s also the youngest member of our team~ We¡¯ll see each other often during our activities, so I thought it would be nice to say hello~!¡± At Obin¡¯s introduction, the KK members greeted Chae Eun-ho with their eyes. Dowook came out and pretended to know. ¡°I enjoyed the performance at the awards ceremonyst time. It¡¯s already beenst year¡­ ¡­ . ¡°It¡¯s my first time seeing you in person.¡± ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t believe you saw the stage. It is an honour!¡± Chae Eun-ho¡¯s face brightened. When her face, which had been stiff from tension, rxed and turned into a smile, the word ¡®flower beauty¡¯ was truly appropriate. It was the face of a typical handsome boy. Even though I was a man, people naturally called me pretty or pretty. It looked so green and even had stage makeup on, giving the impression of a cyborg. ¡°really! ¡°I wanted to meet you!¡± In addition, I felt it from the moment I greeted him, but it felt very bright and wrinkle-free. Chae Eun-ho greets Chae Eun-ho with shining eyes, as if meeting a singer he truly respects, and Dowookughs awkwardly, brushing the side of his head. ¡°Eunho said he¡¯s a fan of KK~!¡± ¡°that¡¯s right! I¡¯m a fan! I¡­ ¡­ . Can you just shake my hand once?! please!¡± Chae Eun-ho nodded enthusiastically at Kim Won¡¯s exnation and asked Do-wook. Although it was only recently that he debuted, Chae Eun-ho was also a fellow celebrity. This was the first time an idol of the same gender imed to be a fan and wanted to shake hands, so Dowook awkwardly held out his hand. He was not even a singer from another agency, but a singer from Ara Entertainment, famous for his arrogance. Even Obin, apart from his good personality, had his own pride as a member of Ara Entertainment. Chae Eun-ho carefully held Do-wook¡¯s hand as if he was honored and didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡°Ahh! I won¡¯t have to wash my hands for a while! ¡°I will never wash it!¡± ¡°haha.¡± All of the KK members were a little confused by the overly bright Chae Eun-ho, but they didn¡¯t feel bad when they said that Dowook liked them, so they allughed. After Oh Bin and Chae Eun-ho said their goodbyes and left, the KK members all showed a surprising reaction. ¡°This kid looks like some kind of animation¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°I thought he would be very cold because he has a simr image to Ma Seojun.¡± Taehyung Park also nodded quietly to the words of Hyungseo Ahn and Yoongi Jeong. ¡°Dance¡­ ¡­ . I heard you dance well¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°So you have charisma on stage, but you¡¯re just Do-wook¡¯s hyung¡¯s bad guy?¡± As Seok Ji-hoon added, Do-wook scratched his temple. Previously, when Chae Eun-ho debuted in another group, the group itself did not receive much attention, so Do-wook did not know what his actual personality was like. However, I found out that he was a friend who was so bright and unrealistic that I felt ufortable. ¡®Bin is like that too¡­ ¡­ . I hope it goes well¡­ ¡­ .¡¯ Although it wasn¡¯t Man to Man itself, it was clear that if Do-wook¡¯s n to take down General Manager Seo Joong-won was sessful, it would have a negative impact on Man to Man as well. It made Dowook feel ufortable, like sand getting into his sneakers and being stepped on. But soon Do-wook shook his head. ¡®How will Director Seo Joong-won raise a man without his son, Seo Kang-jun? ¡­ . There may be full support now, but¡­ ¡­ .¡¯ Dowook thought about the singers under Ara Entertainment. It was rare for Ara Entertainment¡¯s singers, who were raised to be top singers, to have a good ending. Even if they became the best singers, they were often pushed to their mental and physical limits by their entertainmentpanies rather than their own will, and most of them suffered from problems with settlement and contract renewal. When they left Ara Entertainment, there were many people whose image was damaged by the media. And at the center were Director Seo Jung-won and those who followed Director Seo Jung-won. Of course, the current president, who raised Seo Jung-won as head of the division, will not be able to avoid that responsibility. ¡®Ara Entertainment is apany that has already been listed. A new executive team can be formed by shareholders.¡¯ In the short term, it could have had a negative impact on Man to Man and the entertainers affiliated with Ara Entertainment, but in the long term, it would have been beneficial. Dowook thought. There were two ns Do-wook was preparing to bring down Director Seo Jung-won. Do-wook¡¯s idea was that both n A and n B would be needed to take down General Manager Seo Jung-won. ¡®Actually, you might even need C¡­ ¡­ .¡¯ At that time, the assistant director of ¡®Life Song¡¯ came into the waiting room and shouted. ¡°The KK set isplete! ¡°I¡¯lle out and wait!¡± Gu Cheol-min stood up, answered that he understood, and urged the members. Afterpleting preparations, the members ran toward the stage at a brisk pace. *** After leaving KK¡¯s waiting room, Obin and Chae Eun-ho returned to their own waiting room. Chae Eun-ho¡¯s expression, which had been smiling brightly, darkened slightly. I felt ufortable. Chae Eun-ho was thinking about what happened with Director Seo Jung-won not long ago. Ara Entertainment General Manager Seo Joong-won¡¯s office. Director Seo Joong-won hung up the phone with an annoyed look on his face. ¡°Anyway, if you say it¡¯s doing well overseas, you¡¯re blind.¡± It was a call with the director of Newspatch. Man to Man, who had a good performance with theirst album, is about to make anothereback, and with this album, it was Director Seo Joong-won¡¯s idea to once again form a rivalry with KK in Korea, and the call was a subtle request to form a story for the article. It wasn¡¯t an unreasonable request. It is true that Man to Man has been on a rapid rise recently, and the fandom that likes Ara Entertainment¡¯s singers is still strong. Director of News Patch smiled and said, ¡°Let¡¯s do well in the future,¡± and strengthened our rtionship with Director Seo Jung-won. However, they did not hand over the information about reporter Choi Seong-jun that Director Seo Jung-won had requested. Anyway, Director Seo Joong-won had already found out that reporter Choi Seong-jun had a connection with Hit Entertainment. It was just necessary to confirm and kill him, but from the director¡¯s perspective, there was no reason to kick out Choi Seong-jun, who would maintain a good rtionship with Hit Entertainment. KK was no longer the ¡®small-sized agency idol flop¡¯ that Newspatch could look down on. Most of the recent News Patch articles were about KK. Those were all favorable articles, too. The rtionship between Newspatch and Hit Entertainment became very friendly as KK handed over the photos from her work with LIL to Newspatch and had them write an exclusive article. Later, as KK began to do well in overseas markets, the public became excited about the news about KK, and Newspatch did not miss a beat and poured out articles about KK. Director Seo Joong-won knew that Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung¡¯s sales also yed a role in that. There were already at least three more talents like Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung at Ara Entertainment. Therefore, it was true that Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung did not pay much attention when he changed jobs. However, even though they had the same abilities, the amount of authority was different. Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung was able to do a lot on his own within Hit Entertainment¡¯s fan-marketing team, and Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung was literally flying around. ¡°You cheeky bastard.¡± Director Seo Joong-won gritted his teeth as he thought about Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung, who rejected his offer. There was no need to be upset about a loach-like chick, but the problem was KK. In order to quickly bring Man to Man to the top and be the CEO of Ara Entertainment, he had to take down KK. It didn¡¯t seem like the task would be easy. However, Director Seo Jung-won thought. The image of a celebrity is fleeting, and no matter how good the image is, it will inevitably be shaken if it continues to be shaken. Director Seo Jung-won¡¯s thought was that there was no way dust would note out when you shake it off. It was just my own thought. ¡°We should also tie up Choi Seong-jun and send him away.¡± At that time, the office door opened with a knock, and Man to Man¡¯s manager and Man to Man members came in. The manager put Chae Eun-ho at the forefront. The recent poprity of Man to Man has beenrgely driven by Chae Eun-ho. It was General Manager Seo Jung-won who decided to put Chae Eun-ho in man-to-man. Certainly, Director Seo Joong-won was also a person with a sense of nurturing idols. ¡°Director. ¡°I brought Eunho and the kids.¡± ¡°hello!¡± Chae Eun-ho, along with the Man to Man members, bowed to Director Seo Jung-won while frozen. Director Seo Joong-won nced at Chae Eun-ho with sharp eyes and spoke with his expression nk. ¡°is it so. Eunho. ¡°I heard you are doing well.¡± ¡°ah¡­ ¡­ . thank you! ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to the director!¡± ¡°Did you educate him? ¡°You did a good job.¡± Director Seo Joong-won smiled and said something to the manager, and the manager also bowed. Everyone was in high spirits in front of thepany¡¯s powerful figures. He was like someone holding their necks. ¡°What is Man to Man¡¯s goal for this year?¡± ¡°First ce¡­ ¡°It¡¯s first ce.¡± The leader of Man to Man spoke as he was taught. ¡°okay. It¡¯s first ce. No matter how much money I spend, I have to be first. They made it to debut, but if they lost to kids at the bottom of the market like KK, then that group would have no point in existing. ¡°It¡¯s just one time to look at it.¡± Chae Eun-ho, who was still young, lowered his head in fear and closed his eyes tightly. Man to Man was a group that made aeback under circumstances that would not have been strange even if they had disbanded. Regardless of who caused it, it was the result. Since it was a team like that, it was even clearer that they would be abandoned if they did not achieve their goal. The Man to Man members gritted their teeth. ¡°I¡­ ¡­ . Then, wouldn¡¯t it be okay to be friends with the KK members?¡± All Man to Man members felt dizzy when Chae Eun-ho overcame his fear and asked a question. The members knew that Chae Eun-ho was a big fan of KK, but they didn¡¯t know that he would be so immature to ask a question here. ¡°what?! haha. Very bold. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m young.¡± Director Seo Joong-won smiled as if he was shocked and then answered. His eyes shone sinisterly. ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t work. Be friends, Eunho. The closer you are¡­ ¡­ ¡°That would be nice.¡± *** At that time, Director Oh Baek-ho was frowning as he reviewed the synopsis and Part 1 script that had arrived in front of Do-wook. ¡°What on earth is this about¡­ ¡­ .¡± Chapter 167 # 168 Momentary Choice (1) ¡´Synopsis: Boyfriend from Outer Space¡µ PART 1. ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± Han Song-hee, currently the most popr star in Korea, is an actress. No, he¡¯s not an actor, he¡¯s a star. If you learn, you learn. Why are you a star? This is because he consistently shows such amazing acting that he cannot be called an actor. Nevertheless, from the time she debuted at age 19 to the age of 29, with the beauty and charm that she was born with, her poprity shows no signs of slowing down. ¡®If I had acted that well, my acting skills would have been great¡­ Even though I haven¡¯t been able to act until now, it¡¯s a talent.¡¯ ¡®Did you see what Han Song-hee posted on social media today? He said he ate iced hot chocte haha. That¡¯s really ignorant.¡¯ ¡®My friend is a manager, and I heard he¡¯s ignorant and not rude?¡¯ ¡®My face isn¡¯t as good as it used to be.¡¯ It¡¯s not just poprity that¡¯s followed for ten years, but also maliciousments. It¡¯s okay though. Han Song-heeughs it off and says it¡¯s because she¡¯s jealous of everyone. under. under. under. Even when Iugh¡­ Even when Iugh alone in the spacious andfortable 100-pyeong luxurious vi I just moved into, tears suddenlye to my eyes. Han Song-hee cried so loudly that she had to leave home. I guess the reason I¡¯m crying is because I want to take a tearful selfie, right? I wipe away my tears with the back of my hand. Songhee¡¯s family is busy spending the money she earned, and she has been so busy since she was 19 that she has no friends to contact at this time. Even if you date a lover, when you break up, they are just people who make a fuss about dating Han Song-hee. Someone knocked on the morous but lonely life of Han Song-hee. It¡¯s the person next door. PART 2. ¡°What on earth are you?¡± The man next door, who looks five years younger than Han Song-hee, speaks to Han Song-hee with a cold, emotionless face. It¡¯s noisy. You canugh or cry. Even though it¡¯s next door, it¡¯s 100 pyeong away, so I wonder if it makes sense that it¡¯s noisy. I thought he might be doing this on purpose to see me, so I tried to report him to the security office, but it turns out it was really the man next door. So we fought. Well, how noisy was that? I poured out my sad and lonely anger on a man who came at the right time and didn¡¯t even know if he was Han Song-hee, Baek Song-hee, or Man Song-hee, and didn¡¯t seem to be a citizen of the Republic of Korea. What did I do so wrong? yes? Tell me! The face of the expressionless man next door was also crumpled in the face of Han Song-hee, who was growling with a point and suddenly crying, asking if she felt sorry for me. Get rid of the guy next door like that? And I fell asleep in the cool. The next day, when I went to the filming location of the newly contracted advertisement, thepany¡¯s manager was there. You¡¯re the manager, why are you so young? No, that¡¯s not the problem. Why does it look like something I¡¯ve seen before somewhere? The man next door to whom Han Song-hee revealed the truth yesterday was on set. Are you my stalker? What I wanted to ask was when we met in the underground parking lot of the broadcasting station. However, the man next door ignored Han Song-hee with a bewildered look and passed by. It was because I already knew from two experiences that the answer was not to get involved with Han Song-hee. But at that moment, an unknown vehicle drove up and threatened Han Song-hee. That moment when it came so fast that I couldn¡¯t avoid it and I thought I was going to die like this! Cheon Min-jun, the man next door who was walking far away, an advertiser and now a lifesaver, picked up Han Song-hee. how? How did you get it? Is this something humans can do? In her doubts, Han Song-hee sees Cheon Min-jun¡¯s face. Cheon Min-jun doesn¡¯t seem surprised, but Han Song-hee¡¯s heart seems very surprised. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t be able to run like this! PART 3. ¡°Humans on Earth call life forms like me aliens.¡± Although he looks young and looks like he is about 25, he is already 32. People find Cheon Min-jun confusing and difficult. Although he looks young, when I talk to him, I feel a sense of innocence and frustration, as if I were talking to a person from the Gojoseon era. Even to people who are much more mature than him, Cheon Min-jun sometimes annoys people by acting as if he is more of an adult. He is a character who has a habit of saying things that start with since ancient times.. which is ridiculous. His actual age, not the age on paper, is 239 years old. Cheon Min-jun¡¯s appearance has never changed. A hundred years ago or now, I went on a vacation on a spaceship from Xxw123 to Hqw215, but the spaceship crashed and I fell to Earth alone. So he continues to forge documents and create new people. I continue to live from the age of twenty to about thirty-five. Until then, I insisted that I was young¡­ but after that, I disappeared and went to live in another country and came back to live a new life¡­ I lived alone as an alien for 100 years, pretending to be an Earthling. Waiting for your toe closer once every hundred years in Earth time. 85 days before returning to his, Min-Jun Cheon could not sleep easily. This is because the sound of a woman¡¯sughter and cries echoed through his ears, which were twenty times more developed than those of an Earthling. Meeting that woman, Han Song-hee,pletely shook the alien Cheon Min-jun¡¯s life! . . Director Oh Baek-ho rubbed his eyes. ¡°alien?¡± Director Oh Baek-ho said that the ¡®alien world¡¯ mentioned in the title, which he thought was merely symbolic, was actually an alien world outside of Earth. KK¡¯s 3rd full-length album promotions wereing to an end. After the regr album activities were over, each member was scheduled to pursue individual activities again. In Do-wook¡¯s case, since he had not had any work since ¡®Blue Whale¡¯, he was nning to start his acting career in a hurry. In fact, a lot of casting calls for various dramas wereing in. There were more than one work that had to be turned down due to schedule, including a role as a child of the male lead in a 50-episode special drama and a supporting role in an incredibly popr mini-series that recorded a viewership rating of 27%. These were all roles that Do-wook would have liked to have yed, so both Director Baek-ho Oh and thepany expressed regret. However, Do-wook¡¯s position that he would not engage in acting activities during his activities did not change because KK¡¯s activities took priority. Thepany had no intention of pushing Do-wook too hard and knew that Do-wook wanted to focus on one task and do his best, so they declined all of those roles. As a result, the 3rd full-length album achieved great results, so there were no regrets about missing a few works. Moreover, after the sess of ¡®Continue¡¯, even blockbuster film productionpanies were sending scripts. There were almost no supporting roles and much more leading roles. However, Do-wook expressed his thoughts that he still wants to do dramas rather than movies. It was true that the drama leads were a little younger than the movie leads, and Do-wook¡¯s idea of wanting to y roles that could be yed at that age certainly felt right. So, when the regr album was nearingpletion, Hit Entertainment once again asked for help from Kang-yeon Lee, who was Do-wook¡¯s acting teacher for college entrance exams. Even famous actors often hired acting teachers because they needed to continue to improve. Not only did I receive acting guidance, but I also received help as a mental mentor. Do-wook had already learned a lot through his college years and had solidified his fundamentals, and his acting skills were iparable to most of his fellow actors, but he was not at the level of perfection as an actor. Thepany¡¯s opinion was that a lot of effort and help was needed from selecting a project to taking on a character and acting. Another problem was that there was no separate system for training actors within thepany. Anyone can see that Do-wook is a talented actor who will do well as an actor. It was unreasonable to trust Do-wook¡¯s individual abilities among non-experts. In order to push and pull, I had to get help from outside people. It was an order from Manager Joanie, who was in charge of operational nning. Manager Joanie was envisioning a bigger future starting with Do-wook. Idols were having a great influence not only on entertainment shows but also on dramas. In order to expand the scope of activities of its singers, Hit Entertainment also had to be able to develop its entertainers as actors at thepany level. We cannot wait for an outstanding individual like Do-wook to appear. Therefore, first of all, Do-wook had to do his best to solidify his position as an actor. Manager Joanie¡¯s idea was that only then would she have the know-how to develop it next time and the next. So the first method chosen was to hire Lee Kang-yeon again as a dedicated acting instructor. I decided to pay arger amount than I would have received for help in postponing my entrance exam. He was a minister who took care of Do-wook from the moment of choosing the work. Teacher Kang-yeon Lee was not someone who could be swayed by the amount of money in the case of a long-term contract because he had already taken care of quite a few actors. However, it was teacher Lee Kang-yeon who recognized from the beginning that Do-wook was a talented person. She immediately epted Hit Entertainment¡¯s offer. After that, Kang-yeon Lee personally reviewed some of the scripts that came to Hit Entertainment. Do-wook, who was busy with his schedule, contacted him on his cell phone and discussed together what kind of work he would be working on. There were a couple of dramas that were being discussed like that, and talks were going back and forth with the production team about conditions, etc. At that time, the productionpany, which was quick to hear that Kang Yeon was taking care of Do-wook, sent the script directly to Kang Yeon Lee, not Hit Entertainment. After reviewing the synopsis and script, Lee Kang-yeon sent them back to Director Oh Baek-ho. That was ¡®The Boyfriend from Extraterrestrial¡¯. Director Baekho Oh was reading PART 1 and PART 2 with interest. I don¡¯t enjoy watching dramas, but as someone who works in the entertainment industry, I was aware of the big trends. While I thought it would be fun, Part 3 robbed Director Oh Baek-ho of his spirit. After the review, it was decided to contact Professor Lee Kang-yeon, so Director Oh Baek-ho tried to shake off his nervousness and called Professor Lee Kang-yeon. -Yes, hello? Oh, Chief? Teacher Lee Kang-yeon was a person whose voice always sounded pleasant. ¡®As expected, the person teaching acting seems to be different.¡¯ Thinking about it, Director Oh Baek-ho got to the point. ¡°Yes, teacher. I read the synopsis you sent. You mean aliens? This is it. These days, it seems like everything is turned into a drama. ¡°I can¡¯tugh at this.¡± -Oh, I guess that¡¯s what you said. I was a little confused at first too. ¡°haha. ¡°I guess I¡¯m old now.¡± It meant that I couldn¡¯t understand it at all. Teacher Lee Kang-yeon spoke in an understanding tone. ¡°Aliens¡­ I also thought it was a bit of a difficult topic. However, if you read the character introduction, you will see that I really like the role of the male protagonist.¡± ¡°is that so? Hehehe¡­¡­¡± Director Oh Baek-ho smiled kindly. Teacher Kang-yeon Lee was not someone who could mess with Director Baek-ho Oh. Since he is not from within thepany, he is neither a subordinate nor a superior. It was true that he helped me a lot during the entrance exam to Korea National University of Arts, and even though he was still one of the leading acting instructors in Korea, I had doubts about whether I could really entrust Lee Kang-yeon with choosing Do-wook¡¯s work. ¡°yes. Also¡­ since he¡¯s an alien, he also has super powers. There¡¯s a lot of money. ¡°He is a very capable male protagonist and has to leave for outer space soon, so he has a lot to lose in the emotional aspect.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Teacher Lee Kang-yeon said to Director Oh Baek-ho¡¯s lukewarm response. ¡°But the material is probably the same, right? I also really like the character, but I was put off by the subject matter.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ thank you for knowing.¡± ¡°Then, Mr. Do-wook, we decided to join the role of ¡®Snow White¡¯s Sister¡¯, which we had originally discussed¡­ I will have to show this work to the other actor I am in charge of.¡± Teacher Kang-yeon Lee said, thinking of a male actor who is one year older than Do-wook. Director Oh Baek-ho replied that he understood, and only then did he reply in a rxed voice. ¡°Yes, I understand that.¡± ¡°Do-wook, you¡¯re busy these days, right?¡± ¡°Yes, today is thest broadcast, so now I can take a breather. ¡°Then do you mind if I don¡¯t show Do-wook this scenario separately?¡± ¡°Director, do whatever suits you.¡± ¡°yes. Thank you for always caring about our Do-wook. ¡°I will contact you again once the ¡®Snow White Sister¡¯ contract is concluded.¡± Just like that, Director Oh Baek-ho hung up the phone with Professor Lee Kang-yeon. Chapter 168 # 169 Momentary Choice (2) *** ¡°Aaaahhh!¡± ¡°Do-Wook!¡± ¡°I love you KK!¡± ¡°Continue your activities!!!¡± ¡°Taehyung, just look here! ¡°Look!¡± SVS ¡®Life Song¡¯ on stage. For the pre-recording of thest stage of this regr album, fans each shouted at the KK members who were standing in arge formation on stage. Today, arge number of KK¡¯s fans filled all 600 seats in the public hall where the ¡®Life Song¡¯ program was held. It was Do Ra-hee, assistant manager of the fan-marketing team, who had been busy all day checking the number of 600 fans who had lined up since dawn and managing them. As before, assistant manager Do Ra-hee did not manage it directly, but through KK¡¯s fan manager, but it was true that there were so many people that people were nervous because they didn¡¯t know what kind of ident might happen. I was doing my best because I didn¡¯t want to cause anything unpleasant at the end of the activity. ¡°Do not make personalments!¡± The fan manager, who received instructions from Assistant Manager Do Ra-hee, shouted to the fans. Even though the stage has started, if you say a personalment like ¡®Who is this please look here¡¯ instead of cheering, your voice will be included in KK¡¯s song. It was a huge disruption. Even though KK¡¯s stage was pre-recorded, it was still live. The members also watched the staff and signaled to the fans to be quiet. When Do-wook, who was standing still, lifted his index finger and put it to his mouth, the room suddenly became quiet. Dowook picked up the microphone and spoke in a low voice. ¡°everyone. Thank you so much foring. ¡°You must have worked hard since the morning¡­ Will you enjoy our performance together?¡± ¡°yes!¡± ¡°yes-!¡± ¡°I love you Dowook!!!¡± Fans responded in unison. After that, a loud fan appeared again. ¡°If you shout like that, my throat hurts. ¡°We¡¯re going to perform on stage now, so what if my neck hurts while cheering?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay!¡± Laughter erupted in the hall as Dowook¡¯s enthusiastic fan answered that he was okay in a hoarse voice simr to that of the legendary pterodactyl. The members also smiled and shook their heads as if they couldn¡¯t stop him. The worry that Do-wook¡¯s words would be useless if he continued like that was short-lived. Soon, Dowook put his index finger to his mouth again with a soft smile. Then, the enthusiastic fan looked as if his heart had stopped on the spot, held his chest, and closed his mouth. At a time when 600 fans were melting under Do-wook¡¯s soft smile, PD Hyun Joo-hyuk shouted. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± KK¡¯s stage has begun. The first stage was ¡®Continue¡¯. With the magnificent sound, the KK members jumped up at the same time. ¡°Kyaahahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh !!!¡± The ear-piercing shouts felt like part of the sound of ¡®Continue¡¯. The members who jumped highnded at the same time and started singing. The KK members performed the song without any problem and continued singing smoothly on a stage that seemed breathtaking just by looking at it. This has already been the hundreds of performances since practice. There was nothing rough about the KK members. As Jeong Yoon-gi, Kim Won, and Seok Ji-hoon crouched down, Do-wook ran from the end of the stage and jumped over them. The choreography of ¡®Continue¡¯ was not difficult for no reason. There wasn¡¯t a single action movie. When Do-wook jumped over him and handed over the microphone, Hyeong-seo Ahn, who received the microphone, coolly pulled out a high note. ¡°I¡¯ll always be in your heart¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D!¡± Afterwards, Dowook, holding his microphone in his hand, stood at the center and the members lined up in a triangle. Dozens of dancers lined up behind them and a chorus yed. Dowook ¡°Con¡ª Con¡ª Continue!¡± ¡°We keep moving forward,¡± the members sang in unison. It was a magnificent song that left you in awe every time you saw it. It was a skill developed through practice, but that doesn¡¯t mean it wasn¡¯t difficult. When thest part of the song came, beads of sweat dripped from the members¡¯ foreheads. However, there was still no wavering in his live voice. ¡°It¡¯s a different ss?¡± The sound director, who was wearing earphones, took off one earphone and said to the assistant next to him. Bojo was already watching the stage, mesmerized. ¡°It¡¯s like a pop singer¡¯s visit to Korea.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t even go on TV like that. ¡°The sound doesn¡¯t follow.¡± Just like that, a sigh of regret flowed from the sound team. Immediately afterwards, the members came out wearing only jackets in their ¡®Continue¡¯ outfits. The next stage was ¡®Go low go high¡¯. ¡°Ahh!¡± ¡°Oh mommy! ¡°It¡¯s really cool.¡± At a time when the fans were groaning, the prelude to ¡®Go low go high¡¯ was yed. Each member danced the rhythm and swayed the stage. Jung Yoon-ki¡¯s fast rap flowed like a storm, and Kim Won followed suit, rapping in fluent English as if delivering a heavy blow. Next, the four vocal members paired up and sang while riding the wave. The KK members, who have a strong image of being upright, rxed their expressions and seemed to have surrendered their bodies to the rhythm, and the debauched appearance was very sexy. As he danced and half of his jacket came off, Seok Ji-hoon took it off and started unbuttoning it one by one. It was one of the trump cards prepared for this final stage. Seok Ji-hoon also tried to create something of his own within the group. The ¡®polite youngest member¡¯ image was from off stage. I needed something that could appeal to fans and audiences a little more on stage. For KK members, singing and dancing were basics. Seok Ji-hoon, who was thinking about something else, did weight training harder than anyone else. Even though I was busy, I went to the fitness room in the Hit Entertainment building and sat on the bench press to strengthen my upper body muscles. Seok Ji-hoon had a body that gained muscle mass just by consuming protein without doing much exercise. As expected, when I started working out in earnest, I gained muscle easily. When I undid three buttons, my chest muscles were clearly visible through them. The camera closed up that part as if it had been waiting. ¡°Aaaah!!!¡± ¡°omg.¡± ¡°What a hit!!!¡± ¡°Jihoon¡­ our Jihoon¡­¡± Fans who were visually attacked by the youngest member Seok Jihoon¡¯s hidden muscles covered their mouths, not knowing what to do. KK was now clearly showing the charm of a mature man. ¡°You go low!¡± ¡°We go high!¡± With shouting voices, the six members coolly showed off spinning kicks. As his high toes came down, he took off the jacket he was buttoning up and threw it towards the camera. The camera screen turned ck and KK¡¯s stage ended. Everyone who saw KK¡¯s performance that had just ended couldn¡¯t take their eyes off him. It was a hot stage. It was so great that I wanted to capture even the sight of KKing down the stage. After sessfullypleting the performance, the members came down from the stage and fell down as soon as they came down to the back of the stage, as if their legs had lost their strength. As Ahn Hyeong-seo sat down, Gu Cheol-min came up in surprise and checked on Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s condition. But it wasn¡¯t just Ahn Hyeong-seo. Jeong Yoon-gi was also breathing heavily, clutching the pir at the back of the stage. The members, who had been smiling and winking at their fans just a moment ago, shooting bullets of love and kicking around with charismatic expressions, looked incredibly helpless. Even Do-wook, who was second to none in terms of physical strength, was breathing heavily and unable to do anything with his numb limbs. One of the dancers next to him massaged Dowook¡¯s arm. Kim Won barely made it to the waiting room andy down on the sofa. It was difficult to ovee the pressure in my chest caused by hyperventtion. Taehyung Park and Jihoon Seok were also not in good condition. The two barely managed to swallow the bottled water handed to them by the coordinators. The choreography for both songs was intense, and it was KK who performed the songs live. It was not an area that humans could easily aplish. In a short period of 6 minutes, KK gave everything they had. The reason I was able to perform on stage without wavering even for a moment was because I was able to ovee the physical barrier with my mental strength. Since all the energy was expended in a short period of time, the aftereffects were enormous. I felt like I was going to die. This time behind the scenes could be said to be the most difficult. It wasn¡¯t long, but the thought that I might die just for a moment crossed my mind dozens of times. ¡®But¡­ we did it again.¡¯ Dowook took a deep breath and thought. It was a sessful stage. People cheered and it was a very satisfying performance for me personally. He could have shown with all his might what he wanted to show. The members endured difficult times thanks to the thrilling pleasure they felt on stage. *** With a simple dinner party where 30 servings of pork belly were cleanly served, KK finished activities for her 3rd full-length album. When we returned to the dorm, Manager Oh Baek-ho was waiting for the members. It was to say thank you for your hard work. The response to today¡¯s broadcast was truly the best. Everyone was happy that another ¡®legendary stage¡¯ was born. Seok Ji-hoon¡¯s slight topless removal was also captured and spread everywhere. Seok Ji-hoon smiled happily. ¡°Everyone worked really hard. This activity. great job. Especially Hyungseo¡­ Take care of your condition well from now on.¡± ¡°of course. Thank you to all the members.¡± ¡°Why again?¡± Exchanging warm words with each other, the members returned to their respective rooms. No one had any schedule until the day after tomorrow. This activity definitely required a lot of physical strength. The members¡¯ honest feelings were that they wanted to fall asleep now and wake up the day after tomorrow. So the members returned to their respective rooms, and Manager Oh Baek-ho stayed in the living room with Do-wook because he had something left to say to Do-wook. ¡°You¡¯re tired too. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal to talk about¡­ I talked to teacher Kang-yeon Lee and he said that you decided to do your next film, ¡®Snow White¡¯s Sister.¡¯¡± ¡°Ah yes.¡± Dowook had already read the script for ¡®Snow White¡¯s Sister¡¯ and said he liked the work. I nodded obediently, thinking that I was going ahead. As Do-wook knows, ¡®Snow White¡¯s Sister¡¯ was difficult to call a hit drama, but it was a drama that was evaluated as a well-made drama. ¡°Teacher Lee sent me an additional script, but it had some kind of alien in it¡­ It seemed interesting, but it ended up being absurd¡­¡± ¡° Huh? ¡°Are you an alien?¡± ¡°okay. It¡¯s not a science fiction drama, it¡¯s some kind of love affair with an alien¡­ ET. ¡°You don¡¯t need to look separately, right?¡± When Do-wook was surprised and asked, Director Baek-ho Oh smiled brightly and asked in an unusual tone if it was really an extraordinary drama. I said this because I wanted tough with Do-wook. However, what surprised Dowook was not the fact that an extraterrestrial being called an ¡®alien¡¯ appeared in the drama and was not even the main character. When ites to romance dramas featuring aliens, there was only one. However, he was surprised to learn that the drama¡¯s script came to him. ¡°Oh no. I! ¡°I miss you.¡± Dowook¡¯s eyes, which had been full of fatigue, were shining again. Director Oh Baek-ho was a little dazed by the unexpected reaction and asked again. ¡°You want to see it?¡± ¡°yes. that. no. I don¡¯t think you need to look at it. I want to do that. alien. yes.¡± It was an opportunity that should never be missed. Do-wook spoke quickly, unable to hide his excitement, even though he knew he would seem impatient. Director Oh Baek-ho looked at Do-wook with a puzzled expression. Since it was a script given by Lee Kang-yeon, Director Oh Baek-ho also looked into industry rumors about the work. As I found out, there was a reason why Do-wook received the script for ¡®The Boyfriend from Extraterrestrial¡¯. This was because the top star in his early 30s, whom the writer originally wanted, rejected the script. Director Oh Baek-ho was not the only one who had aversion to the subject of ¡®alien¡¯. Most managementpanies rejected the script due to their dislike of the subject matter. ¡®There¡¯s no way something like that will work.¡¯ That was the industry opinion. As a result, the script was sent to Do-wook at a lower age level. Because of this, Director Oh Baek-ho was able to reject the script with greater ease. However, I couldn¡¯t help but be shocked to see Do-wook react so passionately. As for ¡®Snow White¡¯s Sister¡¯, I had not yet given a definitive answer, and I had spoken on the phone with Lee Kang-yeon a few hours ago, so I was still able to overturn my decision. ¡°Uh¡­ that¡¯s right. First, look at the script. ¡°I wonder if it is the alien you think of¡­¡± *** Of course, it was ¡®the alien¡¯ Do-wook thought of. ¡®The viewership rating reached 40%¡­ It was an incredible drama that could be called a craze. ¡®I can¡¯t believe this opportunity hase to me.¡¯ Dowook clenched his hands. If Do-wook didn¡¯t know the future, he could have frowned just by looking at the material. But the moment I read the synopsis and script, I was convinced again. ¡®fun.¡¯ If you break your prejudices a little and read the script properly, you can feel that there is plenty of fun in it. The only way to fail with this script was to have the male protagonist dress up like ET. However, there was no way he would wear that kind of makeup, he only spoke as an alien and yed the role of a ¡®handsome man with talent¡¯. Teacher Lee Kang-yeon once again admired Do-wook for recognizing that point. Lee Kang-yeon was clearly aware of this, but he did not have the confidence to persuade Hit Entertainment about a drama that was widely considered to be a failure in the industry. Possibility is always apanied by uncertainty, so it was inevitable for Lee Kang-yeon. But Dowook was different. Dowook was confident. Do-wook persuaded Director Oh Baek-ho and thepany. In any case, the final decision to appear was a matter that Do-wook was supposed to make. So Do-wook epted the role of the male protagonist of ¡®The Boyfriend from Extraterrestrial¡¯. All that was left was to have a meeting with the writer of ¡®The Boyfriend from Extraterrestrial¡¯ to finalize the decision. Do-wook decided to go directly to the artist¡¯s studio. Do-wook, who went to the front of the studio with Director Oh Baek-ho and was about to ring the bell, stopped in surprise at something falling from the sky. ¡°That¡­¡± Something heavy was falling. Chapter 169 # 170 Momentary Choice (3) Fortunately, the falling object did notnd on the floor, but on the balcony below. The studio of Oh Young-ji, the author of ¡®The Boyfriend from Another World,¡¯ was a two-story single-family house located in Nowon-gu, Seoul. It was not Ilsan or Yeouido, where writers usually live, and it was also far from central Seoul, where productionpanies, such as Gangnam, were concentrated. The reason artist Oh Young-ji chose this ce was because it was a single-family home. The prices of ces such as Yeouido and Ilsan were too expensive. The first floor was a space for working with assistant artists, and the second floor could be seen as artist Oh Young-ji¡¯s residence. Anyway, the object that fell from the second floor window ended up in the first floor balcony flower bed. Do-wook and Director Baek-ho Oh looked there with surprised faces. The object that was thrown into the flower bed was none other than aptop. ¡°Can Ie in?¡± Do-wook also could not answer Director Baek-ho Oh¡¯s question. Because the same question was on my mind. The promise was definitely made today. Although they arrived about 5 minutes early¡­ Do-wook and Director Oh Baek-ho thought they should have arrived on time 5 minutester. Anyway, I was lucky that it didn¡¯t fall on my head. The thought of aptop falling on my head was terrifying. Director Oh Baek-ho also shuddered as if he had imagined the same thing. Without even thinking about whether to ring the bell or not, the front door burst open. Dowook took a step back. The person who opened the front door and came out was a woman with short hair. He looked to be in histe twenties and was wearing a short-sleeved T-shirt and afortable pleated skirt with stic bands. He had arge backpack on his back. The eyes were red and his face looked like he was about to cry. ¡°Oh¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t just the two people who were surprised, but the woman as well. He looked surprised for a moment, but when our eyes met, he bowed his head and said hello. Dowook also reflexively said hello and looked at the woman. ¡°then.¡± The woman said hello and quickly walked down the balcony to look at the shatteredptop. ¡°Haa¡­¡­¡± A deep sigh followed. It was a situation that made me sigh. ¡®Could it have been dropped?¡¯ When Do-wook thought so, the woman picked up aptop that had several cracks in it. Keycaps and broken remains were rolling around on the dirt floor, and it seemed like they didn¡¯t even take care of it. The woman turned her head towards the two people standing there, wondering if she should at least help them. ¡°Hmm hmm. Please go in. Are you here to see the teacher¡­? ¡°Stay inside.¡± The woman finally spoke while clearing her locked throat. Do-wook thought it would be rude to look any further, so he quickly answered and entered the open front door. As I entered the front door, another woman came out in surprise. This time it was a woman wearing horn-rimmed sses and her hair tied high. Like the woman with short hair, she appeared to be in her mid tote 20s. ¡°Oh hello! ¡°You¡¯re here!¡± ¡°hello.¡± When Do-wook bowed, the woman looked around busily and guided the two towards the sofa. As the two sat down on the sofa, the woman scratched her head and said. ¡°The teacher is upstairs right now¡­ Now, just wait a moment. ¡°Would you like some tea¡­juice?¡± Director Oh Baek-ho seemed to be happy and handed the fruit juice set he had bought to the woman with horn-rimmed sses. The woman said thank you and epted the juice. ¡°I think water will do for us.¡± ¡°Ah yes. wait a minute!¡± When Director Oh Baek-ho said this, the woman with horn-rimmed sses answered that she understood and quickly left the room. Seeing that she was called a teacher, it seemed that both the woman from earlier and the woman with horn-rimmed sses were assistant writers. ¡°The atmosphere is chaotic.¡± ¡°Iknow, right.¡± While answering, Dowook looked around the inside of the studio. At first nce, it looked like a home because the TV, sofa, refrigerator, etc. were ced in ordinary ces, but the view inside the open door of therge room did not show that of a home. There was arge work desk in therge room, and A4 papers were piled thickly on the desk. Threeptops were running with their lights on, and a whiteboard was also set up on one side. ¡®The artist¡¯s workspace¡­¡¯ It was my first timeing to the artist¡¯s studio, so I looked around with a sense of wonder. On the other hand, I was worried about what happened to the formerptop and short-haired assistant writer. As I was taking a sip of water given by the assistant writer wearing horn-rimmed sses, writer Oh Young-ji came down the stairs. ¡°Oh hello! ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for making youe here.¡± Artist Oh Young-ji¡¯s pleasant voice, which could be called an oriole, rang through the studio. ¡°no. ¡°We have to find the author.¡± Director Oh Baek-ho quickly stood up and greeted writer Oh Young-ji. When Do-wook also bowed his head, writer Oh Young-ji said with a big smile. ¡°oh! You look really handsome! ¡°I¡¯m so d to see you like this!¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m honored too. Writer.¡± ¡°I¡¯m honored, Mr. Dowook, see it all! As expected, you did a good job as a drama writer. ¡°Meet such a handsome person!¡± Do-wook and Director Oh Baek-ho also smiledfortably at the words of writer Oh Young-ji. In fact, the two people were waiting with very anxious feelings because of the scene they witnessed even before the studio door was opened. Author Oh Young-ji, who spoke with blushing cheeks like a girl, was an experienced writer with four works to her name, but she was also a young writer who had just turned 40. She was a former assistant writer and started her career at the young age of 30. Since my debut film was also a public broadcast Monday-Tuesday drama, I could say I was quite lucky. From her debut work to her next work, writer Oh Young-ji¡¯s dramas have been on a roll. The main viewers were women in their forties and fifties. The romance aimed at housewives worked well. Then, at the end of two years ago, a broadcastingpany recognized that writer Oh Young-ji¡¯s main audience was housewives and assigned her to write a weekend drama. As the age range of weekend dramas is high, the age range of the writers is also quite high. It was an unconventional choice for a broadcastingpany, and the same was true for writer Oh Young-ji. The flower of drama was called a miniseries. Unlike Monday-Tuesday dramas and Wednesday-Thursday dramas with stars whose names seem dazzling, daily dramas and weekend dramas have been dismissed as dramas made by people who are not in the A ss. It was the same whether you were an actor or a writer. Writer Oh Young-ji was worried about this, but after much thought, she epted the broadcaster¡¯s offer. I couldn¡¯t betray my loyalty to the PD who brought writer Oh Young-ji on board, and there was also the temptation of manuscript fees. Unlike weekday dramas that go back and forth between 16 and 20 episodes, weekend dramas usually have 50 episodes. Since most drama writers receive a script fee per episode, if they receive a script fee for 50 episodes, they will receive a significant amount of script fee. The KVS weekend drama ¡®Love on the Vine¡¯, which was writer Oh Young-ji¡¯s first attempt, was a greater sess than anyone could have imagined. The viewership rating exceeded 50 percent and was loved by both the middle-aged and the young, making weekend dramas re-evaluate. There was even talk that other broadcastingpanies should rush to put talented young writers into weekend dramas and daily dramas, and many writers were actually hired. Writer Oh Young-ji¡¯s momentum was considerable as she wrote a national family drama that could be enjoyed by all, from daughters to mothers, sons to fathers. KVS once again proposed a weekend drama, but this time writer Oh Young-ji rejected it. Writer Oh Young-ji¡¯s dream was, of course, during the golden time on weekdays. Although ¡®Love on a Vine¡¯ received national love, it was a different kind of love than the love received from a weekday primetime drama. Writer Oh Young-ji has a desire to receive this kind of love in the field of romanticedies, the flower of drama. Now I have confidence that I can do better. What emerged after going through the nning and writing stages was ¡®The Boyfriend from Extraterrestrial¡¯. Because of the unique setting of ¡®alien¡¯, there was initially opposition from the productionpany that writer Oh Young-ji was affiliated with, but writer Oh Young-ji was confident. So I pushed for it, and eventually the productionpany, after seeing the script, gave up. In the case of broadcastingpanies, the atmosphere was, ¡®If the casting is good, go!¡¯ Then the problem was, of course, casting. Romanticedies are half-baked by casting. The main male character¡¯s character was based on being ¡®handsome¡¯ and ¡®cool¡¯. There were parts where acting skills were not enough to express that, and there were a very limited number of actors who could even neutralize the ¡®alien¡¯ setting that met those conditions. Additionally, another problem was the length issue with the female protagonist. Unlike other dramas that mainly feature male actors, ¡®Boyfriend from Outer Space¡¯, despite its title, focuses on the female protagonist. So, even though it was possible to ovee the barrier of alien subject matter, top-ss male actors refused to be cast because they did not want to be pushed out by actresses. Naturally, the actor that writer Oh Young-ji first thought of was also rejected. However, writer Oh Young-ji¡¯s position was that it made no sense to lower the level at all. At that time, Dowook appeared like a savior. Do-wook was not a top-ss drama actor, but he had a strong top image, so he was definitely not a casting choice. Writer Oh Young-ji thought that a casting of this level would definitely be okay at a broadcasting station. ¡®There hasn¡¯t been a clear answer yet about the actor who will y the female lead, but¡­ Well, if I told you that Kang Do-wook was cast, wouldn¡¯t you think more positively?¡¯ Writer Oh Young-ji thought with a smile. ¡°Ah¡­ So the female protagonist hasn¡¯t been confirmed yet.¡± ¡°yes. We are having a conversation. I guess the alien setting is there too. ¡°I wonder if it makes sense to love aliens.¡± Writer Oh Young-ji also nodded as if she understood. The reason why the top female actor was giving the drama a positive review despite such limitations was because they knew that it was a drama that would definitely draw attention to women. Dowook shook his head. ¡°No, author. He only talks like an alien, but he is a man with money, abilities, and even superpowers. ¡°It¡¯s natural to fall in love with a man like that.¡± ¡°Oh my, too. Thank you for reading my script. thank you.¡± Writer Oh Young-ji didn¡¯t seem to have a particrly bad personality. Rather, it looked good and there seemed to be no sharp corners. As thefortable atmosphere continued, Dowook asked cautiously. This was because the woman with short hair and ring eyes kept bothering me. ¡°But¡­ I saw yourptop falling earlier¡­ I think you dropped it by mistake.¡± ¡°Oh, you saw that. Were you surprised? I must have been surprised. sorry.¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t mean it that way.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a mistake. I dropped it. Or should I say I threw it away?¡± Director Oh Baek-ho and Do-wook paused as writer Oh Young-ji spoke quietly, tucking her flowing hair behind her ear. ¡°No, sometimes I lose my temper when I get too angry. When I asked Ande, who was my assistant writer, to write down an idea, he wrote it in a mess. How many times has it been already? ¡°Do you want to work or not?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°If this is going to happen, I threw it away and told him not to work. Hoho, don¡¯t worry about it. Are you making a campaign just because you came up with the title idea in the first ce? Anyway, kids these days get hooked quickly¡­¡± Writer Oh Young-ji shook her head. Dowook, who was quietly listening to her words, widened his eyes. At that moment, I was reminded of the giarism controversy of ¡®The Boyfriend from Extraterrestrial¡¯ that had previously urred. ¡®I only saw an article about someone being sued. no way¡­¡­.¡¯ Chapter 170 # 171 Momentary Choice (4) Director Oh Baek-ho first took Writer Oh Young-ji¡¯s side to prevent the atmosphere from bing too heavy. ¡°The writer must have been very offended.¡± Of course, the question ¡®Isn¡¯t it wrong?¡¯ was rising in Director Oh Baek-ho¡¯s mind. The industry¡¯s reputation for artist Oh Young-ji was average. It was a rumor that Director Oh Baek-ho had heard that he was not the type of writer to engage in entric behavior, which ismon among writers. ¡®Isn¡¯t throwing aptop even part of a entric act? what the.¡¯ Director Oh Baek-ho thought. I also thought that it would be better if writer Oh Young-ji made an angry face right now. Writer Oh Young-ji was treating Do-wook and Director Oh Baek-ho with such kindness that it was hard to imagine that she was the person who had just thrown theptop. If you don¡¯t know, it makes people feel even more ufortable. I felt like I didn¡¯t know where I would end up. ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. By the way, Mr. Do-wook, what is your rtionship with teacher Kang-yeon Lee?¡± ¡°I was advised to postpone the entrance exam. ¡°He is still helping us now.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. Did you go to acting department? Dowook is a singer¡­ surprising. Can I ask which school it is?¡± ¡°Oh, Korea National University of Arts.¡± ¡°really?! I also went to that school. Of course, it will be different.¡± ¡°ah! I did not know. ¡°You were a senior.¡± Since I chose to work on ¡®Boyfriend from Outer Space,¡¯ the better rtionship I could build with writer Oh Young-ji, the better. When I heard that it was the same school, Do-wook also responded with a happy expression. ¡°Our Mi-hyeon and our assistant writer also graduated from Daejejong. Mihyeon!¡± ¡°Haha, I wish I had graduated from that university too.¡± Director Oh Baek-ho joked. When writer Oh Young-ji called someone named ¡®Mihyeon¡¯, an assistant writer wearing horn-rimmed sses who had been inside the room came out. The assistant writer was holding a cell phone in his hand as if he was on a call. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, sir?¡± ¡°No, you should also formally say hello to Do-wook¡­¡± ¡°Yes¡­ But I think you should answer the phone.¡± ¡°huh? What transition? ¡°Customers are here now, so we¡¯ll have to do itter.¡± Mihyeon looked embarrassed and said, ¡°I think it would be best to receive it now.¡± There was no choice but writer Oh Young-ji got up and handed me the cell phone. After writer Oh Young-ji entered the room, the only people left were Mi-hyeon and Do-wook, manager Oh Baek-ho. When Mi-hyeon made eye contact with Do-wook, she awkwardly avoided eye contact. ¡°Writer, please sit down for a moment.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s okay¡­ then¡­¡± Mihyeon hesitated and sat down in the seat across from her. Director Oh Baek-ho asked while there was silence for a moment. ¡°It looks like the phone call is taking a long time.¡± ¡°Well¡­ I got a call from the manager of our female protagonist¡­¡± Manager Oh Baek-ho nodded in understanding at Mi-hyeon¡¯s answer. Being the female protagonist was also important to Do-wook. As the female protagonist had to lead the y, it was difficult for the y to survive unless she was a top star with excellent acting skills. ¡®If it were the original, it would have been Wang Hee-jin¡­¡¯ Do-wook thought of Wang Hee-jin. She was a beautiful actress who never once fell from the top position from high school to herte 20s. There have always been controversies about her acting skills, but she had the beauty and charm to put those controversies to rest. ¡®It¡¯s hard to think of anyone other than Wang Hee-jin ying the female lead role.¡¯ Dowook was a little worried. Since the male lead role was changed to him, it seemed like the female lead role could also change. Since he had already seen Wang Hee-jin¡¯s acting in this drama once, Do-wook definitely wanted Wang Hee-jin to y the female lead role. But there was nothing Dowook could do right now. First of all, it is true that Do-wook does not even know who the female protagonist currently being discussed is. Before that, I thought it was an opportunity to ask about the work of writer Oh Young-ji and the former assistant writer. Do-wook nced at the door that showed no sign of being opened and asked Mi-hyeon. *** When I returned from the meeting with writer Oh Young-ji, the dorm was quiet. Except for Seok Ji-hoon, all the members had gone out to meet their families and friends. Even Taehyung Park, who usually rested by quietly watching movies at his dorm, seemed to have ns today. ¡°Are you here?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t go out?¡± When Do-wook asked, Seok Ji-hoon answered, taking out a suitcase from the utility room. ¡°I have a shoot tomorrow. ¡°I¡¯m going to pack my bags and take care of my condition.¡± I was talking about filming ¡®48 Hours Camping¡¯. Seok Ji-hoon was active in ¡¯48 Hours Camping¡¯ to the point where he won the Rookie of the Year award atst year¡¯s KVS Entertainment Awards. Of course, since he is not a professional who specializes in making peopleugh, there were times when there was less screen time, but theizens¡¯ evaluation of Seok Ji-hoon in ¡¯48 Hours Camping¡¯ was that he was always above average. Do-wook smiled happily at Seok Ji-hoon¡¯s answer. At first, there was a difference in gaze like that of an uncle looking at his nephew, but now he is looking at the youngest member of the team as an older brother. A big reason was that Do-wook adapted to life as ¡®Kang Do-wook¡¯ and that each member, including Seok Ji-hoon, grew older and gained experience. At the time when KK ceased activities, Kim Won and Jung Yoon-gi were preparing to release OK Unit digital music, and Ahn Hyeong-seo was receiving a flood of OST requests. Seok Ji-hoon was active in ¡¯48 Hours Camping¡¯ and was often scheduled to appear as a panelist on fashion programs. Seok Ji-hoon, Ahn Hyeong-seo, and Park Tae-hyung were also scheduled to appear on a travel entertainment show. Do-wook was also flooded with requests for entertainment appearances and OSTs, but he was turning them all down. It was unavoidable because I was busy focusing on my acting activities during the short break. For the time being, it seemed like all the members would do together was shootmercials. Seok Ji-hoonid out the fluorescent yellow suitcase in the living room, which was eye-watering just looking at it, and began to fold and organize the clothes. Short-sleeved T-shirts were lined up in a row at an angle. The luggage arrangement was done so thoroughly that it made me shake my head. Dowook, who was looking at that, asked. ¡°How far do you think we¡¯ll go this time?¡± I asked because I felt like I had more clothes than usual. ¡°no. Now that it¡¯s getting hotter, I¡¯m going to the valley or the sea a lot. ¡°They said if I let them in, I wouldn¡¯t have enough clothes.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s hot, but I think it¡¯s still better than filming in the winter. ¡°It¡¯s cool even if you go into the water.¡± Do-wookughed happily at Seok Ji-hoon¡¯s exnation. ¡°Hyung, if you go into drama, won¡¯t summer end without you being able to go to the beach even once?¡± Seok Ji-hoon asked Do-wook, who smiled kindly, as if he felt sorry. All the members were busy in their own way, but Dowook was the busiest as he was splitting his time. ¡°What¡­. Isn¡¯t there going to be a scene where we go to the sea during filming?¡± At Do-wook¡¯s answer, Seok Ji-hoonughed as if it were a little absurd. ¡°Did youe to meet the writer? How was it? Do you believe aliens are real? ¡°Do you think he¡¯s a good person?¡± Uncharacteristic of Seok Ji-hoon, he asked questions one after another. Dowook shook his head and answered. ¡°It¡¯s not like that. ¡°The writer¡­¡± Do-wook could not easily define writer Oh Young-ji. People did not originally have only one side. ¡°Good. Please be nice.¡± ¡°thank god.¡± Do-wook answered Seok Ji-hoon and went into his room. Nevertheless, if Do-wook is asked what kind of person Oh Young-ji is like, he will answer that she seems like a good person. He was treated kindly and, as Manager Oh Baek-ho had known in the industry, there didn¡¯t seem to be any sharp corners. ¡®At least not to that assistant writer.¡¯ Writer Oh Young-ji certainly had a fiery personality. When he got angry, he was the type to express his anger without hesitation. In addition, writer Oh Young-ji himself felt that the actions he took against his assistant writer were justified anger. That is why I honestly told Do-wook and Director Oh Baek-ho that this was what I did. He was an assistant writer whom he hired, fed him, put him to sleep, and even paid him a sry. The author was negligent in his duties because he did not do what he was asked to do. If you think about it that way, the position was also correct that the way it was expressed was just excessive. Through the story he heard from an assistant writer named Mi-hyeon, Do-wook was able to roughly guess what happened to the giarism dispute that had urred previously. Mihyeon answered Dowook¡¯s questions very carefully. If I used my mouth incorrectly, I could be as angry as an assistant writer whoseptop was smashed. After listening to it, it seemed true that the assistant writer was actuallyzy. Mi-hyeon tried to say something nice by saying, ¡®Ji-young has been in a bit of a slumptely¡­¡¯, but if you listen to it, it means that she didn¡¯te up with any ideas and didn¡¯t do the research she was asked to do. When exining the reason why that happened, Mihyeon added the following clue: ¡®Maybe¡­¡¯ Because it was not her business, Mihyeon was cautious and did not make any conclusions. But that¡¯s why I had more faith in Mihyeon¡¯s exnation. At the same time, Mi-hyeon had no choice but to protect Ji-young, her colleague as an assistant writer, and so she even told Do-wook about things that writer Oh Young-ji did not want him to know. Since Jiyoung had just run out, it was clear that Mihyeon was also confused about various things. ording to Mi-hyeon¡¯s exnation, the idea of the title ¡®Boyfriend from Extraterrestrial¡¯ and the setting that the reason the male alien protagonist fell in Joseon was a ¡®UFO crash¡¯ were the ideas of an assistant writer named Ji-young. Additionally, Jiyoung¡¯s idea was used to set up the female protagonist¡¯s past. It is said that writer Oh Young-ji also praised Ji-young very much. The problem was Jiyoung. After hearing writer Oh Young-ji exin the idea she got from Ji-young to the PD and productionpany as if she hade up with it herself, Ji-young felt helpless. As an assistant writer, it was natural for him toe up with ideas, and there was no problem with Oh Young-ji, the main writer, writing those ideas. Even if he said what he thought, he had nothing to say. It was unfair, but it was that kind of world. Even though she knew that, Jiyoung, who was working as an assistant writer for the first time, felt a blow at that point. ¡®That¡¯s why he stoppeding up with any ideas¡­ Writer Oh Young-ji must have been so angry that he had no choice but to kick her out. The assistant writer who was kicked out had malicious intent and used reference materials to raise an issue of giarism¡­¡¯ It was a situation that made me sigh. It was difficult for Do-wook to decide whether someone waspletely at fault and he was not in a position to do so. What was important to Dowook was that the work he was appearing in would not be caught up in gossip. ¡®Then¡­¡­¡¯ Do-wook took out his cell phone and contacted Director Oh Baek-ho. It was to contact Wang Hee-jin. Chapter 171 # 172 50X100X200 (1) *** The meeting with Wang Hee-jin was secretly held at a cafe in Cheongdam-dong. Wang Hee-jin was only considering appearing in ¡®The Boyfriend from Extraterrestrial¡¯, and Do-wook was also unknown to the outside world. Both of them were quite top stars. If it was known that two people who had no contact had met, an article would naturally be published asking ¡®Why did they meet?¡¯ If the article was published in advance, it would be a hot topic, but it could only cause a fuss. Perhaps because of that, he made the contact cautiously, but even though it was an opportunity to meet an actress, Do-wook did not worry about a scandal. This was because there was an 8 year difference in their actual ages and Wang Hee-jin was a married man who got married a year ago. In the case of actors, especially actresses, when they get married, the range of roles narrows and they are often rarely cast in romances or melodramas. So, no matter how popr Wang Hee-jin was, it was rare for her to be cast in a full-fledged romanticedy genre. In addition, writer Oh Young-ji said that the female protagonist was modeled after herself, so even though theplicated alien setting and the sci-fi romance genre appealed to her, she did not reject it right away and was considering it. Clearly, the female protagonist written by Oh Young-ji was none other than Wang Hee-jin. It was a role that was so lovely and full of lively charm that Wang Hee-jin could not help but feel charm. When Do-wook said that he wanted to meet and talk with the actress who was offered the role of the female lead, writer Oh Young-ji was very surprised but also liked it. This is my firsteback after marriage. Do-wook personally set out to persuade Wang Hee-jin, who was very burdened and had no choice but to be cautious. There was no writer who would dislike the fact that male actors were actively involved in casting. In this way, Do-wook and Wang Hee-jin were able to meet separately to talk about their work. It was true that Do-wook was a little surprised when he saw Wang Hee-jin sitting in front of him. I¡¯ve met many female celebrities so far, but it was only excitement that I thought Dowook was really pretty. As I was looking at Wang Hee-jin, I felt like I knew what the saying ¡®different levels¡¯ meant. There was literally a halo shining behind Wang Hui-jin¡¯s face. Even though he was wearing only a white shirt and denim skinny jeans with barely any makeup on his face, I couldn¡¯t help but admire him. Every time my long straight hair swayed while I was moving, I had the illusion that a refreshing wind was blowing from some forest. But it was not the time for admiration. After saying hello to Wang Hee-jin, Do-wook started talking about the drama in earnest. There was no other reason why Do-wook set out to persuade Wang Hee-jin. Persuasion was an excuse. Do-wook had a way to eliminate the reason for Wang Hee-jin¡¯s hesitation to appear in the drama and at the same time remove the remaining seeds of controversy between writer Oh Young-ji and assistant writers. ¡°¡­ That part bothered you. ¡°Our manager was also taken aback at first.¡± ¡°Right? The members of our agency alsoughed a little. ¡°I really like the role.¡± Wang Hee-jin sipped coffee and muttered. Dowook smiled as if he understood. Wang Hee-jin raised his eyebrows when he saw Do-wook¡¯s smile. I saw him perform on stage, but when I met him in person, the vibe he gave off was more weighty than I thought. From Wang Hee-jin¡¯s point of view, although he was an actor considerably younger than her, she gained confidence that her acting would be epted with a sense of stability if she worked with Do-wook. ¡®I heard you went to Cannes too¡­ ¡­ .¡¯ Heejin Wang remembered what the manager had told her and took another sip of coffee. I was also thinking about looking for Dowook¡¯s acting when I go back. Do-wook realized that when Wang Hee-jin decided to meet him, more than half of his appearances had already been confirmed. Otherwise, it would have been euphemistically rejected. ¡°That¡¯s right. alien¡­ ¡­ A boyfriend from outer space rather than an alien world¡­ ¡­ . Well, it would be better then.¡± ¡°universe?¡± Dowook said, recalling ¡®Call you the love¡¯ he sang with LIL. Wang Hee-jin pondered Do-wook¡¯s words and thought. ¡®Call you the love¡¯ was not only a song, but it was also a song that received a lot of love for the lyrics themselves. The lyrics of ¡®Call you the love¡¯ were an expression of lovers in the universe. Whether it was space or extraterrestrial space, it was actually a term referring to the same thing outside of Earth. ¡®The feeling ispletely different depending on the word¡­ ¡­ .¡¯ It was something I thought about while writing the lyrics. It was also a method I learned from Kim Sum, who was aposition teacher but also helped me a lot with writing lyrics. Kim Sum advised using synonyms to put several words together and use the word that best suits the mood. Writer Oh Young-ji was so absorbed in the ¡®alien¡¯ setting she created that she seemed to have missed such detailed details. Or maybe they wanted to emphasize the strangeness of ¡®alien¡¯. ¡°Iknow, right. When you say he¡¯s a boyfriend from space, it¡¯s a bit¡­ ¡­ Is it better? ¡°It seems to be getting better.¡± Wang Hee-jin spoke and added. ¡°but. If you say superpowers without saying aliens, ET¡¯s face doesn¡¯te to mind. ¡°Write it down.¡± ¡°haha. ¡°Our manager also thought of ET.¡± Wang Hee-jinughed at Do-wook¡¯s words, saying that he thought everyone would do the same. Then suddenly Wang Hui-jin spoke. ¡°How about a lover from space? Aren¡¯t you better suited as a lover than a boyfriend? To Mr. Dowook?¡± ¡°yes? ah¡­ ¡­ That¡¯s good. lover?¡± ¡°Oh, the writer said it was because my boyfriend looked cuter¡­ ¡­ . ¡°I told Do-wook because I thought it didn¡¯t suit him.¡± Do-wook nodded at Wang Hee-jin¡¯s words. ¡°I think it¡¯s good.¡± When Do-wook muttered several times that he really liked the expression and that it was good, Wang Hee-jin, who gave his opinion, also smiled brightly and called the manager who was sitting at the table next to him. ¡°Chief Choi, what do you think of ¡®Lovers from Space¡¯? ¡°Would you like me to watch that drama?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Wang Hee-jin¡¯s manager, Director Choi, who was sitting at the next table looking at the two people in a good mood and thinking that there was no such thing as a handsome man or woman, was taken aback by the sudden question. Although he held the position of director, Wang Hee-jin was in the position of giving instructions to Director Choi, as Wang Hee-jin had experience. Even if thepany was against it, if Wang Hee-jin decided, she would have no choice but to start filming ¡®The Boyfriend from Extraterrestrial¡¯. Although it was Wang Hee-jin himself, thepany also hoped for Wang Hee-jin¡¯s sessful return. In that case, it was important to create a work with as high a chance of sess as possible. The reason I did not refuse when Do-wook contacted me was based on such calctions about the future. ¡°Umm¡­ ¡­ . ¡°It¡¯s better because we don¡¯t have to worry about extraterrestrials.¡± ¡°right? Dowook said he likes it too. I really like you too. ¡°I¡¯ll have to talk to author Oh.¡± The length, one line of dialogue, indirect advertising scene, costumes, etc¡­ ¡­ . There were many actors who called the writer to change the script even for trivial matters. An actor like Wang Hee-jin could easily give his opinion on the title. Writer Oh Young-ji also wrote the script with Wang Hee-jin in mind, so she could have stepped back to that extent for the sake of casting Wang Hee-jin. ¡°Rather than saying the character is an alien, wouldn¡¯t it be better if we changed it to something like a person with powers from the stars?¡± Wang Hee-jin said that he was actually concerned about the title from the beginning, and when he talked to Do-wook, he felt refreshed and liked it. Having been an actor for a long time and having basic sense, Wang Hee-jin seemed to know how to approach the public more easily. Dowook was relieved to think that he was an actor who couldmunicate well. He seemed like he would be picky, but he was easy-going and, as is known, easy-going. ¡°Try contacting Director Choi.¡± After hearing Wang Hee-jin¡¯s words, Director Choi took out his cell phone. *** ¡°The package has arrived!¡± Jiyoung Kim, now 26 years old, entered the Broadcasting Academy after graduating from college to fulfill her dream of bing a drama writer. Afterpleting the academy, the first ce I worked as an assistant artist was Oh Young-ji¡¯s studio. Oh Young-ji had already begun to rise to the ranks of star writers with ¡®Love on the Vine¡¯. In terms ofpanies, it was the same as joining one of the top 30panies, so I was full of motivation. I was eager. did my best. However, I quickly realized that the fate of an assistant writer is to be an ¡®assistant¡¯ at best. Lee Mi-hyeon, her senior and colleague, even told writer Oh Young-ji not to be too upset because she lived like this before bing the main writer she is today and that¡¯s all, but Kim Ji-young broke down in the face of the gap between reality and dreams. This would have been natural for writer Oh Young-ji, so she would have never imagined Kim Ji-young being heartbroken. Kim Ji-young just gave her a littlepliment, so she must have thought she waszy andzy, and I understood why she was angry. Jiyoung Kim also thought that it was her fault for not doing her job properly as she was hired. However, because he was a human being, his position became more rtable, and the thought grew that he was a person who could not forgive Oh Young-ji, who even threw away hisptop. As I left my studio and returned home to my hometown, curled up in my room, everything became even more infuriating. Writer Oh Young-ji didn¡¯t eat for three days when the script didn¡¯te out well, and Lee Mi-hyun and Kim Ji-young, who lived together, were extremely sensitive and restless, and even telling them to eat porridge or juice or something became a source of anger. At that time, a package arrived addressed to Jiyoung Kim. ¡°I didn¡¯t order anything delivered¡­ ¡­ .¡± I muttered as I opened the door and the delivery driver confirmed my name. ¡°Are you Jiyoung Kim?¡± ¡°yes. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Jiyoung Kim looked puzzled even as she was handed the heavy box. Then, btedly, I wondered if it was aptop that writer Oh Young-ji had sent me. ¡°You said you would send it in money.¡± When writer Kim Ji-young sent her a file that was essentially an empty file with only two lines of ideas written on it, writer Oh Young-ji got so angry that she threw theptop out the window, shouting, ¡°What are you doing with aptop with nothing in it?¡± Writer Oh Young-ji, who calmed down her anger a little while Kim Ji-young was speechless due to shock, told her that she would send her money and that she could buy theptop back with it. At that time, a notification that 1 million won had been deposited appeared on my mobile phone, along with the name of writer Oh Young-ji. I also received a message from writer Oh Young-ji, saying that she was sorry about what happened that day and that we should have lunch togetherter. If we focus on the emotional part and think about it, it turns out that writer Oh Young-ji was not just a vicious writer. Kim Ji-young simply could not ept the apprenticeship-style rtionship between main and assistant that had been in ce before. ¡°Then what is this¡­ ¡­ .¡± Jiyoung Kim quickly came into the house and unpacked the box. The contents were thetestptop. Jiyoung Kim was embarrassed and checked the name of the sender. Kang Do-wook. Jiyoung Kim recalled Dowook looking at his brokenptop with a devastated face. At the time, I wasn¡¯t in a good mood so I couldn¡¯t even say hello properly, but I suddenly felt embarrassed. A short message card was enclosed in the box containing theptop. [I look forward to seeing writer Jiyoung Kim with a good work someday.] ¡°Writer Jiyoung Kim¡­ ¡­ .¡± Was there anyone who called you ¡®writer¡¯? Jiyoung Kim somehow felt the corners of her eyes getting warm. *** [¡´Lovers from Space¡µ production presentation site ¨C Wang Hee-jin¡¯s still fresh wink] [Do Wook Kange to Earth due to an asteroid impact? The eyes of a talented person!] [What kind of work is Wang Hee-jin and Kang Do-wook¡¯s next work, Lovers from Space?] [Writer Oh Young-ji, ¡°Written with Wang Hee-jin in mind. Kang Do-wook is like a gift that fell from the sky.¡±] [Can ¡®Lovers from Outer Space¡¯ surpass the poprity of ¡®Love on a Vine¡¯?] [Half concern, half anticipation! Korea¡¯s first SF romance drama¡­] . . Lee Dae-hyung, head of the fan-marketing team, monitored articles rted to the press conference for Lovers from Space, which Do-wook participated in, this afternoon. The meeting between Wang Hee-jin and Kang Do-wook was attracting great attention as it was a new challenge for writer Oh Young-ji. The best was the one that did well, but Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung thought that Do-wook had nothing to lose even if the viewer ratings were slightly lower. The writer was Oh Young-ji, and the female protagonist was Wang Hee-jin, who had been a top star longer than Do-wook. As long as Do-wook didn¡¯t act well, it could be seen that there was no way the drama¡¯s failure could be med on Do-wook. ¡®I hope it goes well though¡­ ¡­ . When was the first broadcast¡­ ¡­ .¡¯ Team leader Lee Dae-hyung, who finished monitoring the drama while happily checking his calendar, clicked on articles on the pop section. Although none of the Hit Entertainment singers were active, it was basically the same. [Man to Man won first ce again! An unimaginable race!] [Man to Man Chae Eun-ho ¡°We took first ce!¡± Bright smile (photo)] It seemed like Man to Man won first ce again on today¡¯s music broadcast. It wasing with terrifying force. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung once again felt the power of Director Seo Jung-won. And at that time, a notification sound rang in Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung¡¯s email. At the same time, dozens of cell phone messages arrived. Nam Hyo-jin, who was sitting in her seat, suddenly stood up. ¡°manager! Team leader Lee Lee!¡± Chapter 172 # 173 50X100X200 (2) ¡°Yes, what¡¯s going on?¡± Team leader Lee Dae-hyung asked in confusion at the hectic situation. ¡°Rain¡­ Our KK is on the Rain billboard¡­!¡± Nam Hyo-jin¡¯s voice as she answered was trembling. Although I was surprised as an employee, it was Nam Hyo-jin who was also a fan of KK. Because it was even more happy news as a fan, Nam Hyo-jin found it hard to believe it when she told her boss the news. ¡°Billboard?¡¯ Team leader Lee Dae-hyung asked Nam Hyo-jin¡¯s words back. At the same time, I saw messages popping up on my phone screen. The most recent message was floating on the lock screen. It was a message from a friend who works at a recordbel. [Big brother, didn¡¯t you say you were working with KK? [On the Billboard charts¡­] Although thetter part was cut off and not visible, it was clear that it was the same news that Nam Hyo-jin was trying to convey. ¡°yes. It entered the Billboard chart announced today!¡± ¡°Uh¡­ you mean Social 50?¡± In response to Nam Hyo-jin¡¯s answer, Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung asked again. The Billboard chart was an American chart. Just as every Korean music site has a ranking chart and an album chart that calctes album sales, the United States also had charts, and one of them was the Billboard chart. Although it is said to be one of them, entering the ¡®Billboard Chart¡¯ as the most credible chart in the United States and in the world was a chart that was recognized not only for its influence in the American market but also in any music market in the world. There were three major charts within the Billboard chart: ¡®Social 50¡¯, ¡®Hot 100¡¯, and ¡®Billboard 200¡¯. ¡®Social 50¡¯ was the most recent chart to emerge in the digital age. The poprity of singers in the 21st century could no longer be measured using the same methods as before. The way the public consumes singers is now evolving in a variety of ways beyond just listening to songs. Because of this, the ¡®Social 50¡¯ chart was literally a chart of how active people were in various popr socialwork services, including SNS Facenote and My Tube. If you think of it as a ¡®social index¡¯ that calctes the number of followers of various SNS ounts, the number of page views, the number of streaming, etc., the more information about the singer is produced and consumed around the world through the Inte, the higher the ranking. KK has aggressively implemented marketing using social media since its debut. We increased the number of followers by operating only one ount per SNS to prevent followers or views from being distributed. Thanks to this, along with KK¡¯s poprity, the ¡®social index¡¯ increased exponentially. Therefore, KK was already ranked high on Billboard¡¯s ¡®Social 50¡¯. With the development of the Inte and SNS, and the influence of the Korean Wave, not only KK but also other popr Korean singers often entered the ¡®Social 50¡¯. That alone was already great, but Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung thought that entering the ¡®Social 50¡¯ would not have caused such a fuss. Team leader Daehyung Lee¡¯s question was filled with expectations. It was true that when ¡®Continue¡¯ was released this time, there were great aspirations for the global market. ¡®Aiming for the Billboard chart was such a ridiculous dream that I couldn¡¯t bear to say it¡­¡¯ Nam Hyo-jin nodded vigorously. ¡°yes yes. Social 50, of course. It¡¯s number 1. 2 weeks in a row. And it also entered the Billboard 200.¡± ¡°Billboard 200¡­.¡± ¡°Yes. 79th ce! ¡°Isn¡¯t she the first Korean idol singer?¡± Team leader Lee Dae-hyung nodded. ¡°Not only is it on the Billboard 2 million, but it¡¯s also on the Hot 100 right now!¡± The excitement dripped from Nam Hyo-jin¡¯s voice. Nam Hyo-jin clenched her hands. The billboard felt like a dream. Entering the Billboard charts is every musician¡¯s dream. The dream of every idol or singer in Korea was to rank first on music charts and music shows, and the next step was to win the grand prize at the Music Awards. There were so many people who thought that even this dream was out of reach. For those who had just joined Hit Entertainment and were currently working as trainees, debut would have seemed far away. But now, KK has achieved what all singers only dream of and cannot even think about achieving. It meant that people not only in Korea but around the world know and love KK¡¯s music. The remaining two of the three Billboard charts, ¡®Billboard 200¡¯ and ¡®Hot 100¡¯, had different weights from the ¡®Social 50¡¯. ¡®Billboard 200¡¯ was a tally of album sales around the world, and ¡®Hot 100¡¯ was simply a chart based on music streaming. The number of MyTube music video ys alone was setting a huge record. After surpassing 10 million views, every day was just a series of records. It was impossible to achieve such a record with only the love of Korean fans. This meant that the world¡¯s poption was moving. Nam Hyo-jin, who also monitors SNS, reported to team leader Lee Dae-hyung that several times a day, verification messages were posted saying that ¡®Continue¡¯ and ¡®Go low Go high¡¯ were yed on music channels and radio broadcasts overseas. . ¡®I thought it seemed like they were bing popr overseas, but¡­¡¯ Even the members said while looking atments on My Tube or Facenote that they seemed to have more overseas fans. At recent concerts, it wasmon to see people with eyes of different colors as well as fans wearing hijabs. I could feel it, so a bigger change was happening underneath the water. ¡°Two songs even entered the Hot 100. ¡°Both ¡®Continue¡¯ and ¡®Go low Go high¡¯.¡± Hearing Nam Hyo-jin¡¯s words, team leader Lee Dae-hyung quickly checked the Billboard chart on hisputer. 1st ce on ¡®Social 50¡¯ for 2 weeks in a row, 67th ce on ¡®Hot 100¡¯, 90th ce on ¡®Billboard 200¡¯, 79th ce was a great achievement. At that time, Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung¡¯s phone rang. ¡°hello?¡± -hello. Is this a call from Hit Entertainment fan-marketing team leader Lee Dae-hyung? ¡°yes. you¡¯re right.¡± -I am Jinyoung Jeon, assistant manager of the Korea Billboard marketing team¡­ Can I talk to you? ¡°it¡¯s possible. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Billboard had a spin-off in Korea, and the Korean Billboard chart was being operated separately. However, because Korea already had a major music chart, the Korean version of the Billboard chart was not very credible. It was only used to learn about the US Billboard chart news. -Have you seen the updated Billboard chart?¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I just saw it.¡± -You saw it! Congrattions. They were celebrating here too right now. It¡¯s been about 5 years since a Korean singer debuted, so¡­¡± Assistant Manager Jeon Jin-young¡¯s voice was also filled with joy. Korean Billboard was not in a position to support a specific singer, but as a fellow Korean, I had no choice but to be happy. -There will be a lot of articlesing soon! We are also nning to release it on our side. ¡°Ah yes. Thank you for your congrattions. ¡°We have just found out and are in a state of panic.¡± -Would you like to? Let me just get to the point. It was none other than a call from head office. I want to interview KK¡­ ¡°At headquarters?¡± -yes. They also seem to have judged that KK¡¯s entry into the charts¡­ and the local response was unusual. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung¡¯s hand holding the cell phone was strained. ¡®What¡­¡¯ Something great was already happening, but it felt like something even greater was about to unfold in the future. *** ¡°Unbelievable!¡± Kim Won shouted, pointing at the temples on either side. Ahn Hyeong-seo was unable to let go of his cell phone. I continued to search KK and Billboard on the Inte, looking at the reactions and enjoying the joy of seeing the praise pouring in. ¡°What is this?¡± Jeong Yoongi said as if sighing. He still seemed dazed. The members gathered at the office one by one after hearing the news of their entry into the Billboard charts. Jung Yoon-ki and Kim Won were in the studio preparing for the OK album, and Ahn Hyeong-seo was in the dorm and Park Tae-hyung was taking vocal lessons, so they were able to quickly gather in the fan-marketing team conference room. Do-wook also heard the news while taking acting sses from teacher Lee Kang-yeon ahead of filming ¡®Lovers from Space¡¯ and cleared out his sses quicker than usual. ¡°Jihoon¡­ have you heard the news?¡± Taehyung Park asked, expressing his regret for Jihoon Seok, who was not present. Seok Ji-hoon was on the set of ¡®48 Hours Camping¡¯. Since there were many times when he couldn¡¯t even look at his cell phone while filming ¡¯48 Hours Camping¡¯, Park Tae-hyung was worried that Seok Ji-hoon might not have heard this good news yet. ¡°Cheolmin said Manager Oh called.¡± Do-wook answered Tae-hyung Park¡¯s question. Director Oh Baek-ho also said he had called with a flushed face. Koo Cheol-min had apanied Seok Ji-hoon during his filming. ¡°Video call! Should we make a video call? Are you still filming?¡± Hyungseo Ahn made an impromptu suggestion. When the members all looked at Director Oh Baek-ho, Director Oh Baek-ho contacted Koo Cheol-min as if he knew. Even though ¡¯48 Hours Camping¡¯ was being recorded, the members were excited and quickly made a video call to Seok Ji-hoon when they heard that it would be possible to make a phone call since they were moving around in the car. They looked like students who couldn¡¯t hide their excitement the day before going on a field trip, huddled together and making phone calls so that all five members could appear on one screen. After several beeps, Seok Ji-hoon¡¯s face appeared on the screen. ¡°You¡¯re the youngest!!!¡± -uh? Brothers? ¡°Billboard! Billboard!¡± When Ahn Hyeong-seo got excited and just said the word, Seok Ji-hoon¡¯s face, who couldn¡¯t really feel it because he was filming, suddenly brightened. -Is that real? Are we really on the Billboard charts? The face of a member of ¡®48 Hours Camping¡¯ was reflected next to the shouting Seok Ji-hoon. Theedian was also caught on video opening his mouth and shouting, ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°uh! Of course it¡¯s real!!!¡± -Wow¡­. When Seok Ji-hoon lost his words, theedian sitting next to him grabbed Seok Ji-hoon¡¯s shoulders and shook him. ¡°If youe, let¡¯s party together!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s party together!¡± ¡°Good luck with your filming, Jihoon!¡± As each person shouted a word, Seok Ji-hoon just nodded with his mouth open. When the stupid face was captured on the screen, my brothersughed as if it was funny. The members who hung up the phone felt even better as if they were going to fly. Perhaps, as this scene appeared on ¡¯48 Hours Camping¡¯, the news of KK¡¯s entry into the Billboard chart would be known to even more people. There was a reason why Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung called Director Oh Baek-ho and other members together. First, I had to schedule an interview with Billboard. The U.S. Billboard published its own online webzine that summarizes interviews and news of the week once every two weeks to convey the trends of the U.S. and global music markets. It was in that webzine that KK¡¯s interview would be published. The fact that he was selected as an interviewer by the US Billboard meant that he had be a singer who was also receiving attention from Billboard. Entry into the Billboard charts was not the end. Just entering was already a huge feat, but no one knew what would happen next. There was a need to act quickly. ¡°¡­ So, in addition to the Billboard interview, I think it would be good to do more interviews in other media as well. For now. I think I need to adjust my schedule. ¡°I¡¯m sure all the members would like to rest, but¡­¡± Team leader Lee Dae-hyung said as if asking for some understanding, and the members waved their hands. ¡°I have to do it. of course.¡± Team leader Lee Dae-hyung smiled and nodded at Do-wook¡¯s words. ¡°It¡¯s an opportunity you can¡¯t miss.¡± Dowook added, his eyes shining. ¡®Entering the charts¡­. This is just the beginning.¡¯ Dowook also didn¡¯t expect that he would really climb the enormous mountain called the billboard. It was a mountain where it was difficult to even find the entrance. However, we were already climbing the beginning of the mountain. ¡°But¡­¡± When Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung said that the overseas market entry strategy needs to be reviewed again, Director Oh Baek-ho nodded as if trustworthy. There seemed to be no need to worry about marketing. Contacts from people in the industry were pouring in, even to Manager Joanie and Director Kwon Heung-jo, CEO of Hit Entertainment. It was the first Korean idol. ¡®The first and the best¡¯. Director Oh Baek-ho also had a premonition that the path KK will take in the future will be a path beyond imagination. While they were sharing joy and predicting the future, Ahn Hyeong-seo cautiously opened his mouth. ¡°yes?¡± Team leader Lee Dae-hyung responded to Ahn Hyeong-seo. ¡°The things that were published in the article and the reactions¡­¡± Ahn Hyeong-seo hesitated and asked. Chapter 173 # 174 50X100X200 (3) [Entered into KK Billboard! 67th ce¡­] [The second Korean singer to enter the KK Billboard] [Korean wave finalist, KK Billboard entry ¡°It worked in the U.S. too! Bing a global star..¡±] ¨C Billboard.. it¡¯s amazing..??????????? ¨C I¡¯m really so proud to be a KK fan??????? ¨C It¡¯s really amazing that you¡¯ve made it this far, the possibilities are truly endless ???? ¨C Proud Amazing! -I¡¯m proud of KK~! -For the young people of Korea to make their name known like this is to promote national prestige. -Billboard??? -One Man was great, but KK is really great too!!! -Is it more popr than One Man? -One Man ranked 4th -LOL Are you kidding me? One Man was truly a legend. To a foreigner passing by, did he ask DoyounoOneMan? It didn¡¯te out for nothing. Not only the public, but even Hollywood stars sang along to the one-man song, and it truly deserved to be called a global craze. Now, do you no kei? If you do this, Koreans won¡¯t know either, so what¡­ ¨C KK fans are getting excited~ ¨C Isn¡¯t it too much topare them to One Man? They¡¯ve only entered the market once, but their rankings are much lower ¨C KK It¡¯s true that they¡¯re getting a response from overseas, but don¡¯t criticize them. Let¡¯s not ¨C It¡¯s not a p , it¡¯s probably the KK fans who are posting it lol ¨C I¡¯ve never uploaded it, but it¡¯s a real fact that it entered the Billboard hahahaha ¨C Wow, I¡¯m drunk~ ¨C Just entering the Billboard is amazing, so why are you doing it because you¡¯re jealous? I support KK! ¨C KK entered two songs, that¡¯s cool! -Aren¡¯t there other singers who entered the market besides One Man? -I won¡¯t y it because it was an English album released in the US. -The reason One Man and KK is meaningful is because it is a Korean album. -There is a long way to go to be a global star~ This was the reaction to the articles andments posted on the portal site that Hyeongseo Ahn saw. Themunity¡¯s reaction was not much different. Of course, more than half of thements werepliments and positivements. At the same time, there were many postsparing her to senior singers who had previously entered the Billboard or questioning whether KK was popr enough overseas to even enter the Billboard. In fact, entering the top 100 on Billboard¡¯s ¡®Hot 100¡ä chart was a huge feat. Even if you only knew a little about the Billboard charts or the US market, you would know that its meaning was truly great. However, even though it was a good thing, the reaction was notpletely positive, which made Ahn Hyeong-seo feel uneasy. Even before, when an article was published about MyTube having a good number of views, the response fromments was much better. Jung Yoongi said after seeing somements. ¡°There are people who say that even if you originally won a silver medal, you couldn¡¯t win a gold medal.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because people have stomachaches. ¡°Don¡¯t you say your friend feels sick to his stomach when he buysnd?¡± Do-wook also nodded at the words of Jeong Yoon-gi and Kim Won. In conclusion, both people were right. ¡°The reason there seem to be more negative reactions than before is because there are so many inflows. Previously, only people who were really interested in us woulde in and leavements¡­ but then everyone would be interested in the articles that hit Billboard.¡± After listening to the members¡¯ words, Ahn Hyeong-seo nodded as if he understood. Ahn Hyeong-seo also knew with his head, but his heart did not understand. ¡°What¡¯s important is not just these reactions¡­ but the real grades¡­¡± Do-wook¡¯s words, which were muttering as if he was talking to himself, became increasingly blurred. What both Do-wook and team leader Dae-hyung Lee judged to be a problem was the number and content of the articles rather than the responses toments. KK¡¯s entry into the Billboard was truly a hot issue. This was true just by looking at the number ofments on one article. KK itself was a hot topic and was the ¡®billboard¡¯. Nevertheless, the number of articles was smaller than the number of articles reporting that Man to Man was on a roll, iming first ce in a row. In addition, except for one media outlet that has always been friendly to Hit Entertainment, all of them briefly reported on KK¡¯s entry into the Billboard. What this meant and how much of an achievement it had achieved was not even included in the press release distributed. This was something that only Do-wook and Lee Dae-hyung, team leaders who worked in the public rtions team and had been continuously analyzing it, noticed. ¡®Hmm¡­¡¯ Do-wook thought to himself without making a show so that the members wouldn¡¯t worry for nothing on this happy day. Members including Ahn Hyeong-seo and Director Oh Baek-ho were looking for a ce for a dinner party this evening. This was because Manager Joanie personally gave instructions to eat arge meal. While the members were busy, Do-wook quietly talked to team leader Lee Dae-hyung in a whisper. ¡°I guess¡­¡± ¡°Yes. ¡°It seems like Ara Entertainment is paying attention.¡± Team leader Lee Dae-hyung answered right away, as if he knew what Do-wook was trying to say. ¡°They say that even if a rich person goes bankrupt, itsts for three generations, and the poprity of man-to-man is increasing¡­ well.¡± Do-wook quietly nodded to team leader Dae-hyung Lee¡¯s words. Clearly, Director Seo Joong-won was keeping KK in check. Although KK¡¯s entry into the Billboard was certainly remarkable, it was not yet one-man, and Ara Entertainment¡¯s influence in the domestic entertainment field was still strong. It felt like media outlets were paying attention to Ara Entertainment and publishing only the minimum amount of articles. ¡°I guess we have no choice but to get better results. ¡°So much so that no one can pretend not to know.¡± Dowook said. It was like sharpening a knife. Even though team leader Lee Dae-hyung wanted to ask the question, ¡®What more?¡¯ Do-wook did not flinch. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung suddenly felt that Do-wook¡¯s rise to this point was not just due to his endless passion and desire to improve. This was because it felt like Do-wook, who was thought to be good, also had personal desires. Of course, that doesn¡¯t mean that having desires isn¡¯t good. However, if it felt like he could give up something because he was good, Do-wook, seen from a closer perspective, seemed like a person who would not give up on goodness or his own desires. At that point, Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung shook his head. It was because he felt that even if he were reborn, he would not be able to live as hard as Do-wook without missing anything. *** ¡°Howdy! ¡°Is the Billboard singer here?!¡± ¡°Wow, it¡¯s dazzling!¡± The filming location of ¡°Lovers from Space.¡± When Do-wook got off the van and went towards the director and Wang Hee-jin afterpleting all preparations, the two people weed him and made a fuss. Hearing the voices of the director and Wang Hee-jin, the attention of the staff members who were busy preparing for filming turned towards Do-wook. ¡°Forgive me for beingte! Sorry Sorry!¡± He bowed his head in all directions, not only to director Do-wook and Wang Hee-jin, but also to the staff. It was only a week, but Do-wook was already famous for being the first among the actors toe to the filming set and prepare. When filming on set, he even went so far as to n the movements that were normally done by assistant directors and assistants, and was receiving a lot of praise from the staff. Not only his personality but also his acting were impable, so Dowook was already a popr star on set. Today¡¯s filming took ce outdoors, but Do-wook was unable to arrive at the filming site at the original time because he was doing an interview with Billboard magazine. Director Ahn Cheol-hwan, the director of Lovers from Space, stopped Do-wook by shaking the script he was holding in his hand. ¡°It¡¯s now one minute past two! ¡°Apologiseter when it¡¯s reallyte!¡± Wang Hui-jin also helped. ¡°Are you really doing this to embarrass me?¡± Director Ahn also wrinkled his nose andughed at Wang Hee-jin¡¯s jokes about always arriving on time or leaving about ten minutes to spare. ¡°I wasn¡¯t able to celebrate properly because I was busy, but let¡¯s celebrate properly today!¡± Director Ahn suggested that the staff around him give a round of apuse, and the staff happily pped to Director Ahn¡¯s beat in congrattions on KK¡¯s entry into the Billboard. Onlookers surrounding the filming site also spotted Dowook and pped together. Currently, ¡®Continue¡¯ is ranked 65th on the ¡®Hot 100¡¯ chart. It went up two steps and was in the state for two weeks in a row. People in the industry were interested in seeing how far it would go. Dowook and the other members were also checking the Billboard charts every day with trembling hearts, which showed no change. ¡°thank you.¡± Dowook bowed his head. ¡°We should be thankful. This is my first time on a filming set where I eat well like this. ¡°I heard a snack truck ising today too.¡± One of the lighting crew members passing by said to Dowook. Dowook smiled awkwardly and received a thank you from the lighting staff. Fans were preparing food and snack trucks for the staff whenever there was an outdoor filming. I knew it would be a burden to the fans, so I wanted to tell them that it was okay to stop, but I also knew that I wanted to convey my love for them, so it was difficult to tell them to stop easily. ¡®The way to repay is to do something I¡¯m good at.¡¯ Do-wook quickly erased things like KK and Billboard from his mind and changed his face to that of Director Cheon Min-jun, just like the clothes he was wearing. A 32-year-old who looks like she¡¯s about 25 years old. His actual age is two hundred and thirty-nine years old. He was at an age where it seemed difficult to express it, but surprisingly, Do-wook, with his hair slicked back, wearing a suit, and speaking with a firm tone like someone from the Joseon Dynasty, was able to fully express those feelings. It was not at all strange to fall in love with the beautiful Wang Hee-jin, who yed the role of Han Song-hee in the y¡­ such was her appearance and atmosphere. Do-wook, who changed his mood by immersing himself in the role, pondered his lines, warmed up, and waited for filming to begin. Wang Hee-jin was also sitting on a chair, adjusting her makeup to be a little darker, and waiting for the photo shoot. About ten supporting actors were also waiting. Today¡¯s filming was a scene where Han Song-hee, who had been drinking during the day after being hurt by maliciousments posted on the Inte andments from her family, runs out of the bar without a manager and wanders the streets. When passers-by spot Han Song-hee stumbling around drunk on the street and flock to her, Manager Cheon Min-jun, who also found Han Song-hee, takes on the role of Han Song-hee¡¯s manager because he can¡¯t stand to see hispany¡¯s advertising model ruining its image. It was a scene where the third generation of a chaebol, who was Han Song-hee¡¯s ex-lover who was drinking with her at the time and is now just a friend, discovered the scene and asked Cheon Min-jun who he was pretending to be Han Song-hee¡¯s manager. It was the scene where the sub-male protagonist and the male protagonist met for the first time. The role of the sub-male protagonist was yed by Jeong Yi-wook. Jeong I-wook was a male actor in his mid-30s, simr in age to Wang Hee-jin. He debuted in histe twenties and became famous from the start due to his good looks, but the prevailing opinion was that he stillcked something to be a leading character. Soon, Jeong Yi-wook arrived at the filming site. Jeong Yi-wook nodded his head in greeting to Wang Hee-jin and bowed a little more deeply to Director Ahn. ¡°Okay then, since Actor Jeong is here too, let¡¯s start filming! ¡°Standby right away!¡± Director Ahn shouted loudly. Wang Hee-jin expressed her drunken appearance by applying bold red blush to her face. Wang Hee-jin stood in front of the camera, ruffling her own hair. ¡°Hello, senior.¡± Before Do-wook also stood in front of the camera, he extended his hand and said hello to Jeong I-wook. Chapter 174 # 175 50 Dowook was a little embarrassed, but naturally pulled his hand away and smiled awkwardly. If it had been filmed on a set, I would have said more, but since it was an outdoor film, there were a lot of onlookers, including supporting actors. It was better not to make unnecessary noise. However, at the time of thest script reading, Jeong I-wook smiled sadly and epted Do-wook¡¯s greeting. At the time of the script reading, there was a friendly atmosphere. Of course, Joo Min-ah, whom Do-wook felt ufortable with, was also present at the scene, but it wasn¡¯t the actress herself that made her ufortable, but rather the fact that her agency was Ara Entertainment. In addition, at the production presentation after the script reading, it was Jeong I-wook who called Do-wook ¡®junior¡¯ and praised him in front of reporters, saying that he seemed to be really good at acting. However, when he came to the filming site, it was difficult for Do-wook to understand what was going on as Jeong I-wook was in a cold mood. Since I had never contacted or met him separately since the production presentation, I couldn¡¯t even tell if Jeong Yi-wook had had a change of heart or if he was in a bad mood today. However, the reason Do-wook was ovee with an ominous feeling was because Jeong I-wook, who passed by Do-wook, was talking to Wang Hee-jin with a very smiling face. ¡°Are you dressed up as drunk, sister?¡± ¡°sister? ¡°No, I told you not to call me sister!¡± ¡°haha. all right. Seniors.¡± ¡°No, not even you, senior! ¡°Call me Heejin.¡± ¡°I dare say your name¡­¡± ¡°This is the truth.¡± Wang Hee-jin nced at Jeong I-wook without being hateful. The two became close friends after appearing in the same drama about 5 years ago. Although the two were actors of the same age, Wang Hee-jin was born earlier, so Jeong I-wook seemed to be joking around by calling her older sister. ¡®Hmm¡­¡¯ Do-wook gave Jeong I-wook a look and then prepared for filming by ying his lines in his head. As filming began, Wang Hee-jin, who was chatting with Jeong I-wook, also showed a fierce concentration. The burden of this was definitely Do-wook and Do-wook, but it was greatly affecting Wang Hee-jin. Wang Hee-jin tried to maintain her best condition and show her best appearance. Perhaps thanks to this, Wang Hee-jin¡¯s beauty was shining day by day even during busy filming. She seemed to shine even brighter than when she was in her prime before marriage. Wang Hee-jin stumbles, pretending to be drunk, and people gather around. Although an auxiliary actor awkwardly said the line ¡°I am Han Song-hee¡± and there was an NG, Wang Hee-jin¡¯s drunken acting was so realistic that it almost smelled like soju. Director Ahn Cheol-hwan was satisfied and gave the OK sign. Next was a scene where Do-wook yed the role of Wang Hee-jin¡¯s manager. Do-wook and Wang Hee-jin had already filmed the first and second episodes and were in perfect harmony. Wang Hee-jin was very proud, saying that even though Do-wook had little experience filming dramas, he was able to adapt the acting more skillfully than most experienced people. Wang Hee-jin had already felt good about Do-wook during their first meeting. In addition, because Do-wook showed a perfect appearance even at the filming site, trust in Do-wook was already considerable. The two people worked together perfectly and finished the scene without a single NG. Bust shots, close-up shots, movement, finger movements, facial expressions, everything was perfect. There was even a scene where Do-wook used some supernatural powers. Even in a scene that could have been veryical, with no CG applied and only moving his fingers in the air, Do-wook didn¡¯t even blink and acted as if he were someone who really had super powers. there was. Cut cut cut! Director Ahn Cheol-hwan¡¯s voice, calling the ¡®cut¡¯ sound, resonated cheerfully throughout the scene. Dowook wiped the sweat from his forehead while listening to the cut sound. Do-wook was wearing a shirt, suit pants, and a beige trench coat that office workers would wear, befitting his role in the y as ¡®Chief of Staff¡¯. It felt a bit hot to wear under the autumn sunlight. ¡°It was good, it was good! ¡°I¡¯ll be able to take pictures of everything before the sun goes down!¡± Director Ahn Cheol-hwan said cheerfully before starting the next scene. The earlier the filming ended, the better, and the same was true for the staff who received daily wages. Supporting actors and onlookers also gathered together and were busy praising Wang Hee-jin and Do-wook¡¯s appearance and acting. Next was the scene where Jeong Yi-wook appeared. It was a scene where Jeong I-wook stopped Do-wook from taking Wang Hee-jin to a deserted ce. ¡°Songhee?! Han Song hee! It¡¯s dangerous to go out alone like that¡­¡± The sight of Jeong I-wook approaching with great strides was reminiscent of a model¡¯s runway. It felt even more so because his body was stered all over with luxury goods to match his role as a third-generation chaebol. Although he was a supporting actor, he was liked by many people for his good looks, so there was no difort at all when he was caught on screen with Do-wook. In fact, when the two people were caught in one shot, the female assistant director who was monitoring was impressed. Jeong I-wook, who was approaching Wang Hee-jin and holding on to the stumbling Wang Hee-jin, spotted Do-wook and sharpened his de. ¡°What are you? ¡°What are you doing next to Songhee?¡± ¡°Then what is that one?¡± When Do-wook raised his eyebrows as if he was offended, Jeong I-wook¡¯s expression crumpled. ¡°Can¡¯t you let go of that hand?!¡± ¡°Even if you let it go, I¡¯ll let it go when I want to.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s it¡­ Oh, my head hurts. ¡°Be quiet¡­¡± Wang Hee-jin said something else, saying that he had a headache because he was drunk. Jeong I-wook, who was crumpling as if he had be even more heated by Do-wook¡¯s hard voice, pushed Do-wook¡¯s shoulder, which was holding Wang Hee-jin¡¯s wrist. ¡°Ugh!¡± When Dowook, who was defenseless, was pushed out, tension arose between the two. ¡°Cut! NG!¡± Director Ahn Cheol-hwan sent the NG sign. Upon hearing Director Ahn¡¯s signature, the three people who were acting rxed and looked towards the director. ¡°I liked Do-wook, but I think that was too exaggerated.¡± Dowook nodded at Director Ahn¡¯s words. It wasn¡¯t a situation where there was a big push, but a slight push, and it was a situation where you only had to be pushed enough to lose Wang Hee-jin¡¯s wrist. The point in the video was the wrist that was narrowly missed. However, Dowook moaned in pain so loudly that it was caught on audio. ¡°Aren¡¯t you pushing too hard?¡± Wang Hee-jin jokingly asked Jeong I-wook. Jeong I-wook smiled his usual sad smile and answered in a soft tone. ¡°uh? No way. My sister too. Mr. Dowook, were you sick?¡± When Jeong Yi-wook asked with a smile on his face, Do-wook was dumbfounded and couldn¡¯t give any answer. In fact, it wasn¡¯t acting that made the sound. Pretending to push lightly, Jeong I-wook pushed Do-wook very hard. Do-wook felt pain and his expression crumpled from the unexpected force. While Do-wook was dying his answer, filming resumed. ¡°¡­!¡± I wondered if it would happen again this time, but it happened again. It was intentional. This time, I didn¡¯t make a sound because I had thought about it in advance, but I couldn¡¯t help but reflexively distort my face. ¡®Why on earth¡­¡¯ Do-wook thought to himself and listened to director Ahn Cheol-hwan¡¯s feedback. Coach Ahn Cheol-hwan was surprised when Do-wook, who had been doing well so far, gave an NG in a part that was not very difficult. ¡°Do-wook, this is a bit too much this time. Because the character doesn¡¯t have that much emotion¡­¡± ¡°Yes. ¡°I will be careful.¡± ¡°is it so. ¡°It¡¯s hard to push even harder!¡± Director Ahn Cheol-hwan added a joke so as not to offend. As Jeong I-wook pushed Do-wook, it seemed like he didn¡¯t put any effort into it, so he didn¡¯t seem to think that Do-wook was really in pain. Wang Hee-jin winked at Do-wook as if this level of NG was okay, and then stood for a moment and left her face to the coordinator to get her makeup touched up. Do-wook saw Jeong I-wook standing in front of him. Jeong Iwook¡¯s expression was ordinary. It was a calmness that could not be imagined as someone who was pushing Do-wook so hard. ¡°Not all frowning is acting, right? ¡°You have to express it delicately.¡± Jeong I-wook advised Do-wook in a quiet voice. It¡¯s called advice, but in the current situation, it¡¯s no different from a fight. Dowook sighed inwardly. The reason was difficult to understand, but he was deliberately provoking Dowook. If a bad story were toe out at a crowded filming location, it was obvious that Do-wook, who was popr, would suffer greater losses. The other person was an older actor who yed a supporting role. Although he was in a position to be respected, it was easy for him to be seen as a weak person in the eyes of the public. After the filming was over, Do-wook took his gaze away from Jeong I-wook, thinking that he should either talk to him or make a board. After several NGs, filming for the scene ended. ¡°Thank you for your effort!¡± When Do-wook bowed and bowed, the staff members who were organizing the filming equipment also thanked Do-wook for his hard work. The next shooting was at a cafe right in front of the street. The cafe was one of the branches of the franchise cafe where Do-wook will film a newmercial. ¡®Bonjour¡¯, arge domestic franchise cafe, selected Do-wook as a model while supporting the production of ¡®Lovers from Space¡¯. Because Wang Hee-jin did not have enough filming time for the cafe scene, Wang Hee-jin returned in a van after the street scene was over. The cafe scene was filmed by Do-wook, Jeong I-wook, and Joo Joo-ah, who ys the sub-female protagonist. Joo Min-ah appeared in ¡°Lovers from Space¡± as Jeong Yi-wook¡¯s secretary. It was also a role that liked Jeong I-wook and was jealous of Wang Hee-jin. Joo Joo-ah, who was waiting nearby and came to the cafe when she heard that filming for the street scene wasing to an end, got out of the van and immediately rushed towards director Ahn Cheol-hwan. ¡°Director!¡± ¡°Oh, is our Minah here?¡± Director Ahn Cheol-hwan¡¯s expression brightened noticeably. Do-wook had already worked with Joo Min-ah while filming ¡®Get Ready 1999¡¯. Although she was personally wary of Douk because she was a celebrity affiliated with Ara Entertainment, even at the time, Joo Joo Ah had a bright and friendly personality and was loved by directors and especially older male actors. ¡°Hello~ Assistant Director!¡± Joo Joo-ah greeted the male assistant director next to Director Ahn Cheol-hwan in a charming tone, and the assistant director blushed and greeted her. Joo Joo-ah¡¯s beauty was even more beautiful than in ¡®Get Ready 1999¡¯. She looked very sexy wearing a V-neck shirt with a deep cut that showed her cleavage, a short suit skirt, transparent ck stockings, and high heels. After greeting the production team, the person Joo Joo-ah greeted was none other than Do-wook. ¡°Mr. Dowook! Nice to meet you~!¡± ¡°ah. hello.¡± It was also Joo Joo-ah¡¯s first time on set. When Do-wook received Joo-wook¡¯s greeting, Joo-wook tried to be close to him by talking about various things, just like in ¡®Get Ready 1999¡¯. Do-wook continued the conversation with Joo Min-ah while maintaining a certain distance. ¡°hmm.¡± Jeong Iwook, who was waiting for Joo Joo-ah to greet him behind him, cleared his throat. Joo Min-ah, who btedly discovered Jeong I-wook because she wanted to be friends with Do-wook, realized her mistake and greeted Jeong I-wook with surprised eyes. It was not polite to greet Do-wook first over Jeong I-wook, who was much more senior. ¡°Seniors! hello! ¡°How have you been?¡± Jeong Yi-wook looked down at Joo Min-ah with cold eyes and said one thing. ¡°Thanks to. not really.¡± At Jeong Iwook¡¯s answer, the atmosphere between the three suddenly became cold. Juminah tried tough it off, but Jeong Iwook just passed by Juminah and went to his van. Juminah looked embarrassed and said, ¡®Senior.¡¯ I called out, but Jeong Iwook didn¡¯t look back. Do-wook perfectly understood Jeong I-wook¡¯s intentions at that moment. Chapter 175 # 176 They say Taesan is high (1) *** It was just as Do-wook expected. Jeong I-wook passed by Ju-ah Joo-ah and Do-wook and entered the van. Because it was an outdoor filming, there was no separate waiting area, and the lead actors were using their cars as a waiting room. Jeong Yi-wook entered the van parked in front of the cafe and did note out even when it was time to film. ¡°Still?¡± Do-wook and Joo Min-ah were each sitting at the innermost table of the cafe, waiting for Jeong I-wook for 20 minutes. Director Ahn Cheol-hwan looked at Do-wook¡¯s side and asked in a slightly troubled tone. The male assistant director nodded with an embarrassed expression. ¡°You haven¡¯t caught your emotions yet¡­¡± Director Ahn Cheol-hwan checked the time on his cell phone and shook his head. The cafe scene wasn¡¯t one where emotions were particrly important. Of course, every scene was important, but it also became less important. It was a scene where Jeong I-wook, who visited a cafe with his secretary Joo Min-ah, briefly met Do-wook, who was drinking coffee. Director Ahn Cheol-hwan rxed his posture and sank into his chair. ¡°I¡¯ll probablyst an hour or two.¡± Director Ahn Cheol-hwan muttered inaudibly to Do-wook, who was reading the script at another table. ¡°Don¡¯t you even tell me why?¡± ¡°yes. It¡¯s just that you don¡¯t have any emotions¡­¡± The assistant director answered Director Ahn Cheol-hwan¡¯s question. Not standing in front of the camera was a tactic used by actors sometimes when they were upset or didn¡¯t like something. There was a way for Director Ahn to personallye forward and call out Jeong Yi-wook, but he didn¡¯t want to cause a fight between the director and the actor right from the first filming. Director Ahn Cheol-hwan¡¯s know-how on set was to not fight unnecessary emotions as long as the appropriate line was maintained. Because it wasn¡¯t something that happened once or twice to one or two people, Director Ahn Cheol-hwan was also willing to look after it to some extent. ¡°Well, how can I know how noble the actors feel?¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡± ¡°Still, go and check once every fifteen minutes. ¡°If you don¡¯t check it, it just goes away.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ It was fine until just now¡­¡± ¡°No one on the staff did anything wrong, right?¡± ¡°yes. ¡°There was no one to talk to because we went straight to the filming location.¡± ¡°Well, since it¡¯s your first time filming, I guess you¡¯re acting like a brat.¡± Director Ahn Cheol-hwan crossed his arms and shook his head. Still, Director Ahn¡¯s personal opinion was that it was better than making a fuss while he was busy with the broadcast starting. ¡°There is a separate lead role, but he is a senior¡­ Anyway, Kang Do-wook is still naive, so I just wait.¡± Fortunately, it was also fortunate that Do-wook was not the type to fight against Jeong I-wook. The assistant director sighed and ordered the other staff to wait for now. Do-wook¡¯s mouth lowered as he looked around at the staff members who were waiting, either finding a ce to sit or crouching on the floor and using their cell phones. Joo Joo-ah at the next table, who had already touched up her makeup several times, looked at Do-wook and spoke to him. ¡°I¡­ What if it¡¯s because of me? ¡°I said hello¡­¡± Juminah was fidgeting the whole time. ¡°But just because of that one thing¡­¡± Juminah seemed to be feeling upset as she took a sip of the water in front of her. A dark lipstick mark remained on the cup. Rather than having to wait itself, he seemed to be more worried about being the cause of it all and being frowned upon by the director and staff. Do-wook frowned as he watched Joo Min-ah biting the tips of her fingernails. Even if he was angry because Juminah¡¯s greeting order was wrong, all he had to do was scold Juminah. However, the method that Jeong Yi-wook chose was to make not only actors like himself and Joo Min-ah, but also the entire staff wait. If something actually happened or he wasn¡¯t ready for acting, Dowook could have waited long enough. ¡®It¡¯s not just about greetings.¡¯ Do-wook thought. Looking at the attitude shown to Do-wook in the previous filming, it was not just because of Joo Min-ah¡¯s greeting. ¡®I heard that there are some actors like that, but¡­ this is the battle of spirit.¡¯ Several conflicts were bound to arise during filming. Various confrontations could arise between directors and actors, writers and actors, and even between directors and writers and actors. This was not simply because of their own interests, but also because each person had different opinions about the work. However, the fight at the filming site was generally a fight to get consideration and to enforce one¡¯s opinions, such as how to schedule the filming, who would receive more consideration for reflectors and lighting, and whose opinions to follow regarding acting. It is said that the king of the filming set is the director, but director Ahn Cheol-hwan had a style that suited the actors as much as possible. In addition, the best position in could be said to be Wang Hee-jin, who is not only a top star but also has the highest level of seniority. So, right now, Jeong I-wook wanted to announce that he was the top person at the filming site, except for Wang Hee-jin. Although he was the lead actor, he had the intention to beat Do-wook, who was much younger in his acting career. Even if he didn¡¯t do that, Do-wook nned to respect his senior, Jeong I-wook. Therefore, when making a filming schedule, I naturally waited for the most efficient schedule toe out and never asked for any special treatment from Do Wook-sun. ¡®But if it interferes with filming like this¡­¡¯ Do-wook stopped Joo Min-ah from going to see Jeong I-wook. It was obvious that if he was swept away by Jeong Yi-wook and became the king of the filming set, he would continue to do things like this whenever he was upset. After 40 minutes, Dowook stood up. Nam Da-woo, Do-wook¡¯s dedicated manager and youngest manager, who was dozing off sitting next to him, opened his eyes in surprise. ¡°Uh, where are you going?¡± Nam Da-woo was just a 20-year-old young man who worked part-time right after graduating from high school and became a manager. ¡°To Jeong Iwook.¡± At Do-wook¡¯s answer, the eyes of Nam Da-woo, who has a physique like a white bear and eyes the size of buttonholes, widened. Do-wook was a celebrity with no unexpected behavior or idents, so much so that Director Oh Baek-ho was able to entrust exclusive responsibility to the inexperienced Nam Da-woo. Rather, Nam Da-woo was attached to Do-wook under the belief that Nam Da-woo would be able to learn a lot about the field, such as what to do with the officials, if he went with Do-wook. In fact, Do-wook, who has been with us since thest Coco photo shoot schedule, was exactly as Director Oh Baek-ho said. There were only things for Nam Da-woo to learn, and there was nothing for him to do as a manager other than providing physical guard. Looking at Do-wook¡¯s expression and the situation, it didn¡¯t seem like he was going to say something nice about Do-wook when filming was on standby because of Do-wook. Even Nam Da-woo knew that much. ¡°Oh bro¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. ¡°I¡¯ll go alone.¡± Do-wook said that and walked away. Nam Da-woo quickly picked up his cell phone and contacted Director Oh Baek-ho. It was just as Director Oh Baek-ho taught, if you don¡¯t know, don¡¯t worry and contact yourself. When I knocked on the driver¡¯s door of the van Jeong Iwook was riding in, the window opened and Jeong Iwook¡¯s manager revealed his face. Jeong I-wook¡¯s manager, who thought he was an assistant director, seemed a little embarrassed when Do-wook came to see him in person. ¡°I have something to say to my senior for a moment, but can you please save my seat?¡± It was still a polite tone, but it was a voice that wasparable to Dowook¡¯s usual low voice. The manager looked at Jeong Iwook sitting in the back seat. When Jeong Yi-wook lifted his finger, the manager quickly opened the driver¡¯s door and came out. Do-wook opened the back door and went in and sat across from Jeong I-wook. ¡°what? ¡°I can¡¯t concentrate already. Are you here to disturb me?¡± Ben Ahn, the only one of us. Jeong Iwook spoke informally, as if he was openly arguing. Dowook raised his eyebrows. I didn¡¯t have the heart to treat someone like a senior with whom I had a childish fight. ¡°If you can¡¯t act, you shouldn¡¯t be an actor.¡± ¡°what?!¡± Jeong Iwook¡¯s face distorted. It was unexpected for Jeong I-wook that Do-wook came out like this. Dowook¡¯s image was that of an upright young man. Idol there. Image management was more important than other actors. So, Jeong Iwook thought that the street scene went away without saying anything. It was also displeasing for a young child to y the lead role based on his poprity as an idol. As director Ahn Cheol-hwan predicted, Jeong I-wook nned to rest in the van for about two hours before leaving. Then everyone would notice Jeong Iwook and the filming site would do their best to please Jeong Iwook. ¡°I don¡¯t know why I and many other staff members are waiting like this just because of a senior. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°Look at what you¡¯re talking about? You were all a pretender? If you don¡¯t know, go. ¡°You can just stop filming and go.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ you can¡¯t do that. ¡°Then it¡¯s hard because my senior is on standby indefinitely because he can¡¯t control his emotions¡­ Can I post something like this on my social media?¡± ¡°what?¡± ¡°I guess it¡¯s okay to post my honest feelings on my personal SNS, right?¡± Jeong Iwook¡¯s expression crumpled as if he waspletely embarrassed. asionally, even if a director or actor showed off his courage on set, the reason why rumors usually did not spread was because they were all in the same boat. It was not good for Do-wook himself if his work was criticized for something like this. It was absurd for Jeong I-wook to hear that Do-wook came forward and created chaos by posting on social media. ¡°Pull it up! You want to try it? Are you freaking out about being popr? If I get criticized for posting that, do you know that you won¡¯t get criticized? ¡°You be the same person!¡± ¡°i know. Still, I¡¯d rather get scolded than spend the whole time working on my future work waiting for my senior. ¡°After you swear once, you won¡¯t be able to stay in the van like you are now.¡± At Do-wook¡¯s words, Jeong I-wook thought something was wrong. This was because Do-wook, who was thought to be gentle, was surprisingly strong. ¡°This bastard?!¡± ¡°Do you think you can¡¯t do it?¡± Dowook took out his cell phone from his pocket. Attention would be focused on Do-wook, but in any case, Jeong I-wook would also have a lot to lose. The people involved were obviously aware of this situation, and it was obvious that they would find it funny that they had ruined the atmosphere at the filming site just to show off to their juniors. When Jeong Yi-wook hesitated, Do-wook spoke seriously without missing the moment. ¡°Seniors.¡± The slightly harsh tone of voice had be his normal tone again. When Do-wook called him, Jeong I-wook grinned and looked at Do-wook. ¡°I saw the movie ¡®Diary¡¯ in which that senior appeared. While watching my senior act, I thought that I would like to try acting like him. ¡°It was really cool.¡± The movie ¡°Diary¡± was the first film in which Jeong Yi-wook appeared as a lead actor. Thanks to a sloppy script, the movie was a box office failure, and Jeong Yi-wook became a supporting actor again. Do-wook knew that if Lovers from Space were sessful, not only Do-wook himself but also Jeong I-wook would be very popr. Before that, I sincerely hoped that Jeong Yi-wook would be a truly ¡®cool person¡¯ like his role in the work. ¡°¡­Are you ying with me?¡± ¡°Please remain a great senior even after this project is over. please.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Jeong I-wook did not respond, but Do-wook opened the van door and came out. And in less than five minutes, Jeong I-wook came out of the van, saying he was sorry for keeping him waiting. The staff who knew that Do-wook visited Ben knew that Jeong I-wook actually lost the fight. Nam Da-woo, who was talking to Director Oh Baek-ho on the phone and discussing with Director Ahn Cheol-hwan, couldn¡¯t help but be embarrassed because nothing happened. Director Ahn Cheol-hwan looked at the situation and shook his head andughed. ¡°If you¡¯re the lead actor, you should get that kind of distribution.¡± This was because director Ahn Cheol-hwan really liked Do-wook¡¯s ¡®gang¡¯ appearance. *** After filming waspleted safely, Jeong Iwook left the filming set as quickly as possible. Do-wook greeted Jeong I-wook politely, and Jeong I-wook looked a little tired and got into the van. Dowook was also about to get into the car with Nam Dawoo. Joo Min-ah came up to Do-wook in a huff and spoke to him. ¡°Mr. Dowook!¡± When Do-wook turned around, Joo-min Ah spoke in a charming voice. ¡°You spoke well to senior Jeong I-wook, right, Do-wook?¡± ¡°no. ¡°We just talked about something else.¡± Do-wook quickly denied it to prevent Joo-wook from misunderstanding, but Joo-wook narrowed his eyes and gently smiled at Do-wook. As Joo Joo-ah came closer, her inner skin was clearly visible inside the deep V-neck. Dowook avoided his gaze. ¡°Thank you, I¡¯d like to buy you a meal. When is the time?¡± It seemed like the purpose was more to eat than to greet people. Just when Do-wook was about to refuse, Joo Min-ah¡¯s cell phone rang. Juminah apologized and checked her phone. [Director Seo Jung-won] Do-wook¡¯s eyes became sharper as he looked at his cell phone. ¡°Oh. Ah, Mr. Do-wook, please make sure to eatter. I will then¡­¡± Joo Min-ah hurriedly greeted Do-wook and turned around. Chapter 176 # 177 They say Mount Tai is high (2) *** ¡°Hey! Hisashiburi!¡± It was 11 p.m. when Do-wook returned to the dorm after filming. Ahn Hyeong-seo, who was in the living room, was the first to wee Do-wook. Hyung-seo Ahn felt like he was seeing Do-wook for the first time in a long time. After filming began, Do-wook barely slept in his dorm and went to the filming set to film or wait. The actor¡¯s acting skills were more important than anything else in order for the character created through the author¡¯s hard work to be three-dimensional and shine. In order for a character toe to life in a drama, he had to be the character himself. Do-wook was immersed in bing the character of ¡®Director Cheon Min-jun¡¯. Unlike the filming of the movie ¡°Blue Whale,¡± which waspleted in a short period of time, for the drama, I had to live as ¡°Cheon Min-jun¡± for about three months. In order not to break the immersion while going back and forth between the site and the amodation, Do-wook tried to minimize what he thinks and says as much as possible as Kang Do-wook. The reason why Do-wook was with Ahn Hyeong-seo for a long time was because of his filming schedule, but also because he was ¡®immersed in the role of Cheon Min-jun¡¯ by refraining from spending time with the members at the dorm, going to his room, memorizing the script, and making up for theck of sleep. ¡°Oh bro. What is that¡­.¡± As Kang Do-wook spent less timeughing and talking, Do-wook, who spoke less but never felt stiff, has recently even given the impression of being hard like ¡®Chief Cheon Min-jun.¡¯ That¡¯s why Director Oh Baek-ho, whom I saw a few days ago, also said, ¡®He¡¯s an aplished actor.¡¯ was said. Dowook seemed to know why so-called idol group members were rumored to have ¡®acting disease¡¯. While watching people who were intensely immersed in their characters at the filming site, seeing the realistic members felt somehow foreign. Because it seemed like the immersion would be broken, the amount of talk was bound to decrease in reality, no matter what the role was. Of course, some people whocked enlightenment maintained that attitude even after filming was over, and even became pretentious because they were caught up in acting superficially, regardless of their acting skills. Because of these people, the term ¡®smoke disease¡¯ was coined and frowned upon, but none of the people around Do-wook thought that he was into such ridiculous bravado. Most people responded that if they were going to get that kind of disease, they would have already got it when they entered Cannes, and Oh Baek-ho said, ¡®I¡¯m done as an actor.¡¯ What he said was sincere on the surface. Do-wook had been shrewd before, but recently his eyes were even more keen and shining. Anyway, Do-wook, who had been as stiff as ¡®Chief Cheon Min-jun¡¯, had no choice but to rx when he saw Ahn Hyeong-seo greeting him with a happy face and speaking strangely in Japanese. When Do-wook burst outughing, Ahn Hyeong-seo raised his arms even more exaggeratedly and waved his fingers as if he liked it. ¡°Hey~! Hisashiburii~!¡± ¡°Hyung¡­what on earth are you doing? haha.¡± Ahn Hyeong-seo finally lowered his arms and answered Do-wook¡¯s question. ¡°You¡¯re studying Japanese these days.¡± ¡°Ah¡­what on earth do you study with¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it enough to justmunicate?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right.¡± Dowook smiled and answered. It was Ahn Hyeong-seo who was steadily studying Japanese even during the break in preparation for another dome tour and activities in Japan next year. ¡°The filming ended early today?¡± ¡°yes. ¡°It ended quickly.¡± ¡°Is the filming going well? No one is bothering you, right? ¡°When are you going out tomorrow?¡± Ahn Hyung-seo asked questions as if he had many questions about Do-wook, whom he had not seen in a long time. Do-wook suddenly remembered what happened today, but quickly smiled and answered. ¡°yes. Things are going well and no one is bothering me. ¡°I have to leave at five in the morning.¡± ¡°omg. I have to go in quickly, take a shower, and go to sleep! ¡°I¡¯m going to be tired if I have to go out at dawn again.¡± Do-wook felt at ease as Ahn Hyeong-seo pushed Do-wook¡¯s back with a worried look, telling him to go in quickly. However, even after entering the room, Dowook could not fall asleep right away. Do-wook sent a message to reporter Seong-jun Choi and asked if it was possible to call him. Immediately, I received a call from reporter Choi Seong-jun. Reporter Seongjun Choi was known as the person in charge of KK within Newspatch. Reporter Choi Seong-jun¡¯s junior was in charge of the reporting, but it was Reporter Choi¡¯s job to set the context for the big story and ask for news. It has been like this ever since Manager Oh Baek-ho made ament to Lee Dae-hyung, head of the fan-marketing team. Do-wook¡¯s purpose was to enable reporter Seong-jun Choi to gain some standing within Newspatch by giving him ess to exclusive news articles rted to KK. In fact, reporter Choi Seong-jun has been receiving quite a bit of recognition in Newspatch recently. Thanks to this, the external pressure from Director Seo Jung-won regarding Seo Kang-joon¡¯s spilling of the sauce, which he was worried about, seemed to have been ovee for the time being. ¡°Ah, reporter. ¡°You¡¯re not asleep yet.¡± -Where can a reporter be day and night? There was a message from Mr. Do-wook, and it is true that he wakes up even when he sleeps. But what¡¯s going on? Reporter Choi Seong-jun became Do-wook¡¯s strongest assistant. Dowook asked resolutely. ¡°Reporter Choi, do you know Jumin?¡± -Are you a resident? ¡°yes. He¡¯s a celebrity from Ara Entertainment¡­¡± -Ah! You¡¯re the actor appearing in Do-wook¡¯s drama this time, right? From a girl group¡­¡­ ¡°Yes. that¡¯s right. Have you ever heard anything about that Mr. Jumin? Regarding Director Seo Joong-won.¡± -Director Seo? Reporter Choi Seong-jun¡¯s voice as he asked the question quickly quieted down. The monster that raised Seo Kang-Jun. Just hearing the name ¡®Seo Joong-won¡¯ still made me feel like my teeth were grinding. Reporter Choi Seong-jun, who was silent for a moment as if thinking, carefully opened his mouth. -well. If it¡¯s rted¡­ Actually, I heard something about it while digging into the university corruption case. ¡°Tell me something.¡± -I was nning to talk to Mr. Do-wook once I found out more and became more certain. There is talk that Seo Joong-won is arranging sponsorship. Dowook¡¯s eyes, which had been closed due to fatigue, opened wide. The main singer in charge of Director Seo Joong-won was Man to Man. Nevertheless, I just felt like something was strange because he seemed to be in frequent contact with Joo Joo-ah, who was not his main source of ie. But then I heard an unexpected story. ¡°You mean spawn?¡± -Until the current Seo Joong-won¡­ He currently holds a significant stake in Ara. Where did all that money and powere from? Of course, it is undeniable that Seo Joong-won had ability, but reporter Choi Seong-jun¡¯s story was also understandable. No matter how talented he was, he could not aim for the position of CEO due to the structure of Koreanpanies. If he was acting as a pimp between sponsors and celebrities, it also made sense that Seo Joong-won¡¯s connections spread across all walks of life. If true, it would have been a very useful card for Do-wook to bring down General Manager Seo Jung-won. However, it was not easy to conclude. ¡®You have to be suspicious. Nothing is certain. If you step forward too hastily, you could end up making a mistake.¡¯ Dowook thought and said. ¡°The evidence is¡­¡± -Not yet. It was word of mouth that came out after digging. But if you look at the ces where Seo Jung-won and Joo Won-dae met¡­ the angles are roughly apparent. ¡°okay. ¡°Reporter Choi, you have worked hard in many ways.¡± -What about your hard work? Those bastards should be wrapped up and fed with beans and rice¡­ Huh. sorry. My heart is so angry¡­ In fact, even if we catch the evidence, we won¡¯t be able topletely eradicate it. There must be a lot of people involved. Do-wook also knew that Seo Joong-won was not the only evil in society. There were more evil people and less evil people, but there were enough people to get kicked. therefore. So more. Do-wook wanted to punish the ¡®evil¡¯ that Do-wook knew best, Seo Jung-won. ¡°no. Reporter Choi, I understand your feelings.¡± -haha. I¡¯ll have to look into Jumin¡¯s side as well. I wonder if there is some connection¡­ ¡°Yes. ¡°Please.¡± -I always have to ask for favors. If this drama does well, how many hits will it be? Reporter Choi Seong-jun said, easing the heavy atmosphere. ¡°Why are you doing this to Reporter Choi?¡± As Do-wook spoke lightly, reporter Choi Seong-jun said that he was looking forward to the drama. After hanging up the phone, Dowook was barely able to fall asleep. *** [First broadcast of Lovers from Space! It smells like an all-time masterpiece!] [Wang Hee-jin, did you act this well? Wang Hee-jin¡¯s spectacr return¡­] [Kang Do-wook has definitely made a mark as an actor! Acting as if using supernatural powers] [Chun Min-jun, who stopped time, viewers¡¯ channels also stopped!] [Lovers from Space, Mr. Cheon Min-jun, please be my lover too (photo)] [Drama review: ¡´Lovers from Space¡µ The birth of a new romance genre] [Thanks to SVS Broadcasting Company¡¯s trust in writer Oh Young-ji!] . . [How popr is ¡´Lovers from Space¡µ, which has high viewership ratings?] [From 15% to 35%! Space Lovers swept the hearts of Korean women in just two weeks!] . . The drama¡¯s response and poprity were already exceeding expectations. Do-wook already knew that ¡°Lovers from Space¡± would do well, but it was also different from what Do-wook expected. The main character changed, the title changed, and the setting of episode 1 changed. Those changes brought greater poprity. The viewership ratings were already higher than Dowook originally knew. ¡®It was a national drama at the time, but¡­¡¯ Do-wook was in a dazed mood. Currently, filming for the drama has progressed up to episode 9. The situation wasn¡¯t as bad as other dramas, but it was still rushed considering that the broadcast was quickly catching up with the filming speed. Writer Oh Young-ji and the people in her studio were already pouring all their energy into writing the script without even thinking about stepping outside the studio door. With the script for episode 10 in hand, Do-wook watched episode 4 with the members at his dorm. Since Park Tae-hyung had gone to his parents¡¯ house, the other members took one seat each and watched Do-wook¡¯s drama together. 2 Jeong Yoon-gi and Kim Won, who missed episode 3, were unable to keep up with the content and kept asking questions while watching, so they were scolded by Ahn Hyeong-seo. ¡°Wow, this is really awesome. What happens in the next episode? ¡°Can¡¯t you just tell me a little bit?¡± ¡°Brother¡­ please really tell me.¡± After episode 4, Ahn Hyeong-seo and Seok Ji-hoon, who became fans of the drama, pestered Do-wook. Dowook didn¡¯t answer, saying it wouldn¡¯t be fun if he found out. ¡°Oh my god, this is too much. ¡°Give me the script!¡± When Ahn Hyeong-seo tried to snatch the script from Do-wook, Jeong Yoon-gi sighed and stopped Ahn Hyeong-seo. Seok Ji-hoon, who had given up on listening to the next content, looked at Director Oh Baek-ho¡¯s eyes and asked. ¡°But Chief Oh. ¡°It¡¯ste, but¡­ can I eat tteokbokki?¡± Director Oh Baek-ho, who habitually rolled his eyes, was silent for a moment. In ¡°Lovers from Space,¡± Wang Hee-jin ate tteokbokki whenever she felt sad. In episode 4, there was a scene where she confessed to Do-wook, got dumped, and ate tteokbokki with tears in her eyes. The point ofughter was eating so deliciously despite being sad, and because Wang Hee-jin was so good at acting, it was a scene that made my mouth water. ¡°Haa¡­¡­¡± Director Oh Baek-ho thought for a moment and eventually nodded. Seok Ji-hoon was excited and ordered 4 servings of tteokbokki, fried sundae, and odeng on his cell phone. Dowook stood up. ¡°uh? ¡°Don¡¯t you eat it?¡± ¡°Do-wook is filming again.¡± Director Oh Baek-ho answered Seok Ji-hoon¡¯s question instead. At those words, Seok Ji-hoon looked embarrassed as he was momentarily blinded by the tteokbokki and did not think of Do-wook. Even the excited members looked puzzled. ¡°Uh¡­ bro¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t worry about me, just eat. ¡°I ate a lot of the props on set.¡± When Do-wook spoke as if it was no big deal, Seok Ji-hoon showed signs of relief. ¡°Let¡¯s go right now.¡± As Jeong Yoon-gi asked, Nam Da-woo, who had just brought his car to pick up Do-wook, rang on his phone. It was a situation where you could tell without answering. The members looked at Dowook with sad eyes and told him to do well. Dowook was already grateful to the members just for enjoying the drama. *** Even though I should have already left work at that time, the lights in the SVS Content Business Division office were shining brightly. ¡°Haaam¡­¡­. Have you finished revising the contract?¡± The head of the content business division yawned and asked the person in charge. The person in charge who had been selected from the legal team nodded. Chapter 177 # 178 The mountain is said to be high, but (3) Park Man-deok, manager of the Content Business Division, who received the revised contract, checked the contract carefully. After that, I checked the contract in Chinese. The contract written in Chinese was not something that could be confirmed even if Manager Park Man-deok checked it. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°yes.¡± The legal team representative who was the final confirmer swallowed his saliva once and answered. Manager Park Man-deok stood up and spoke to the employees, who were looking haggard from working overtime for several days due to the sudden progress of work. ¡°I decided to stamp it with the boss, productionpany, and Chinese side early tomorrow morning. You¡¯ve had a hard time these past few days! This contract is a huge deal! Performance bonuses will go down. ¡°I¡¯ll tell the boss well¡­ Let¡¯s get off work now!¡± Manager Park Man-deok¡¯s words brought some life to the zombie-like expressions of the employees. The employees got up one by one and put on their outerwear. The bonus was a bonus, but I felt even happier right away because I could leave work. Manager Park Man-deok organized the contract in his folder and picked up his coat, which he had also ced on the chair. Maybe it was because I ate too much bulgogi for ate-night snack, but my stomach seemed to be more bulging than yesterday, but it was okay. Tomorrow was truly a huge sess for both SVS Broadcasting Company and Director Park Man-deok¡¯s personal career. ¡°Lovers from Space¡± was a work that raised a lot of concerns within the broadcasting station before production. Although writer Oh Young-ji writes well, she was a writer who had good grades in family dramas mainly targeting housewives. It was unclear whether such a writer could write a romanticedy well. And it wasn¡¯t just a romanticedy, it was a science fiction romanticedy. However, since it was the return of a super star named Wang Hee-jin, it was impossible not to watch it. Just because it was Wang Hee-jin¡¯seback film was already enough. KK¡¯s Kang Do-wook was added as the male lead. There was a reason why broadcastingpanies cast idols as main actors despite various controversies over their acting skills. Topical. Rather than using a nameless supporting actor, using an idol member was much better in terms of poprity and profits. However, in the case of Do-wook, he was a person who did not have to worry about controversy over his acting ability, so the broadcasting station could call it a ¡®big casting¡¯. In addition, Do-wook was not only a popr star in Korea, but he was also a Korean wave star that swept China and Japan. No matter what the viewer ratings were in Korea, export to China, Japan, etc. was confirmed. Shortly after the news that Do-wook had been cast was published, sales offers came in from China and Japan. Since the Korean Wave began to spread in dramas, content exports have been able to generate greater profits than advertisements. There were cases where it became popr domestically, and depending on the casting, there were also cases where it was exported during production. In fact, even though it was a highly anticipated product, steam often leaked when the lid was opened in Korea, so it was strategic to sell it in advance if possible. Manager Park Man-deok was somewhat confident of the sess of ¡°Lovers from Space¡± after previewing the tentative filming of episode 1. Manager Park Man-deok postponed setting export prices to China and Japan. It was a winning bet. There were many people, both from above and below, who had doubts about Director Park Man-deok¡¯s choice. Director Park thought that even if his predictions were wrong after the broadcast, he would be able to export the average value. The response after episode 1 aired was tremendous. Manager Park Man-deok waited for the reaction to heat up even more. It was possible because Kang Do-wook, already a Hallyu star, was the lead actor. As expected, it was the Chinese side that was having trouble, not the SVS side. In addition to Do-wook¡¯s appearance, the content of ¡°Lovers from Space¡± itself aroused the interest of Chinese people. After consultation with the productionpany, Manager Park Man-deok set an export price of 70 million won per episode. The amount was twice as high as the 35 million previously proposed by China. On the Chinese side, it was unconditionally OK. The amount and terms of the contract were revised over several days. We have summarized the positions of writer Oh Young-ji and the Chinese broadcaster SVS Broadcasting Company, the drama productionpany, regarding various copyrights and interests. All I had to do was stamp the contract tomorrow and it was done. It was the country¡¯s highest priced export. *** SVS Broadcasting Station Paju set. The atmosphere at the filming site was generally friendly. It wasmon for me to not be able to sleep due to schedules, but the external response was so positive that I was able to forget about the hardships. Wang Hee-jin and Do-wook were sitting side by side on the set sofa and checking the script. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s another scene of eating tteokbokki.¡± After checking the script for Episode 12, Wang Hee-jinined half jokingly and half seriously. In the case of the script for episode 12, it was a script that writer Oh Young-ji had a hard time with. Because of the filming schedule, the first part was sent first, and theplete script had only just arrived. ¡°That¡¯s a good response. ¡°Why are you doing this when you know that PPL is plentiful?¡± Director Ahn Cheol-hwan said as if it was something new for him. ¡°It¡¯s because I feel like I¡¯m going to gain weight while acting like I¡¯m eating.¡± Wang Hui-jin said calmly. Dowook smiled and answered. ¡°I don¡¯t think you need to worry.¡± ¡°I know. Mr. Dowook is right. Now, everyone is just praising Heejin for her beauty. What if even eating tteokbokki is that perfect? ¡°I also saw the screenshot that appeared on the Inte earlier, and I now understand why everyone is going crazy.¡± As director Ahn Cheol-hwan said, the scene of Wang Hee-jin eating tteokbokki with tears in her eyes was made into a ¡®meme¡¯ and was spreading like a trend on the Inte. There were quite a few people who went crazy because they wanted to eat tteokbokki just by looking at Lovers from Space. ¡°Our members also ordered tteokbokki and ate it while watching the drama.¡± ¡°Ah really?¡± Wang Hee-jin asked Do-wook¡¯s words as if he was amused. Dowook nodded. Such reactions did note only from Korea. ¡°Lovers from Space¡± is currently being broadcast live on a Chinese inte broadcaster, and the response has been tremendous. As the poption scale wasrge, the number of viewers quickly exceeded the billion mark. In China, people who saw Wang Hee-jin eating tteokbokki were curious about the Korean food, tteokbokki, and wanted to eat it. The Chinese branch of thepany that sponsored Tteokbokki was in an uproar. Of course, they sponsored the drama for promotional effects, but they had no idea that the ¡®tteokbokki craze¡¯ would spread this far in China. In addition, those who run Korean restaurants in China were also delighted. Even Korean barbecue restaurants had tteokbokki on their menu. The tteokbokki that was sometimes eaten in the drama was like that, and the clothes and essories worn by Wang Hee-jin and Do-wook were always sold out. Han Song-hee¡¯s lipstick, Han Song-hee¡¯s earrings, Cheon Min-jun¡¯s coat, Cheon Min-jun¡¯s sunsses, etc¡­ Countless items were being sold. The effectiveness of the advertisement was such that more advertisements were added as each episode continued. Writer Oh Young-ji said it was difficult to write PPL scenes, so he asked her to stop epting them. The poprity of not only the two main actors, but also Jeong I-wook and Joo Min-ah, has increased. Even though Joo Min-ah was a viin, she was loved by many people, calling her a ¡®cute viin.¡¯ Recently, there were two new advertisements that Joo Joo-ah filmed. The number of advertisements that came to Dowook was countless. Even when it was already KK, there were quite a few advertisements for Dowook as well as advertisements for the entire KK team. However, since Do-wook¡¯s star quality and profitability as an advertising model werepletely proven through this drama, it took a full day just to review the iing offers. In addition to domestic advertisements, there were also a lot of Chinese advertisementsing in. Hit Entertainment¡¯s fan-marketing team also nned to hire one more Chinese-speaking employee. After reviewing the script for episode 12, Wang Hee-jin decided to start filming first, and Do-wook came out of the set. It was a scene where Wang Hee-jin changed her clothes several times alone at home in anticipation of her date with Do-wook. Afterwards, there was a scene where Dowook came to the house. Dowook checked his lines in the next scene. Nam Da-woo, who was next to him, answered the phone and called Do-wook. ¡°Brother, are you okay with the phone call now?¡± ¡°who?¡± ¡°Team leader Lee Dae-hyung.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡± Dowook looked inside the set. The filming was in full swing and I had just changed my clothes for the second time. It didn¡¯t seem like it would be over in ten minutes. ¡°What¡¯s going on¡­¡± Do-wook got up and headed toward the waiting room. After entering the waiting room, Do-wook received a phone from Nam Da-woo. ¡°yes. manager. ¡°This is Kang Do-wook.¡± -Ah, Mr. Dowook! I¡¯m sorry for disturbing you while you¡¯re working. Mr. Dowook doesn¡¯te into the office these days¡­ I need to get confirmation, but I can¡¯t put it off any longer. ¡°No, team leader. it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s a bit tight these days as it¡¯s thest minute. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± -Another advertisement came in¡­ Team leader Lee Dae-hyung¡¯s tone of voice was a mixture of joy and sighing. It was a good thing that advertisements came in, but it was also true that there was too much work. In the case of other KK members and overall advertisements, the work was done through Director Oh Baek-ho, but since there were too many personal advertisementsing in to Do-wook, team leader Lee Dae-hyung and Do-wook were working directly after appearing in the drama. The current craze of poprity was an opportunity. Dowook had no intention of letting this opportunity pass by. Even though five bodies were not enough, Dowook¡¯s idea was to film as many iing advertisements as possible. The money and power held by Director Seo Jung-won¡­ In order to bring them down, Do-wook also had to have it. Team leader Lee Dae-hyeong was skeptical about Do-wook¡¯s decision this time, as Do-wook had only done major advertisements that were really necessary before and did not seem to have any particr desires for money, but in any case, it was Do-wook¡¯s own choice. ¡°Ah¡­ As I said, I will do whatever I can. After taking a look, if it doesn¡¯t suit me too well¡­ I¡¯ll go with what the team leader rmended.¡± -Can I do that? ¡°yes.¡± Do-wook expressed his trust in team leader Dae-hyung Lee. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung said with a smile. -Then, I will send the list Ipiled through a message to Mr. Do-wook. Please check only thepany name and product. ¡°yes. ¡°Please.¡± As soon as I hung up the phone, a message arrived from team leader Lee Dae-hyung. [First of all, I only selected the ones that matched the price and didn¡¯t ovep with the current advertisements. I will check the reliability of thepany and product one more time, but please check with Do-wook first. -HOTEL HOTEL (Hotel Price Comparison Site) (Middle) -ǧšqɽ (Healthy Juice) (M) -ABA (Shoes Editorial Store) (M) -Chu Chu (Binggeut Confectionery¡¯s New Product Bubble Gum) (M)] ABA or Binggeut Confectionery Since it was a Koreanpany, Do-wook knew the ce, but thepanies that were proposed from China were ces that Do-wook was not familiar with. Dowook, who wrote ¡®I confirmed,¡¯ paused his fingers for a moment. Chapter 178 # 179 It is said that the mountain is high, but (4) it was because an incident that became a problem came to mind when the number of Korean Wave stars entering China and bing advertising models for Chinesepanies increased. ¡®The reason I¡¯m shootingmercials as soon as I can is because I have the capital to defeat General Manager Seo Joong-won¡­ and then achieve my dream. But¡­ you shouldn¡¯t miss out on something important because of that.¡¯ Dowook thought calmly. We should not lose our purpose or our values in order to make money. As Lovers from Space became a huge hit, even the mood of the people around them, except for the members and their closest associates, changed a lot. 10 Compared to before, when it was popr among young people in their 20s, it was now truly loved by the nation, so much so that a cloud of people gathered just by passing by on the street. The broadcasting staff have always treated Do-wook well, but because of Do-wook¡¯s young age, they ¡®treat him poorly.¡¯ There was no feeling like that. But not anymore. Everyone treated Do-wook the best and went out of their way to make him look good. No matter how humbly Do-wook tried to humble himself, people around him were anxious to raise him up. Do-wook also felt more excited than usual about acting as he filmed dramas, filmedmercials, and interviewed every day in such an environment. ¡®I may have been swept up in the atmosphere without realizing it¡­¡¯ Do-wook calmly rewrote the message. [Thank you, team leader! However, in the case of Chinese products, please take a close look at thepany history and product country of origin. There may be sensitive issues in Korea haha, please.] After sending the message, Do-wook went out the door of the waiting room. On the way back, a message notification sound rang right away. Naturally, Do-wook thought it was a message from Team Leader Dae-hyung Lee and checked his phone. However, the message was from Jeong Yoon-gi. [Are you busy?] His tone was as if he was sorry for asking an obvious question. There were group rooms that were used only by members and others that included managers, so sending personal messages was extremely rare. The message came from Jeong Yoon-gi personally. Dowook immediately wrote a reply with a puzzled mind. [What¡¯s going on, hyung?] [No, it feels like it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen you.] [ There was filming in the countryside until yesterday. How are you preparing the album? ] [Of course. When are youing back to the dorm?] [When the filming ends today, at dawn¡­ ] [Then I won¡¯t be able to see you again haha] [Yes, there¡¯s really something going on, right?] [There¡¯s nothing to worry about, just take care of your health and work] [Thank you, bro haha] [My mom is making a fuss about getting an autograph from you. You can sign it. [There are a lot of them haha] It seemed like the message was sent to ask for an autograph. Dowook raised the corners of his mouth and smiled. *** Dowook, who arrived at his lodgings at 5 a.m. and fell asleep, woke up four hourster to the sound of an rm. There was filming again at noon and it was time to get up to get ready for makeup. However, fortunately or unfortunately, the filming schedule from noon was canceled. This was because Wang Hee-jin, who was somehow managing to keep up with the drama filming and the overwhelming interview schedule, came down with a cold. Do-wook¡¯s solo filming had already finished filming, and today¡¯s filming was with Wang Hee-jin. In the midst of a half-asleep state, Do-wook received a call from Nam Da-woo that filming had been cancelled, and he didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. It was good to take a break today, but it didn¡¯t mean that the broadcast would be dyed. It was obvious that I would have to work harder another day to film the footage I couldn¡¯t film today. Anyway, Dowook was able to achieve an average sleep time of eight hours for the first time in a long time. Dowook woke up from a good night¡¯s sleep again, roughly adjusted his clothes, and stopped by the Hit Entertainment office. Since I had time, I nned to talk about advertising issues with Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung. ¡°Wow! ¡°Are you here?¡± When I entered the fan-marketing team office, Nam Hyo-jin, who was working, greeted me with a blushing face. Dowook bowed his head and said hello. ¡°Are you here to meet the team leader?¡± ¡°yes. ¡°Team leader, are you there now?¡± ¡°Yes ah. Assistant Manager Do was already looking for you¡­.¡± There was no separate call from Assistant Manager Do Ra-hee, so when Do-wook made an expression of ignorance, Nam Hyo-jin said for a moment and sent a message to Assistant Manager Do Ra-hee. Assistant Manager Do Ra-hee, who happened to be outside, came in and found Do-wook. ¡°Mr. Dowook!¡± ¡°Sir, it¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to see your face! ¡°I¡¯m watching it as a drama, though.¡± ¡°haha. ¡°You found it¡­¡± Assistant Manager Do Ra-hee nodded and guided Do-wook into the office. When I went to the storage area inside the office, there was a pile of gifts that had arrived for Do-wook. Gifts from fans arriving at the office were sent to the dormitory by Manager Oh Baek-ho, but so many personal gifts arrived that even Manager Oh Baek-ho shook his head. We decided that it would be impossible to move all of them to the dormitory right away, so we just kept them piled up in the office. ¡°Ah¡­ this is what Baekho said¡­¡± Do-wook looked at the gifts piled up like a mountain with his mouth open. ¡°Now that we have fans of dramas, the amount of gifts is unbelievable. Director Oh said he moves it once a week¡­ but I thought it would be a good idea to check with Mr. Do-wook first.¡± ¡°yes. thank you.¡± Dowook nodded and checked the gifts one by one. There was also a photo book made by capturing scenes from the drama, and there was also a picture of Do-wook drawn directly on a canvas. There was a wide variety of items, from health foods to clothing essories and shoes, as well as game consoles, hard-to-find CDs for old singers, mechanical keyboards, and mixing machines. There were even threetestptops from theptoppany Do-wook uses. There were five identical mobile phones. Dowook knew the feelings of his fans, so even if he did not use the gift, he would never pass it on to others. However, as there were too many simr gifts, Do-wook was at a loss as to what to do with them. ¡°Uh¡­ first of all, since the letters are small, it would be good if you send them first¡­¡± Assistant Manager Do Ra-hee nodded at Do-wook¡¯s words. Nam Hyo-jin, who was standing next to Do-wook as he took care of the letter, raised the corners of his mouth, unable to hold back a smile. ¡®As expected, Kang Do-wook! Kyaaa¡ª!¡¯ Although Nam Hyo-jin could not scream out loud, he was already screaming on the inside. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s really possible topare things now with the past. ¡°The Chinese fans are really amazing.¡± Assistant Manager Do Ra-hee spoke with admiration, as if she could not keep her mouth shut. Nam Hyo-jin, who was next to him, quickly added. ¡°Did you hear that a forest named after Do-wook will be created in China through funds raised by fans?¡± ¡°Not yet¡­¡± It was the first time Do-wook had heard this news. Even he was surprised at his poprity. ¡°It looks like Hyojin is really working hard at monitoring.¡± Nam Hyo-jin smiled cheerfully at Assistant Manager Do Ra-hee¡¯s praise. In terms of work, he was working hard at monitoring, but in reality, he was being paid to do his ¡®virtuous work¡¯. After a short conversation with the two employees, Do-wook entered Team Leader Dae-hyung Lee¡¯s office. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung, who was in the team leader¡¯s office, weed Do-wook. Meanwhile, Nam Hyo-jin personally brought Do-wook the green tea he had requested. ¡°Ah, Mr. Dowook. ¡°It¡¯s my first day off in a while, and I¡¯m sorry for making youe to the office.¡± Team leader Lee Dae-hyung sat down and started talking. ¡°no. ¡°It¡¯s my job.¡± ¡°That advertisement¡­ After receiving Do-wook¡¯s message, I reviewed it more thoroughly than I originally did. ¡°A product or something.¡± ¡°yes. ¡°Have you had any problems?¡± ¡°well. If it¡¯s a problem, it¡¯s a problem¡­ but nothing else was wrong. ¡°There are some parts where the ǧšqɽ health juice takes a bit of time.¡± ¡°Which part¡­¡± Team leader Lee Dae-hyung held out the paper he was holding toward Do-wook. The paper had information about ǧšqɽ health juice. Not only the excellent taste and efficacy of the juice provided by Mt. Cheonjeongsan, but also local public opinion about Mt. Cheonjeong was summarized. Looking at that alone, we could see that there were no problems at all and that it was a solidpanypeting for first or second ce in the beverage industry and had a very good image. ¡°If you look at the manufacturer here¡­.¡± ¡°Ah¡­.¡± ¡°And among the bottled water sold here at Cheonju Mountain, there is a bottled water with the name ¡®Changbai Mountain.¡¯¡± Dowook nodded. Since it is a Chinese product, it would be natural for China tobel Baekdu Mountain as Changbaek Mountain, but it was questionable whether this would be considered natural in Korea as well. Although it was a Chinese product and the advertisement was to be broadcast in China, Dowook was Korean. ¡°I wonder if we should even pay attention to this part¡­¡± Team leader Lee Dae-hyung trailed off. This was because it was rare to check such things in the first ce. I wasn¡¯t even sure if it was worth bringing up to Dowook. However, because he knew Do-wook, who thinks about as many cases as possible before acting, Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung also spoke. Dowook has seen countless celebrities tarnish their image and copse in absurd ces. Although it may not be possible to block all factors, Dowook¡¯s idea was to do as much as possible. The higher you were, the more people paid attention to you, and the more careful you had to be. ¡°Hmm¡­ Still, just in case, I¡¯ll decline this. ¡°We are advertising drinks in Korea anyway.¡± Team leader Lee Dae-hyung opened his eyes wide, as if he was a little surprised by Do-wook¡¯s quick decision. The unit price of the advertisement had already been delivered to Dowook. ¡°But you must have seen the unit price to reject it¡­¡± The unit price of the Chinese advertisement waspletely different from that of Korea. Dowook was in the top 5 in terms of model fees in Korea, but in China, the model fee was set at at least 500 million to 1.5 billion won. The model fee suggested by Nangsan Mountain was 1 billion won. It was 1 billion won for a 6-month model with two days of shooting. It was not an amount that one could easily refuse out of concern about ¡®what if¡¯. ¡°no. it¡¯s okay. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t there be another advertisement anyway?¡± It was an answer that clearly showed where Do-wook¡¯s values lie. Team leader Daehyung Lee felt sorry for himself, but he knew that image cannot be exchanged for money, so he nodded. Moreover, Dowook was just getting started. As Dowook said, a new advertisement proposal came in today as well. ¡°Oh, then, since I stopped by¡­¡± Do-wook focused on Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung¡¯s words with a rxed expression. *** Do-wook, who returned to the dorm after a meeting with team leader Lee Dae-hyung, was thinking about having dinner with the members at the dorm for the first time in a long time. Moreover, the thought of sharing the news he heard from Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung to the members made even Do-wook, who was known for being silent and quiet when working, feel itchy. In the living room, all the members were already gathered except for Taehyung Park. As soon as the middle door of the entrance was opened, the members¡¯ attention was focused all at once. He soon confirmed that it was Do-wook and urgently shouted Do-wook¡¯s name. ¡°Do-Wook!¡± ¡°Do-wook is here!¡± Dowook responded in bewilderment at the sudden response. ¡°Uh¡­ everyone¡­ I have something to say too¡­¡± ¡°Do-wook. I said I would take the day off today. Come sit down and have a look. ¡°We haven¡¯t been able to talk to you these past few days¡­¡± Jeong Yoon-gi sighed deeply. Dowook furrowed his eyebrows with a bad feeling. ¡°First, say what you have to say.¡± Do-wook wanted to hear what Jeong Yoon-gi said. Seeing Jeong Yoon-gi hesitating, I thought that I should at least speak quickly. ¡°Oh, this is really good news¡­¡± ¡°Really?¡± Kim Won asked back with a strange expression that neither frowned nor smiled. ¡°We might appear on an American TV show¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± The members¡¯ eyes all opened wide. It was unexpected news at a time when it was not an active season. Dowook was equally surprised. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung informed Do-wook that the filming date is currently being discussed and that the schedule will be set as soon as Do-wook¡¯s drama filming ispleted. After entering the Billboard chart, KK¡¯s song was on the chart for about 8 weeks. It was said that the first offer came from a broadcastingpany that realized that KK¡¯s global poprity was remarkable. Everyone couldn¡¯t control their surprise and covered their mouths with their hands or muttered to themselves. It was truly the beginning of KK¡¯s ¡®advance into the U.S.¡¯ with his song. However, the members¡¯ expressions, which had been happy for a moment, hardened again. Dowook urged Jeong Yoon-ki. ¡°brother. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Well¡­have you been in contact with Taehyungtely?¡± Jeong Yoon-gi¡¯splexion was very dark. Chapter 179 # 180 One in a Million (1) ¡°I have never contacted you separately.¡± Dowook answered in a low voice. Do-wook and Park Tae-hyung were the only friends of the same age in the team, and it was Do-wook who gave Park Tae-hyung the strength to debut before his debut, so it could be said that they had a special rtionship within the team. Do-wook didn¡¯t have much to say, so even when he talked, Park Tae-hyung, who didn¡¯t talk much, was the person he could talk to. However, Dowook was constantly busy with personal activities and song work, and recently it was difficult to even see the members¡¯ faces at the dorm. Also, it seems like Taehyung Park and I often shared words of encouragement and had conversations just before or after debut, but it was also true that as Dowook became busy, there was no time for them to talk separately. In the beginning, Do-wook also cared and worried a lot about Park Tae-hyung. However, once he reached a certain level, Taehyung Park showed off his skills and always quietly did his part. ¡®So maybe I paid rtively less attention¡­ ¡­ .¡¯ Do-wook suddenly had this thought. Jeong Yoon-gi nodded as if he knew that would happen and showed Do-wook a message. It was a personal message sent by Park Tae-hyung to Jeong Yoon-gi. If there was a member that Park Tae-hyung feltfortable with after Do-wook, that member was surprisingly Jung Yoon-gi. Jung Yoon-gi was taking care of Park Tae-hyung carefully behind the scenes, both as a leader and as an older brother. [I came home safely, Yoongi. I have a lot to think about¡­ I think it will go up a few days longer than expected. Don¡¯t worry too much if you can¡¯t contact me¡­ .] Park Tae-hyung¡¯s hometown was Uljin, Gyeongsangbuk-do. The parents, who hade to Seoul with the hope that their only son, Taehyung Park, would attend school there, returned to Uljin after Taehyung Park debuted. The date the message was sent was already two weeks ago. ¡°Then from this time on¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°okay¡­ ¡­ .¡± Jeong Yoon-gi nodded to Do-wook¡¯s question. The members were jealous of Park Taehyung when he said he would go down to his parents¡¯ house for about 3 days. Even though it was a break period, not many members were able to rest in a row due to their intermittent schedules. This was possible because Park Taehyung only did K-K activitiespared to the members who did individual activities. However, just because there was no schedule did not mean that it was possible to just rest. Fortunately, the three days were allowed because Park Taehyung had never gone down to his parents¡¯ house until now. Even if they had no schedule, the KK members constantly worked hard to prepare for the next album or improve themselves whenever they had time, and Park Taehyung was the same. ¡°It¡¯s not like Taehyung is going to cause an ident¡­ ¡­ . Have we been busy so far? As time passed and I saw my family for the first time in a long time, I became more emotional and thought it might be the case, so I found out¡­ ¡­ . ¡°This isn¡¯t just a few days.¡± Jeong Yoongi shook his head and said. Ahn Hyeong-seo, who was next to him, intervened and said. Ahn Hyeong-seo has been one of the members who has been calling Park Tae-hyung whenever he has time, even while recording OST songs a few days ago. ¡°therefore. I said I couldn¡¯t contact you¡­ ¡­ . The phone is turned off all day¡­ ¡­ . ¡°I¡¯m really upset because I¡¯m just waiting to see when he¡¯s going toe.¡± ¡°Taehyung¡­ ¡­ . There¡¯s really nothing wrong, right? What on earth is there to think about? ¡­ .¡± Seok Ji-hoon asked as if he was worried. Kim Won also sighed. Jeong Yoon-gi showed another message. [You were worried because I couldn¡¯t contact you. I¡¯m sorry, bro¡­ . I think I need a little more time¡­ . I¡¯m truly sorry¡­ .] ¡°Maybe because we kept in touch so much, only today did I get this message and then my phone was turned off again. ¡°I don¡¯t know if my stomach is burning or not.¡± Dowook hardened his expression. I had no idea that Taehyung Park would worry the members like this. It could be said that he was being irresponsible, but since he wasn¡¯t absent from the schedule and there wasn¡¯t anything he had to do, I couldn¡¯tpletely criticize him. In fact, it was a problem that could have been left alone until a schedule was established, but it was natural for the members to be worried about the unexpected behavior of Taehyung Park, who went to the practice room every day to practice. Moreover, it was even more so because the members remembered that before going home, Taehyung Park was less talkative than usual in the dorm and had a gloomy face. ¡°Do you know Baekho?¡± ¡°I do not know yet. I was thinking about talking about it, but I thought it would only make things worse¡­ ¡­ . I said I¡¯d be backter because I had some work to do at home¡­ ¡­ .¡± Dowook nodded. It was obvious that if Director Oh Baek-ho found out, Park Tae-hyung would be scolded. Taehyung Park was having some kind of emotional change and problem, and it didn¡¯t seem like the situation would get better if he got scolded. Once I saw the message, it didn¡¯t seem like there was any problem with my personal life. Considering that fans were asking what Taehyung was doing these days, it was clear that he was really staying home. ¡°Do-wook, would you like to contact me? Because all our contacts are useless¡­ ¡­ . When a TV show is scheduled¡­ ¡­ . Taehyung shoulde up before Baekho contacts Taehyung¡­ ¡­ .¡± Do-wook responded to Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s words with a low sigh. ¡°yes.¡± ¡°Sorry I¡¯m busy.¡± Do-wook shook his head at Jeong Yoon-gi¡¯s words. It was the members¡¯ job, and more importantly, it was Park Taehyung¡¯s job. Although Do-wook helped the members in many ways, both professionally and mentally, the members also helped Do-wook a lot. The KK members also yed an important role in helping him have a life and goal as Kang Do-wook rather than as ¡®Kim Bo-myeong¡¯. Dowook was the one who led KK to this point, but it was the members who followed along. It would not have been perfect through my own efforts. Moreover, it had deep meaning for me as a human being. The members were people who shared a warm friendship that had never been felt during Kim Bo-myeong¡¯s time. And Taehyung Park was one of those members. *** The filming of ¡®Lovers from Space¡¯ became even busier. This was because filming for thest episode had to bepleted a week earlier than the broadcast date. Artist Oh Young-ji and the people in her studio were in a situation where they were having meetings and writing almost every time they opened their eyes. The reason why thest filming date was suddenly postponed could be said to be due to the show¡¯s extreme poprity. Wang Hee-jin, who was as popr in China as Do-wook, was invited to a national event in China, and Do-wook was also appearing on an American TV show, so both lead actors¡¯ agencies requested that filming be elerated. The good news was that, unlike usual, writer Oh Young-ji was quickly producing the script, as if he had been encouraged by the viewership ratings. There was a saying that a good drama would do well no matter what, and ¡°Lovers from Space¡± was that case. On the day Do-wook finished filming thest part of filming, there was a small party on set. Given the setting of an astronaut, it was of great interest whether ¡®Cheon Min-jun¡¯ would return to space or continue living on Earth. Writer Oh Young-ji, director Ahn Cheol-hwan, and the two main actors had different opinions about the ending. Dowook actually knew the ending. ¡®Back to space¡­ ¡­ open ending¡­ ¡­ .¡¯ And this ending was actually something that could be said to be a blemish on ¡°Lovers Who Came to Space.¡± It was an ending that made most viewers angry. Because Do-wook clearly knew that, the first few times he hinted to writer Oh Young-ji, ¡®But wouldn¡¯t it be better to stay and continue to love?¡¯ However, writer Oh Young-ji¡¯s thoughts were firm. He said that if it was the ¡®Cheon Min-jun¡¯ he was thinking of and wrote about, it would be right for him to leave. It is true that the actor makes the character three-dimensional, but it was the writer who created the character by hand. Do-wook epted writer Oh Young-ji¡¯s opinion even though he knew the result would not be very good. Writer Oh Young-ji also fully knew that it was a risky ending. In any case, it was already a drama that was as sessful as it could possibly be. Although thest episode caused some controversy, it did not damage the reputation of the work. ¡®I guess it¡¯s right to follow the writer¡¯s thoughts in this part¡­ ¡­ .¡¯ Even though they are not in the same field, Do-wook decided to respect Oh Young-ji as a creator. The scene where he writes a letter to the female protagonist Han Song-hee before returning to space was Do-wook¡¯sst scene to be filmed. The final scene in the broadcast may be a different part, but it was thest scene to be filmed ording to the filming schedule. There should have been a cut sign when the camera showed Do-wook folding the letter and shedding a tear after finishing writing it, but the cut sign did not appear for quite a while. Well, it was only about a minute, but it was quite a long time. The filming site was quiet, and there were female staff members sobbing at the back of the set as they watched Dowook shed tears. As an avid viewer of the drama, she sympathized. Apuse poured in along with director Ahn Cheol-hwan¡¯s cut sign. ¡°Thank you for your effort! Thank you for your effort!¡± Dowook said hello, wiping away the tears from his eyes. The staff gave generous apuse to Do-wook, who repeatedly shouted, ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡± ¡°Do-wook did the best! ¡°Thank you for your hard work!¡± ¡°The director still has filming left¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°If I film for two more days, I will be free too!¡± Director Ahn Cheol-hwan chuckled. At that time, a female assistant director came out from behind putting candles on a cake. Nearby, auxiliary staff fired firecrackers at Do-wook. Because it waspletely unexpected, Do-wook received the cake in a daze. ¡°Thank you for taking such good care of us all this time. I¡¯ll see you again at the finale party¡­ ¡­ . ¡°I wanted to express my gratitude in this way.¡± A female assistant director said to Dowook. Delivered along with the cake were rolling papers from the staff. Dowook¡¯s poprity on set was of a different kind from his poprity outside. The staff was already grateful to Do-wook because he was good at acting and was driving the drama¡¯s poprity, but that wasn¡¯t the only thing. The manners that Do-wook showed on set were not easily found in other top actors. Do-wook has never been easily angry even with the youngest staff member. Even when the filming time was dyed due to a mistake made by the staff, Do-wook evenforted the staff by saying that it was good because he had more time to memorize the script. Snacks and food trucks sent by Do-wook¡¯s fans also contributed to Do-wook¡¯s poprity. Dowook was an actor that the staff wanted to continue working with. ¡°I am¡­ ¡­ .¡± Dowook cleared his voice and spoke to the dozens of staff members facing him. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you all that this drama did so well. Thank you for preparing the cake like this. Actually, I should thank you¡­ ¡­ .¡± Dowook continued. ¡°So now winter begins in earnest¡­ ¡­ . This drama ising to an end, but you will continue to work on site¡­ ¡­ .¡± Do-wook winked at Nam Da-woo, who was standing behind him. Dowook also prepared something for the staff. Nam Da-woo came out among the staff carrying arge package. The staff¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°I prepared a small gift. It¡¯s not much, but¡­ ¡­ . ¡°Then I¡¯ll see you at the finale party.¡± What Dowook prepared was thick long padding. Everyone on the filming team had at least one set, but it was an expensive item so it was difficult to wear two sets repeatedly. The staff¡¯s mouths opened when they saw the padding in the shopping bag. Considering the youngest staff members and supporting cast members who would not be able to attend the finale party, Dowook deliberately set today as the day to hand out the gifts. The staff¡¯s hearts were touched again by Do-wook¡¯s warm heart. Numerous staff members expressed their blessings to Dowook, either with their mouths or in their hearts. They sincerely hoped that Dowook¡¯s future would be even brighter. *** Do-wook returned to his dorm from the filming site and changed his clothes. I changed into asfortable clothes as possible and covered my face with a scarf and hat. And then I put my backpack on my back. It was to leave for Uljin. Chapter 180 # 181 One in a Million (2) Taehyung Park was still in the dark. Dowook tried to contact him, but it was no use. Once the American TV recording schedule was set, it could not be postponed any longer, so after discussing it, the members also informed Director Oh Baek-ho of the fact. First of all, Director Oh Baek-ho had to be aware of the facts to be able to deal with any problems that arise in the future. As expected, Director Oh Baek-ho was furious and said he woulde find Park Tae-hyung immediately. It was true that even Director Oh Baek-ho was cautious when first meeting Park Tae-hyung due to his quiet and demure personality. As time passed, I got the impression that he was not just quiet, but was doing his job well. For that reason, the member that Director Oh Baek-ho did not have much worry about after Do-wook was Park Tae-hyung. Director Oh Baek-ho was even more concerned when he heard that Park Tae-hyung had left the lodgings at will, went home, and had no contact with him and did note back. ¡°What if something happens? Are you going to take responsibility?¡± I was more worried because it was Taehyung Park who had always done well. Director Oh Baek-ho¡¯s idea was that if quiet kids make a mistake, they will hit hard. Director Oh Baek-ho¡¯s suggestion was to go to Park Tae-hyung¡¯s home right away and see what the problem was. Clearly, Director Oh Baek-ho¡¯s position was different from that of the members. Of course, as his beloved younger brother, he was worried about Park Tae-hyung, but for him, it was not a wish but a duty to make sure there were no problems with Park Tae-hyung¡¯s safety. However, anyone could see that Taehyung Park was mentally wandering, so we couldn¡¯t just bring him in. ¡°I said I woulde, so if Taehyung gives you a little more time¡­¡± Manager Oh Baek-ho red at Jeong Yoon-gi¡¯s words. ¡°I told you all of you are doing well and asked if you woulde, huh?!¡± Director Oh Baek-ho¡¯s voice grew louder with worry and anxiety. ¡°Brother Baekho¡­¡± Ahn Hyeong -seo, who is always getting scolded by Director Baekho Oh but is also the person he is mostfortable with, noticed what Director Oh Baekho was thinking and called him out. ¡°Anyway, Dowook is still filming the drama. I¡¯ll go to America after it¡¯s over¡­ If you wait until then¡­ Brother¡­ This is my first time, so please take a look¡­¡± ¡± This is my first time. This makes me even more worried! Do-wook¡¯s filming is almost finished. Doesn¡¯t it end the day after tomorrow? I also applied for a US visa. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m going to go down and coax her back, so I¡¯m not saying I¡¯m just going to drag her by the cor like that.¡± Manager Oh Baek-ho answered with a slightly softened tone. Do-wook said after noticing Director Oh Baek-ho¡¯s softened expression. ¡°I wille back.¡± Director Oh Baek-ho¡¯s eyes widened at Do-wook¡¯s words. Before talking to Director Oh Baek-ho, the members werepeting with each other to bring Tae-hyung Park directly. However, other members found it difficult to take time off. This was because American TV broadcasts were suddenly scheduled and schedules that were behind had to be pulled. Seok Ji-hoon¡¯s schedule was tight because he was filming another restaurant tour program in addition to ¡¯48 Hours Camping¡¯, and Ahn Hyeong-seo was in the middle of featuring in Monster¡¯s Kwon Ji-hyung¡¯s solo album. In addition, Jung Yoon-gi and Kim Won¡¯s OK digital single release date was brought forward. The release date was pushed back by a week to promote promotional effects in line with theunch of the product on American TV. As a result, I stayed up all night working on and recording songs. Although he was extremely busy filming the drama, after filming the drama, Do-wook actually took a break for about 2-3 days before his American schedule. Even though the schedule was difficult, Do-wook also wanted to visit Tae-hyung Park in person as his ¡®friend¡¯. ¡°Do-wook, you? ¡°What about filming a drama?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go right after it¡¯s over. ¡°You have about two days.¡± ¡°Until then! Are you saying we should just let go and wait?¡± ¡°Taehyung said he wasing¡­ and you know. Taehyung isn¡¯t the kind of guy who would do anything to avoid us¡­ I know you¡¯re worried about him too¡­ but like he said, filming will end in a few days, so I¡¯ll go talk to him and bring him back. .¡± Director Oh Baek-ho frowned at Do-wook¡¯s words. I knew that it would be much better for Do-wook to go find Tae-hyung Park rather than to pick him up himself. Even if he tried to appease him better, it was clear that he wouldn¡¯t be as good as his friend Do-wook. ¡°Then if something happens¡­!¡± ¡°I will take responsibility.¡± Director Oh Baek-ho, who saw Do-wook¡¯s strong trust and firm will toward Park Tae-hyung, sighed. The other members might not have known it, but it was Dowook. Director Oh Baek-ho, who was about to ask how you would take responsibility, kept his mouth shut. If Do-wook acted like that, it would be difficult for even Director Oh Baek-ho to stop him. ¡°And brother¡­ I hope you don¡¯t report it to me¡­¡± ¡°I know what you mean, but that¡¯s not enough.¡± This was the reason why the members were reluctant to talk to Director Oh Baek-ho about Park Tae-hyung¡¯s work. Director Oh Baek-ho himself could have understood if I persuaded him somehow. The affection and trust that had been built up so far was not something light. However, Director Oh Baek-ho was also a member of thepany. He was in a position to report to his superiors, and if this were to be known, Taehyung Park could be at a disadvantage, regardless of the fact that KK is the best source of ie and artist in thepany. Everyone knows that Taehyung Park has been doing his best in team activities, but the product is always being reevaluated. There will be more individual activities in the future, but the higher-ups¡¯ personal evaluation of Park Tae-hyung was perceived as insincere, so there was nothing good about it. Even so, Park Taehyung was often evaluated as being good on stage but without any talent due to his quiet personality. The reason was that, unlike other members, there were no distinct individual activities. Director Oh Baek-ho didn¡¯t want that either. It was a situation where a decision had to be made on one¡¯s own. The trust I had with the KK members was iparable to the trust I had with any other singer. ¡°Huh¡­¡± Director Oh Baek-ho sighed heavily and said. ¡°It¡¯s two days. Do-wook, if there is no news from Tae-hyung two days after yourst filming, I will inform thepany and I wille down and check.¡± ¡°yes.¡± Dowook nodded. The members were worried that Do-wook had taken responsibility alone, but they trusted both Park Tae-hyung and Do-wook. Also, when the members talked about it, it was something that their friend Dowook strongly appealed to, so there was nothing they could do. Of course, the members thought that the best thing would be for Taehyung Park toe back with his mind as soon as possible. Dowook added in a heavy atmosphere. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. ¡°I will definitely bring it.¡± Taehyung Park did not return, and Dowook headed to the bus terminal. Director Oh Baek-ho, who personally dropped Do-wook down in front of the terminal, gave him a worried look, but Do-wook said he would have a good trip. Director Oh Baek-ho nodded. It suddenly urred to me that Do-wook might need some alone time, just like Tae-hyung Park did. Most of the people on the bus heading to Uljin were middle-aged, so no one recognized Do-wook, who was wearing a deep cap. The bus drove down the cold winter road. *** It was around ten in the evening when Do-wook arrived in Uljin. I knew it was extremely rude to visit someone else¡¯s housete at night without contacting them, but since Taehyung Park couldn¡¯t contact me, I had no choice. It was fortunate that I knew my exact home address because I was gathering personal information. It would have been nice to know my parents¡¯ contact information, but there was no way to change the contact information on the way to Uljin and find out. Taehyung Park¡¯s parents lived in a remodeled old apartment. As soon as I rang the bell with a ding-dong sound, I heard someone calling from inside. Fortunately, it was Taehyung Park¡¯s voice. ¡°Who¡­¡± Taehyung Park¡¯s voice stiffened as he asked over the inte. It was clear that Dowook¡¯s face was visible under the hat. ¡°who is this?¡± The voice of someone presumed to be Park Tae-hyung¡¯s mother was heard. I could hear various voices behind the door for a while, but it was difficult to properly understand the content of the conversation. Even after a while, there was no other answer, so Do-wook was wondering whether to ring the bell again. The iron front door opened slightly with a squeak. Taehyung Park looked quite embarrassed. Even though he came home and ate a home-cooked meal in afortable atmosphere, Taehyung Park¡¯s face looked a little gaunt. ¡°Do Do-wook¡­ How did you get here¡­¡± ¡°Have youe to a ce I can¡¯te to?¡± ¡°Oh no¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go. ¡°I have to go to America.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Taehyung Park asked back as if he was embarrassed. Taehyung Park and Dowook went to the beach near Taehyung Park¡¯s home. The winter sea breeze was strong, but I felt like I was waking up. ¡°What are you going to do when you get scheduled? Turn off your phone.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± First, Do-wook pointed out Park Tae-hyung¡¯s mistake by informing him of the fact that the United States had contacted him. Taehyung Park could not enjoy any joy and just lowered his head and repeatedly said he was sorry. ¡°I was just about to go up¡­¡± Park Taehyung mumbled. Do-wook did not urge, but calmly waited for Park Tae-hyung to speak. Even if I didn¡¯t say it, I already guessed it. Other members probably did the same. So, I waited for Taehyung Park, understood him, and was considerate not to push him around. Taehyung Park continued his story with difficulty. ¡°¡­¡­So¡­it doesn¡¯t help at all¡­¡± As expected, it was the same. The group called K.K. was already at the top. There were still big international stages, including in the US, but I had achieved everything I wanted to achieve when I first tried to be an idol singer. It meant that it was time to leave the group and find one¡¯s own path as an individual. The other members were doing them little by little. Needless to say, Dowook was active in all fields, includingposing and acting, showing outstanding skills. He also worked as a solo singer and nned to continue working in the future. Jung Yoon-gi and Kim Won were also making their own paths as rappers. Seok Ji-hoon yed an active part in entertainment shows with his neat speaking skills and unique character. Ahn Hyeong-seo is an excellent singer and has currently featured OST songs and other singers, but he could release a solo album at any time. Inparison, Taehyung Park had nothing outside of the group K.K. I deserved to feel shabby. Although I was in charge of being in charge of dancing within the team, I felt even more ipetent because I was in a situation where I couldn¡¯t show off my special talents unless I was on stage. In that situation, as KK¡¯s song entered the Billboard and the members¡¯ individual activities elerated, Taehyung Park felt like he was being pushed to the edge of a cliff. I felt like it would be enough even without confidence. ¡°I was wondering if there was something I could do¡­¡± Then, time had passed by. Because he worked so hard without any time to rest, Taehyung Park was now experiencing the ¡®wandering¡¯ that other singers experience during their activities. The salty smell of the sea wafted through the wind. ¡°But if we can¡¯t contact you like this, everyone gets worried¡­ I¡¯m really upset, both as a member and as a friend.¡± Park Tae-hyung¡¯s head bowed even further at Do-wook¡¯s words. Do-wook had a reason to be confident that he would be able to bring Taehyung Park with him and that Taehyung Park was not at all skeptical about KK¡¯s activities or his career as a singer and lost contact with him. And it seemed like it might be able to solve Taehyung Park¡¯s concerns. ¡°This¡­ is you?¡± Dowook asked, cing his hand on Taehyung Park¡¯s shoulder. Chapter 181 # 182 One in a Million (3) Dowook had a cell phone in his hand. Taehyung Park looked at the mobile phone screen in Dowook¡¯s hand. The MyTube ount was disyed on the phone screen, and a total of three videos were uploaded to an ount with the ID ¡®dancing21¡¯. The videos were uploaded 2 weeks ago, 1 week ago, and 3 days ago, respectively. Even though it is a young video, it has over 10,000 views and has about 6,000 followers. Of course, it was notparable to the ounts of celebrities or well-known people, but if this trend continued, it would easily reach 100,000 followers within a few months. It was even more amazing considering not only the period and number of videos, but also the quality of the videos. The video was shot with a cell phone, and even at the highest resolution, it was only 640px wide. In the blurry screen with a deserted parking lot in the background, there was a man standing wearing a in white sweatshirt and gray sweatpants. It was difficult to recognize his face because he wore a ck cap pressed down under his eyes and a mask with a hood over it. [Dance practice #1 ¨C Jackson3 Thrill (practice)] This was the title of the first video posted two weeks ago. When I pressed the y button, the young man started dancing to the song, moving his feet shily. It was an original choreography, not a cover of the original choreography. It was a choreography that showed a lot of inner strength. Although it was short, it was a perfectposition. I was able to experience the flexibility and power of dance at the same time. There were a considerable number ofments below the video. -A great master has appeared?? -This is the highest quality dance video I¡¯ve seen recently -Who is that asian boy? wonderful! -Please upload more videos! -Where are you from? Creative choreography, right??? It¡¯s really cool ¨C it¡¯s so cool!!! But it¡¯s a parking lot in the background haha. It would be better if you took a picture with a camera and uploaded it properly. -Show your face^^ I feel like your face is a handsome guy too^^*** -fantastic! i¡¯ve never seen before like that! -We are spreading it to the Dancing Kingmunity~!! -I saw it on Thinking and thought, the other videos are amazing too . -It¡¯s now got over 100ments on Thinking and it¡¯s be a popr video.. Did you know that lol -If you¡¯re invited to appear in Star King, I hope youe out hahaha. I want to see your face haha ¨C If you¡¯re really this good, you should go to Star King. Haha ¨C No, why are you leaving such an old-fashioned program haha ¨C 21! Do you not do cover dances? KK¡¯s choreography just once¡­ I want to see it because it feels like Taehyung oppa in some way! ¨C Doesn¡¯t this just feel amateurish? -The video was spreading inmunities rted to professional Smell dance, and the majority opinion was that it could not have been amateur. I didn¡¯t think it was Taehyung Park himself, but there were also opinions that he felt simr to Taehyung Park. It wasn¡¯t simr. The man in the video was Taehyung Park. The period during which the video was uploaded also ovepped with the period while Park Tae-hyung was in Uljin. It was not long ago that Dowook discovered this video. It was a time when I was frustrated and thinking of another way because Park Taehyung wasn¡¯t answering my phone and I couldn¡¯t visit him right away. Unlike other members who mainly used Facenote, I remembered that Taehyung Park often went to MyTube and watched videos. Just in case, I looked for the ID that Taehyung Park frequently uses personally. I learned this ID because Taehyung Park had previously shared the ID of the site where he made the payment. I was really wondering just in case, but there was an ount with the ID ¡®dancing21¡¯ and even a video was uploaded to that ount. Even if I had watched the video without knowing the ID, I was confident that I would have recognized it as Taehyung Park. It was Taehyung Park¡¯s move that I had seen while practicing together for many years. ¡®Practicing dance alone and uploading videos without receiving any contact¡­¡¯ Park Tae-hyung¡¯s heart touched Do-wook. Taehyung Park looked at the screen and looked surprised. Of course, the video was more popr than Taehyung Park thought, but it wasn¡¯t enough for member Dowook to find it. ¡°You already know. ¡°Isn¡¯t that why you raised the ability you have?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Park Taehyung wasn¡¯t just ming himself for not having any presence or anything in KK. I was looking for a way to resolve my concerns. And Taehyung Park himself knew that the answer was dance. Therefore, Taehyung Park thought about what he could do with dance and came up with the idea of uploading his creative choreography on the Inte. It was because I felt like if I could be recognized as an unknown person and not a member of KK, I would be able to do something with more confidence. That was the time when Taehyung Park gradually regained his confidence. ¡°Park Taehyung. ¡°You were doing your part.¡± ¡°Do-Wook¡­.¡± ¡°You could have done more, but people just didn¡¯t know.¡± Park Tae-hyung¡¯s gaze turned downward at Do-wook¡¯s words. ¡°You can do better.¡± Even the cold winter wind could not cool Taehyung Park¡¯s hot eyes. Actually, that was what I wanted to hear. ¡®You can do more too.¡¯ The words. Just saying that I was doing well enough wasn¡¯t enough. Like Do-wook, Park Tae-hyung also wanted to develop like the other members. Do-wookforted Park Tae-hyung. People¡¯s tendencies were diverse. Not everyone was able to actively find and aplish their own tasks like Do-wook or other members. Some people need someone to discover their talent so that it can blossom. Do-wook recalled himself from the time when he was ¡®Kim Bo-myeong¡¯. When he first saw Park Tae-hyung as a trainee, Do-wook thought that Park Tae-hyung was simr to Kim Bo-myeong. Therefore, someone could criticize Park Tae-hyung for having foolish concerns at a time when he is enjoying the greatest poprity, but not Do-wook. You will have lost confidence and your self-esteem will have dropped significantly. Although members are like brothers, if there are always people around them who are alsopared to each other, it is inevitable that this will happen. In that situation, Taehyung Park was frustrated, but instead of waiting for someone to discover him, he was struggling to discover it himself and be a better person than yesterday. The videos posted by Taehyung Park showed that. ¡°I¡¯m still mad that you made us worry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ to you¡­ to my brothers¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to do that¡­¡± ¡°I guess I¡¯m not sorry to Jihoon?¡± ¡°Ah¡­Jihoon too!¡± When Park Tae-hyung added as if he had made a mistake, Do-wook shook his head andughed. And Do-wook took out a piece of paper that he had neatly folded in his pocket and held it out. ¡°This¡­¡± ¡°I thought it might be helpful to you.¡± Taehyung Park unfolded the folded paper. When I unfolded it, the fairlyrge piece of paper turned out to be a poster. ¡¶Dancing Dancing! We are recruiting participants for Season 1!¡· ¡°Dancing Dancing¡­?¡± Taehyung Park read the contents of the poster. ¡°Dancing Dancing¡± was originally a popr audition program in the United States. Along with ¡´American Singer¡µ, it is a program that attracted great attention and poprity. If ¡´American Singer¡µ was a singing contest, ¡´Dancing Dancing¡µ was a dance contest. The format of ¡´Dancing Dancing¡µ was for dancers of all genres and experience toe out and perform missions. Thepetition was divided into two teams, and participants were eliminated based on judges¡¯ scores and online live voting. Because it was a very popr program, the format of was purchased andunched as a program in Korea as well. Considering that a program that wasunched following the format of ¡°American Singer¡± was a huge hit and produced popr stars such as Heo Gun, ¡°Dancing Dancing¡± was also guaranteed some degree of sess. ¡°You are a judge, not a participant.¡± ¡°Poem¡­ judge?¡± Taehyung Park opened his eyes wide as if he had heard something nonsense. The judges of ¡°Dancing Dancing¡± yed an important role in addition to judging. He also yed a role as a coach during teampetitions. It also had a significant influence on theposition of the choreography. There were times when the ranking of performers was determined based on the judges¡¯ capabilities. ¡°I did that¡­¡± ¡°If I go as a contestant, it¡¯s too obvious that I¡¯lle in first ce.¡± Park Tae-hyung shook his head as if it was not true at Do-wook¡¯s words, but Do-wook truly thought so. Park Taehyung was already very talented in dancing since he was a trainee. In addition, thanks to constant practice after his debut, Taehyung Park¡¯s skills were already among the best in the country. Taehyung Park thought he was benefiting under the name of K.K. However, due to the wall of being an idol and a team, his skills were undervalued. Bing a judge on ¡´Dancing Dancing¡µ would be an opportunity to publicize not only Taehyung Park¡¯s outstanding skills that were hidden from the public, but also his ability to create choreography that even fans were not aware of. Dowook looked at Taehyung Park¡¯s expression. He wasn¡¯t sure that the method he came up with would definitely work for Taehyung Park. ¡°Am I¡­ the judge?¡± ¡°huh.¡± ¡°Can I do it?¡± It was clear that Taehyung Park also wanted to take on the challenge. The sound of the waves hitting the rocks was very powerful. Dowook nodded. ¡°of course. ¡°Before I came, I asked team leader Lee Dae-hyung, and he said that if you were to leave, the program would like it and even dance.¡± The reason there was no personal invitation to Park Tae-hyung was not because he was unpopr. This was because the current programs were mostly programs that required people to be good at talking. It¡¯s just that I haven¡¯t had a chance to make myself known yet. ¡°You just have to decide.¡± Taehyung Park slowly nodded at Do-wook¡¯s words. Dowook seemed to already know Park Taehyung¡¯s decision. ¡°First, we have to prepare for American broadcasting.¡± ¡°Ah oh! huh!¡± Taehyung Park changed his determined expression and answered quickly. ¡°Let¡¯s go up. ¡°Everyone will wait.¡± *** American NVC broadcasting station. The TV show that KK was invited to was none other than ¡®Michelle¡¯s Night¡¯. Michelle was an actress from an NVC drama and was an outstanding actress who swept many awards, but she is currently better known as a talk show host than as an actress. ¡°Michelle¡¯s Night,¡± hosted by Michelle, boasted the highest viewer ratings among American talk shows and featured international stars. Those invited to ¡´Michelle¡¯s Night¡µ were either stars that everyone would know just by hearing their names, or people who were bing a hot topic around the world. And KK was now listed as a guest on ¡®Michelle¡¯s Night¡¯. The number of views of the ¡®Continue¡¯ music video on MyTube had already broken all records in Korea. KK¡¯s prestige was rising day by day as she entered the top 10 among the world¡¯s MyTube videos. It continued to enter the Billboard charts. As Do-wookpletely captivated the continent, which boasts the world¡¯srgest poption, through Lovers from Space, the number of KK¡¯s fans grew enormously. It was not at all strange that she was invited to due to her poprity in the United States. Show host Michelle introduced K.K. ¡°Now, beyond Korea, Japan, China and Asia, to the Middle East and now the United States¡­ Wow, the cheers are already huge. ¡°I don¡¯t think the studio has ever been this hot since I started recording.¡± Arge number of KK¡¯s American fans were present at the studio. They screamed at Michelle¡¯s every word as they were faced with KK in person. ¡°Today¡¯s guest is currently the most popr boy band in the world. They say there are aliens among these boys? ¡°Maybe he captured these girls with supernatural powers¡­¡± Michelle, who was joking, smiled and called K.K. as if she could not put it off any longer. ¡°I am introducing. ¡°K-K!¡± Immediately, cheers poured out. The cheers that filled the studio made the KK members sp their hands in tension even though they had already finished rehearsals. The stage was scheduled before moving on to the talk. The prelude to ¡®Continue¡¯ was yed. And team leader Lee Dae-hyung, who was waiting for KK¡¯s performance with the staff in front of the stage, was shocked and frozen by the news that the ¡°Michelle¡¯s Night¡± staff had just delivered. Chapter 182 # 183 One in a Million (4) Con¡ªCon¡ªContinue! We keep moving forward! ¡´Michelle¡¯s Night¡µ On the studio stage, KK¡¯s ¡®Continue¡¯ was already resonating with magnificent sound. The members, wearing satin suits specially provided by Coco for today¡¯s stage, performed the choreography of ¡®Continue¡¯, which they had practiced hundreds and thousands of times, without a single faltering motion. In fact, it was my first time on stage since I was active. Although they did not know whether the stage would be the stage of ¡®Michelle¡¯s Night¡¯, the members were confident that it would be on any stage anywhere. Dowook stretched out his arms wide. Kim Won, standing next to him, was seen sweating and holding the microphone to sing his part. It was the same movement as the people who stood on this stage yesterday and the day before. It was difficult to think that this was the first stage performed in a long time, and it was also difficult to think that it was the first stage to advance to American broadcasting. The members¡¯ eyes sparkled and shined under the colorful lights. Girls of various skin and hair colors went wild, waving cards with the names of KK members and keyring cheering tools. Even the color of the eyes were different, trying to capture the members without missing a single moment. But the names they shouted were all the same. ¡°Aaaaaaaaaaaah!¡± ¡°K! this! K! this!¡± ¡°Aaaah!¡± ¡°I LOVE YOU¡ª!!!¡± Even though they were all Americans, they sang along to the lyrics of the chorus in Korean. ¡°Continue!¡± ¡°jeon-! jin-!¡± It was a great sing-along. ¡°We are still young forever young¡ª!¡± Even though it was a little bit inarticte, it was a sing-along song just like in Korea. What was a little different was that they were all imitating Kim Won¡¯s English rap without difficulty. Kim Won screamed in ad-lib while rapping. The tension had long since disappeared and it was difficult to control the excitement. It was a different kind of excitement than overseas concerts. I also did a K-POP rted concert in New York. At that time, of course, many American fans were enthusiastic about Korean singers. However, they were closer to enthusiasts of K-POP culture than to the American public. Gathering a fan base was meaningful enough, but appearing on ¡°Michelle¡¯s Night¡± meant that it was also possible to advance into the mainstream market. Because Kim Won had the experience of studying abroad, the meaning was especially close to his heart. Kim Won was not alwaysfortable and happy while studying abroad. Although it was a ce where people from various cultures mixed, racial discrimination existed only to a degree. Especially in middle school, there were many white students who made tearful eyes or imitated monkeys. Due to his naturally positive personality and high academic performance, he had many friends and was not in a position to be ignored. No matter how long one lived, a stranger was still a stranger. However, there was no one here booing Kim Won, a stranger. Everyone cheered for Kim Won and mored to receive Kim Won¡¯s gaze just once more. Kim Won felt a strange thrill at that. ¡°I¡¯ll run forever-¡± As Ahn Hyeong-seo reached the high-pitched voice, the atmosphere became more intense. Next was the dance break section with dozens of dancers. But this time, dozens of dancers did note up. The stage was too small to follow the original n. Instead, the choreography of the dance break section was modified. Taehyung Park stood in the exact center and the members lined up in a triangle formation. The members danced the powerful choreography of the original n, and Taehyung Park was like the leader standing in front of the group of members. Taehyung Park¡¯s choreography was new. Even though it was a different choreography from the members, it came together as if it had been one choreography from the beginning. It was a powerful yet all-epassing dance. It was a dance that felt both strong and soft at the same time. As Taehyung Park jumped up as if he was flying, the gathered members dispersed. ¡°Holy shit!¡± At that scene, exmations like swear words came out from the audience. The same was true for Michelle, who was watching the stage in the studio with a talk space next to the stage. Michelle, who was watching the girl fans singing along to Korean without knowing the lyrics, also looked surprised. It was Michelle who had invited and met many stars. Among them, of course, were not only American stars, but also stars from other countries who were attracting attention. However, Americans¡¯ reaction to seeing them was mostly curiosity. Such an enthusiastic response was rare to see. I even wondered if it was this hot when an American pop star came out. At the same time, Michelle was able to understand why so many American girls were crazy about the Korean boy band called K.K. I had been thinking about it since the rehearsal, but it was definitely beyond my imagination when I went on stage. It was new and best of all, it was good. Although Michelle was not a music expert, she still enjoyed listening to pop music. KK¡¯s song had a trendiness that rivaled any pop song recently released in the United States. There was something different from the energy shown by American boy bands. They already deserved apuse for being able to perform live while dancing so intensely. And in the group dance led by Park Tae-hyung, Michelle¡¯s mouth fell open. Through preliminary research, I found out that K.K.¡¯s full name is King¡¯s Key. It was literally like a key held by a king. The stage was like a door leading to anywhere. And when the door was opened, tens of thousands of sensations, including ecstasy, seemed to pour out. Someone tapped Michelle¡¯s shoulder while she was losing her mind. When Michelle turned around, an assistant who had been with her for a long time was there, wearing a headset over her ears and holding a note. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for disturbing Michelle¡¯s performance. But there¡¯s some news that came out of nowhere. ¡°I think Michelle should break this news during the talk show.¡± ¡°What happen?¡± Michelle asked, her eyes wide. ¡°The nominees for each category of the Billboard Music Awards have just been announced. ¡°They say KK has been nominated for the Rookie of the Year Award.¡± ¡°Oh my¡­.. they don¡¯t know anything at all?¡± ¡°yes. Since it has just been announced¡­ the person in charge of those friends said that we wouldn¡¯t even know about it in our wildest dreams. I think I can just greet them casually, follow the script, introduce their names, and then deliver the news.¡± Michelle smiled brightly and nodded. It was clear that it would be quite surprising and it was a good surprise broadcast. It was definitely good news for KK and the production team of ¡°Michelle¡¯s Night.¡± At that moment, KK¡¯s wonderful stage that will be talked about for a long time came to an end. The members took deep breaths amidst apuse and whistles. ¡®Continue¡¯ was always a song that you would get tired of once performed on stage. ¡°Michelle¡¯s Night¡± was a program broadcast live. The camera turned to the next studio. Michelle sat in a prepared pose and continued her speech as she always did. ¡°It was a really great stage. Really¡­ I canpletely understand why so many girls are so excited about it.¡± Of course, ¡´Michelle¡¯s Night¡µ also had a script that could be considered a basic framework, but rather than relying on the script, Michelle often spoke her thoughts at the time. Michelle¡¯s sincere way was also the reason why ¡°Michelle¡¯s Night¡± was loved for a long time. While Michelle gave a heartfeltment, the KK members quickly adjusted their makeup and tidied up their clothes. Because it was a tight situation, the makeup artists¡¯ work was faster than the wind. After confirming that preparations wereplete, Michelle introduced KK again. ¡°Now then, let¡¯s invite KK here. I also want to quickly ask how on earth how much practice does it take to be able to perform on such an amazing stage. ¡°I wonder if Dowook is really an alien!¡± Hahaughter burst out. At the same time, KK members entered the studio. ¡°nice to meet you!¡± Michelle said hello and the members greeted each other in turn. The KK members sat in a row in the guest seats. In addition, an interpreter brought in by the production team of ¡°Michelle¡¯s Night¡± was also present. ¡°Then let¡¯s introduce ourselves first. ¡°It¡¯s a boy band you shouldn¡¯t know about, but there may be people who don¡¯t know you yet, right?¡± Michelle started the introduction with Kim Won. When Kim Won greeted him in fluent English, the shoulders of the members who were feeling pressured due to the fact that it was a live broadcast and that they had to speak in English felt lighter. One by one, the members briefly greeted each other and introduced their names. Taehyung Park said, ¡®Ah¡­ I am Taehyung¡­¡¯ in an honest pronunciation, unable to hide his awkwardness, and Michelle smiled and epted it. ¡°You look very shy, unlike on stage. ¡°I was very impressed by the part where I danced alone.¡± Taehyung Park, who was frozen at Michelle¡¯s words delivered by the interpreter, smiled and nodded. ¡°This is Kang Do-wook. It is a great honor to be here. ¡°I also got to meet you all.¡± Finally, Do-wook said hello to the camera. Michelle also responded to her natural appearance. ¡°Oh, this is him. No, it¡¯s not a human¡­ it¡¯s an alien¡­ Is this really true?¡± Michelle asked in a yful tone. Dowook answered right away. ¡°What do you think?¡± Michelleughed at Dowook¡¯s rxed answer. ¡°It is clear that it is not a skillmonly found on Earth.¡± Dowook responded to Michelle¡¯spliment by saying he was grateful. Michelle continued to exin. ¡°In case you don¡¯t know, let me exin: Dowook is also acting. He is also a famous actor. He appeared in an art film and was even invited to Cannes, and the recent drama that Do-wook filmed caused quite a stir. He was an alien in the drama. ¡°It is said that many people follow the scene because it is cool to use superpowers.¡± Michelle continued speaking with a bit of a pause after giving a friendly exnation. ¡°Hmm¡­ then I guess I should reveal the gift I prepared here.¡± As usual, it was time to introduce the song ¡®Continue¡¯ that had just been performed. When Michelle¡¯s words were tranted, all the members looked puzzled by the unexpected story. ¡°A gift?¡± When Kim Won asked, Michelle answered. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not actually the gift we prepared. ¡°If I had to really ask, I would say it was a gift prepared by KK¡¯s fans here.¡± The members were speechless out of curiosity at Michelle¡¯s words. Even Dowook couldn¡¯t figure out what it was. ¡°This news arrived while you were on stage. Hmm¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Michelle, tell me quickly!¡± Kim Won, who has an impatient personality, was tired and fussed, which made himugh again. ¡°They say you¡¯ve been nominated for the Billboard Music Awards¡¯ Rookie Award!¡± Both Dowook and Kim Won¡¯s expressions hardened at Michelle¡¯s words. The members who heard the story btedly through an interpreter also had no reaction. Michelle continued herment skillfully. ¡°Oh, was it a broadcasting ident? This is not a still image. ¡°Please don¡¯t change the channel!¡± *** Director Seo Jung-won¡¯s house in Hannam-dong. The wife who greeted Director Seo Jung-won as he came in from work was frowning upon seeing him again today. It has already been quite a while since his son, Seo Kang-jun, went abroad as if he was going into exile. Meanwhile, Director Seo Joong-won has never been to see Seo Kang-joon due to his busy schedule. At least Seo Joong-won¡¯s wife went to see Seo Kang-jun. She went to see Seo Kang-jun a week ago and was in that state the whole time. Seo Kang-Jun was unable to adapt to life in a ce where he did not understand thenguage and was bing more and more broken. This was because I was relieving my stress by having parties with alcohol every day. It was only natural that after living a morous celebrity life, I suddenly found myself in a ce where I didn¡¯t receive any attention. Director Seo Jung-won did not even listen to his wife¡¯s request to bring him back to Korea immediately. ¡°There is a time for everything¡­.¡± ¡°If I wait for that time, I will ruin my child¡¯s life!¡± ¡°What do you want me to do about what you ruined? ¡°Just wait a moment!¡± As voices were getting louder, Director Seo Jung-won¡¯s cell phone rang. Director Seo Joong-won¡¯s face crumpled as he checked his cell phone. The message that arrived from the secretary had a link to an article. [KK Korea¡¯s first Billboard Music Awards nominee for Rookie Award!] Chapter 183 # 184 One in a Million (5) ¡°Oh my gosh¡­ there¡¯s going to be an uproar at the board meeting again¡­ Huh¡­¡± ¡°Honey, if we leave Jun like that.¡± ¡°Be quiet! My head still hurts! Kang-Jun says you can decide whether to go out and search for that bastard or not!¡± In the eyes of Director Seo Jung-won, life wascking. The anger caused by anxiety was welling up to the top of my head. KK¡¯s sess did not have a direct impact on Man to Man or Ara Entertainment. However, it was the singers from Ara Entertainment who were always in first ce. If you get first ce, it¡¯s taken for granted, but if you fall below that¡­ ¡®No matter how sessful you are, you¡¯ll be pushed out.¡¯ To the minnows.¡¯ Director Seo Joong-won gritted his teeth. It was obvious that if the board of directors were to be held, the management and staff of Ara Entertainment, which had arger capital and talent pool, would be reprimanded for what they did while KK, which started as a smallpany, achieved such results. There were no other alternative forces within Ara Entertainment, and Man to Man was growing in poprity again in its own way, so it wouldn¡¯t be a big problem for him to be the CEO, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel annoyed. Being a representative wasn¡¯t the only thing that mattered. The appearance was also important. ¡°you! ¡°What are you saying like that?!¡± My wife¡¯s voice trembled as if she was shocked by Director Seo Jung-won¡¯s words. At the sound of his wife¡¯s voice, Director Seo Joong-won calmed his rough breathing. The king of this family was Director Seo Jung-won, but he could not ignore his wife. His wife was the famous daughter of a member of the National Assembly in the metropolitan area. It was his wife¡¯s family that gave strength to Director Seo Jung-won, who had nothing but ability. ¡°That¡¯s what it says. I¡¯ve said it several times. Wait. Kang-Jun tells him to stop whining to his mom and be patient. uh? You have to be the CEO to bring him in and bring him back¡­¡± ¡°Return?¡± ¡°okay. ¡°Kangjun can¡¯t just rot that guy like that.¡± At Director Seo Joong-won¡¯s words, his wife¡¯s stiff expression softened. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t think about Jun at all¡­ But since the controversy made a lot of noise, will he even be able toe back? Juste back to Korea¡­¡± ¡°That will all be resolved over time. ¡°If youe in the middle, it just gets noisy.¡± Director Seo Jung-won¡¯s wife nodded. After KK¡¯s article was linked, another message arrived from Director Seo Jung-won. It said that KK¡¯s articles could no longer be blocked. *** ¡°Billboard Music Awards¡­?¡± Jeong Yoongi muttered in a trembling voice. ¡°Michelle no¡­ you¡¯re kidding, right?¡± ¡°Is this a hidden camera?¡± ¡´Michelle¡¯s Night¡µ studio scene. After a moment of silence that seemed like a still image, questions from the members poured in. Dowook¡¯s big eyes were so big that they seemed like they were about to pop out. Jung Yoon-gi continued to wash his face dry as if he couldn¡¯t believe it, and Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s hands were shaking when he asked if it was a hidden camera. It wasn¡¯t just the members who were surprised. The fans in the audience were also filled with joy. Fans in the audience waved cards with the members¡¯ names written on them even more vigorously. Michelle, who was asked through an interpreter whether it was a hidden camera, said with a serious look on her face when she looked at the audience. ¡°If it¡¯s a hidden camera¡­ I might not be able to go home today, right? ¡°I don¡¯t think the keyrings will let me go.¡± Hahaha,ughter erupted from the audience. While everyone was shocked and dumbfounded, Seok Ji-hoon was the only one who was looking around nkly. Seok Ji-hoon, who was drinking juice ced in front of him for a thirsty guest during the talk show, missed the interpreter¡¯sment that he was a candidate for the Billboard Music Awards¡¯ Rookie Award. Since I had only vaguely heard the term ¡®Billboard Music Awards¡¯, I thought they were asking if that was the goal. However, the reaction around me was unusual, so I was trying to find the right time to ask Dowook, who was sitting next to me. Do-wook, who noticed that Seok Ji-hoon was not listening properly, spoke to Seok Ji-hoon. ¡°They said we were nominated for the Billboard Music Awards¡¯ Best New Artist Award.¡± Seok Ji-hoon, who had been taking another sip of orange juice, stiffened at Do-wook¡¯s words. And the orange juice I was drinking just flowed down my mouth. ¡°Aaaah!¡± The fans who witnessed this screamed. The camera that was holding Seok Ji-hoon did not miss a close-up of Seok Ji-hoon. The studio became noisy again. The members also saw Seok Ji-hoon, who had the attention of fans, and saw Seok Ji-hoon slurping orange juice in surprise. A staff member came up in a huff and handed Seok Ji-hoon a tissue through an interpreter. Wiping his mouth and chin with a tissue, Seok Ji-hoon was more surprised and happy than embarrassed. ¡°what¡¯s the matter!¡± Kim Won shouted, and Jeong Yoon-giughed, pointing his finger at Seok Ji-hoon¡¯s funny behavior. However, Jung Yoongi¡¯s eyes were red as he giggled. Even though I wasughing, I kept wrinkled my nose as if it was getting crooked. ¡®I don¡¯t know if I will be able to win the award, but¡­ I am already a first in Korea just by being nominated.¡¯ Dowook suppressed his overwhelming emotions. In some ways, it was a mess, but I could tell that the KK members were surprised and happy about something unexpected. A warm smile appeared on Michelle¡¯s lips. ¡°They are truly pure young people. It seems like everyone has recognized this charm. ¡°I think I¡¯ll be a fan too.¡± ¡°thank you. You also gave me good news. ¡°There are two happy things happening today.¡± Michelleughed at Dowook¡¯s answer. ¡°Now then, shall we begin the actual talk? There has already been a lot of dy¡­¡± The assistant manager sent a sign to Michelle. ¡°Ah, the talk with KK today was originally supposed tost only about 10 minutes. I decided to extend the time. It looks like the inte is going to explode right now. They say streaming sites are paralyzed. ¡°It¡¯s amazing!¡± The audience cheered at Michelle¡¯s words. The KK members alsoughed heartily. It felt like I was sitting on a cloud rather than a chair. As nned, Michelle asked about the song ¡®Continue¡¯, about the group K.K., the color of the music, and about writing andposing the lyrics herself. Do-wook and Kim Won mainly answered them in smooth English. The other members nodded their heads enthusiastically and concentrated on the talk. Just like that, the live broadcast filming of ¡®Michelle¡¯s Night¡¯ wasing to an end. *** [KK is the first Korean to be nominated for the Billboard Music Awards New Artist Award¡­] [Even America swallowed it up! Michelle¡¯s Night, the highest viewer rating this year, how popr is KK?] [A broadcasting ident during a live broadcast? KK who can¡¯t contain his joy!] [Local reaction at its peak! [A collection of Korea¡¯s world star KK¡¯s performances] [What kind of show is ¡´Michelle¡¯s Night¡µ starring KK? America¡¯s Best¡­] [What are the chances of winning the Billboard Music Awards Rookie Award?] [Billboard chart rankings are running back! Potential for Rookie Award!] [My Tube record broken again! High-altitude march KK KK¡¯s poprity is ¡®Continue¡¯] [I fell in love with the hot stage! American daily newspapers KK reported¡­ ¡°The beginning of a legend¡±] . . When the KK members returned to their amodations in the United States, articles were already pouring in from Korea. It waste at night in the United States, but it was daytime in Korea, so the articles poured out even more non-stop. There was talk of opening some champagne, but the consensus was that there would be a celebration party if the award was won. Instead, the members decided to prioritize nning for the future. Anyway, the endorphins were so high that I didn¡¯t think I would fall asleep easily. Therefore, even though the members were tense and exhausted after aplishing the incredible task of their first live broadcast in the United States, they all gathered in the hotel¡¯s conference room. Originally, KK¡¯s n was to release Okay¡¯s album followed by Dowook¡¯s solo album, but it seemed like the direction needed to be changed. I was nning to have an initial conversation today and then go back to Korea and coordinate the schedule with production team leader Shim Jun. The members checked their phones while waiting for team leader Lee Dae-hyung and manager Oh Baek-ho to finish preparing and arrive. It was not easy to put down the phone because K.K.¡¯s name was all over the portal site¡¯s real-time search terms and articles. The expressions of the members who checked the article were bright. Of course, there were members who were not so bright. It was Seok Ji-hoon. ¡°Ugh, you spilled so much?¡± Seok Ji-hoon¡¯s orange juice video was already boasting a huge number of views on MyTube. Seok Ji-hoon, who watched the video, fell down on his desk pretending to tear his hair out. Then he got up and said to Dowook. ¡°What if you suddenly tell me such news?¡± Since it could not be undone, the idea was to me it on anyone. ¡°Hey, we all suddenly heard it too?¡± Do-wook smiled awkwardly, and Jeong Yoon-gi responded as if he was dumbfounded. Hyungseo Ahn said, giggling. ¡°You¡¯re also a member of a variety show, Jihoon! Congrattions on bing a World Wide Entertainment member!¡± ¡°I got a new nickname, Orunji Boy! Orunji boy~!¡± Kim Won hummed and said. Hyeong-seo Ahn shouted, ¡®Oreunji Boy¡¯ as if in a chorus. Seok Ji-hoon fell on his face again in frustration as ¡®Orunji Boy¡¯ was repeated to the point that his ears were ringing. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Park Taehyung patted Seok Jihoon on the back. However, it was true that even Park Tae-hyung could not hold back hisughter while looking at Seok Ji-hoon in the video that had already been made into a ¡®GIF¡¯. ¡°¡­But I think the fans are really happy too.¡± Do-wook, who had been writing in the fan cafe for the first time in a while, said: Kim Won-i ¡®Of course.¡¯ I answered. It was not only the members who heard the news through ¡®Michelle¡¯s Night¡¯, but also the fans who were watching the live broadcast. Seeing the messages of support from fans who were happy with the work as if it were their own, Dowook felt very proud. At that time, the door opened and team leader Lee Dae-hyung and manager Oh Baek-ho came in. ¡°Congrattions again.¡± When team leader Lee Dae-hyung said congrattions, Director Oh Baek-ho said. ¡°It¡¯s still too early to celebrate. You should win an award and be properly congratted. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± There was no separate live carrot or stick. The members smiled and nodded. There was a light conversation about future activities. Activities in the United States were also something that team leader Lee Dae-hyung had been thinking about when he was invited to appear in ¡°Michelle¡¯s Night.¡± However, team leader Lee Dae-hyung was convinced that it was time to elerate since he was nominated for the Billboard Music Award. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung talked about KK¡¯s potential. It was no longer just a possibility. It was reality. ¡°¡­ So, ording to the analysis results, the fan base in the United States is truly significant. ¡°I didn¡¯t get a request for a role for nothing.¡± The members nodded to Team Leader Daehyung Lee¡¯s exnation. ¡°Of course, if we want to carry out full-fledged activities in the United States, we will have to sign a contract with a localpany in the United States, just as we signed an outsourcing contract with Nakamoto in Japan¡­. In fact, we already have discussions, so I don¡¯t think it will be difficult. ¡°That part.¡± Do-wook looked at team leader Dae-hyung Lee and nodded. He was definitely a talent that needed to be captured at all costs. Just as Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung saw a positive future for Do-wook, Do-wook was also confident that Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung would be a greater person. ¡°Whether I win an award or not, it¡¯s clear that I¡¯m on the bandwagon now. ¡°I think now is the time to do activities in the United States.¡± After quenching his thirst with water, Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung continued speaking. ¡°For that to happen, I think the OK unit album and Dowook¡¯s solo album will have to be postponed¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. ¡°Because there are priorities.¡± Jeong Yoon-gi answered. In fact, the hardest thing to put off was OK¡¯s unit album. Kim Won and Jeong Yoon-gi worked hard to release the album within schedule. However, when Jeong Yoon-gi answered willingly, Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung¡¯s expression brightened. ¡°me too. America¡­ I don¡¯t believe it, but we have to do our best now. Here.¡± Kim Won also added. Dowook, who thought for a bit, asked. ¡°There will be no problem with the Chinese promotion schedule, right?¡± ¡°Some things have already been caught, so we should make sure there are no problems.¡± They were caught because of . We couldn¡¯t abandon our Chinese fans because of our American activities. Although Do-wook couldn¡¯t handle the influx of recruitment inquiries, his belief that Do-wook should also focus on KK¡¯s activities remained unchanged. ¡®How far can KK go¡­¡¯ In Do-wook¡¯s heart, only a strong will to work harder was burning, regardless of personal poprity. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung nodded that he understood the members¡¯ intentions and concluded the story by saying that he thought they would have to go back to thepany and have more meetings. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung spoke to Do-wook as he left the conference room. ¡°I expected it, but it¡¯s amazing that it actually happened like this¡­¡± It was the same for Do-wook. Every day was new and amazing. ¡°Please continue to take good care of me in the future. manager.¡± ¡°me too. ¡°I thought it was already normal, but now that it¡¯s like this, there¡¯s a long way to go.¡± Do-wook smiled at team leader Dae-hyung Lee¡¯s words. *** And on the day of the Billboard Music Awards ceremony. Ahead of their participation in the awards ceremony, KK members were busy preparing. Furthermore, regardless of whether or not the award was given, KK was preparing a special stage for the Billboard Music Awards. Standing on a special stage also proved that one was the hottest star. At a time when everyone was so excited, posts of concern were being posted onmunities in Korea. Chapter 184 # 185 Girls (1) But there was no time to care about that fact. About two hours before the awards ceremony, the KK members received their makeup in their hotel room from the team of stylists they had been working with from the beginning. ¡°Ah¡­ Is this what it means to say that time is like an arrow¡­¡± Hyeong-seo Ahn said after finishing her makeup, leaning back against the head of the hotel bed. Uncharacteristically, he muttered in a tone as if he had lived the rest of the world. ¡°Hyung, aren¡¯t you nervous?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t feel it. ¡°Not at all.¡± Ahn Hyeong-seo answered Seok Ji-hoon¡¯s question. Do-wookughed as he watched Ahn Hyeong-seo muttering with a nk expression behind him while fiddling with his tie in front of the mirror. For about a month before the Billboard Music Awards ceremony, when the candidates were announced, KK had been putting all her efforts into her American activities. After ¡´Michelle¡¯s Night¡µ, the influx of requests from American local programs was so great that it was impossible to respond to them all, and there was interest not only from the United States but also from programs in Canada, South America, and Europe. However, as the Billboard Music Awards requested a special stage, KK had a tight schedule to prepare for the stage. Since more invitations were expected after the awards ceremony, KK focused her efforts on preparing for the awards ceremony stage. In addition to the few programs that were avable for scheduling, the programs that received requests were scheduled after the awards ceremony. Meanwhile, there weremercials and programs originally scheduled for Korea and China, so the members were really busy. As I went about my day, when I opened my eyes, it felt like it was the day of the awards ceremony. ¡°Raina came out today too¡­.¡± Park Tae-hyung said to Do-wook. Dowook had already confirmed it, so he nodded. Dowook was also the person I was most looking forward to among the prominent pop stars I would see today. Raina was a world-famous pop star who was loved a lot in Korea, but she had never visited Korea. It was a great honor to stand on the same stage with Raina. ¡°If I see Raina, can I get her autograph?¡± ¡°Ma Gao, what are you talking about? Perfect as a star! ¡°Let¡¯s shake hands!¡± Jeong Yoon-gi responded to Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s words with a boastful tone. ¡°Reina knows us!¡± When Ahn Hyeong-seo shouted, Kim Won said yfully. ¡°Do you no kay?¡± ¡°Ma¡­¡± Jeong Yoon-gi shrugged his shoulders. In this way, the members talked among themselves and relieved the tension. Of course, the tension was not something that could be relieved to that degree. ¡°Aren¡¯t we really receiving an award today? ¡°The Billboard Awards¡­ This isn¡¯t a dream and I¡¯m astonished.¡± This year¡¯s Rookie Award nominees included dancer Ariana, hip-hop singer TOT, and K.K. ¡°You can get it. ¡°Looking at the nominated singers,pared tost year, it still seemed like they had a chance of winning.¡± Seok Ji-hoon calmly responded to Jeong Yoon-gi¡¯s words. The majority of experts also provided such analysis. If it werest year, it would probably have been difficult toe up with only a positive outlook. Last year, the boy band ¡®Four Directions¡¯ won the Rookie of the Year award. Four Directions is a tremendous boy band that captivated female fans across the United States as soon as it debuted, and achieved unrivaled resultsst year. After the American boy band that swept the world with ¡®BOY OR MAN¡¯ with enormous poprity from thete 90¡¯s to the early 2000¡¯s, they were considered the heirs to the history of American boy bands that seemed to be dying out. Currently, their power has be even greater, to the point where not only the entire group but also each member¡¯s albums havended at the top of the Billboard charts without difficulty. If KK received the Rookie of the Year Award, it would be proof that he could establish himself as a global star as much as Four Direction. One could guess its weight just by looking at the names of previous winners, such as LIL Justin Bob Taylor Sweet Lady NANA. *** ¡°Do you know KK?¡± And at the awards ceremony red carpet, the question Kim Won said as a joke was actuallying out of the host¡¯s mouth. Among the stars walking the red carpet, such questions were only asked of those who had previously mentioned in an interview that they wanted to see KK¡¯s performance, and conversely, only those who had mentioned that they wanted to see KK¡¯s performance. Even stars who were taking pictures on the red carpet first mentioned KK to the interviewer. This was because countless KK fans were lined up behind the red carpet guard line, which was about 100 meters long. A significant number of fans flew in from Korea to share in the historic moment. In addition, local fans and fans from surrounding cities and countries flocked there not to miss the rare opportunity to see KK in person. KK fans used various cheering tools to express that they were KK fans. Such a hot red carpet scene was not amon sight at the Billboard Music Awards. The Four Directions fans were also passionate, but the KK fans were even more passionate, to the point where a certain sense of unity was felt. The artists who were surprised by the scene were the first to talk about KK. The answer was also not simply about knowing or not knowing. Of course, there was no artist who didn¡¯t know KK, and even if they did, it wasn¡¯t at the level of simply hearing their name. Most artists have heard KK¡¯s songs or seen her on stage. And he answered that he felt a very strong energy. However, it seemed like that energy was conveyed to the fans, who even leftments saying they had no idea they would be so energetic. There was also an artist who left a message asking people to follow him on Facenote, saying that he was aware that he was recording a huge number of views on MyTube. There was also a female artist who jokingly said that member Dowook was very handsome and that she wanted to contact him personally. It was a surprisingment to Korean fans who were watching the live broadcast, but it was not a surprising joke in the United States, which has a culture as open as her open attire. Even though TOT was a singer nominated for the same Rookie of the Year award, he even said that he was very excited to be able to see KK¡¯s performance and that it was an honor to be nominated for the same award. Although she was not nominated for the Top Artist Award, she was only nominated for the Rookie Award, but it was undeniable that KK was the hottest star at this year¡¯s Billboard Music Awards. KK¡¯s poprity was not simply dismissed as ¡®popr¡¯. Even in the United States, attention was being paid to a singer from a small Asian country captivating local fans and enjoying global poprity. As the red carpet atmosphere was getting hotter, a van stopped at the scene. KK fans started buzzing. Then the door opened and long legs dressed in a ck suit stretched out. As the members, led by Dowook, began to get out of the car one by one, the fans on the red carpet erupted in tremendous cheers. ¡°Kaaaaaa¡ª!!!¡± ¡°Do-wook!!!¡± ¡°Hyung-!!!¡± Confessions of love rang out from everywhere. The KK members could not take their eyes off the shaking cheering equipment. The road to the unfolding red carpet felt so long. Dowook looked around at the fans and took a step forward. Every time I walked down the red carpet, it didn¡¯t feel like I was walking on Earth. sh shots from reporters and paparazzi poured down on the faces of the members walking the red carpet with flushed faces. The members waved their hands from side to side and smiled broadly. And even though so much of the future had already changed that it was no longer the future he knew, Dowook was confident. The winner of this year¡¯s Billboard Music Awards¡¯ Rookie Award was to be KK. *** -what??????? -real?? -Daebak?????????? -?? Korean singer Billboard;;; -????????Why am I all crying ¨C Gulp Gulp Gulp Gulp Gulp Gulp Gulp Gulp Gulp Gulp Gulp Gulp~~ It¡¯s awesome~~!!! -????????????? -??????Crazy ¨C KK I¡¯m proud of you!!! -It looks like it will be included in a music textbook -??????????Congrattions . . The moment KK¡¯s name was called, themunity that was chatting while watching the live broadcast of the Billboard Music Awards poured out hundreds of posts at once, as if the chat window was about to explode. Everyone had such an indescribable feeling that they couldn¡¯t write long thoughts, but instead they were filled with short congrattions and exasperation. There were not many people who thought that a group made up of Koreans who grew up in Korea could stand in that position with the Korean song it released. But KK did it. The screen captures the image of KK, who is overwhelmed with emotion and doesn¡¯t know what to do. Ahn Hyeong-seo was so happy that he seemed to have lost strength in his knees and seemed to copse for a moment, but Do-wook was seen grabbing his wrist and pulling him up. Even for non-fans, it was a scene that brought tears to their noses. ¡°K-K!¡± ¡°K-K!¡± Fans at the awards ceremony chanted KK¡¯s name. Amid the powerful cheers, pop artists who had only been seen on the screen stood up, apuded, and congratted KK. Many expressions shed on the members¡¯ faces as they climbed up to the podium. I also remembered it when I received the Rookie Award in Korea. At that time, I thought, ¡®Can I debut?¡¯ The thoughts about the anxious times and the sweat they shed to debut made the members of KK cry. In Korea, it was KK who even received the grand prize. I felt for a moment the anxiety and emptiness that made me wonder if there was nothing left to do but go down. Practices I did while sleeping less. Fans who cheered. Because it was a position I had never dreamed of, so many things were mixed up. After receiving the trophy, leader Yoongi Jeong gave his eptance speech in Korean with a trembling voice. ¡°Uh¡­ thank you¡­ thank you so much. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be able toe here¡­ but it¡¯s all thanks to the fans who loved KK. And now we want to look higher. Please continue to support us. Thank you again and I love you!¡± It was a feeling of receiving the award that showed great ambition. Korean fans were once again thrilled by the sight of him confidently expressing his feelings in Korean. Next, Kim Won gave a short speech, and Do-wook also gave his impressions in English. Dowook stood in front of the microphone and quietly smiled at the audience. When that smile was captured on screen, fans literally groaned. Do-wook¡¯s appearance, which has be more polished and mature, is something that will captivate people around the world. His desire for revenge against Seo Kang-jun and his own small dream had brought him to this point. Along with his words of gratitude, Do-wook quoted a famous quote from President Lincoln, beloved by Americans. ¡°¡­¡­I am a slow walker but I never walk back.¡± I am a slow-moving person, but I never take a step back. Dowook wanted to talk. I don¡¯t know when that time wille, but I will walk until the end for what I want. Do-wook thought that if he did that, dream-like events that he had never even thought of would be reality. Dowook started out at a small and medium-sized entertainment agency and went on to win the Billboard Awards. Because of Do-wook¡¯s words, Do-wook¡¯s thoughts on receiving the award were pierced in the hearts of many people. The wave of emotion deepened. At the same time, anxious posts were posted again in themunity. Just by looking at Jung Yoon-gi and Do-wook¡¯s eptance speech, it was clear that they would do their best in their American activities to be more global stars in the future. There was also an article reporting that Seok Ji-hoon¡¯s departure from ¡¯48 Hours Camping¡¯ had been confirmed and that the final recording had beenpleted. [I¡¯m a KK fan, and I¡¯m sorry for the festival atmosphere¡­ It looks like they won¡¯t be promoting in Korea¡­] -Ah¡­ You¡¯re really not releasing a Korean album anymore, are you? -Do you like our pop star? -Do I have to wait for him to visit Korea..?? -Is heing to Korea? -It feels like it¡¯s already been half a year since I performed on stage in Korea¡­ -Should I change to one- on-one? -Confusion -??????I¡¯m so happy, but I¡¯m sad that I feel like I¡¯ve be so far away¡­ -It¡¯s a ce where congrattions are overflowing, but do I really need to write something negative like this? -Nothing is certain yet. It¡¯s not like you said you won¡¯t be active in Korea. -There are no ns for the next album yet, right? ??? -?? What was there has also been cancelled . -Isn¡¯t this going to end up like a one-man thing? -If you¡¯re a KK fan, you probably won¡¯t post something like this. Chapter 185 # 186 Girls (2) It was a situation that could be quite unsettling for Korean fans. This was because it seemed that activities in Korea would be put on the back burner and focus on activities overseas. In fact, KK¡¯s next schedule was to appear on an American TV program and conduct an overseas concert tour. Overseas concert tours used to be an annual event, but there were clear differences. Previously, overseas tour countries were concentrated in Asian countries. However, now, not only India and the Middle East, but also five cities in New York, including New York and LA, and South American countries such as Brazil, Chile and Mexico have been added to the overseas tour schedule. After appearing in ¡°Michelle¡¯s Night,¡± small-scale performances were added in Sydney, Paris, and London, meaning that the group had to travel around the world. It was a huge tour schedule. I wasn¡¯t just worried about the tour schedule being longer. It was certainly a shame for Korean fans that they could not be seen often in Korea, but it was a matter of pride that KK became a global star. However, concerns about the next album were also widespread among fans. One Man, who was the first to enter the Billboard chart, also focused all of his activities on the US and overseas markets after entering the Billboard chart. At the same time, more than two-thirds of the lyrics of the album¡¯s title song were in English. It wasn¡¯t a song thatpletely lost its one-man musical style, but it was closer to a pop song and it felt like they were very conscious of the overseas market. It was clear that as the expectations were high, the pressure was also great. That was clearly revealed. One Man¡¯s aplishments were great, but in the end, each song was evaluated individually. The Korean public was indifferent to One Man¡¯s new song. It only took a few days for the public to listen to the song due to anticipation that it topped the music charts. Compared to the huge poprity of the previous song, the performance was shabby. Just like in Korea, it did not get much better results overseas than previous songs. That was the mistake of those who nned one-man or one-man albums. It suddenly became popr overseas, and as it tried to meet overseas demand as a way to continue its poprity, it was unable to meet both Korean demand and overseas demand, which was enthusiastic about the novelty thates from ¡®Koreanness¡¯. Because there was a case like this, fans had no choice but to worry that KK would lose poprity as they tried to adapt their next album to the overseas market due to the pressure of having to live up to expectations. Of course, there were many more fans who had faith that KK would do well. Nevertheless, the reason posts kepting up in themunity was because there were some antis who were creating anxiety. Obviously, the more things go well, the more people want it to fail. Because it was the moment when KK was about to be a global star beyond Korea, such people flocked to her. Among them, there were quite a few fans of Man to Man who debuted a few months apart and seemed to do better, but whose trajectory soon changed. Man to Man¡¯s poprity rose again after the recruitment of Chae Eun-ho, and they were soon following KK. Of course, it wasn¡¯t at the level to ovee KK, and KK was like a huge wall. Nevertheless, Man to Man¡¯s fans, who were disgusted by the fact that KK, who was younger than Man to Man, was doing better than Man to Man, were trying to do something thanks to the recent increase in poprity, creating a stir. After the Billboard Music Awards ceremony ended. All six members stood together in formation and took pictures holding the trophy. It was to express gratitude to the fans who supported and celebrated this moment more than anyone else. Ahn Hyeong-seo was in charge of uploading the photos. The moment Raina¡¯s performance, which she had been waiting for so long since receiving the award, began, Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s eyes were red as she was holding back tears while apuding. It was only when the awards ceremony ended and the ending speech rang that Ahn Hyeong-seo burst into tears. When Do-wook, who discovered Hyungseo Ahn, patted Hyungseo Ahn on the shoulder, Hyungseo Ahn shed even bigger tears. It was only after swimming in the sea of emotion for a while that Ahn Hyeong-seo and the other members came up with the spirit to take pictures. In the car going back to the hotel from the awards ceremony. Kim Won was still in disbelief as he looked at the trophy, filled with emotion, and continued to recite something in English. It was like a prayer to heaven. ¡°Hyung¡­ uh¡­ I¡¯m scared¡­¡± Park Tae-hyung, who couldn¡¯t hear, cautiously said to Kim Won. Only then did Kim Won be quiet. Ahn Hyeong-seo essed the fan cafe to upload a photo, but was absorbed in reading thements posted by fans. It was when Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s eyes became moist again when he saw the posts of fans who were happy about the work as if it were their own. Hyeongseo Ahn clicked on a post with manyments and came across something unexpected. ¡°hmm? ¡°There is an article like this¡­ Look at this.¡± It was a post containing concerns about KK¡¯s future activities. When Ahn Hyeong-seo handed out her cell phone to Do-wook, who was sitting next to her, Do-wook looked at the message carefully. ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re definitely staying abroad¡­ for the time being¡­¡± Ahn Hyeong-seo also muttered, as if he understood the fans¡¯ anxiety. ¡°Well, should I write to ask you not to worry too much about this part? ¡°Anyway, we¡¯ll soon¡­¡± ¡°Then I think the anxious public opinion will definitely calm down.¡± ¡°right?¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any need to talk about it¡­ Like you said, it¡¯ll be soon anyway.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­¡± Ahn Hyeong-seo quickly agreed to Do-wook¡¯s words. For no reason, if Ahn Hyeong-seo mentioned it, there would be a lot of talk. Anyway, these anxieties were going to subside once the next album was released and activities began. Dowook thought. ¡®This level of atmosphere is worth enduring.¡¯ Rather, Do-wook knew that the satisfaction he felt when this anxiety was resolved was greater. There would be a sense of pleasure thates from a twist. Hyungseo Ahn nodded and posted the photo on the fan cafe. In no time, hundreds ofments started flowing. The main content of thement was congrattions and gratitude to the KK members who never forgot to express their gratitude to them. *** [See KK¡¯s face on American TV! Cool Coke model..] [K.K. has been selected as the model for America¡¯s ¡®Cool Coke¡¯!] [Korean group¡¯s first local model to spread across the United States!] [How popr is it? KK¡¯s charm ispletely recognized in the United States!] [The face of KK on the Cool Coke package, the greatest advertising model of all time¡­] [Exploring the charm of KK, a world star produced by Korea] [Following Korea, KK bes a Cool Coke model in the United States as well! ] After winning the Billboard Music Awards¡¯ Rookie Award, KK¡¯s actions were truly unstoppable. It had be an all too familiar picture for KK to appear on overseas radio or TV shows. The most outstanding achievement among them was bing a localmercial advertisement model in the United States. ¡®Cool Coke¡¯, the world¡¯s No. 1pany in the carbonated beverage industry and a cpany, was already a cpany that KK modeled for in Korea. There, a contract offer came in even before winning the Billboard Music Award. It wasn¡¯t just an advertisement. It was to be a local model in the United States. In addition, KK¡¯s face was engraved on all c packages in the United States. KK waspletely treated as a world star and rose to that level. -It¡¯s really so amazing??????????It¡¯s truly unprecedented worldwide poprity??????I don¡¯t think even Lee Byung-ho, who entered Hollywood, was like this????? -Isn¡¯t this the next national prestige of Park Je-sung ? -There¡¯s noparison haha. They¡¯re both so great haha. -This is Daebak. I can¡¯t help but think ¨C Do I have to go to America to get that now? hehe;;; -I live in the US.. Please proceed with the joint purchase..??? ???I want a coke -Did you see the picture? It¡¯s the best, but I¡¯m going to New York to buy coke ¨C I¡¯m a Keyring who lives in Texas, and the local poprity seems like it¡¯s no joke, so I went to school and there¡¯s a group of fans who like KK. ?? I went to middle school in Korea and had a hard timeing here, but thanks to KK, it¡¯s a huge help in my daily life. -It ¡®s normal to be surprised every day hahahaha -I work at apany in India and my boss asks me if I know KK because I¡¯m Korean -If this happens, my Korean activities will really go by the wayside. I just feel like I like a pop star -I¡¯m rooting for you guys. It¡¯s a shame, but I can¡¯t help it??; -It was exported to a foreign country [email protected]!! At the same time, fans were gradually epting the fact that their activities in Korea were still far away. It was an unavoidable reality as KK¡¯s poprity rose to this level. However, soon after the overseas tour began, Korean fans received unbelievable news. [KK makes a surpriseeback with the end of their overseas tour!] [KK is making aeback! All Korean awards ceremony schedules are attended¡­ under discussion] [KAK¡¯seback ns for activities in Korea early next year are revealed¡­] [¡°I became a world-famous star, but nothing has changed¡­¡± KK surprise interview] [KAK Taehyung Park ¡´Dancing Dancing¡´ ¡µ Be a judge!] . . It was unexpectedeback news. ording to the article, afterpleting the overseas tour schedule, they attended both the Korea Music Awards and the Drama Awards and made aeback right away. It was a surprising schedule. Now, there were a lot of ces calling for KK, not only in the U.S. but also overseas. Nevertheless, KK chose to pursue activities in Korea. Even though they were fans who had hoped for Korean activities, they could not hide their bewilderment. This was because I knew that it was realistically difficult. Moreover, it was hard to believe that they prepared an album during such a schedule. When KK¡¯s unexpected activity n was revealed, it became a huge issue in itself. Dowook smiled in remorse as he saw the enthusiastic reactions. Starting from the Billboard Music Awards, the group will only promote in the US for about 1-2 weeks, then solidify their overseas base with an overseas tour before returning to Korea. This activity n was Do-wook¡¯s idea at a meeting held on the day of filming ¡°Michelle¡¯s Night.¡± Dowook knew exactly that activities in Korea were as important as activities abroad. The poprity they have gained overseas was also developed through the use of the Inte and SNS based on their activities in Korea. There was no need to take unreasonable steps to correct this direction now. I also nned to keep the music for the next album the same way as before. World-ss producers andposers contacted KK, but after consultation with album production team leader Sim Jun, Do-wook decided not to ept any of their songs except for a few included songs. The title song was going to be a song that Dowook had worked on right before he started filming ¡°Lovers from Space,¡± and the included songs were to be songs that were supposed to be included in the OK album. I couldn¡¯t help but feel emotionally burdened, but I still nned to do what I do best. Seok Ji-hoon¡¯s withdrawal from ¡¯48 Hours Camping¡¯, which raised concerns among fans that he would not be active in Korea, was a personal problem for Seok Ji-hoon. Since Seok Ji-hoon was focusing on entertainment, it seemed like he would only be active in the entertainment industry. ¡¯48 Hours Camping¡¯ was, of course, a grateful program that made Seok Ji-hoon¡¯s name known and made him very popr, but now Seok Ji-hoon wanted to pursue music. Because of that, I quit being a child actor and started bing a trainee. Like Do-wook and Jeong Yoon-gi, Seok Ji-hoon also had his own desire topose music. Seok Ji-hoon thought that he could do entertainmentter, but that if he didn¡¯t do it now, he would miss out on music work. ¡°I guess I never really thought about aeback. ¡°It¡¯s a total mess.¡± ¡°Iknow, right.¡± Director Oh Baek-ho said this as he left for the airport to return to Korea after a small performance at the Korean Cultural Center in London. Dowook also nodded, dragging the suitcase. ¡°Is there a ce to go right after arriving in Korea?¡± ¡°yes. But before that, I think I need to meet with Manager Joanie.¡± ¡°Manager Cho?¡± ¡°yes.¡± At Do-wook¡¯s answer, Director Oh Baek-ho looked at Do-wook with puzzled eyes. Chapter 186 # 187 Girls (3) *** In front of the Hyesung Entertainment building in Hapjeong-dong, Mapo-gu. Most agencies were concentrated in Gangnam, but recently agencies began to appear one by one in Hapjeong-dong. Broadcasting stations were concentrated in Sangam-dong, a 10-minute drive away, andnd prices and rents were rtively low. For that reason, many small agencies were located in Hapjeong-dong. Hyesung Entertainment was also an entertainmentpany that was established only three years ago. Hyesung was an agency founded independently by Jang Hye-seong, who was the director of Cheongwol, one of the leading agencies along with Ara. The only celebrity whose name was mentioned was Yoon Mi-jin, who was previously a Cheongwol entertainer. Mijin Yoon was active in a group, but after the group disbanded, she released a solo album in Hyesung. It was an album that barely broke even. With about a year left on the contract, I was about to get married, so it was as if the contract had ended. However, because Yoon Mi-jin¡¯s name was there, they were able to hold an audition and gather a certain number of trainees. Currently, Hyesung Entertainment is nning a female idol group with a minimum number of trainees. This was because CEO Jeong Hye-seong had previously made a sessful female idol group in Cheongwol. That was the group that Mijin Yoon belonged to. The goal for the first female idol group to be debuted by Hyesung Entertainment was to debut in the first half of next year. Of course, there were many difficulties in getting here. No matter how strong CEO Jeong Hye-seong was in practical work, he did not have enough capital. Although CEO Jeong Hye-seong poured in all the money she had saved, it was an insignificant amount to start an entertainment business. Everyone else had to receive investment, but since it was a high-risk business, receiving investment was not easy. Because of this, the project almost copsed several times. There were times when it was postponed indefinitely. A goal that seemed impossible became possible thanks to one investor. One day, CEO Jeong Hye-seong was contacted directly by an investor. The investment amount proposed by the investor was a whopping 300 million won. CEO Jeong Hye-seong thinks the cost of producing an idol group until debut was about 600 million won. The production cost was kept to the minimum. At the time I was contacted, the production cost was about 500 million won. Some have already been used and some remain. In order to debut, the only way left was to slightly lower the album quality. However, it was not possible to just wait, as expenses would continue to be incurred just to feed, clothe, sleep, and train the trainees. At that time, he was an investor who appeared like a savior. If an investment of 300 million won was received, the cost would be more than the minimum cost expected. The investor was entering the Hyesung Entertainment building. It was Dowook. Dowook headed to the 8th floor where Hyesung Entertainment¡¯s representative office was located. When we arrived at the representative office, the secretary at the desk stood up with startled eyes. ¡°uh!¡± It was a mistake for a secretary, but I couldn¡¯t help but exim in admiration. The only person who decided to visit the CEO¡¯s office at this time today was an investor who invested arge amount of money in Hyesung Entertainment a few months ago. I couldn¡¯t help but be surprised that the investor did not show up and Kang Do-wook of world-renowned star KK showed up. Even if he had seen Dowook passing by on the street instead of here, the secretary would have stopped and looked at him. ¡°Mr. Kang Do-wook?¡± When the secretary asked in a daze, Do-wook smiled and greeted the secretary. ¡°hello.¡± ¡°What¡­what happened¡­¡± ¡°I was supposed to meet the CEO at 3 o¡¯clock today.¡± ¡°Ah yes. This way¡­¡± The secretary walked toward the representative office and guided Do-wook. While giving guidance, the secretary had one question after another in her head. ¡®The only customers at 3 o¡¯clock are investors¡­ Did you know Kang Do-wook?¡­¡¯ When the secretary knocked, CEO Jeong Hye-seong answered from inside and told him toe in. When the door opened, the secretary stepped aside and spoke to the representative. ¡°Mr. Kang Do-wook is here.¡± CEO Jeong Hye-seong, who was sitting on the hospitality sofa preparing to wee investors, stood up. ¡°what? ¡°Why is Mr. Kang Do-wook here¡­¡± At that question, the secretary¡¯s head became filled with even more question marks. CEO Jeong Hye-seong, who made eye contact with Do-wook, who was standing behind the secretary, was equally dazed. ¡°hello. ¡°I came because you said you wanted to see me.¡± Do-wook smiled softly and first approached CEO Jeong Hye-seong, who was looking at him with a dumb expression, and said hello. Both CEO Jeong Hye-seong and the secretary were surprised once again. The investor who promised at 3 o¡¯clock today was Dowook. ¡°Uh¡­ Ah¡­ Oh my, this is someone I never thought of¡­ It¡¯s Jeong Hye-seong.¡± CEO Jeong Hye-seong finally came to her senses and held out her hand. Dowook formally shook hands with CEO Jeong Hye-seong and sat down. When Do-wook sat down, the secretary also carefully asked. ¡°What kind of tea would you like?¡± ¡°Oh, do you have any warm green tea?¡± ¡°yes.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll ask for that.¡± CEO Jeong Hye-seong asked for a ss of cold water. The secretary bowed her head, closed the door quietly, and left the representative office. ¡°I¡¯m really¡­ so surprised right now¡­¡± CEO Jeong Hye-seong was also someone with deep experience in the entertainment industry. He had business acumen and production skills. That¡¯s why I came out here to start an entertainmentpany. It was an embarrassment that was separate from the fact that he was such a capable person. Dowook nodded as if he understood. ¡°yes. You were surprised. It would have been better if I had told you in advance¡­¡± Since the investment was made by her father, Professor Woong-cheon Kang, there was no possibility for CEO Jeong Hye-seong to think of Do-wook. CEO Jeong Hye-seong quickly waved his hand at Do-wook¡¯s words. ¡°no. no. ¡°I know you¡¯re busy with your overseas tour¡­ but it looks like KK is back in Korea.¡± KK was also a group that the entertainment industry was keeping an eye on. Even CEO Jeong Hye-seong was well aware of KK¡¯s extensive schedule. ¡°yes. ¡°It came in a few days ago.¡± ¡°You must be tired. ¡°I heard you¡¯re making aeback too.¡± ¡°Soon. ¡°I¡¯m definitely out of my mind.¡± CEO Jeong Hye-seong, who found herposure, lightened the mood and led the conversation. After cing the green tea and water ordered by the secretary in front of each person, we left the representative office again. ¡°Uh¡­ Well, Mr. Do-wook must be busy¡­¡± CEO Jeong Hye-seong spoke about the investment in a tone that did not hide the question, ¡®Why did Do-wook invest here?¡¯ I took it out. Today¡¯s meeting was coordinated between Do-wook and CEO Jeong Hye-seong. It was a natural practice to exin the direction and outline of a nned female idol group to investors ahead of its debut. ording to the norm, all investors had to be gathered together and a presentation had to be made, but in the case of Hyesung Entertainment, it was not a stockpany and received small investments through acquaintances, so such a format was not taken. However, Do-wook was someone who needed to be briefed, even if it was not a separate presentation. 300 million won was slightly more than the amount invested by CEO Jeong Hye-seong himself. In terms of a stockpany, it was thergest shareholder. It was an outside investor, not an acquaintance. Although the profit share ratio had already been resolved in writing and by phone through an agent, the conditions naturally included a report on the production process. As an investor, Dowook had the right to discuss the direction of the group that was currently being created and to impose some degree of sanctions on that direction. From the time she first received investment, CEO Jeong Hye-seong of course wanted to see Do-wook. However, Dowook postponed the meeting to ater date. At the same time, he replied that he would leave the entire production nning to Hyesung Entertainment and CEO Jeong Hye-seong, and that he would not touch anything unless it was in the wrong direction. It was literally a story of providing money and guaranteeing autonomy. As CEO Jeong Hye-seong, he could not have been the best investor. Of course, Do-wook was able to do this because he knew what kind of group CEO Jeong Hye-seong would create. It was not long ago that Hyesung sent Do-wook a somewhat structured n by email. To my email adding that it would be nice to have a chance to talk face-to-face, Dowook finally sent me a reply asking me to meet in person and talk. That was today. ¡°So how did youe up with the idea to invest in ourpany?¡± CEO Jeong Hye-seong asked as if she was genuinely curious before going into a full exnation. ¡°As I was looking for an investment destination¡­ I heard a rumor about CEO Jeong.¡± Dowook was not embarrassed and looked around. There were a lot of rumors going around in the industry. I didn¡¯t think they would even bother to hear the source of the rumor. In fact, CEO Jeong Hye-seong also seemed to agree. Since there were many people in the industry around Do-wook, I thought it would be natural for them to hear the news that he was producing a group. ¡°I want to at least bow to the person who spread the rumor to Do-wook.¡± ¡°haha.¡± ¡°Still, I never thought a current idol would invest in idol production.¡± CEO Jeong Hye-seong muttered as if she was surprised no matter how much she thought about it. Until then, CEO Jeong Hye-seong was known only as a new investment by a stock investor. ¡°I feel like I know this area better.¡± ¡°but. Dowook couldn¡¯t be more expert in the production field. Aren¡¯t you KK¡¯s producer? ¡°Someone was an investor, and I think I made a lot of money, regardless of the money.¡± ¡°I would appreciate it if you thought so.¡± CEO Jeong Hye-seongughed at Do-wook¡¯s words. Then he asked carefully. ¡°But on the hit-enter side¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have to worry about that part.¡± Dowook had already reached an agreement with Manager Joanie. If Director Joanie was unwilling, there was an intention to use only her father, Professor Woong-cheon Kang, as her representative until the end and not reveal Do-wook himself. This was because it was clear that it would be undesirable for the agency for its singer to help with the work of another agency. However, Manager Joanie was also a person with extraordinary aspirations. He clearly knew what Do-wook was greedy for as an investor and producer in the entertainment business, and he also knew how to gain Do-wook as a producer instead of giving Do-wook freedom as an investor. The group that Dowook currently wanted to invest in and challenge was a girl group. ording to Hit Entertainment¡¯s n, the group would not begin production until about three yearster. Manager Joanie approved Do-wook¡¯s taking the lead in investing in ¡®Girls¡¯ under the condition that he not participate in production. He did not forget the non-conditional condition that if there is a singer that Dowook produces in earnest, he would like it to be a hit entertainment singer. Of course, Do-wook also thought so. In fact, investing in ¡®Girls¡¯ was for two reasons. ¡°But there¡¯s something I need to make clear.¡± ¡°Please speak.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want it to be revealed to the media that I am the investor. Even if it¡¯s inevitable that it will be revealed.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ it¡¯s worth worrying about. However, as much as I produce, I am also one of those people who wants topete with my nning skills. Of course, you can use it appropriately, but¡­.¡± Do-wook nodded. In that case, it might have been better not to talk back. ¡°yes. The production team does not intend to give any opinions in the future. It¡¯s really just an investment. ¡°I hope there are no misunderstandings.¡± ¡°of course.¡± CEO Jeong Hye-seong answered as if it were obvious. I was nning to leave this in writing, but I felt like Dowook could already trust me. He was a man who took great pride in his production abilities. ¡®CEO Jeong Hye-seong¡­¡­. He is a worthy person. It¡¯s the same for everyone, but if CEO Jeong had a little more money¡­ he could have made the group a bigger group ¡­ I felt sorry for the ¡®girls¡¯. It was a female idol group from an unknown agency. At a time when everyone thought they would be one of the many female idol groups that debuted as the idol industry was experiencing a revival, the girls broke everyone¡¯s expectations and gained a lot of poprity with their considerable singing and skills. Each member¡¯s individual talent shone, but what shone more than anything was the nning ability that raised the ¡®girls.¡¯ Unlike other agencies that tried to achieve femininity and sexiness by trying various things, they caught the public¡¯s attention with a clear and fresh concept. In addition, because it was a new agency, the fighting spirit of the members who practiced hard and worked hard was something that differentiated the group from other groups. However, there were clearly limits to the poprity gained in that way. Capital was not important in the entertainment industry for no reason. Without continued investment and media exposure, the public would quickly look for other groups with better quality. There were so many alternative groups. In order to lead the way with the sess of their debut album, most groups originally had to release their second album to make a profit. ¡®If only I had the capital to push forward with the second and third albums¡­¡¯ In that sense, there was no ce more suitable for Dowook to invest. It was a group that needed Dowook¡¯s help and could have achieved great sess with just a little investment. Recovery of investment or profit will be guaranteed. But more than anything, the timing was perfect. ¡®The girl group that Seo Joong-won will send out¡­ will be a significantpetitor to that girl group. Ara Entertainment will not be able to monopolize the broadcasting industry again.¡¯ Do-wook calmly gritted his teeth and thought. Chapter 187 # 188 Girls (4) CEO Jeong Hye-seong, who was continuing the conversation by exining the direction of the group girls¡¯ activities to Do-wook, asked. ¡°Then, while you¡¯re here, you can at least practice with the members¡­¡± ¡°Ah. no. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t get in the way of practice.¡± ¡°no. I¡¯m just saying hello for a moment. On the contrary, I know very well that Mr. Dowook is busy.¡± Dowook nodded at CEO Jeong Hye-seong¡¯s words. The two got up from their seats and headed toward the practice room. Hyesung Entertainment¡¯s practice room was in the basement. The building where the entertainment was located was a 10-story building, but the representative office was on the 8th floor, rted offices were on the 7th floor, and the practice room was in the basement. This clearly showed that it was a small agency. ¡°The practice room is in the basement.¡± ¡°yes. Probably because of soundproofing issues or something like that. ¡°It¡¯s a poor environment¡­¡± CEO Jeong Hye-seong said as if she was a little embarrassed by Do-wook¡¯s words. Dowook responded as if telling him not to think like that. ¡°You can grow it further in the future. ¡°It¡¯s great that you brought us all the way here, CEO.¡± ¡°Hehe¡­ Fortunately, thanks to Mr. Dowook¡¯s recent investment, the environment has improved a lot.¡± CEO Jeong Hye-seong smiled at Do-wook as if she was grateful. Seeing CEO Jeong thanking me made me realize just how much he suffered from financial problems. ¡®In the past, we nevertheless seeded with girls to a certain extent. What a great person.¡¯ Dowook sincerely hoped that CEO Jeong Hye-seong would elevate the girls to a higher position without restrictions. Girls currently has the disadvantage of being a small agency, but at the same time, it had strengths that were good for storytelling when it debuted. At the same time, unlike before, thete investment money hade in, so the album quality could have been improved. When I looked inside the ss-doored practice room, I saw the members warming up. Since the title song had not been released yet, the girls were strengthening their basics and practicing creating a repertoire of various dance covers like KK did. When CEO Jeong Hye-seong opened the door, a tinkling sound was heard from a small bell attached to the ss door. The eyes of the members who were stretching and pressing each other¡¯s backs turned towards the door. They looked surprised at CEO Jeong Hye-seong¡¯s surprise visit and quickly greeted him with enthusiasm. ¡°hello!¡± ¡°Hello, CEO! The voices of the members saying hello were loud. CEO Jeong Hye-seong waved her hand as if to roughly tell people to do something and said. ¡°Uh, everyone, it¡¯s not time for practice yet, right? ¡°I have someone to say hello to today¡­¡± The members looked like rabbits at CEO Jeong Hye-seong¡¯s words. There were seven girls in total. The oldest, the leader, was 22 years old, and the rest were all 18, 19, or 20 years old. Everyone had an untidy, fresh look. Do-wook, who was standing behind CEO Jeong Hye-seong, stepped forward and nodded slightly to the members. At Dowook¡¯s sudden appearance, the ¡®Girls¡¯ members literally screamed in surprise like little girls. ¡°oh!¡± ¡°Aaaah!¡± There was also a member who made sounds that KK fans would make. He was the youngest member at 18 and actually liked KK so he started training to be an idol. ¡°The investor I mentionedst time. ¡°Everyone say hello.¡± The members came out one by one, introduced their names, and bowed. He greeted me so politely that when I bent down, the back of my head fell forward. Dowook felt burdened, but received greetings from the members anyway. ¡°I really want to meet you so much¡­ Hey¡­ What should I do¡­¡± Dahye, the youngest member who was a fan of KK, was almost in tears. said. Except for one or two members who were trainees at other agencies, most of the members were selected through Hyesung Entertainment auditions and street casting. Since it was a newpany, I was a trainee for as long as 2 years or as short as 1 year. Considering the trainee period of members from otherrge entertainmentpanies, it was rtively short. However, because I was more anxious that I might not be able to debut, I focused more on practicing, and even though the period was short, I never fell short in terms of the amount of practice. Even though I practiced as hard as I could and was confirmed as a member, it was an uncertain debut. Even though she was young, Da-hye had a strong will to debut and stand on the same stage as KK. When she saw Do-wook¡¯s face, she felt like she was going to cry. It felt like sunlight shining through theyers of fog. ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡± Do-wook was embarrassed and stood unable to do either this or that. CEO Jeong Hye-seong said that it was an expected reaction because he knew how much Da-hye liked KK. The members next to Da-hyeforted her and told her not to cry. ¡°Nice to meet you too. ¡°It¡¯s really hard to practice¡­¡± When Do-wook asked in a friendly tone, Da-hye shook her head with bright eyes. ¡°I really¡­ I really want to stand on the same stage¡­¡± ¡°Dahye, you¡¯re Dahye, right? If you work hard, you will soon be able to do that.¡± At Do-wook¡¯s words, Da-hye pursed her lips and nodded vigorously. It was a look in his eyes that showed tremendous will. Dowook calmly looked around at the other members one by one. Not only Da-hye, but also the other members seemed confident that they could make their debut when they thought that Do-wook was an investor who helped them. Since the girls trusted only one person, CEO Jeong Hye-seong, and ran, Do-wook¡¯s presence was justified. The members¡¯ eyes looking at themselves were full of desire to make a sessful debut. ¡®It was good to see their faces in person¡­¡¯ In the past, I only knew about the girls as a viewer through TV. Of course, you could feel the members¡¯ fighting spirit through TV as well. However, when I met him in person, the vitality in his eyes was more than I expected. ¡®Just as there were limits to CEO Jeong Hye-seong¡¯s nning due to limitations in capital, the members¡¯ abilities were also blocked from further development.¡¯ Dowook thought. We even calcted the possibility that the group Girls could grow into a world-ss group rather than just being a rival to ¡®Valentine¡¯, which is sure to be released soon from Ara Entertainment. Even though Dowook couldn¡¯t know the future up to that point, it was still a calction worth making. If the group grew to that point, Dowook would also receive considerable wealth and fame. ¡°Everyone will be able to do well. ¡°Looking at it this way, I¡¯m even more convinced that it¡¯s likely to be like that.¡± Do-wook¡¯s words were words of strength to the members and even CEO Jeong Hye-seong. The temperature in the cold practice room rose warmly. After the brief meeting, Dowook left the practice room. Dowook once again confirmed his location. Of course I knew that I was popr with the public, but the fact that I could give someone else a dream was something new to me. Before he knew it, Dowook had gone from being a dreamer to someone who could share his dreams. ¡°But the members are confirmed to be those seven?¡± Dowook asked as he walked up the stairs to the first floor. CEO Jeong Hye-seong, who had a pleasant smile on her face, erased her smile and asked back. ¡°uh. But¡­ it wasn¡¯t that good¡­?¡± It was a team that CEO Jeong Hye-seong put together with her best efforts. Since many talented and talented trainees belonged torge entertainmentpanies, those who came to Hyesung Entertainment felt that they werecking. However, because the members had endured harsh training, they were now confident that they couldpete anywhere. CEO Jeong Hye-seong felt her heart sink, wondering if her confidence was just her own arrogance. ¡°no. Not at all. It was really nice to see that everyone had a clear will. ¡°It also reminds me of my trainee days.¡± CEO Jeong Hye-seong¡¯s expression barely rxed at Do-wook¡¯s words. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°¡­So?¡± Although Do-wook really only intended to invest, Do-wook added some opinions. It was also an opinion that anyone could express. ¡°I think it would be nice to have one more person. ¡°I was wondering what it would be like to have someone from overseas.¡± It was not essential considering only activities within Korea, but it was something that had to be considered if one was to achieve sess in overseas markets as well. Do-wook also worked overseas and learned why Ara Entertainment had such a system in ce when forming a team. Certainly, if there is a member who can speak English or othernguages, the restrictions on activities even when overseas are reduced by about half. When there were people from their own country there, fans of that country were considerably less wary of the group. Of course, they liked K-POP Korean groups, but they inevitably opened their hearts more to members from the same country. In the case of KK, there were no foreign members, only those who studied abroad, but they were so unique that they could be said to be an exception to everything. ¡°It¡¯s an overseas branch¡­¡± CEO Jeong Hye-seong lowered his head. KK was already Korea¡¯s most internationally known singer. Since those were Do-wook¡¯s words, not only as an investor, but also as CEO Jeong Hye-seong, I couldn¡¯t help but care. Although it was aposition that CEO Jeong Hye-seong took for granted from the beginning, it was not easy to bring in foreign members from a new agency that was unknown even in Korea. ¡°If possible, I would like it too.¡± Do-wook also nodded as if he understood what CEO Jeong Hye-seong said. ¡°yes. Besides, the current teamwork and atmosphere must not be broken¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. ¡°I will try to develop a better eye for people.¡± Dowookughed at CEO Jeong Hye-seong¡¯s words. It meant that he would ept opinions without overdoing it. *** After returning from Hyesung Entertainment, Dowook sat down with the members to eat dinner and talk about various things. ¡°¡­¡­Dowook is also a person who will be great.¡± ¡°It¡¯s already be big.¡± Ahn Hyeong-seo and Jeong Yoon-gi said with admiration. This was after it was revealed to the members that they had invested in the production of a female idol group. Most members used the money they received to buy a house for their parents or a smallmercial building. The remaining money was in the bank ount. ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t produce it, I just paid for it.¡± ¡°Still, it¡¯s great that you thought of investing in something like that. I think it would be an amazing feeling if that idol group came out and performed together in the future. ¡°What is the group name?¡± ¡°Girls.¡± ¡°Wow girls¡­. Pretty?¡± At Kim Won¡¯s question, the members all red at Kim Won. ¡°You too have a strong character.¡± It was a warning from the youngest Seok Ji-hoon. Kim Won shrugged his shoulders. Dowook alsoughed it off. ¡°Anyway, I felt strange. ¡°There is a friend who saw us and dreamed of bing an idol¡­¡± ¡°You are even helping that friend achieve his dream.¡± ¡°haha. ¡°That too.¡± Dowook responded to Jeong Yoon-gi¡¯s words. Taehyung Park, who was listening quietly, also added. ¡°You helped me achieve my dream¡­¡± Do-wook felt proud in his heart at Park Tae-hyung¡¯s words. I thought I was only chasing my dreams and goals, but that wasn¡¯t the case. Life as Kang Do-wook felt more meaningful. ¡°You are our role model.¡± The members¡¯ eyes sparkled at Kim Won¡¯s words. ¡®role model!¡¯ It was urate. The KK members felt like they were full even though they hadn¡¯t eaten yet. It was a different sense of aplishment than that whiches from direct aplishment. ¡°It¡¯s rewarding. ¡°I need to work harder.¡± Seok Ji-hoon, who is currently preparing for his album and studying songposition, said. Other members also nodded. Just then, the waiters came over and started serving the prepared food. ¡°okay. ¡°Let¡¯s do well tomorrow too.¡± At the leader¡¯s words, the members recalled tomorrow¡¯s schedule. I was scheduled to visit the Blue House. Chapter 188 # 189 Guerri Warfare (1) *** In front of Sangchunjae, the Blue House. Sangchunjae was a hanok located inside the Blue House. The Hanok, built using wood born and raised in Korea, is small yet stylish, encapsting the beauty of Korea. Because it was the only traditional house inside the Blue House, it was also a must-visit at least once when entertaining foreign guests. The event held today at Sangchunjae was also to entertain foreign guests. Today¡¯s guest was of special importance. Each country had its own diplomatic importance, but China, a neighboring country and highly influential in the world with its enormous poption and resources, was one of the most important countries economically and militarily. Currently, Chinese President Jiang Xiaoping is visiting Korea for a summit, and the president¡¯s wife, Li Yuxi, is also with him. Li Yuxi was a former theater actress and one of the most influential women in China. The location was not only a location, but it was also because Li Yuxi actively participated in the culture and arts industry, not only as Zhang Xiaoping¡¯s wife, but also as the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism in Korea. In addition, as a former theater actor, she was an example to many Chinese women with her beautiful appearance and fashion sense. Today, Li Yuxi was scheduled to visit Shangchunjae, tour Shangchunjae and enjoy lunch with the First Lady of Korea. In addition, we were scheduled to meet with key figures in the Korean culture and artsmunity and watch a performance. There was a calligraphy performance by Kim Han-gu, who is registered as an intangible cultural asset, and a traditional dance performance by the National Arts Theater Company. And although he did not perform there, KK was also invited as a major cultural artist and representative of the Korean Wave. ¡°Now the Blue House is here too.¡± This was what the members thought about as they rode up to the car provided for Sangchunjae at the entrance to the Blue House. I had no idea that I woulde as a guest to the Blue House, which I had only seen on the news. ¡°I have to go to the White House too.¡± Jung Yoon-gi said as if it were a joke in response to Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s words. However, even though he said it as a joke, Jung Yoon-ki was thinking that one day it might not be a joke but a reality. The same was true for other members. Now the words ¡®I can¡¯t do it¡¯ sound more unrealistic than the words ¡®I can do it.¡¯ I felt like I could do anything. ¡°Please don¡¯t say that. Then I really want to go to the White House¡­¡± Seok Ji-hoon muttered. Of course, being invited to the White House was a huge deal, but the Blue House also made me feel nauseous, and I felt like I would have to put motion sickness medicine behind my ears if I went to the White House. While listening to the members drinking kimchi soup, Dowook patted Seok Ji-hoon¡¯s shoulder as a gesture to rx. Dowook also understood the feeling of having no choice but to freeze. Do-wook was also repeating in his head that he would have to be more cautious than usual in his actions. A day like today was a day when no mistakes could be made. If it had been just an event, even if there were mistakes, it would have been overlooked with a few negativements or advice, but since it was an important diplomatic event, the standards of those watching KK¡¯s actions would have been strict. Regardless of whether I was criticized or not, I couldn¡¯t cause trouble at a national event. ¡°If you watch the performance intently¡­ if you eat well¡­¡± Director Oh Baek-ho told me several times before getting out of the car to not take my eyes off the performance even for a moment and to eat every ounce of food since there are cameras everywhere. I did it. Taehyung Park was repeating those words. Do-wook smiled slightly as he looked at Park Tae-hyung. ¡°Would you believe me if I told you that Dowook is Korea¡¯s prince?!¡± Kim Won, who was walking next to me, said. The sight of Dowook walking into the Sangchunjae building with a smile on his face was literally like a painting. His appearance was so elegant that one could believe he was a descendant of the royal family. It made me wonder whether the descendants of the actual royal family would also be this elegant. A neatly dressed usher saw Dowook and came over to guide the KK members to their seats. There was thergest table at the back of the space where the performance took ce. This was the seat for Li Yuxi, the firstdy, and ministers. There were six more tables on either side and in the back, where key government figures and those in charge of the culture and arts industries would sit. One of the tables was for KK. There were reporters at a ce behind the tables where permits were obtained. Today¡¯s schedule itself hinted at the tender rtionship between Korea and China and was an opportunity to show off the strong rtionship, so we were able to freely take photos and write articles except during the luncheon. As the content of the event was the content, most reporters were reporters from the entertainment and culture department, not political reporters. From the moment Dowook stepped inside, reporters picked up their cameras and started pressing the shutter like crazy. An article titled ¡°The Appearance of a Face Representing Korea¡± was posted on an inte news site in real time. There were especially many Chinese reporters, and they recognized Do-wook immediately and were pressing the shutter button more passionately than the Korean reporters. Reporters from Western countries looked like they wanted someone for a moment, but then they remembered KK who was on the invitation list. It was an amazing reaction to being able to see in person the face of the superstar who won the Rookie Award at the Billboard Awards. The six KK members sat in the seats with their names on them as they were weed by reporters. Ministers and other officials also arrived one after another. Since the KK members were the youngest among those who came here regardless of their positions, the KK members showed a polite attitude by standing up and saying hello every time someone came. Finally, Li Yuxi and the First Lady appeared, apanied by dozens of bodyguards. A barrage of shes poured in again. Unlike the First Lady¡¯s elegant attire in a jade blue suit, Li Yuxi was dressed quite extravagantly. He was wearing red suit pants and a gold brooch. At first nce, it seemed like he had a great interest in fashion. Li Yuxi waved his hand towards the reporter. Li Yuxi seemed to be in a pretty good mood. Li Yuxi and the First Lady went around the table and exchanged greetings with important people. I thought I would only say hello to a few scheduled tables, but unexpectedly, Li Yushi came up to the table where KK was. In fact, it was an unscheduled greeting time. The First Lady seemed momentarily embarrassed, but because Li Yuxi¡¯s personality was so proactive, she did not panic and came to KK¡¯s seat together and greeted him with a friendly smile. The fact that Li Yuxi watched ¡°Lovers from Space¡± was information that the Blue House had already investigated. That¡¯s why I invited KK to this event. However, Li Yuxi did not just watch the drama, but was a huge fan of the drama, especially Dowook. ¡°I really wanted to meet you!¡± When Li Yuxi spoke in Chinese, the interpreter next to him hurriedly tranted. Li Yuxi¡¯s bright expression also brightened the faces of Korean officials, including the First Lady, as they thought it was a good idea to sing KK. The KK members, who suddenly had to greet China¡¯s firstdy, were very stiff. It was a situation where their mistakes could be Korea¡¯s mistakes. Li Yuxi was not an anti-Korean faction who was opposed to the introduction of the Korean pop culture industry into China. The position was that China should fully ept and absorb Korea¡¯s advanced culture and move forward. Therefore, policy support has been actively added to allow Korean broadcasters and personnel toe to China. However, at some point, it was thought that Korean culture was being imported into China too indiscriminately, so sanctions were imposed. The Korean cultural industry market was already being greatly influenced not only by the domestic market but also by overseas markets, especially the Chinese and Japanese markets. This was because the size of capital changed. As such, it made huge profits when things were going well, but it suffered greatly when China imposed sanctions. Since he was such an important person, the members couldn¡¯t help but be nervous. Fortunately, Do-wook was treated as a state guest during the Chinese promotion of Lovers from Space and had already exchanged greetings with big names in the Chinese broadcasting industry. Although the positions were different, such experiences seemed to be helpful to Do-wook in exchanging greetings with Li Yu-si. The members also had experience working in China, so they were able to speak Chinese to some extent. The members bowed their heads and expressed their gratitude in Chinese. ¡°It is an honour.¡± Do-wook also answered in Chinese, and Li Yuxi offered to shake his hand. ¡°He is an actor that people in our country really like. ¡°It seems like there are many gem-like talents in Korea.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t there many good actors in China?¡± The First Lady responded to Li Yuxi¡¯spliment without hiding a proud smile. ¡°Is there an actor your wife might like?¡± Li Yuxi asked the First Lady. It was a sudden question, but the firstdy immediately named a couple of Chinese actors. These were the names of famous Chinese actresses that Dowook and the other members had heard of. But Li Yuxi shook his head and said: ¡°They were good actors too. But they are not the ones who will lead tomorrow like Mr. Do-wook.¡± The actresses the firstdy mentioned were popr actors in China, but they were all in their mid-40s. Li Yuxi did not seem offended. However, as the firstdy, she couldn¡¯t help but be a little embarrassed. When the firstdy was trying to calmly reply by asking Li Yuxi to introduce Chinese actors, Dowook responded. ¡°Isn¡¯t there an actor like Kwak Kai?¡± Li Yuxi¡¯s eyes lit up at Do-Wook¡¯s words. ¡°You mean Mr. Kwak Kai?¡± ¡°yes. Not long ago, the Chinese drama ¡®Hanwol Jiyeon¡¯ became very popr in Korea. Thanks to this, Kwak Kai, the lead actor, is very popr with Korean women.¡± ¡®Hanwol Jiyeon¡¯ was a drama that dealt with the history of the Han Dynasty and was in line with the Chinese government¡¯s minority policy. Li Yuxi smiled cheerfully. ¡°If it¡¯s Kwak Kai, it¡¯s worth it. Even when I see him, he looks handsome. ¡°As much as Mr. Do-wook.¡± ¡°haha. ¡°That¡¯s too much praise.¡± ¡°I hope you will ept our invitation in the future.¡± Dowook greeted Li Yuxi¡¯s words as if it was natural. Li Yuxi smiled and moved away. The First Lady smiled gently and expressed her gratitude to Dowook with a nce. It was clear that the atmosphere had be more friendly thanks to Do-wook. *** The visit to Korea by the Chinese President and his wife ended sessfully. In Korea, many great achievements were achieved not only politically and militarily, but also culturally. There were some concessions from Korea, but China willingly announced its intention to further lower the gates to the cultural industry for the time being and open the gates to allow more Korean culture to flow in. KK¡¯s appearance at the Blue House once again left asting impression on the public. A photo was taken of young men with clean-cut looks that would shine anywhere they were talking to Li Yuxi, and Li Yuxi¡¯s revtion that he was a fan of KK was covered in the news. Although China was a rtively powerful country, it was enough for the people to feel proud that Korea was culturally ahead. After returning from the Blue House, Lee Dae-hyung, head of the Hit Entertainment public rtions team, received an official letter requesting an email from the Blue House media team. ¡°I asked if I could use part of the KK music video in a promotional video for the Korean government that will be released around the world. Of course, after discussion, I epted.¡± ¡°Wow¡­.¡± ¡°A little representative of our country? ¡°That¡¯s what it feels like?¡± Kim Won opened his mouth and Ahn Hyeong-seo shrugged his shoulders. ¡°It will probably be promoted all over the world, starting with Times Square in New York next month.¡± Dowook also smiled happily. It was the day before the new album came out. Today, KK members, the CEO of Hit Entertainment, and all employees gathered for the final inspection. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung stood up and disyed arge PPT screen on the conference room wall. ¡°hmm. Well, first of all, we will show you the music video that will be released at midnight today. ¡°I will exin the guerri war that will begin tomorrow.¡± Chapter 189 # 190 Guerri Warfare (2) *** [KK¡¯seback is imminent! No ns to appear on TV?! Controversy] [Can KK win first ce without music broadcasts?] [Activities without music broadcasts? KK¡¯s new attempt! Indeed..] [The broadcasting stations that were trying to enjoy KK¡¯s special are embarrassed¡­] [Expecting new song views to continue exceeding 100 million views] [Billboard Grand Prize Blue House¡­ Where is this time? KK music video released tonight] . . After releasing the music video at midnight today, they will perform on stage through the Inte broadcast ¡®me app¡¯ produced by the Inte portal site ¡®Friends¡¯. The stage location and schedule have not been revealed, causing confusion among fans. . . -What¡­ hit enter, aren¡¯t you crazy? Why aren¡¯t you broadcasting ? ¨C Is this because it¡¯s a ss that doesn¡¯t have to be broadcast ? ¨C When is the performance? ¨C The broadcasting station isn¡¯t the problem. Then, where should we watch the performance?? -Hit Enter hahahaha After winning the grand prize twice, I turned around¡­ haha..haha ¨C They¡¯re performing on the Mi App, so why on earth is there no announcement ? ¨C They said they¡¯re just doing it between themselves. ¨C I¡¯m looking forward to the music video, but it¡¯s confusing. ¨C I want to see the 2222 stage with my own eyes! -Anyway, I would have had to stay up all night for the first three days because there were so many fans to go to the studio to see it, but it was good!! What I can¡¯t see, others can¡¯t see either!! ¨C Hahaha I went crazy ¨C I waited for a really long time for aeback ?? The members¡¯ fan-marketing team was already aware of the articles and fans¡¯ reactions so far. This was also something that was expected when nning the strategy for the new full-length album. However, instead of a music broadcast, more stages were prepared for fans. That was also the strategy. First, they chose an Inte portal site instead of a broadcastingpany. The power of the portal site ¡®Friends¡¯ was growing as much as music broadcasting in Korea. ¡®Friends¡¯ wanted to use its growing power to enjoy the same influence and advertising revenue as broadcasters and the global streaming site ¡®MyTube¡¯. Thus, the ¡®me app¡¯ was created. It was an inte broadcasting station for celebrities. To promote the ¡®me app¡¯, Friends suggested KK to broadcast the performance live. It was an enormous condition that covered all production costs for the performance. At the same time, it was a proposal worth considering on Friends¡¯ side. If we promoted it through KK, we would be able to capture not only domestic users but also users from around the world. At that time, KK was in the midst of preparing for aeback. Following winning the Billboard Rookie Award, KK became the singer who swept the grand prizes at all music broadcasting awards ceremonies in Korea, including the three broadcastingpanies and cable broadcastingpanies, for two consecutive years. In addition, KK¡¯s status was raised by the performance at the Blue House. Nevertheless, it was still therge entertainmentpanies that drove the broadcastingpanies. TBN and SVS had already given KK stage time for three songs. However, this time, the time was cut off by about 30 seconds. Moreover, one cable station, which is heavily influenced byrge entertainmentpanies, suddenly announced that the stage order would be in chronological order of debut year. Hit Entertainment also did not intend to monopolize the stage over other singers. The problem was that the intention was too obvious. Large entertainmentpanies had colluded and started to keep things in check. Although KK received the grand prize at the awards ceremony, Ara¡¯s Man to Man and Cheongwol¡¯s BIG receivedrger awards and hand-out awardspared to their performance, winning three and four awards. Just like before, I was watching. Large entertainmentpanies thought that Hit Entertainment had entered the market that they had been maintaining in bnce. Ara¡¯s general manager Seo Joong-won was not the only one under pressure from investors as he waspared to KK. All otherrge agencies were being reprimanded for not achieving the same results as KK. So Hit Enter was like a thorn in my eye. As a broadcastingpany, it was impossible for them to miss out on all the singers fromrge entertainmentpanies just because of KK. Since they didn¡¯t say they wouldn¡¯t treat me at all, I thought Hit Entertainment wouldn¡¯t be able to refuse. ¡°¡­We decided to try something new.¡± Team leader Lee Dae-hyung exined while flipping through the PPT screen. I just didn¡¯t say out loud that I decided not to be influenced by the broadcastingpany anymore. Hit Entertainment¡¯s employees nodded and sympathized with Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung¡¯s story. Even if it wasn¡¯t the fan-marketing team, employees in other departments were fully aware that KK¡¯s treatment at the broadcastingpany was worse than when a singer from anotherrge agency had the same performance. Even in Korea, there is no longer a singer who achieved the same results as KK. It was unprecedented. Until now, KK was not in a position to protest against the broadcasting power. But now, KK¡¯s side has also decided to take a chance. It was Dowook who started this story. ¡®If broadcastingpanies continue to look at the opinions ofrge entertainment agencies like this, it is time for us to find another way.¡¯ The person in charge of nning and operations who was surprised by Do-wook¡¯s words but also agreed at the same time was Joanie Joanie, the manager in charge of nning and operations. Manager Joanie also thought that in order to further grow Hit Entertainment, it was necessary to crack the cartel-like and inappropriate symbiotic rtionship between the broadcastingpany and the three major entertainmentpanies. Only then can small and medium-sized agencies like Hit Entertainment have thepetitive edge to grow significantly. Current KK was a very special case. This could only be done if you had a Joker card called K.K. ¡°Instead of appearing on music broadcasts, we decided to join forces with Friends and start performing nationwide through the me app.¡± Executives knew about this because it was something they had approved, but employees in other departments were surprised by the innovative promotional strategy. There were also concerns. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung continued his exnation while looking at the faces of the employees with a mixture of surprise and concern. ¡°It¡¯s a guerri war. The performance takes ce once every three days for a month. The performance location will be announced 3 hours in advance. ¡°We are working hard to maintain confidentiality within our team, so you shouldn¡¯t be upset if we don¡¯t tell you.¡± The employees opened their mouths andughed at the joking tone of Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung, who was giving a serious exnation. It was a joke, but it was also sincere. Of course, if this performance continued, information on the performance location would inevitably be leaked. However, it was hoped that even for the first performance, confidentiality would be maintained in line with the meaning of the performance, which was named ¡®Guerri Warfare¡¯. ¡°All performances are broadcast live around the world on the Inte through the me app.¡± Dowook and the members¡¯ eyes were sparkling. It was a new way of performing. It was a new challenge. ¡®Will it really be sessful?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t that there were no worries. However, the members had various experiences of sess. Therefore, rather than worry, my heart pounded with the new challenge and the sense of aplishment that would follow. ¡°Instead of going on music broadcasts, we are gathering buzz in the form of guerri performances. Will it seed? Where is next? ¡°There is bound to be a lot of attention throughout the entire month that the performancests.¡± The employees nodded. It wasn¡¯t that I wasn¡¯t going to appear on broadcast at all. Taehyung Park was scheduled to appear on ¡°Dancing Dancing¡± anyway. If they proved that they could sufficiently promote the album and seed without a broadcastingpany, it would be the music broadcast PDs who were leading the charge. Lim Seong-an, the team leader of the rookie development team who was present, also nodded and took a sip of the water in front of him, feeling his heart pounding. It seemed like just yesterday that the current members were selected through auditions, but they have be singers on apletely different level from the existing singers. So much so that we can try new projects like this. ¡°The intention is to travel around the country and meet more fans. It was judged that it fit well with the theme of ¡®Connection¡¯, the title song and name of this album. In addition to being sponsored by Friends, we also received support from the Korea Tourism Organization. ¡°If it bes a performance area, it will naturally promote the area.¡± On a micro level, it was a n that included the hope that fans would not have to stay up all night to listen to music broadcasts. Because there were so many fans who wanted to see KK¡¯s performance, it was necessary to amodate more people and conduct more frequent performances. Afterwards, Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung exined what efforts were needed at thepany level for this guerri war. After several exnations, Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung turned off the PPT screen. ¡°I would appreciate it if you could work hard together for a month.¡± The employees ended with apuse after Team Leader Daehyung Lee¡¯s greeting. Next, the president of Hit Entertainment gave a brief speech about Hit Entertainment¡¯s future vision. This project was only the beginning, and the n was to increase strength in the future so as not to be swayed byrge entertainmentpanies or broadcasting power. Lastly, the KK members stood up and bowed their heads to wish us well. Broadcastingpanies may be in an uproar for not being able to think ahead and bing arrogant during their rookie days, but the mindset of the KK members has not changed from the beginning. Rather, they just gained confidence that they could change something by working harder. The lights turned on in the dark conference room, and people began to leave their seats one by one. When the door opened, many people gathered together, making the stuffy air feel a little better. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung and other members of the fan-marketing team were organizing the conference room, while album production team leader Sim Jun and team members were talking about the final revision of the music video that had just been shown to the employees. Assistant Manager Kwon Woo-chan, who is in charge of performing for the album production team, came out of the conference room while busy answering the phone. Assistant Manager Kwon Woo-chan was one of the busier people on this project than Team Manager Lee Dae-hyung. This was because we had to prepare for a gueri performance to be held once every three days in conjunction with me app officials and an external performance team. Tomorrow was the first performance. Do-wook thought as he looked at Assistant Manager Kwon Woo-chan¡¯s busy appearance. ¡®Tomorrow¡¯s performance is also a performance, but the response to today¡¯s music video and music release must be good!¡¯ Winning the Billboard award was a clear achievement, but depending on the results of this album, it could have been ridiculed for being a one-time sensation and then fading away. ¡°You guys, hurry up and get some rest!¡± Director Oh Baek-ho shouted to the hesitating members remaining in the conference room. ¡°We have to gather 10,000 people at tomorrow¡¯s performance!¡± ¡°Heo-eok¡­¡± Ahn Hyeong-seo made a noise in surprise at Director Oh Baek-ho¡¯s words. The number of 10,000 people announced 3 hours ago was an absurd number. Currently, KK¡¯s target number of people is 1,000. It was surprising that he said ten times that much. ¡°you can do it. It¡¯s your K.K. do not forget!¡± KK members smiled and nodded at Director Oh Baek-ho¡¯s words. In fact, it was Director Oh Baek-ho who expressed the most concern about this strategy. However, he was also the person who supported KK more than anyone else. Director Oh Baek-ho was a conservative person. However, conservative opinions were clearly needed. It wasn¡¯t fun to encounter opposition, but thanks to that, I was able toe up with several alternatives. ¡®I could have thought about what would happen if this project failed¡­¡¯ Do-wook thought. But no project sets out to fail. I had to seed. *** It was 1 o¡¯clock on Saturday, twelve hours after KK¡¯s new song and music video were released. A huge pop-up window appeared on the main screen of the portal site Friends. ?Connection with KK! First Guerri Performance ? Minguk University Auditorium 4pm Connect with KK! At the same time, the performance will be broadcast live through the me app. . . KK¡¯s fan club, Key Rings, received a cell phone message with the same content an hour ago. Chapter 190 # 191 Guerri Warfare (3) *** KK was preparing for the performance in the waiting room behind the auditorium at Minguk University with a trembling heart. ¡°oh! It¡¯s also #1 on the one-hour chart!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve known it since I broke through the roof at dawn.¡± ¡°Ha¡­ I think I can breathe now. ¡°If it stays at number one on the real-time charts for about 12 hours, you can rx a little.¡± Ahn Hyeong-seo, Jeong Yoon-gi, and Seok Ji-hoon sat huddled together on chairs in the waiting room and checked the music charts. Hearing Seok Ji-hoon¡¯s words, Ahn Hyeong-seo and Jeong Yoon-gi looked nk for a moment. In fact, since KK¡¯s name value is now considerable, it was natural for it to top the real-time charts for several hours after the announcement. The question was, ¡®Can we maintain that ranking?¡¯ Even if you saw the name K.K. and listened to the song, if the song wasn¡¯t good, you would immediately press the stop button and your ranking would quickly drop. As winter bads have beening out recently, the music chart rankings have changed day by day. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that Ye Ji-eun¡¯s special album will be released tomorrow?¡± Hyungseo Ahn muttered as if he was talking to himself. Ye Ji-eun was a music powerhouse that captivated not only the younger generation but also the middle-aged with her clear voice. Ye Ji-eun was a singer who was considered worthy of winning first ce on the music charts. ¡°Once we lined up, Gao lined up. ¡°Ma¡± KK¡¯s albums were ranked from 1st to 6th on the music charts. The title song ¡®Connection¡¯ was first, followed by the included songs. Even this was half a sess. However, my mouth was bitter at the thought of losing the top spot on the music charts in just one day. Jeong Yoon-gi tried tofort himself. I was worried about how many people woulde to the guerri performance that would be held soon, and I was also worried about the music chart rankings. Confidencees and goes and disappears and then arises. In short, it went back and forth. No matter how high you were, you were always afraid of being evaluated. I was even more scared because it was the top position. ¡°Do not worry too much.¡± ¡°Brother Do-wook¡­.¡± Do-wook, who had finished preparing, said to the three people. Seok Ji-hoon was floating in the water and looked at Do-wook with an expression as if he was grasping for a straw. ¡°Why are you so worried when things are going well?¡± ¡°This is it¡­ phew¡­¡± Ahn Hyeong-seo sighed while trying to exin. As Do-wook said, things were going well. The response to the new song ¡®Connection¡¯ released was enthusiastic. Not only the music chart rankings, but also the number of music video views on MyTube was rising faster than ever. It was even ranked highly on foreign music charts. It also charted on the Billboard chart in an instant. We were achieving tremendous results in just one day. I wasn¡¯t worried about Ye Ji-eun, who was releasing an album tomorrow. Of course, Do-wook was well aware of that anxiety even without Ahn Hyeong-seo exining it. It was an anxiety that I couldn¡¯t help but feel because I was human. Moreover, theeback stage was apletely different type of stage. It was a stage where it was impossible to predict whether it would seed or fail. Because no one had challenged it, it was impossible to know the precedent¡­. KK was now creating its own path. One by one, the members entered Dowook¡¯s serious ck eyes. Dowook also wanted to relieve the members¡¯ tension. I wanted to share my anxiety. However, each person had their share that they had to endure. There was nothing I could do until I went on stage. Once the stage started, my body reacted first. The random thoughts that were wandering around in my head disappeared and only the voice calling me to sing dominated my mind. ¡°¡­I¡¯m just nervous.¡± Hyungseo Ahn said while taking a deep breath. ¡°I¡­¡± Park Taehyung, who appearedter, suddenly spoke. ¡°I think it will be as good as ¡®Continue¡¯, if not better than ¡®Continue¡¯.¡± It was rare for Taehyung Park to say something that drew attention. Taehyung Park seemed to have some confidence. The new song ¡®Connection¡¯ was sophisticated, just like KK¡¯s music. While ¡®Continue¡¯, which created a craze overseasst time and earned Billboard¡¯s Rookie of the Year award, was a powerful song, ¡®Connection¡¯ was an exciting yet soft song. When you think of KK, the group dance thates to mind was made up of movements with waves rather than precise movements. Although it was not possible to know all of the choreography just by watching the music video, fans were eager to see the stage as KK¡¯s changed point choreography movements. Taehyung Park was confident that after watching the performance, you would fall in love with the song ¡®Connection¡¯ even more than if you just listened to the song. This was because Taehyung Park, who learned singing with his body, was already like that. Of course, in order for many people to see the stage even without broadcasting, today¡¯s performance had to be sessful both online and offline. At Taehyung Park¡¯s words, Jeong Yoongi rxed his tense expression and smiled. ¡°I heard Taehyung said that, so I guess that¡¯s it.¡± The rest of the members also smiled and nodded. At that time, the waiting room door opened and a staff member stuck his head out and shouted. ¡°Please stand by! ¡°It¡¯s 10 minutes before the show!¡± ¡°Me!¡­.¡± The staff member disappeared into the waiting room, just shouting, ignoring Kim Won¡¯s call to ask how many people were outside. Outside the waiting room door, the staff were bustling about. Even if I had asked, there would have been no answer anyway. Even Director Oh Baek-ho left the waiting room to avoid members asking questions and was leading the scene from the concert hall. The KK members naturally gathered in a circle. ¡°Hehe¡­ no matter how many peoplee¡­ let¡¯s do our best to create the best stage.¡± Jeong Yoon-gi spoke in a trembling voice and looked at Do-wook. ¡°Hey kay!¡± Jeong Yoon-gi followed Do-wook¡¯s chant and shouted. ¡°You kay!¡± ¡°let¡¯s go!!!¡± The KK members¡¯ chants rang loudly in the waiting room. *** That time. In thergest conference room of the Friends headquarters building, executives rted to this project, including the CEO of Friends and the head of the me App business division, gathered to receive reports on the status of the me App live broadcast. ¡°It¡¯s really amazing!¡± The head of the Friends me app business division apuded while looking at the screen. On the screen, the number of people essing the me app in real time and the number of subscribers were rising rapidly. In the blink of an eye, the units had changed. As many as 350,000 people essed the me app to watch the live broadcast. An article about the number of people connected was already being published. The number of subscribers to the me app was reaching its maximum, and the goal set by Friends for the number of subscribers to the me app was already achievable within one day. As a domestic streaming site, it had thergest number of subscribers. Considering that the performance hasn¡¯t even started yet and there are nine more performances left, it was an incredible goal achievement rate. This kind of mobilization was possible because KK¡¯s fans were not only in Korea but also overseas. It was having a tremendous effect as fans from all over the world flocked to it. As the Chinese government¡¯s regtions, which are still highly regted on the Inte, were rxed only for Korean sites, fans from China were also flowing in. The number of Chinese KK fans was an unthinkable number in Korea. Real-time search terms on the Friends site were filled with keywords rted to KK, such as ¡®me app KK Minkook University guerri KKeback connection¡¯. It was an event that was quite interesting not only for KK fans but also for the general public. ¡°Director Park, isn¡¯t this really amazing?¡± The head of the me app business team, who was looking at the screen together, said. The me app was a project that took a lot of effort for Friends, which aims to expand its business beyond Inte portal sites and into broadcasting. ¡°This is huge!¡± Director Park said excitedly, as if he were singing a song called Lulu L. ¡°Hey, assistant manager Shin sang the song KK KK. The effect was amazing. We would have to promote it twelve months out of the year. ¡°It¡¯s even more amazing abroad!¡± There were many concerns when using the capital that was supposed to hire several stars as models to produce a performance for the KK team. However, afterparing various evaluation tables and profit models, Director Park made his current choice, and his mouth was torn as he realized that it was exactly the right choice. ¡°I don¡¯t know if Deputy Shin is crying at the scene right now.¡± ¡°How¡¯s the scene?¡± When deciding on an advertising model, Assistant Manager Shin argued several times that KK should be used as the main model, as it would have a clear advertising effect even if a little more money was spent. At the same time, I was dispatched as a me app representative in charge of overseeing the scene. The director answered Director Park¡¯s question. ¡°It¡¯s huge. ¡°Currently, fans who couldn¡¯t get into the concert hall are standing in line outside Minguk University.¡± ¡°what? ¡°You said you couldn¡¯t all get in there?¡± ¡°yes.¡± The capacity of the Minkuk University auditorium was about 5,000 people. The smile on Director Park¡¯s smiling face gradually disappeared. ¡°This is this¡­.¡± ¡°Huh? Any problem¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just going to be a hit, it¡¯s going to be a real uproar, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± The director nodded. Everything was more than I thought. It wasn¡¯t just KK and Friends staff fans or the general public who were paying close attention to the results of today¡¯s performance. Broadcasting officials and officials fromrge entertainmentpanies were also gnashing their teeth or anxiously waiting for the results. KK¡¯s performance in coboration with Friends. If it were to be a sensation just by broadcasting it live on the Inte rather than through a broadcastingpany, the power that had been solidified so far would be cracked. Broadcastingpanies were no longer the only way for stars to reach the public. Another window was created for many stars. And there were already no restrictions for KK. At that moment, the number of connected users exceeded 400,000. It was 1 minute before the performance. *** The screen that users of the me app were looking at showed an empty stage. Time was counting down at the top right of the screen. It was only a minute before the performance, but because everyone was muted, it was difficult to know the situation at the scene just by looking at the screen. However, the audience was full, filling 5,000 seats. Even so, about 1,000 fans surrounded the Minguk University auditorium building for a long time, hoping to hear any sounding out of the building. There are 400,000 fans from all over the country and around the world who couldn¡¯t go to the concert hall but want to share this stage with them. Everyone saw it with their own eyes, and articles about the heat were pouring in. The only person unaware of this situation was KK, who was wearing earplugs. In order to capture the dramatic moment of K.K.¡¯s surprise, me app and the people in charge of the performance asked K.K. to wear earplugs before going on stage. A state in which no sound is heard. The members saw the staff¡¯s signal and began to go up to the stage, step by step. The first to take a step was Dowook. I was dazzled by the intense stage lighting. Behind the stage, where there was only darkness, things that had been invisible began to appear one by one. As Do-wook¡¯s silhouette was seen, the audience at the concert hall erupted in cheers. It was a roar that seemed to pierce the ceiling of the main auditorium. Dowook slowly took off his earplugs. ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh !!!!!!¡± Dowook¡¯s face was captured with his mouth open and an ecstatic expression on his face as he looked at the audience filling the me app screen. At the same time, numerous posts were being posted quickly in thement window. The servers that Friends had already expanded to amodate a certain number of people were bing unstable. Do-wook calmed down his emotions and stood at the designated spot. Other members came up afterwards and, like Dowook, witnessed the scene before their eyes. When all six members were on stage, the prelude to ¡®Connection¡¯ began. Chapter 191 # 192 Guerri Warfare (4) When you think you¡¯re alone, look back, there I am standing, you and me, wherever the wind blows, like the stars in the night sky We are all connected¨D connected¨D connected¨D We are all¨D ¡®Connection¡¯ too Dowook was in charge of bothposition and lyrics. Normally, depending on the song, I would receive help from others, but in the case of ¡®Connection¡¯, it was a song written entirely with my own thoughts from the moment of inspiration topletion, without anyone else¡¯s intervention. In particr, when ites to lyrics, the word most often written in fan cafes and fan letters is none other than ¡®it was afort¡¯. During difficult times, I was able to gain strength by listening to KK¡¯s song. Those words once again gave strength to the KK members. As has been the case with KK¡¯s songs so far, this time too, I wanted to deliver a message to those who would listen to KK¡¯s songs. Now, not only people in Korea but also people in countries they have never been to have listened to KK¡¯s songs and liked them. There were some who listened without knowing the meaning of the lyrics, but most of them tried to enjoy the song by interpreting it in English and in their ownnguage. ¡®Is there a message that can bemunicated to everyone?¡¯ I didn¡¯t have to think for long. Loneliness is an emotion that everyone has. And singing was one of the best tools tofort it. Dowook immediately titled it ¡®Connection¡¯ and wrote the lyrics. ¡®Everyone has moments when they feel like they are alone in the world. If there was a song to be with at that moment¡­ ¡­ .¡¯ Because Dowook knew that feeling well, the first draft of the lyrics waspleted quickly. After several revisions, it became the current lyrics of ¡®Connection¡¯. It was about being connected anytime, anywhere, so you are not alone. The lyrics would also be meaningful to the huge group of KK fan keyrings scattered around the world. In the chorus, the soft harmony created by Do-wook and Ahn Hyeong-seo was excellent. The six members lined up flexibly rode the wave to the lyrics ¡®Connected¨D¡¯. Even though it was a wave, it was a precise movement as if it were really connected as one. ¡°Kya-!!!¡± ¡°oh my god!¡± ¡°Aaaah!¡± ¡°KAYK!!!¡± ¡°Kyaaha -ah! Additionally, the choreography of turning the waist was a provocative choreography that had not been attempted before. Even when the music video was released, mouths were already dropping, and it was even more so when I saw it in person. The cheers of the fans at the scene were loud. As they entered the interlude, the members disappeared to the side of the stage one by one. Taehyung Park was the only one left in the middle of the stage. It was a dance break section specially created for guerri performances. Since there was no need to be restricted by broadcast time, it was okay for a song to exceed 5 minutes in length. Taehyung Park performed choreography like modern dance in tune with the music. Taehyung Park, wearing a long-sleeved shirt, created beautiful lines by fluttering his sleeves every time he moved his arms. ¡°Park Taehyung!¡± ¡°Park Taehyung!¡± The fans chanted Taehyung Park¡¯s name to the beat as if they were mesmerized. The rhythmic interlude progressed and the song naturally returned to the original song. Then, one by one, they entered the center of the stage as if riding a wave, showing confident expressions. As promised, the me app broadcast camera took close-ups of the members¡¯ facial expressions one by one. Those who were watching the live broadcast felt that it took their breath away even though the screen was not clear due to an unstable server. I couldn¡¯t imagine how hot the scene would be. The scene was truly a crucible of enthusiasm. The song wasing to an end. One by one, the members turned around and walked to the back of the stage. Do-wook, who was thest to remain, raised his finger and extended it toward the audience. ¡°wait.¡± The song ended with Do-wook¡¯s low-pitched narration. There was silence for about a second. It was like taking a moment to take a breath to let out a shout. ¡°Ahh! Dowook!¡± One of Dowook¡¯s fans shouted as if he was about to faint. After that, many people started screaming. Now that all the members had disappeared to the back of the stage, the stage was empty, but it didn¡¯t look empty. The cheers of fans were filling even the stage. ¡°Ke- this- ke- this!!!¡± ¡°Ke- this- ke- this!!!¡± ¡°Ke- this- ke- this!!!¡± It was a shout that shook the auditorium. It was a performance that was worth rushing to the concert hall a month after receiving the sudden notice. Fans have seen KK¡¯s stage many times, but today¡¯s performance of ¡®Connection¡¯ was something new again. Many people thought that K.K. had already reached the peak of his abilities during ¡®Continue¡¯. But there was more after that. The details that had not been paid attention to due to the need for strength came to life more vividly, and the sight of them bing one despite the softness was enough to make those watching the stage feel a thrill. KK continued to evolve. At that moment, the number of concurrent users using the me app was well over 500,000. *** [KK Guerri performance is amazing! It can¡¯t be better than this!] [Guerri performed five songs at a free concert¡­ KK¡¯s poprity continues.] [KK¡¯s evolution theory¡¯s perfecteback!] [The whole world was watching! The number of views on the KK performance video exceeded 5 million in a short period of time!] [There are too many advertisements on the me app¡¯s KK performance, so much so that it¡¯s embarrassing¡­ .] [Where is the next performance? KK fans are in a state of extreme tension!] [Connection KK¡¯s philosophy that has be a huge sess once again.] [Me App has the greatest economic effect among domestic sites for overseas subscribers¡­ .] [Guerri performance sessfullypleted¡­ KK is everything?] ¡­ ¡­ -It was really creepy. ¨DI almost cut my mouth off while watching the performance¡­ It¡¯s really perfect. There¡¯s no w whatsoever. ¨DIs it true that it was live??? real??? ¨DHe is a national treasure-level singer. Haha ¨C I saw that the video was edited. What is the title of the bad song? I love this song~ KK Fighting! ¨DKK¡¯s cafette~! ¨D???Are you aiming for a coffee advertisement? -I wasn¡¯t a fan to begin with, but I heard it was a guerri performance this time, so I yed it for a while and couldn¡¯t turn it off, so I watched the whole thing. I knew he was good, but he was really good. I was proud to be a Korean singer, and Kang Do-wook had the skills to make me think he was a real alien¡­ Even the girl who danced alone in the middle did well ¨C I¡¯m really proud of her as a KK fan. ?? ¨DI am a housewife raising two children. My child liked it so much that I became a fan too! ¨DWhere is the next performance? Really, please let me know. ¨DI heard that they are performing not only in Seoul, but all over the country¡­ I hope many peoplee to ces where it is difficult to enjoy performance culture¡­ . ?? ?? ¨C Since it started with that purpose, it will likely go to a lot of local areas as well. Haha ¨C I couldn¡¯t go to the concert because I didn¡¯t have money, but when I saw the guerri performance this time, I was so happy that I cried. ?? Brothers, thank you for making memories in my life and I love you! ¨DConnection song is really good~~! -Thanks to you, my eyes and ears were refreshed. ^^ ¨DIf I die after seeing KK¡¯s performance just once, I will have no wish. After the performance is over. Thement section became a ce where new fans who fell in love with KK posted their testimonies. It was even said that the entire nation would be KK¡¯s fans in this way. Although it was only a live performance using the Inte, it had a huge impact. Another big reason is that the portal site called Friends has be an indispensable portal site for Koreans after themercialization of smartphones. Hit Entertainment¡¯s strategic analysis, which correctly recognized that the power of portal sites is sometimes greater than that of music broadcasting, worked. Of course, the power of the group called K.K. was also great. Because it was well-known and had a strong fan base, a certain degree of sess was already expected. However, what had an even greater impact was what KK showed during the performance. KK¡¯s energy while performing captivated those watching the live broadcast. Those who watched out of curiosity also fell in love with the performance. Even the music video stage. Everythingpletely captivated people. Because the poprity of the song ¡®Connection¡¯ itself was enormous, the whole of Korea was abuzz with KK. Beyond simply listening to and enjoying the song, everyone wanted to see the big star KK at least once, so many people were excited with anticipation about where the next guerri performance would be and whether they could go to the concert hall. And three days after the first performance. News of new performances decorated the Friends site. ?Connection with KK! Second Guerri Performance ? Tongyeong Saryangdo Special Stage Connect with KK at 7pm ! At the same time, the performance will be broadcast live through the me app. *** ¡°Tongyeong?¡± Album production team leader Shim Jun, who was reporting to assistant manager Kwon Woo-chan, asked in surprise. Although he is said to be within the album production team, in fact, the work of the album production team and the performance nning done by assistant manager Kwon Woo-chan were notpletely the same. Therefore, unless team leader Shim Jun was directly rted to album production, he was generally only doing the job of signing on as the primary approval authority for Assistant Manager Kwon Woo-chan¡¯s work. Assistant Manager Kwon Woo-chan, who was on the chubby side, lost a lot of weight during the time he spent preparing for the performance. The area under his eyes was a little dark, so Team Leader Shim Jun felt sorry for him. However, thanks to this, KK¡¯s first guerri performance ended sessfully. This was now the second performance. After hearing the location of the second performance, Team Leader Sim Jun was surprised and asked. ¡°Love Tongyeong?¡± ¡°Oh no. ¡°Saryang too.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s Tongyeong, isn¡¯t it Namhae? It¡¯s not a ce you can go by train¡­ ¡­ . ¡°It gets tough from the second time.¡± At Team Leader Sim Jun¡¯s words, Assistant Manager Kwon Woo-chan also nodded as if he understood. However, the location was decided after collecting opinions from KK members, the me app production team, Korea Tourism Organization, and other officials. The first performance was a big challenge, but the second performance could have been an even bigger challenge due to the location. But it was also very meaningful. This was because it was a ce that fit perfectly with the intention of starting the guerri performance, which was to visit any ce without hesitation for those who had little opportunity to see KK. ¡°It must be a lot of pressure on the members¡­ ¡­ .¡± It was a thought that came to mind right away because Team Leader Sim Jun knew very well how nervous the members were backstage during the first performance. Assistant Manager Kwon Woo-chan also nodded. Due to the great sess of the first performance, many people¡¯s attention was focused. If the second performance was not as sessful as expected, there would be many people who criticized it, saying that this was KK¡¯s limit. ¡°But actually¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°uh?¡± ¡°When the Tourism Office proposed it, we and me app opposed it.¡± ¡°right? ¡°I thought this was what the tourism office wanted.¡± ¡°The members said they liked it. ¡°That¡¯s why I do it.¡± Team leader Sim Jun opened his eyes wide as if he was puzzled. ¡°He really wants to go somewhere. If there¡¯s at least one person who would want to see them¡­ ¡­ . ¡°In fact, he said he would like to go to a ce where there is only one person.¡± Team leader Sim Jun¡¯s eyes deepened at Assistant Manager Kwon Woo-chan¡¯s words. It was because I could feel how much the members I had seen since they were rookies had grown and that they had now be bigger yers than myself, the head of the album production team. *** The day of the Saryangdo performance in Tongyeong. Only after the notice was posted and they arrived at Saryangdo Ind were the members able to realize for themselves why those who saw the notice were shocked and worried. It was deste, and the only people I could see on the road were elderly people who couldn¡¯t possibly listen to KK¡¯s music. Moreover, it was a weekday. The few students and young people were all out at school or work. Of course, the performance time was evening, but since there was no one in front of them, the members began to feel anxious. In addition, those setting up the stage were having a hard time. It was early March, spring had not yet arrived, and the wind was blowing very strongly. Chapter 192 # 193 #KK (1) ¡°Uuuh!¡± ¡°Wow. ¡°The wind is no joke.¡± The members who arrived at the simple waiting room made of a tent shivered from the sound of the wind blowing outside. Even if it was the same wind, the power blowing straight from the sea was different. The height of the waves crashing over the blue sea that you can see just by looking at it was quite high. Whatever the wind, the notice had already gone out and the performance was just around the corner. The members were startled by the force of the wind that seemed to break through the thin fabric, but they busily moved around and changed their costumes. Because we performed five songs in one hour, including the speaking time, we had to wear not one, but two sets of stage costumes. In addition to the costumes, there were also stages to match. This was because today¡¯s performance included songs that were different from the previous first performance. Dowook came out of the busy tent. Outside, stage setup and checks were in full swing. The sound equipment setup seemed to have beenpleted, and the staff was using tape and twine to fix the small lights installed on the stage. It was a scene that seemed as hectic as the situation inside. Director Oh Baek-ho was seen talking with Kwon Woo-chan, acting director of stage production. There was concern on the faces of the three people. Director Oh Baek-ho, who discovered Do-wook, spoke to him. ¡°Do-wook. Where.¡± ¡°The staff said I should turn around and go to the public restroom in the back.¡± Manager Oh Baek-ho nodded at Do-wook¡¯s answer. Because the stage was set up in a location other than the original performance location, the environment was inevitably poor. It was fortunate that there was no one there yet. There are two hours left until the performance. So far, the only people who saw the stage being set up and the promotional text written on the banner were the elderly people who came out to see what was going on. It felt a bit odd to see the staff members standing around to help arrange the audience. ¡°Ugh¡­ can the performance go ahead?¡± In response to Do-wook¡¯s question, Director Baek-ho Oh said as if he should not worry too much. ¡°uh? what. ¡°Local people say that the wind will be stronger as night falls.¡± ¡°Oh yeah? thank god.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m d it¡¯s a nice day and the wind isn¡¯t blowing. Well, the directing team said they came fully prepared, so you just focus on the stage.¡± ¡°yes.¡± Dowook rxed a little and answered. ¡°Anyway, no matter how many people there are, why go alone? ¡°Just in case, go with Cheolmin.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay¡­¡± ¡°Hey! Cheolmin!¡± Before Do-wook could stop him, Director Oh Baek-ho called Gu Cheol-min. Director Oh Baek-ho¡¯s voice calling for Koo Cheol-min was enough to make Saryangdo cry. Even though it was at the end of the Korean Penins, it was near the concert hall. It wouldn¡¯t be a big problem, but if Do-wook wandered around alone and had even a small problem with his personal life, there would be an uproar over how he managed his celebrity in these days. Gu Cheol-min, who was chatting with the coordinators near the entrance to the simple waiting room, quickly followed the gesture of Director Oh Baek-ho. ¡°Tell the other kids to leave before the crowds gather. ¡°Unless you want to go to the bathroom with everyone watching.¡± ¡°haha. yes.¡± To Director Oh Baek-ho¡¯s words, Do-wook responded with a shy smile. ¡°The wind should calm down soon¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s better than before?¡± Do-wook spoke with the hope that everyone would not have a hard time, and Gu Cheol-min responded. I was wondering if that was the case and was raising my hand to feel the wind. ¡°That¡­ wow! sir!¡± It was a narrow street a little away from the stage. In front of a shabby public restroom, an old man with a bent back was standing calling out to Do-wook and Gu Cheol-min. Although the sun had set and it was dark, I could clearly see my white hair and deep wrinkles. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Gu Cheol-min asked, although he was a little wary. It was just a very basic boundary when dealing with strangers. ¡°Leisure¡­ Is it true that it is Keke or Keki?¡± ¡°yes? I beg your pardon?¡± ¡°yes! That¡¯s right, old man.¡± Do-wook responded kindly instead of Gu Cheol-min, who couldn¡¯t understand because he listened half-heartedly. ¡°But you have to go further over there.¡± When Do-wook pointed toward the stage, the old man nodded, patted his knee, and grumbled. ¡°Hi¡­ my granddaughter was so fussed about going there to see it, so I packed it up and came¡­ but I don¡¯t know what picture to take¡­ I don¡¯t even know how to take a picture. Uzzano.¡± In the old man¡¯s right hand, he held an old-fashioned flip phone that is hard to find anymore. If you tried to take a picture of the stage from the audience, it didn¡¯t seem like it would be possible to take a picture. Gu Cheol-min, who had been listening to theint, was about to end the conversation by nodding his head as if to send the old man away. ¡°Is it difficult for your granddaughter toe?¡± Dowook asked. ¡°uh? My daughter goes to school in Seoul. I¡¯m already a national student, but the teacher is telling me to take pictures of something instead of studying. Hi, it¡¯s a bridge. ¡°I¡¯m already over eighty years old¡­¡± The old man hesitated despite the short question. After hearing it briefly, I felt like I knew it. It seemed that my young granddaughter, who was attending elementary school, was a fan of KK. When they heard that there was a performance in Tongyeong, it was clear that even an elderly woman living in Tongyeong urged them to go. Since he couldn¡¯t go, he probably desperately wanted someone he knew to go. One thing the young granddaughter overlooked was that she would rather watch the live broadcast on theputer than take pictures with the old man¡¯s cell phone. At that moment, the flip phone the old man was holding rang loudly. Gu Cheol-min signaled that all was well and that he should leave, but Do-wook did not feel at ease. All of the people passing by on the street, regardless of age or gender, came down to Tongyeong with the intention of seeing the performance and having fun, but they did not want the elderly who should be resting at home toe here and suffer. ¡°It came.¡± -really? Did you really go? grandma? ¡°Am I right. ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me to go?¡± The granddaughter¡¯s surprised voice came out from the flip phone, which was turned on to the maximum volume. As Dowook expected, the voice was very young, as if he was in the lower grades of elementary school. ¡°Elder.¡± Dowook called the old man. The old man who was on the phone looked at Dowook in surprise as if asking what was going on. If we send the old man away like this, he will see KK¡¯s performance. However, without any reward from watching the performance for my granddaughter, I would only get photos that did not show her face properly, and my granddaughter would be very disappointed. The granddaughter¡¯s disappointment was the disappointment of the old man who came to the concert hall out of love for his granddaughter. A small action on your part could bring joy instead of disappointment. ¡°A well-mannered student asked me to change it for a moment.¡± -huh? who? The old man handed the flip phone to Do-wook with a slightly puzzled look. ¡°hello. ¡°Miss Jeong-eun.¡± -Ah yes! hello! But who are you? Dowook responded with a small smile to the bright voice. ¡°I¡¯m Kang Do-wook.¡± -Huh?!¡­ Huh. Really? Are you really Dowook oppa? ¡°yes. My grandmother met me here in front of the concert hall. Miss Jeong Eun. ¡°Did you ask your grandmother to take pictures of our performance?¡± -yes! yes Oppa, that¡¯s a key ring! I also joined the cafe! ¡°haha. thank you. ¡°But my grandmother¡¯s cell phone is so old that I don¡¯t think I can take pictures.¡± -Oh really? The young student quickly became excited, but then quickly made a sad voice that conveyed disappointment. ¡°yes. ¡°Can I take a selfie on my phone instead?¡± -yes?!!! ¡°Grandma, can you go home instead? ¡°I heard your legs hurt too¡­¡± ¨C Wow. yes yes of course! Oppa really! I really like it! Dowook¡¯s smile deepened as he heard the clear voice. When I handed the phone back to the old man, I heard the excited granddaughter shouting to her grandmother, thanking her and saying she loved her. The call ended after someone told me to go home quickly. ¡°Did my daughter boil and eat the train barrel?¡± The old man muttered in a voice that was difficult to understand. Nevertheless, her face was full ofughter, as if she was proud of her granddaughter¡¯s happy voice and confession of love. A deep sense of pride spread through Dowook¡¯s heart. ¡®Yes, even if I don¡¯t necessarily aplish something huge¡­ I¡¯m so happy that I can bring these small joys to someone¡¯s life by bing a star¡­¡¯ Do-wook thought and hung up the phone. I took several selfies with the old man¡¯s flip phone. The ugly streetmp in front of the public restroom provided illumination. But there was no need for fancy lighting. In the photo, a soft glow was emanating from Dowook¡¯s face. *** ¡°Let¡¯s go, K-K!¡± The KK members shouted slogans again and went up on stage, rubbing their eyes. ¡°oh my god.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t help but open my mouth. I was even more surprised because I had already seen the scenery around the stage when the announcement had just been made. The area around the stage, which was extremely peaceful and quiet, was filled with over 2,000 fans. About 2,000 spectators in three hours on an ind with poor essibility. No matter how you think about it, it was surprising. The performance staff, who had prepared the audience with a generous expected number of people around 1,000, were surprised by the crowds just before the performance, so they wasted a lot of effort to install additional seats. ¡°Aaaah!¡± ¡°K-K!¡± Watching KK appear on stage, fans once again cheered without hesitation. As soon as they heard the news, many people, not only those living in Tongyeong but also from Geoje Ind, Busan, and even Yeosu, booked tickets and rushed over. All seats for the train after 6 o¡¯clock from Geoje and Busan to Tongyeong were already sold out. In the fanmunity, fans with personal vehicles came forward and brought nearby fans. As we gathered together in groups of twos and threes, so many fans had already gathered. The number of people on site wasrge, but the number of people watching the live broadcast was even more impressive. Due to the circumstances, not many fans were able toe to the venue, and the main reason was that the first performance went viral. Although the me app had already expanded its servers, the number of concurrent users of 800,000 was astounding. It was an even more incredible record considering that all times around the world are different. All the officials below the stage, including Manager Oh Baek-ho and Assistant Manager Kwon Woo-chan and Koo Cheol-min, shook their heads as they checked the number of connected users on their mobile phones. It seemed like there was nothing that could stop KK from where he was now. Unlike the first performance, the first song of today¡¯s performance was ¡®Blue Sky¡¯. The song was chosen considering that the age group would be rtively older. When KK began singing ¡®Blue Sky¡¯ passionately, the audience sang along with ¡®Blue Sky¡¯ in unison. During the live performance, the sound of the wind was mixed in like noise, but it was at a simr level to other outdoor performances. The sound of waves asionally yed there, creating a certain elegance. Even the middle-aged people in mountaineering clothes and the elderly in colorful flower-patterned clothes were shaking their shoulders and saying, ¡°It¡¯s crazy, but it¡¯s worth seeing!¡± One of the older people, whose face was red because he had already served lunch, shouted. He was a resident living in a neighborhood near the stage. The surrounding residents giggled and nodded. It was a quiet ce where the ¡®National Singing Contest¡¯ came and went once 5 years ago and there have been no events since. All the residents came out and enjoyed the noisy time. This was the picture that the KK members wanted. Below the stage, the elderly person whom Do-wook sent back earlier was also pping andughing, albeit clumsily. Since I was here, I decided to go see the performance. Dowook¡¯s voice became louder as he checked the elderly people in the audience. Next was the second song, ¡®Connection¡¯. Just when the stage was going smoothly with Jeonju, the wind started to blow strongly. *** And that time. A series of key figures were summoned to the office of the president of broadcasting station TBN. Chapter 193 # 194 #KK (2) And that time. A series of key figures were summoned to the office of the president of broadcasting station TBN. The head of the entertainment and music channel and the PD of TBN¡¯s public music broadcast program ¡®Music Counter¡¯ were seated one after another, and there were also PDs of other music broadcast programs. Recently, KK¡¯s guerri performance in coboration with the me app achieved tremendous results, and the broadcastingpany¡¯s music program managers were in a state of extreme tension. Theeback of KK, who was originally a top idol in Korea and even won the Billboard Rookie Award, was one of the biggest issues in the music industry this year. When KK made aeback and dered that she would not do any music broadcasts, those in charge of music broadcast programs could not help but feel dizzy. Of course, behind KK¡¯s decision, there was the convenience of music broadcasting program officials with whom he had formed a close rtionship for a long time at arge agency, but in the beginning, people cannot see their own dust and only criticize others¡¯ dust. They came back from Billboard and said that they thought it was their world, so they said things like let¡¯s see if it goes well without appearing on TV. But it really was KK¡¯s world. Even though KK did not appear on TV and did not receive any special broadcast scores, she achieved first ce on the weekly music broadcast program that made hereback. Because it was such an unrivaled first-ce result, we had no choice but to give it first ce. On the screen, instead of KK, music show MCs were shown congratting KK on several asions. The sess of the first performance was not something to just look at. There were also hard-line broadcasters who said they would not give first ce if the singer did not appear in a hurry and were preparing to give first ce to another singer next week. It was the distorted pride of a broadcastingpany that had been in a superior position until now. Of course, those broadcasters had a closer rtionship withrge entertainmentpanies. However, most broadcastingpanies reprimanded those involved in music broadcasting programs. Even though their collusion extended to the upper echelons of the broadcastingpany, only the working-level staff were dying. The producer of ¡®Music Counter¡¯, whose ratings had fallen, came here expecting to be reprimanded, so this ce felt like a thorn in the side. ¡°How much time is left until the broadcast?¡± The TBN president asked his secretary. ¡°Ten minutes left.¡± When the secretary answered, the boss nodded and said. The TBN president was nning to watch KK¡¯s second performance, which will be broadcast live on KK¡¯s me app, along with those gathered today. ¡°Even though we im to be a channel specializing in music, we must really reflect on the fact that we were not able to n a portal site called Friends.¡± Hearing the president¡¯s words, the ¡®Music Counter¡¯ PD closed his eyes tightly. The head of the entertainment and music channel also sighed softly. ¡°How many times have I told you about new content? That¡¯s it. That one. That¡¯s new content. Is it just new? Look at the profitability.¡± The TBN president paused for a moment . In fact, TBN was a broadcastingpany that maintained a good rtionship with KK and Hit Entertainment. Of course, like other broadcastingpanies,rge entertainmentpanies such as Ara Entertainment had to worry about this before. This was all the more inevitable because it was a cable broadcastingpany. However, as KK grew after receiving investment from Taehwa, who is also an investor in Hit Entertainment, TBN strategically worked to improve its rtionship with Hit Entertainment. This was a situation that urred in the midst of such a situation. From TBN¡¯s perspective, it was quite unfair to be tied up with another broadcastingpany that had continued the practice of working withrge broadcastingpanies. But anyway, TBN and Hit Entertainment were still actively discussing Park Tae-hyung¡¯s appearance on , so there was still room. Rather, the TBN president¡¯s idea was to use this time as an opportunity. Since it is a cable broadcastingpany, it was calcted that it would be an opportunity to relieve its own resentment of being treated worse than terrestrial music broadcasting byrge entertainmentpanies. ¡°It already happened. I won¡¯t talk too much. Let¡¯s watch the live broadcast together today and think about the directions that Music Counter and other music broadcasting programs should take in the future.¡± ¡°yes. president.¡± When the head of the entertainment and music channel responded, the president looked at the head and said, ¡°After seeing the response to this performance, let¡¯s contact Hit Entertainment again.¡± ¡°yes. ¡°We are talking about many things right now.¡± ¡°is it so.¡± Soon, KK¡¯s Saryangdo performance was broadcast live. There was a huge crowd of people and an unexpected picture that could not have been imagined as Saryangdo Ind in Tongyeong. It was refreshing and even touching in some ways. It was obvious that the response to today¡¯s performance would also be the best. There was quite a bit of tension in the audiovisual room watching the live broadcast. *** Like the stars in the night sky, We are all connected¨D connected¨D connected¨D We are all¨D Although the wind was so strong that it was impossible to see in front of them as their faces were covered by their hair, the KK members performed on stage with all their passion and passion. The excitement of the audience enjoying the stage never seemed to cool down. ¡°oh my god! Ugh, am I dreaming now? ¡°Pinch me.¡± ¡°uh? ¡°Pinch me?¡± ¡°Ahh! Just a little pinch!¡± ¡°Hey Dowook. Do-wook oppa center!¡± Compared to the seniors pping next to them, the life of 18 was too short, but despite this, the Tongyeong girls knew that this moment was an unforgettable memory in their lives. ¡°Kyaaa -ah!¡± A student who was Do-wook¡¯s fan, not knowing that his pinched cheek was red and swollen, screamed at Do-wook who came to the front of the stage. After Dowook¡¯s part, it was time for the interlude to begin. Pot! The wind, which seemed to be calming down, blew once again, causing a problem with the sound equipment. All the sounds that had been pounding my eardrums had disappeared. ¡°uh?¡± ¡°uh!¡± The audience that was cheering formed arge group, and the members who were performing the next choreography couldn¡¯t help but be embarrassed. There was a moment of silence in Saryangdo Ind, which was noisy as if it was about to leave. Those watching the live broadcast were also taken aback by the sudden music cutoff and realized that a broadcasting ident had urred. There was no problem during the broadcasting process, but rather a problem with the stage itself. The staff was in an uproar. The song was continuously ying on the connectedputer, but there was no sound, so the sound engineer rushed to the speaker to quickly determine the cause. The sound manager, who was trying to wirelessly tell people to stop ying music for a moment while checking the speakers, was even more embarrassed when he saw what was on stage. Since the song was cut off, the choreography could no longer be performed. I thought the members were nkly waiting for the song to start again. The members were performing the next choreography precisely to their own beat, with only the unapanied sound of the wind being heard. There was no microphone sound and it was not even possible to sing separately because it was interlude. Nevertheless, the movements of the six members were exactly the same, starting with Dowook in the middle. It seemed like all I had to do was add an interlude on top. Among those looking at the screen, some checked several times to see if their cell phone andputer speakers were faulty. The audience, which had been surprised by the sudden silence, was already responding to KK¡¯s movements. The sound manager who confirmed the problem quickly reced the speaker terminals. ¡®Connection¡¯ was ying continuously on theputer, so the song started ying immediately after I reced the connector. This was the point where Seok Ji-hoon¡¯s part began again after the interlude ended. ¡°When you think you are alone, look back!¡± Seok Ji-hoon continued singing live in a refreshing manner. Even though the choreography was done without apaniment, the members¡¯ beats were urate. Even if I covered my ears and eyes, I felt like I would put on a perfect performance. ¡°Kyaaa -ah ¡ª¡± ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°Amazing¡­.¡± ¡°My little son is so naughty!¡± Anyone who was watching the stage. It was such a skill that even the people in charge of the performance had no choice but to open their mouths. Only Manager Oh Baek-ho, who was watching KK from the back of the audience, was not surprised. I¡¯m busy, I don¡¯t have time¡­ Those words were just excuses for the KK members. Although the album was prepared in a short period of time while promoting in the US, the members practiced while splitting their time. The amount of practice has increased, not decreased,pared to when I debuted. With the added skill, the synergy was bound to be explosive. The reason they were able to present a perfect performance under any circumstances was because of the sweat shed by the members. After two songs, while KK came off the stage and changed her costume, a guest MC appeared and captivated the audience with a brilliantment. Originally, the members would form teams of three and givements while the other team changed clothes, but today¡¯s performance had a special MC. It was Kang Cheon-ho, the national MC. He arrived just before the performance and prepared for this time. It was Seok Ji-hoon who suggested calling him. It was easy to predict the age group of the Tongyeong performance. That¡¯s why they invited Kang Cheon-ho, a national MC, as a surprise gift for the middle-aged and older generation. Kang Cheon-ho had a deep rtionship with Seok Ji-hoon through ¡¯48 Hours Camping¡¯. Although the MC time was less than 5 minutes, Kang Cheon-ho willingly came down to Tongyeong for KK and Seok Ji-hoon, who have be world-ss groups. Of course, the fact that this week¡¯s ¡¯48 Hours Camping¡¯ was filmed nearby also yed a role. ¡°Waaaa!¡± When KK came up, a different kind of shout poured out towards Kang Cheon-ho. ¡°Wow, the shouting isn¡¯t a joke? ¡°He¡¯s more popr than us.¡± As Jeong Yoon-gi took off the clothes he was wearing, Ahn Hyeong-seo responded by saying that was the same thing. At that time, the stage director came up among the members and spoke. ¡°ident¡­ I¡¯m sorry. ¡°It won¡¯t be like that anymore because we¡¯ve done maintenance.¡± Dowook shook his head and said at the words of the person in charge. ¡°no. ¡°It was very windy¡­ so it recovered quickly.¡± Jeong Yoon-gi and Ahn Hyeong-seo also nodded at Do-wook¡¯s words. Then, Jeong Yoon-gi patted Do-wook on the shoulder and said, ¡°I don¡¯t even think I had an ident because Do-wook kept the beat right in front of me.¡± After a short conversation, the KK members quickly changed their clothes with proud smiles. *** And so the unique performance at Saryangdo Ind in Tongyeong came to an end. It was a performance with a new title, ¡®K.K. that even the wind can¡¯t stop.¡¯ The edited video garnered a lot of attention on MyTube and was featured in the entertainment industry by being featured in not only domestic media but also foreign media. Afterwards, KK¡¯s performance continued to Daegu, Busan, Mokpo, Jeonju, Cheongju, Gangwon-do, and Jeju-do. It was literally endless. The ¡®Gwanggae Tokay performance map¡¯ was circted as a humorous meme on the Inte. The ce where KK performed also became a tourist destination, as the Tourism Office intended. As the performance continued, records were set. During thest Jeonju performance, the number of concurrent users rose to 2 million, probably because it matched the foreign time on the weekend. There was nothing to say about the content of the performance. Every day was a hot topic. As it appeared on the portal site¡¯s main page and real-time search terms once every three days, there was a saying in the entertainment industry that ¡®there is no day to avoid it.¡¯ Even if they tried to raise the topic, it was quickly buried by KK. However, the end was approaching for KK¡¯s guerri performance. Thest performance was specifically announced a week in advance. As such, it was not a firste-first-served basis, but a reserved seating system, and reservations were also avable. As it was thest performance, the intention was to amodate as many people as possible. At the same time, all preparations were made to allow more people to watch the performance. The scale was gradually increasing. Lee Dae-hyung, head of the fan-marketing team, even went on a business trip to the United States for a while. It was because of a contract with the world-renowned music channel ¡®V TV¡¯. Chapter 194 # 195 #KK (3) V TV was a music channel based in the United States. In Korea, it was simr to TBN, but it was notparable to TBN in terms of size and scale. As KK¡¯s performances continued to unfold, team leader Lee Dae-hyung received calls from two broadcasting stations. These were TBN in Korea and V TV in the United States. TBN has requested TV rights for thest performance. In the case of thest performance, it was scheduled to be performed in arge concert hall, so the scale of production costs, including rental fees and stage production costs, were different. Therefore, from the time the performance was first nned and discussed, Hit Entertainment was also supposed to support some of the production costs. TBN must have guessed this fact, and put forward a condition that it would support the entire production cost. Since it was thest performance, it was a one-time performance, but I thought it was worth the investment. Just as videos broadcast live on the Inte continue to umte cumtive views, broadcasts could be rebroadcast multiple times. Additionally, if the final performance were to be broadcast on TBN, it would be the first and only ¡®Connection¡¯ stage to be broadcast on the broadcastingpany. There was no reason to reject TBN¡¯s offer. First of all, TBN was not the broadcasting station that was the main reason why KK initially thought that it should not broadcast. Also, the condition of full production cost support felt like sufficientpensation for standing up to the power of broadcasters andrge entertainmentpanies without appearing on music shows. This was because it was clear that other broadcasters would face even more difficulties as it appeared on TBN for the first time. Even excluding these political reasons, TBN¡¯s proposal was attractive. In terms of stage broadcast quality, it was clear that TBN, which has experience broadcasting severalrge-scale performances, would be better than the current me app broadcast team. The me app side was making an effort by hiring a lot of external staff, but it was true that it was a huge burden to handle the performance at arge concert hall. However, this performance was nned by the me app. If it were broadcast on TV, the live viewers would naturally be dispersed, but it was unclear whether the me app would ept it. Nevertheless, the me app epted TBN¡¯s broadcast. Supporting the entire production cost would have put a burden on the me app, and the me app had already enjoyed enough advertising effects to enjoy it. Rather, it was possible to enjoy indirect advertising effects through TV broadcasting. Since no damage was caused, the decision was made to ept Hit Entertainment¡¯s opinion as much as possible without making noise out of unnecessary greed. From me App¡¯s perspective, KK was a pioneer who helped establish a new Inte broadcasting tform called me App. Therefore, rather than ending this rtionship with this performance, the n was to maintain it and produce various content in the future. Thanks to this, for Hit Entertainment, it was like blowing your nose without using your hands. This was because we did not have to support the production costs that we had originally nned to support, and we were able to naturally appear on TV broadcasts. In addition, the quality of the performance was expected to improve further due to increased support. Practice time the day before thest performance. Thest performance tomorrow was a whopping 2 hours and 30 minutes long, unlike other guerri performances that onlysted about an hour. Even though it was KK¡¯s solo concert, it was a performance time with no problems at all. The set list at the end, except for a few new songs from the newly released album, was the same as the set list for the previous overseas tour, so it did not require much practice, but practice was still necessary for a perfect performance. ¡°What are we doing with V TV?¡± Ahn Hyeong-seo, who was using his cell phone during a brief break, asked Do-wook. Since I was in personal contact with Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung about various matters, I asked Do-wook because I thought he might know. ¡°I thought thest performance was being broadcast on V TV. But I¡¯m curious because that¡¯s not the case.¡± ¡°Iknow, right. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard anything up to that point.¡± After the meeting with V TV, team leader Lee Dae-hyung said he would provide more details after thest performance. The members who had guessed that it would be a broadcast of thest performance only grew more curious when they found out that it was not. Dowook was also curious, but he didn¡¯t have the time to ask questions due to his busy performance schedule every day. ¡®Seeing as he¡¯ll tell youter, he must have his own reason¡­ ¡­ .¡¯ Thinking like this, Dowook wiped the sweat from his forehead with a sports towel. Practicing the set list for the performance required an enormous amount of stamina, simr to performing. After continuing to practice all day today, I was so weak that I couldn¡¯t even close my fists. Nevertheless, the reason Do-wook was able to smile while wiping away his sweat was because the results always came back as much as or even more than the amount of sweat he sweated. ¡°But it¡¯s nice not to have to worry about how many fans wille tomorrow.¡± Do-wook nodded to Hyeong-seo Ahn, who was talking as he pushed his cell phone, which he had been looking at for a while, back into the corner of the practice room. ¡°Because it¡¯s sold out.¡± ¡°Hehe. sold out. They say it¡¯s always exciting when all tickets are sold out! I want to stand on stage quickly. right? Even if I do the same thing on stage, it seems less difficult than during practice.¡± ¡°yes. Should I just say that I can feel the energy¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°that¡¯s right! It feels like some kind of energy is pouring into my body. Are you addicted to something like that? ¡°I think we¡¯re a bit addicted to performing right now.¡± ¡°Addicted¡­ ¡­ .¡± Do-wook deeply sympathized with Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s words. It started out as a guerri performance as a new breakthrough to rece appearing on TV, but now it seemed like I had be addicted to the thrill. Excitement and cheers. The exhrating emotions felt during the concert were even more impressive,pletely captivating the KK members. That¡¯s why the members were able to endure despite the huge schedule of once every three days. There were even members who were disappointed that tomorrow was thest performance and wanted to perform more in the future. ¡°Let¡¯s have onest connection and then disperse!¡± Jeong Yoon-gi, who was lying dead in the corner, stood up and shouted when the scheduled 15-minute break had passed. The KK members stood in formation again in the center of the practice room. *** And Sangam World Cup Stadium. It was a concert hall where explosive energy was dozens of times greater than on other days. Chairs were lined up on thewn where the ser ball was supposed to roll. To set up the stage, the people involved in the performance had to work hard all night long, but since they had been working together for almost a month, they moved smoothly based on the know-how they had umted so far. KK¡¯s guerri performance had a very good reputation among those involved in the performance. There was no need to talk about the content of the performance, it was about the treatment of the people involved. From stage directors to those who helped the audience enter, most of those hired through outsourcingpanies were daily workers. This was unavoidable due to industry procedures where contracts are signed for each performance. Therefore, unless you were an experienced director, it was difficult to receive good treatment even though you worked without holidays. It was openly said that it was fortunate to receive only the minimum hourly wage, which was the situation among those involved in the performance, especially those in charge of assisting the production. However, the officials were confident that they received the best treatment at this KK performance. This was because not only did theyply with the minimum hourly wage, but they also received full meals, night allowances, and holiday allowances. It was natural, but it was my first time working as a performance assistant. It was the opinion of the KK members that they should pay close attention to the treatment of the people involved, even if arge portion of the production cost is spent as they are together for a long period of one month. It was thought that apany called Friends and the members of Hit Entertainment KK would make enormous profits through the performance, but most of the people working for the performance were working in very poor conditions. Hit Entertainment also agreed with the members¡¯ opinions. Excessively shy parts of the stage production were removed andbor costs were reced. Thanks to this, the people involved were able to feel a little more reward for their work even though they were physically tired. This was because they felt that KK, the organizer and the main character of the performance, was considerate of them. The decision to improve the treatment of officials was not only good for the officials. In the end, it was all done by people. They worked hard for KK¡¯s performance, and thanks to this, the performance went smoothly anytime and anywhere. In other performances, the audience and the host rarely blushed, which is often the case. Therefore, it was not only KK who was disappointed with thest performance. A look of disappointment was also evident on the faces of the assistants preparing for thest audience to enter. Putting many people¡¯s disappointments behind them, the performance began. It was thest guerri performance to be broadcast live through the me app as well as TBN broadcasting. After finishing the performance of the first song, ¡®Connection¡¯, the members standing on stage had a look of surprise, bordering on astonishment, on their faces. While performing on stage, I thought it would be impossible, but I began to see aspects of the audience that were notpletely visible due to the shy lighting that pierced my eyes. The members stood frozen in ce for several tens of seconds without even saying hello. The shouts that resonated through the eardrums continued without even giving the members a chance to say hello. ¡°I have to say hello!¡± Jeong Yoon-gi, who was the first toe to his senses, shouted that he should bow like a leader. Every word Jung Yoon-gi said was met with huge cheers. About 69,000 people. ¡®No, just 70,000 people would be enough¡­ ¡­ .¡¯ Dowook turned his head and looked up at the audience. No matter how hard they tried to be resolute, there was no singer who could be resolute in front of nearly 70,000 spectators. Although KK has performed dome concerts before, this was the first time there were 70,000 spectators. I felt overwhelmed. There were 800,000 people who simultaneously essed the me app from all over the world to watch KK¡¯sst guerri performance. It was clear that there would be a huge number of Korean fans watching on TV. An unimaginablyrge number of people were watching KK¡¯s every move. The members came to their senses after hearing Jung Yoon-gi¡¯s words and greeted them in ordance with the slogan. ¡°It¡¯s KK!¡± ¡°Kyaaa -ah!¡± ¡°K-K!¡± ¡°love you!¡± Even after saying hello, there was silence for a moment. This was because the members, who were moved by the huge crowd that came to see them, had to sort out their depressed emotions. Dowook said, fixing the microphone. ¡°thank you.¡± Dowook¡¯s face was captured on the huge monitor screen in front of the World Cup Stadium. Since he had just finished performing, he couldn¡¯t tell if it was sweat or tears, but Dowook¡¯s eyes were moist. ¡°Being able to perform in front of so many people¡­ ¡­ . too¡­ ¡­ .¡± Do-wook, who had no trouble conveying his opinion at any moment, could not continue speaking. The members looked at Dowook andughed. The members¡¯ eyes were also moist. Because this moment was so happy. ¡°Are you saying Do-wook is happy?¡± Seok Ji-hoon, the youngest, helped Do-wook. Do-wook, unable to continue speaking, found it funny that he received help from Seok Ji-hoon, so he smiled and nodded. ¡°yes. I¡¯m happy.¡± Everyone who was watching the scene felt happy when Dowook said he was happy. The countless people watching the stage today were all people who had a lot of fun thanks to Dowook and wished him happiness. ¡°Are you guys ready for tonight?!¡± After the members said something one by one, Kim Won, who could not control his excitement, shouted, and the fans also shouted. About 70,000 spectators screamed as one. A tremendous roar spread across the sky. *** KK¡¯sst performance was truly a huge sess. TBN recorded its highest viewer ratings. It was the first time that it surpassed the highest viewer ratings of ¡®Get Ready 1999¡¯. It was an incredible record for a cable broadcaster. Other broadcastingpanies began to rush to contact Hit Entertainment. At that time, overseas fans were sending messages to KK with hashtags filled with earnest hearts on Facenote. It was exactly what the V TV representative told team leader Lee Dae-hyung. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung thought as he watched the messages pouring in with great momentum. ¡®Could there really be a chance?¡¯ Chapter 195 # 196 #KK (4) What V TV suggested was an American guerri performance. Although the overall framework was the same as the guerri performance in Korea, the detailed format was slightly different, as if it was nned with the me app. We perform in one city one day a week. One city, but many ces. There will be a total of three performances, moving from ce to ce every four hours. Instead, the set list is short, about two songs. The n was to travel around the entire United States, both west and east, in one month. V TV also said that rather than broadcasting live, they wanted to produce a documentary-style program showing the performance for a month and broadcast it to the world. As the location changed every four hours, the only notice was posted on social media an hour in advance. It could have been a guerri performance in the true sense of the word. In addition, it was the United States, not Korea, which was already enjoying peak poprity. The guarantee that each performance would be a hit was clearly reduced. The decision to choose a documentary-style program rather than a live broadcast was probably nned with this in mind. ¡®I guess they want to capture both the images of sess and the images of disappointment¡­¡¯ Inside Hit Entertainment, we agonized over whether or not to ept this program for several days. This was because the risk was too great. A total of 12 performances. If about 8 of them were sessful at the box office and only about 4 showed disappointing results in attracting audiences, it would generally be in line with the purpose of the program. Even as KK, who is not yet a world-ss singer, there was a lot to be gained. This was because the sess of number 8 would be highlighted more. ¡®But if the probability is less than half¡­¡¯ He was already a top star in Korea, attracting over 70,000 people despite the sudden news of his performance a week ago. His poprity overseas was also the highest among Korean singers. ¡®Connection¡¯ alsonded safely on the Billboard charts and was performing as well as ¡®Continue¡¯. There were differing opinions as to whether it was right for KK to appear in a program that was close to gambling. If he took on a new challenge in the U.S. and achieved poor results, his status in Korea could have been diminished. There has already been a precedent for a top Korean star losing poprity in Korea due to failure in the United States. In any case, as apany that respects the opinions of its members, of course the final decision would be made by the KK members. However, Hit Entertainment was a managementpany. From thepany¡¯s perspective, KK had to be able to identify various pros and cons in advance and provide direction so that the group could make better choices. Therefore, the time to tell the members about V TV¡¯s proposal was dyed. It was because I didn¡¯t want to upset the members¡¯ feelings ahead of thest performance. While the opinions of Hit Entertainment executives were divided, team leader Lee Dae-hyung took a neutral position. #KK_pleasee_here was the hashtag attached to the messages that increased explosively starting from thest performance. It was a huge message. ¡®#KK_pleasee_here¡¯ was even listed on the overseas real-time trendspiled internally by Facenote. Looking by region, the numbers were clearly high in Asia and the United States. It wasn¡¯t just Facenote¡¯s real-time trends. In the United States, KK came up several times a day in the main search terms of a portal site as famous as Friends. It was the first time since the Billboard Awards. If it was to the point where it was listed as a real-time search term on an American portal site, V TV might have been right in saying, ¡®K-K¡¯s poprity in the U.S. will be greater than what Hit Entertainment analyzed.¡¯ If you think about it, album sales in the U.S. were also significant. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung focused his attention and checked the real-time trends of Facenote once again. ¡®#KK_pleasee_here¡¯ was the 2nd real-time trend in the United States. If the guerri performance in the U.S. was sessful and the program showed good viewer ratings, KK would bepletely established in the U.S. market. *** After the dream-like final performance at World Cup Stadium, the members were given a five-day break. It was a truly precious break for the members who had been performing guerri performances and practicing repeatedly without taking a single day off for a month. If it had been any other time, the members would have gone out of their overdue appointments and spent time individually, but not like this. It was because I literally needed a break. The dormitory, which was treated as an inn where you only sleep, was crowded with members 24 hours a day. For the first few days, I only slept to replenish my stamina, and only then did I relieve stress through games and exercise. In the meantime, Taehyung Park had concerns. After the holiday, which was like a nice rain in a drought, it was immediately time to start filming ¡°Dancing Dancing.¡± Because it was his first solo schedule, Taehyung Park was particrly nervous. I became even more nervous thinking that I was ¡®guiding¡¯ someone. ¡®Can I really do well?¡¯ This worry came to me all the time, even when I was watching TV in the living room of my dorm. Of course, in the past, Park Taehyung would have been so buried in such worries that he could not sleep and would have been shaking. However, even though I was nervous now, I was not overwhelmed by the tension. This was because through KK activities, I had learned with my body how to ovee worry and anxiety while standing in a ready position in front of the starting line and run vigorously. KK was the group that always arrived at the finish line in first ce without falling. Just by being a member of KK, I became someone who could reach the finish line no matter where I was. In addition, Taehyung Park was not alone in the first filming of . KK members came out to support Taehyung Park, who appeared as a judge and leader of a team on . Ilsan TBN Production Center. The filming location for ¡°Dancing Dancing¡± was a huge one-story building built for public broadcasting and other stage broadcasts. As dance was the theme of the broadcast, the set was set up in a way that the audience seats were pushed back and the stage was widened to secure a wide stage. ¡°wow¡­¡­! Taehyung! Taehyung!¡± As soon as he entered the set, Kim Won pointed towards the set ceiling and shouted. Taehyung Park¡¯s face was proudly disyed along with the faces of the other judges, along with a huge banner that read ¡°Dancing Dancing.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°How rude?¡± As the members expressed their admiration, Taehyung Park¡¯s face turned red. The judges of ¡´Dancing Dancing¡µ included Taehyung Park, top dance sports athletes, ballerinas, and street dancers. Experts from each field were scheduled to lead the participants who were united by their passion for dance. Among the four judges, Taehyung Park was the one who stood out. They were all tops in their fields, but in fact, there was no one known to the entire nation as well as K.K. It seemed clear that the topic would focus on Park Tae-hyung. It was natural for Taehyung Park to feel that pressure. After hearing the news that the KK members had arrived, the assistant director of ¡´Dancing Dancing¡µ rushed out in a month. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re here!¡± ¡°yes. hello.¡± Koo Cheol-min, who brought the members with him, bowed to the assistant director. The members standing behind also bowed politely to the assistant director. Rather, the assistant director bowed even further, as if he was sorry. From the middle of the broadcast, the viewers¡¯ attention will be captured with the tension and spectacr performances of the contestants¡¯ attractive tournament program, but a certain topicality was needed to make them watch the broadcast first. In that sense, to the directors of ¡°Dancing Dancing,¡± KK and Taehyung Park were like the driving force that would lead their program. As an assistant director of a new program, I had no choice but to follow my boss. e here! ¡°You can prepare it in the waiting room over there.¡± Gu Cheol-min nodded and led the members to follow the assistant director. Although it was Taehyung Park¡¯s first filming, he had already filmed ¡®Dancing Dancing¡¯ several times. During thest filming, in which Taehyung Park had no choice but to attend due to his guerri performance schedule, three other judges selected 20 final participants, and today was the day to decide on the team. Taehyung Park had to form his own team by teaming up with a senior ballerina from the National Ballet Academy. KK members were scheduled to fill their seats as panelists while the judging was in progress and decorate the ending stage of today¡¯s filming. The KK members who arrived at the waiting room had their makeup touched up and waited for the recording time. First of all, since they were only participating as panelists, the members¡¯ outfits were not stage outfits for the first time in a long time. It could have been a boring waiting time, but the members came dressed up in their own style and had fun taking pictures. It was when I was about to eat a steak lunch box sent by fans for lunch before I started recording. It was a lunch box sent by Taehyung Park¡¯s fan site after learning that it was the filming day for Taehyung Park¡¯s first solo schedule, . Steak lunch boxes had already been delivered to all staff, as well as the judges and contestants. It wasn¡¯t for nothing that broadcasting officials were singing because they wanted to broadcast with KK. Not only did it guarantee topicality and viewer ratings, but it also improved the working environment. ¡°Taehyung should take a proof photo of this. ¡°Where did Taehyung go?¡± Hyung-seo Ahn visited Tae-hyung Park, who was away. Taehyung Park said hello to the ballerina who would be forming the team with him and went to discuss the broadcast and did not return. Koo Cheol-min, who went out with the production crew, also had no news. ¡°Are we not finished talking yet?¡± Jeong Yoongi muttered to himself. ¡°I wille and see.¡± Dowook stood up and said. Anyway, it was the waiting room right next door, and I thought it would be better to take a quick look at the situation in the waiting room rather than making a unnecessary call and interrupting the conversation. As I opened the waiting room door, there were people in the hallway who appeared to be participants, each with arge number tag attached to their chest, and were talking in groups of twos and threes. The story of those who could not find Dowook who opened the door and came out continued. The group right in front seemed to be a team of street dancers. Just by looking at their outfits, you could generally guess what kind of dance they were doing. ¡°If you join Park Tae-hyung¡¯s team, won¡¯t you win 100% of the team matches?¡± ¡°Dangpa. ¡°The followers will take responsibility for the live voting.¡± ¡°But there are separate expert scores. And since we have topete again within the team¡­ Isn¡¯t that actually a disadvantage?¡± First of all, participants were able to support the team. The judges either selected the contestants who applied, or other teams made a bid to bring them in. As a participant, choosing which team to choose was also an important issue, so these were enough words to say. Although the badnguage was irritating to his ears, Do-wook tried to ept it. ¡°Hey, but Taehyung Park¡­ shouldn¡¯t he have appeared as a contestant? ¡°What are you, judge?¡± ¡°why. Aren¡¯t you good at dancing? I think I saw a video¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re an idol even if you fly and crawl, so let¡¯s just dance well.¡± A male participant wearing a torn denim jacket leaned crookedly against the wall and spoke. These were participants who had already made a name for themselves through dancing. That¡¯s why my pride was so strong. To put it nicely, it was pride. In other words, it was arrogance. ¡°brother! Speak quietly. ¡°How popr is KK these days?¡± ¡°If he¡¯s so popr and good at dancing, doesn¡¯t aedian like Na Jae-seok have to do poppin¡¯?¡± ¡°what? haha.¡± The two remaining participants burst intoughter at the boastful joke. On the contrary, Dowook¡¯s impression was crumpled. It was time to clear my throat and pretend to be popr. I made eye contact with Taehyung Park, who wasing out of the waiting room next to me. And after that, Jo Jung-min was approaching the group. Chapter 196 # 197 First match (1) ¡®Jo Jeong-min?¡¯ Both Do-wook and Tae-hyung Park¡¯s eyes widened at the unexpected appearance of a familiar figure. In addition, Jo Jung-min could never be said to have a good rtionship with the two people. Dowook had already met Jo Jung-min in the waiting room of arge concert hall before. At that time, Jo Jung-min still had ill feelings toward Do-wook and Park Tae-hyung. The distance was such that Jo Jeong-min could clearly hear the conversation of the group. ¡°What are you doing? you guys.¡± Jo Jeong-min clearly made eye contact with Do-wook, but instead of greeting Do-wook, he spoke to the group. The group turned to Jo Jung-min and showed happy faces. ¡°Oh bro!¡± ¡°Are you here?¡± Jo Jeong-min nodded and received greetings from the group. Jo Jung-min and Moo-ri had be familiar with each other during thest audition. Because our dancing genres were simr, we were able to quickly be friends through the audition after-party. Moreover, Jo Jung-min¡¯s skills were such that he was selected as a candidate for the championship among the participants. The dancing skills he showed during the audition seemed sufficient to make him think that way. Participants felt a sense ofpetition from someone with superior skills than themselves, but they also wanted to acknowledge and be recognized by him. The attitude of the group weing Jo Jung-min was exactly that. ¡°What are you doing?¡± When Jo Jung-min asked a bit bluntly, the participant who was sarcastic about Park Tae-hyung answered with a smile. ¡°Well, what can I do? ¡°I was just peeling the fish.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡± Jo Jung-min, with a meaningful tone and an expression of understanding, turned to Do-wook and Park Tae-hyung. Naturally, the group¡¯s heads turned and spotted the two people. The participants¡¯ expressions visibly hardened. It was natural since Park Taehyung, who they had been talking about just a moment ago, was there. If it wasn¡¯t clear that he had heard the story, he would have made an effort to hide it. However, it was clear from the expressions on the two people¡¯s faces that they had heard the story. When I thought about it that way, it seemed like I couldn¡¯t resolve the situation by pretending it wasn¡¯t happening. The participant frowned for a moment and muttered. ¡°ah. ¡°Unfortunately¡­¡± When it was decided that a settlement was impossible, it seemed like they decided to go out without any hesitation. It was Park Tae-hyung, whom I didn¡¯t like anyway, so I decided that since it was like this, rather than ruin my appearance by bowing outte, I should just go to another team. Do-wook was shocked andughed as the participant muttered as if telling him to listen to everything. ¡°hey.¡± At Dowook¡¯s call, tension appeared on the participants¡¯ faces. However, the participant who said ¡®unlucky¡¯ tried to erase the tension and answered with a calm face. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Who is the unlucky one now¡­¡± Everyone looked surprised when Do-wook came out bluntly. Even Taehyung Park did the same. It was like that with Dowook¡¯s usual image, and it couldn¡¯te out through his words and actions in real life. But Do-wook also knew when to tolerate it and when not to. Now was a time when there was no reason to endure. The low pitched voice made the participants feel intimidated. It was when Do-wook was about to say more. ¡°I apologize.¡± Jo Jung-min spoke quickly. If Dowook urged the participants, he did not know how they would change their words and post them on the Inte. Of course, for a star like Do-wook, something like that would not significantly damage his image, but it could still cause unnecessary noise. It wasmon for celebrities to receive preferential treatmentpared to ordinary people, but this was also the reason why they were ced in a rtively weak position. Jo Jung-min knew that well. Jo Jung-min did not want Do-wook to be in trouble. Jo Jeong-min¡¯s unexpected words made Do-wook and Park Tae-hyung look suspicious, wondering if they had heard wrong. The participants also seemed dumbfounded. ¡°brother¡­¡­?¡± The participant called Jo Jung-min, but Jo Jung-min only nodded and made it clear that he wanted to apologize quickly. Although they had only been friends for a short time, I thought that someone as talented as Jo Jeong-min would ignore Park Tae-hyung just like he did. Moreover, it was Jo Jung-min who expressed negative opinions about idols at the first drinking party. ¡°Have you ever seen Taehyung Park dance properly?¡± The participant muttered in response to Jo Jung-min¡¯s question. Because it was so crazy, I only saw KK¡¯s performance once. Of course, even then, I didn¡¯t feel like I couldn¡¯t do it at all. Even at a nce, you could see that they were superior to other teams. However, I thought it was an idol dance. Jo Jung-min snapped at the muttering participant. ¡°Are you just saying this without even looking?¡± ¡°No, bro. ¡°Do you have any rtionship with Taehyung Park?¡± Another participant who was worse than him rebelled against Jo Jung-min. ¡°me? I am a bad person here at KK because I was pushed around by Taehyung Park. ¡°I say this because not being able to recognize Taehyung Park¡¯s skills means that I can¡¯t recognize him either.¡± Everyone looked surprised at Jo Jung-min¡¯s words. This was because no one knew about Jo Jeong-min¡¯s history. These participants were thought to have continued to be active in their current dance team. Of course, Jo Jung-min did not intend to deceive. It¡¯s just that they didn¡¯te forward and reveal it. He had already done a personal interview about his idol trainee background, so everyone would know when the broadcast aired. In a cold atmosphere, the participants looked like they had made a mistake. At the same time, there was a feeling that Jo Jung-min was being belittled. It was funny. They were the ones who had been supporting Jo Jung-min as the candidate for the championship just a moment ago. However, when I revealed that I was an idol trainee, they immediately looked down on me. Despite being disillusioned with their attitude, Jo Jung-min looked back on his past. ¡®I guess I was the same person as them¡­ Anyway, you can ovee prejudices with your skills. It¡¯s already been recognized¡­¡¯ Jo Jung-min thought that andughed at the participants. ¡°You will apologize.¡± Dowook spoke behind the participants as they ran out of the hallway. They were shocked and walked quickly again. Only three people remained in the waiting room hallway: Jo Jung-min, Park Tae-hyung, and Do-wook. There was an awkward feeling in the air. Jo Jung-min¡¯s attitude was very surprising. Taehyung Park looked at Jo Jungmin. He was a very scary brother when he was a trainee, but now that I look at him, Jo Jung-min is so ordinary that I don¡¯t even understand who he was before. It was when Do-wook nced at Jo Jung-min with suspicious eyes. ¡°sorry. ¡°As a fellow participant, I will also apologize on your behalf.¡± ¡°yes yes?¡± Jo Jung-min¡¯s eyes were looking directly at Park Tae-hyung. When Park Tae-hyung, embarrassed, asked again, Jo Jeong-min bowed his head in a polite manner. ¡°Even things from the past¡­ I was too young back then. No, that would be an excuse. I¡¯m just¡­ sorry. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you will forgive me, but¡­¡± Park Tae-hyung looked at Do-wook with embarrassed eyes at Jo Jung-min¡¯s repeated apologies. Do-wook gazed at Jo Jung-min. Jo Jung-min said, turning to Do-wook. ¡°Kang Do-wook.¡± Jo Jung-min, who made eye contact with Do-wook, thought as he looked at Do-wook¡¯s dark eyes. Dowook was right. It may be today or, like him, a few years from now, but the previous participants will apologize to Taehyung Park, or at least feel the need to apologize. It was about a year ago that Jo Jung-min¡¯s heart full of hatred and evil changed. Jo Jung-min was exploited as a back dancer under the pretext of being a trainee at Ara Entertainment, where he entered to try a fresh start. No matter how long I waited for my debut, I was never given the opportunity to debut. Man to Man¡¯s next group was postponed indefinitely due to Seo Kang-jun¡¯s work. This was because thepany reorganized Man to Man and put all its efforts into establishing Man to Man. Even if it weren¡¯t for that, there was almost no chance that Jo Jung-min would have debuted. After spending some time as a man-to-man back dancer, he secretly looked down on Jo Jung-min because he was older, and eventually made Jo Jung-min leave thepany himself, so there was nothing more to say. This is the so-called ¡®pulled¡¯ one. When I entered Ara Entertainment, I gritted my teeth that I would somehow be better than Park Tae-hyung and Do-wook. Therefore, I tried to endure despite the tant disdain. But it was no use, and after leaving Ara Enter, Jo Jung-min had to look back on his life. Unlike himself, who had copsed in shabby ways, KK was making his own path. Resolutely. The moment he saw the award scene on Billboard, Jo Jung-min¡¯s egopletely copsed. At the same time, it was also reorganized. Leaving Hit Entertainment was his own choice. Even though my pride was hurt by being pushed out by Park Tae-hyung, I shouldn¡¯t have wasted my opportunity at Hit Entertainment like that. Things that were so conceited that they bullied others and acted insincerely. I realized how foolish each and every action was. The only passion I had developed so far for dancing was sincere. This was a program that challenged me to go back to the beginning and draw a new future amidst that realization. When I heard that Taehyung Park was one of the judges, I was incredibly proud, but now I had to admit it. Taehyung Park and his position were very different. Rather, it could have been a good opportunity. Reflect on the past and move forward. ¡°thanks. If you hadn¡¯t been mad at me, I would have lived my whole life as an arrogant piece of trash. Just like Seo Kang-jun¡­¡± Because Jo Jung-min was the one who had been watching Seo Kang-jun from the side, Seo Kang-jun¡¯s downfall was an event that greatly shocked Jo Jung-min in contrast to Do-wook. ¡°You might not like it, but¡­ I¡¯m trying to make a fresh start through this program. I can¡¯tpletely go back to the innocent days when I only looked at dance, but with that feeling¡­ I wonder if I can find my own path in life if I do that¡­¡± ording to Jo Jung-min, it¡¯s a good thing. It was. It wasn¡¯t something I should do, even if I didn¡¯t like Do-wook. Dowook saw Taehyung Park. It was Taehyung Park who was bullied by Jo Jungmin. ¡°Hyung¡­¡± Park Taehyung opened his mouth with difficulty. Jo Jeong-min waited for Park Tae-hyung¡¯s words like a person waiting for a decision. ¡°Your brother will do well. ¡°It is true that I suffered because of my brother¡­ but it was also true that he was a good dancer.¡± ¡°sorry. If you find it painful for me to watch, I will leave this program. ¡°I wonder if I really went out of my mind before¡­ There are so many things I regret.¡± Jo Jung-min bowed his head once again. ¡°no. ¡°Thank you for your apology.¡± Seeing Park Tae-hyung¡¯s resolute appearance, Dowook once again felt Park Tae-hyung¡¯s growth. For Park Tae-hyung, Jo Jung-min¡¯s work was already in the past. Because of Dowook, the lives of the two people changed. *** The two returned to the waiting room and ate a packed lunch together while listening to the members scold them for why they came back sote. When Do-wook announced Jo Jung-min¡¯s appearance, all the members were surprised but at the same time expressed difort. As fellow trainees, Ahn Hyeong-seo and Jeong Yoon-gi must have felt sorry for a moment. At the same time, I was very worried about Taehyung Park. However, when Jo Jeong-min apologized to Park Tae-hyung and Park Tae-hyung also responded that he was okay, the reactions were that they were very surprised but also d. ¡°And¡­¡± Taehyung Park said as he was cleaning up his empty lunch box. ¡°I want to ask you something.¡± They gathered their attention as if asking Taehyung Park to tell him everything. Since Do-wook had been asked for his opinion first, Do-wook was the only one who knew what Tae-hyung Park was going to say and was smiling. Chapter 197 # 198 First match (2) ¡°Can we do it in front of the stage we were supposed to do at the end of the recording?¡± The members all looked confused at Park Taehyung¡¯s words. ¡°why? PD does that? ¡°Do you want to change the order?¡± Hyungseo Ahn asked. Since it was a recorded broadcast anyway, the order didn¡¯t matter. For the sake of audience reaction, we just proceeded with the recording ording to the broadcast flow, and just performed the stage at any time and edited it. It was a stage that KK would have done anyway, but since she was currently wearingfortable costumes as a panelist, she had to go through the trouble of having to immediately change into stage costumes and makeup. Dowook briefly talked about what happened in the hallway and suggested that Taehyung Park and K.K should prove on stage that they were qualified to be judges. ¡°uh? How dare you call Taehyung?! Ah, good. ¡°I¡¯m going to change my knees on the stage floor today!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t overdo it. Do what you do. Just like you did. ¡°That¡¯s okay, kid.¡± Jeong Yoon-gi responded to Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s words. Of course, it was true that Jeong Yoon-gi felt a little ufortable. ¡°great! It doesn¡¯t matter whether you do it before or after.¡± ¡°Why not~!¡± The expressions of the members who soon rxed and responded were rxed. This level of leeway was natural. K.K. came to this point through a lot of hard work. I was confident that I could perform on stage without being embarrassed no matter who I stood in front of. It wasn¡¯t arrogance. It was a confidence that came entirely from hard work. And with that confidence, the members had already decided to participate in the guerri performance proposed by V TV. I felt confident that today¡¯s performance in front of dancers from all over the country would literally ¡®chew on it¡¯pared to the New York guerri performance that would be held in a month¡¯s time. *** The ¡´Dancing Dancing¡µ recording site had arge stage with audience seating in the form of stairs. The people sitting in the audience were not the general audience but the judges and contestants themselves. It was a system that allowed one to watch the other participants¡¯ performances and judging details. It was a good opportunity for participants to check their own skills byparing them with other people¡¯s performances. Participants first took turns filling the audience seats from the front. They were all dressed to perform on stage right away, so they looked very unique. Just by looking at it, you could guess what the stage was going to be like. The cue sign has been dropped. Red lights turned on on cameras installed everywhere. Dozens of cameras were installed to capture the contestants and judges¡¯ stages, so there were no blind spots in the recording studio. The participants gathered together in a tense manner and freely shared their opinions on today¡¯s team decisions. This was also part of the fun of being a professional. ¡°I want to join Ha Jeong-woon¡¯s team.¡± ¡°me too. ¡°I hope I get selected.¡± A young-looking man and woman who majored in dance sports whispered. Next to him was Jo Jung-min. ¡°Where are you going, Jo Jeong-min?¡± The woman sitting next to me, who wanted to be on a team with Jo Jung-min, asked Jo Jung-min. ¡°well. ¡°Either way is fine.¡± When Jo Jung-min answered, the woman nodded. Behind them were participants with stern faces. They were the ones who met Park Tae-hyung and Do-wook in the hallway. Those who stiffened for a moment and encouraged each other by saying, ¡°You¡¯ll do well,¡± looked down at the stage with arrogant expressions. They had already done a preliminary interview saying that their dance would be better than Park Taehyung¡¯s. It was sincere, without a single doubt. It was clear that they were better dancers than the nk-faced Park Taehyung they saw in the hallway, and all they had to do was show their skills. The three participants thought so. Therefore, even though Cho Jung-min asked if he had seen Park Tae-hyung¡¯s performance, he did not even think about looking for the stage during the waiting time. Soon the judges entered. All the participants stood up and apuded and cheered for the judges. The judge sat on a protruding set in front of where the contestants sat. Ha Jung-woon of Dance Sports, who was sitting in the center, grabbed the microphone and made ament. ¡°ruler. ¡°The new judge we¡¯ve been waiting for ising today.¡± The former ballerina sitting next to me showed her anticipation by putting her hands together. The audience was also excited and said, ¡®Oh.¡¯ He made a sound. ¡°Introducing a new judge!¡± Ha Jung-woon¡¯s voluptuous voice resonated loudly throughout the recording studio. Before recording, Taehyung Park visited the producer separately and expressed his thoughts in a stuttering but straight manner. ¡°I think there are contestants who don¡¯t recognize me¡­ Everyone has to acknowledge me¡­ It¡¯s not like this¡­ They¡¯ve never really seen me dance. ¡­¡­ In that situation, following the judges¡­ and deciding on a team¡­¡± The director made an expression as if he understood what I meant. The producer was already willing to listen to any request as long as all KK members filled in one episode. The request was not excessive and was a request that could be fully amodated. The reason why the producer of included KK¡¯s stage at the end of today¡¯s recording was because he wanted to stage it as a spectacr curtain-raiser for thepetition that will be increasingly fierce in the future after the team has been decided. However, the direction was changed. By introducing the judges and cing KK and Taehyung Park on stage at the beginning, we decided to capture the attention of viewers from the beginning of the program and include a narrative in which Taehyung Park would be recognized as a judge by the contestants. Considering that about half of the viewers of the first episode of are likely to be fans of KK, putting Park Tae-hyung at the center of the program¡¯s storytelling could have been a better choice. The participants in the audience apuded and whistled, cheering even more intensely than before. The stage lights turned on at once and the atmosphere at the recording site changed. Dry ice spread lightly beneath the stage, and the prelude to ¡®Continue¡¯ began to y. The members chose ¡®Continue¡¯ rather than ¡®Connection¡¯ because they thought it better suited the purpose and atmosphere of the program ¡®Dancing Dancing¡¯. As the jeonju was yed, the participants, especially the women, covered their mouths and looked surprised. ¡°how how!¡± ¡°K-K, let¡¯s see if they alle out!¡± In fact, the participants knew that KK was scheduled to perform on stage, but they reacted in surprise following the words of the assistant host. However, despite knowing this, when KK appeared, the female participants gave sincere reactions. When I saw KK in front of me, I couldn¡¯t help but make a fuss. ¡°Con Con Continue!¡± As soon as the prelude ended, the group entered the chorus with a magnificent sound. The KK members stayed in formation and focused on the stage. ¡°We keep moving forward¡ª!¡± It was KK who usually performed on All Live on music broadcasts. However, today¡¯s stage was performance-oriented, so it was not live. When the energy that had been diverted from singing was focused solely on choreography, the synergy was incredible. ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°really¡­¡­! It leaves me speechless¡­¡± Not only the contestants but also the judges were mesmerized and focused on the stage. For broadcast purposes, it would be good to include a lot ofments during the stage, but it was difficult to react other than watching the stage with my mouth open. ¡°That¡¯s a truly unified stage.¡± ¡°This is the stage that the people behind here will have to show from now on.¡± ¡°The energy is truly extraordinary.¡± It was only during the process of creating a new formation that the judgesmented one by one. Themon opinion of the judges, regardless of genre, was that if a performance of this quality is presented on the stage of , there is nothing more to wish for. Do-wook¡¯s expression as he stood at the center was overflowing with charisma. Not only was her ability to perform the choreography perfect, but her ability to express herself on stage was also perfect. ¡°I¡¯ll call you forever, I¡¯ll run forever-¡± As Ahn Hyeong-seo winked as he went up to the high notes, the female participants erupted in ¡®awk¡¯ as if it were a concert hall full of fans. A voice came out. And as it was originally, it was an interlude part where the KK members would have to dance as a group. ¡°Oooh¡ª!¡± The members disappeared from the stage in an instant and Park Taehyung stood in the middle. And then Taehyung Park¡¯s solo dance began. The participants¡¯ eyes widened as they watched the powerful waacking dance to the prelude to ¡®Continue¡¯. Taehyung Park¡¯s arms moved quickly. I felt moderate and flexible at the same time, and I didn¡¯t lose strength. ¡°He¡¯s really good.¡± One participant from the street dance team said with admiration. He wasn¡¯t ignoring Taehyung Park, but he thought he was also an ¡®idol dance¡¯ expert, but he didn¡¯t think that Taehyung Park would be superior to him in the same field. It was a skill that felt like a lot of practice. Jo Jung-min, who knew Park Tae-hyung¡¯s skills, was also surprised. ¡®It¡¯s really increased tremendously! All I knew was the level of blood on my new feet.¡¯ Even after watching the short KK stage, I was already surprised. When hard work is added to natural talent, not only the current Taehyung Park but all the KK members have be monster-like talents. In the remixed sound source, the sound in the interlude became faster and faster. Taehyung Park, who showed off his brilliant waacking, performed a breakdance to the faster sound and said, ¡®Boom.¡¯ It flew off the stage with a sound effect. Apuse poured in for Taehyung Park, whonded perfectly with his hands on the stage. The participants stood up and cheered without the assistant facilitator telling them to. One or two people started to stand up, and as the entire group stood up and became enthusiastic, the three participants who were looking at the stage with stern faces also stood up. Even if they tried not to realize how arrogant it was to think that they were better than Taehyung Park, they had no choice but to realize it. Technically it was also amazing. However, Park Tae-hyung even had great skill due to his tremendous stage experience. Since I could even feel which camera the red light wasing from, even the gaze processing was perfect. The KK members gathered around Taehyung Park, who was receiving cheers. Even the judges stood up and apuded. Because they were professionals with considerable experience, they knew better how much effort went into the performance that KK and Taehyung Park showed. Taehyung Park, who was smiling shyly, looked towards the audience. Taehyung Park¡¯s eyes met with the participant who had previously looked down on Taehyung Park. The three participants unconsciously made eye contact with Taehyung Park and lowered their heads, not knowing what to do. It wasn¡¯t a calcted move. It was literally a surrender to skill. Do-wook, who was watching this from the side, smiled and tapped Tae-hyung Park on the shoulder. ¡°Now then, Mr. Taehyung, please sit in the judges¡¯ seat and-! ¡°I¡¯ll take a 3-minute break and then start recording again!¡± The assistant director shouted. Even while the KK members were going down the stage through the stairs, the participants were buzzing while looking at KK. It was bound to be a stage that would leave a longsting impression. Do-wook came down from the stage and looked towards Jo Jung-min for a moment. I was thinking about what Jo Jung-min said in the hallway. ¡°thanks. If you hadn¡¯t been mad at me, I would have lived my whole life as an arrogant piece of trash. Just like Seo Kang-jun¡­¡± Jo Jung-min, who said that, added that Seo Kang-jun came to mind. ¡°It looks like that kid will return to the entertainment industry again.¡± Do-wook frowned for a moment at Jo Jung-min¡¯s words, which he mumbled like he was talking to himself, and then asked. ¡°You¡¯re making aeback¡­?¡± Jo Jung-min nodded and answered. He said he didn¡¯t know much about it, but he heard about it from trainees he met at Ara Entertainment. Seo Kang-Jun was telling the Man to Man members that he would soon return to Korea and that he would soon regain his former position. ¡®Seo Kang-Jun is back¡­.¡¯ Seo Kang-Jun or Director Seo Jung-Won. When I thought about the shameless rich man who had no sense of remorse, I thought that Seo Kang-jun might show his face again one day. But it was too fast. ¡®It¡¯s not going to go your way.¡¯ Do-wook thought and looked away from Jo Jung-min. Chapter 198 # 199 First match (3) *** In front of Times Square in New York. Although it was close to midnight, the area in front of Times Square was literally crowded. It was said to be much less crowded than during the day, so it was difficult to predict how crowded it would be with New Yorkers and tourists during busy times. People were people, but what caught my eye as I stood in front of Times Square were the bright lightsing from the electronic disy board. The moment I arrived at the center of Times Square, I felt like I was possessed. ¡°oh. ¡°It¡¯s really gorgeous.¡± ¡°It¡¯s so big¡­.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve finally made it to Times Square!¡± At the ce where thergest electronic disy board was visible, the KK members looked up at the electronic disy board and left their impressions. ¡°I¡¯m in tears. ¡°Sigh!¡± Ahn Hyeong-seo spoke exaggeratedly and pretended to wipe his tears with his sleeve. The other members were busy looking around. Although the members went on tour all over the world, the number of times they actually went to famous tourist destinations was just a handful. Since we were on tour, most of the time, eating around the concert hall was all we did in that country. I only briefly visited tourist sites when the schedule suited me or when filming took ce there. In the case of the United States, even though I hade to work on an album with LIL,e to receive an award from Billboard, ande to appear on a TV show, I had never been to Times Square. Of course, we didn¡¯t juste out for sightseeing today. ¡°wow. That is¡­¡­.¡± Kim Won raised his hand and pointed to the electronic disy board that boasted thergest screen among the huge electronic disy boards. The members¡¯ eyes focused on that ce. ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°Something is amazing.¡± There was an advertisement for a Koreanpany there. Tourists from all over the world were passing by and looking at the advertisement. The KK members felt proud when they saw the logo of a familiar Koreanpany in an unfamiliarnd. ¡°It seems like a sense of patriotism that wasn¡¯t there before will arise¡­¡± Everyoneughed and agreed with Seok Ji-hoon¡¯s words. At the same time, the members felt like they knew whether KK fans or the Korean public, even if they were not necessarily fans, were proud of KK gaining so much poprity and love overseas. After the Koreanpany¡¯s advertisement was passed, other advertisements were repeated several times. Dowook took out his cell phone and checked his watch. Director Oh Baek-ho was looking at his watch. ¡°It was 15 seconds ago!¡± As Do-wook shouted in a slightly tense tone, the members fixed their eyes on the screen. ¡°10!¡± Dowook looked at his phone and started counting down. All the members were swallowing dry saliva and looking at the screen. ¡°It¡¯s now¡­!¡± As he spoke, Dowook also raised his head and looked at the electronic disy board. At exactly midnight, arge white logo of KK appeared on the ck screen of the electronic signboard. ¡®FINALLY KK IN THE USA¡¯ Sentences began to emerge, one by one, with the effect of writing on a typewriter. After that, an edited video of KK¡¯s ¡®Continue¡¯ and ¡®Connection¡¯ music videos was yed. The members looked around. Although many people passed by the ordinary Asian youth wearing a hoodie and jeans without recognizing them, there were quite a few people who were interested in KK in the video that appeared on the electronic disy board. Like the KK members, there were a few girls who stopped and watched the video on the electronic disy board. This was the first advertisement the members had ever seen. This was because it was the first advertisement to be released on arge electronic disy board in Times Square and on the MyTube Page V TV channel at midnight today. Although it was clearly visible at the hotel, the members came out to Times Square to share this special moment. After the music video, moments of guerri performances in Korea provided by the Me app quickly passed by in a panoramic format. This part was designed to remind anyone who saw the advertisement of KK¡¯s guerri performance. Afterwards, program snap photos filmed in advance at the V TV studio were released with each member¡¯s name. After introducing the six members, arge logo for the reality program [COME HERE] nned by V TV appeared on the screen. ¡®They areing to see you soon.¡¯ It was thest phrase. They wille looking for you soon. It was exactly as the phrase was. KK¡¯s American Guerri performance was held tomorrow in New York, the first city. Of all the cities, it was only natural that New York would be the first venue for the performance. It had symbolic meaning because it was the center of American culture. Because it was a city where many Koreans lived, the psychological burden was less on KK. After the first advertisement aired, it was mixed with other advertisements, and when the turn came, KK¡¯s program advertisement appeared. ¡°Now! Ites again!¡± The members gathered in front of the electronic disy board with flushed expressions and stood in a formation as if taking a group jacket photo. ¡°brother! ¡°Let¡¯s alle out, right?!¡± ¡°You have to get the right picture!¡± ¡°You can take a rough picture of this person. Stop talking nonsense and stand up properly quickly! Skip themercial!¡± Even as he said that, Director Oh Baek-ho retreated to a far distance in order to make the electronic disy board visible as much as possible. Then he sat down on the floor and passionately took pictures with his cell phone. The members smiled brightly while drawing a V or a heart with each finger. In the car on the way back to the amodation. Ahn Hyeong-seo was muttering while holding his cell phone, trying to upload a photo he had just taken. ¡°I came to New York¡­. Good news¡­. Did everyone see it¡­? ¡°We saw the advertisement that also appeared in Times Square with our own eyes¡­ Please look forward to it¡­¡± Ahn Hyeong-seo, who was speaking as he wrote, paused for a moment. I asked while fixing it. ¡°Can¡¯t I just say I¡¯lle visit you tomorrow?¡± ¡°Ask the obvious.¡± ¡°Really¡­ I¡¯lle see you real quick¡­ Can I use this much?¡± Jeong Yoon-gi, who was blocking Ahn Hyeong-seo with a single cut, also had an ambiguous expression at that point. Although he decided not to give any clues about the guerri performance, Jeong Yoon-gi thought, ¡®Isn¡¯t that okay?¡¯ Do-wook said as he watched his two older brothers pondering deeply. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be okay?¡± ¡°Oh great!¡± At Do-wook¡¯s words, Ahn Hyeong-seo wrote without even thinking about it any more. ¡°I raised it!¡± As soon as Ahn Hyeong-seo finished speaking,ments began to appear on Facenote. There were many Korean fans, but there were especially manyments from those living in the United States. Fans had already learned about the new reality program through advertisements in Times Square, KK¡¯s official ount, and V TV¡¯s official ount. In addition, V TV had officially posted a notice about the performance along with an advertisement. Since I heard that it was not just a reality program being broadcast, but a broadcast featuring guerri performances in the United States, it was natural that American fans in particr would react almost frantically. Three performances in a row in one city. This news was like a dream to them as they were overseas fans who were desperate enough to send tens of thousands of messages using the hashtag. But even if I knew the news, there was nothing I could do right away. This was because I didn¡¯t know when and where I would perform. All I had to do was wait for great luck toe to me. The only silver lining was that it was limited to ¡®somewhere in New York¡¯. There were hundreds ofments in English from fans saying that they were so nervous because they didn¡¯t know anything, but they were so happy just with the anticipation and hope that they might be able to see KK on stage soon. ¡°I guess they¡¯ve been waiting for us for a really long time¡­.¡± Hyeong-seo Ahn said while looking at thements. Other members were already checking Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s post. After winning the Billboard Rookie of the Year Award, they had a very brief activity in the United States, but it was not enough for American fans. The activities at that time were before the release of ¡®Connection¡¯. The current atmosphere was different again. It was in a much more heightened state than during ¡®Continue¡¯. ¡®Connection¡¯ perfectly inherited the good atmosphere of ¡®Continue¡¯. It has been on the Billboard charts for over 13 weeks since the announcement. It wasn¡¯t just in the charts, it was maintained around the top 30. KK¡¯s ¡®Connection¡¯ could be heard on any pop station or radio around the world, even on the streets. KK¡¯s songs had already be part of the global pop market. Because KK was being consumed not only for its songs but also as a boy band overseas, it also meant that there were more fans who loved the group itself. As the song ¡®Connection¡¯ was loved, the number of fans increased, and as the number of fans increased, album sales and streaming numbers increased¡­ a virtuous cycle continued. Since there were a significant number of iing fans as well as existing fans, there were bound to be many people who wanted to see the stage. In addition, overseas fans wanted to enjoy the joy that Korean fans enjoy while watching guerri performances in Korea. It was natural that there were fewer opportunities, so I had no choice but to be more desperate. ¡°I hope more people cane tomorrow.¡± ¡°Iknow, right. And since we did it three times¡­ wouldn¡¯t we be able toe to at least one ce?¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± While Do-wook and Ahn Hyeong-seo were talking, Director Oh Baek-ho said. ¡°Once you get into the hotel, don¡¯t do anything unnecessary and go to sleep. ¡°Do you all know that there will be three performances tomorrow only?¡± ¡°of course!¡± ¡°Yes Sir!¡± The members responded energetically. They hoped that they could present a great stage to at least one person who wanted to see them. *** The next day, Saturday, 2:30 p.m. After getting ready at the hotel, KK was traveling to the concert venue in a van. Due to the nature of the performance, there were no rehearsals at all, but through many guerri performances, the members were mentally prepared for any unexpected situation. The first performance time is 3 o¡¯clock. There were only 30 minutes left. V TV¡¯s original n was to move to a different location and perform every four hours, but after considering various situations, the time was further restricted. Saturday, the weekend, 3 p.m., 6 p.m., 9 p.m. In this way, performances were held once every three hours. Ahead of the first performance, a notice of the performance location was announced through the Facenote KK ount and the Times Square electronic board at 2 p.m. [COME HERE -Lincoln Center ¨C3PM EST] As soon as the performance location and time were announced, KK fans were excited. The Inte has been turned upside down even more than yesterday. There was already a lot of talk about American teenage girls flocking to Lincoln Center. Some people were confused by the sudden crowd of people and took and uploaded personal videos while asking what was going on. ¡°This¡­¡± Dowook muttered, looking at the reaction of the fans who were going crazy. There seemed to be no need to worry about the number of viewers, at least based on the Inte response. It was a time when everyone could not hide their excitement and hoped that the car would run quickly and arrive in front of Lincoln Center. Because it was a reality program that captured performances, a cameraman was in the van in which the KK members were riding. Several cameras were installed in the car. The cameraman who received the call had a very gloomy look on his face and called Do-wook. In this program, Do-wook and Kim Won were supposed to do their part without an interpreter. When Dowook turned around, the cameraman put down the camera for a moment and told him the news he had urgently received from the producer in charge. It is said that a message arrived to the PD in charge¡¯s personal Facenote ount. ¡®I KILL YOU ALL.¡¯ That was the first sentence of the message. Chapter 199 # 200 First match (4) *** In front of Lincoln Center. There were already quite a few girl fans gathered around, wearing all kinds of cheering gear with KK¡¯s logo and members¡¯ names engraved on them. Fans continued to flock in groups of twos and threes. There were an incredible number of fans who had just announced the news. After the Times Square advertisement aired, KK¡¯s fans living in New York were carrying cheering equipment with them all the time, waiting for an opportunity to visit. I never dreamed that it would be today. As KK¡¯s performance card was hung in front of the stage, people passing by Lincoln Center took interest and visited the stage, which also contributed to the quick gathering of the audience. It was also proof that there were many people who were interested in KK¡¯s music, even among people passing by on the street. A number of security guards organized the surroundings. Camera settings around the stage were alsopleted. The directors of ¡®COME HERE¡¯ inspected the stage and prepared for recording. Everything was in a state of ¡®abnormality¡¯. However, the reason the atmosphere at Lincoln Center, which was filled with pleasant excitement, changed in an unusual way was because of a message that arrived to the producer in charge. The message starting with ¡®I KILL YOU ALL¡¯ clearly foreshadowed terrorism. The person who sent the message was clearly a racist. The message contained the content that white girls were being manipted by a boy group made up of low-ss Asian men. Anger was seething with each word, as if he truly couldn¡¯t bear it. The motive for terrorism was also clear. It is impossible to open one¡¯s eyes and see what Asians are doing in the middle of New York. Warnings and threats that if the performance is not canceled, the heads of the KK members will be blown off with guns during the performance. The PD who read the message froze as soon as he saw it. It could have been a serious ident. The PD summoned the production crew along that route. And I immediately reported this to KK. After receiving the call, KK¡¯s van was waiting on the road behind Lincoln Center. The n was to park the car near the stage just before the performance time and have the members leave and perform immediately. The atmosphere inside the van, which should have been filled with excitement and tension before the performance, was extremely heavy. None of the members who saw the full text of the message could easily open their mouths. It was clear that if you were so surprised, not even an exmation of exmation came out. It was clear that various thoughts were crossing in the members¡¯ frozen minds. Director Oh Baek-ho broke the heavy atmosphere and opened his mouth. ¡°This is so¡­ haha¡­¡± However, he soon let out a deep sigh and was unable to continue speaking. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung, who has the most freedom ofmunication among KK officials, asked after finishing his phone call with the producer in charge. ¡°They say they filed a report with the police. ¡°We haven¡¯t announced it to the outside world yet¡­ I think we need to convey our opinion first.¡± ¡°You mean our opinion?¡± Director Oh Baek-ho asked back with a sigh. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung nodded, looking at the darkplexions of the members. ¡°What is your opinion?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I think it would be difficult to hold a performance today¡­¡± The United States was very sensitive to security and it was a situation where it could not help but be sensitive. If damage were to ur during a performance under these circumstances, it would be something that could not be repaired, so the production staff sent a stop sign without even considering it. The members¡¯plexions darkened even more after hearing Team Leader Daehyung Lee¡¯s words. No stage would be like that, but this stage was a new challenge for the KK members as well. Although I had ovee my fear of challenges, I never imagined that I would have to have this fear of terrorism. Because the message itself was already strongly racist, there was also anger at being racially discriminated against. But that was nothingpared to the anxiety and fear the members felt. Get hit in the head with a gun. It didn¡¯t feel real because it was something you only see in movies, but it was truly dizzying when I thought about the fans. From what I heard just a little while ago, there were about 300 people who came to see them. Their fans, officials who work for their professionals, and even citizens on the streets. Another fear for the members was that they had to feel the fear of terrorism because of them. If the incident actually urred, the situation would be truly uncontroble. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± As the members continued to remain silent as if they were deep in thought, Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung cleared his throat as if to get some air. Of course, it was unlikely that the performance would go ahead even if the KK members insisted on performing. Since it was reported, there could have been sanctions from the police. However, it was necessary to gather opinions and clearly convey the official position. As the head of the fan-marketing team, thinking about articles to be published in the press even under these circumstances could have felt harsh to the members, but it was work. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung¡¯s eyes turned toward Do-wook. It was because I thought he was the member who could express his opinion the fastest among the members at a time like this. Do-wook felt the gaze of team leader Dae-hyung Lee and checked the time on his phone screen. It was twenty minutes before the performance. ¡°Ah¡­ I guess we should gather opinions quickly.¡± When Do-wook opened his mouth, the members¡¯ attention turned towards Do-wook. In fact, in Korea, these individual terrorist threats were often not felt as real threats. It could have been a joke, or it could have been sincere but not put into action. But this was America. It was a message that could never be ignored. The United States was a country where people could own guns. Thanks to this,rge and small gun idents urred frequently. Plus he¡¯s racist. Considering the extremeness of racists, such incidents could easily have urred even in the 21st century. ¡®There is nothing visible in the eyes of those who believe and blindly believe in a certain idea¡­¡¯ Do-wook thought, feeling bitterness in his mouth. An outdoor concert hall where an unspecified number of people gather. It was not something that could be done simply by strengthening the security of private securitypanies. ¡®I guess I¡¯ll have to cancel. There is no other way. It would not be possible to catch the person who sent the message in a short time¡­¡¯ However, what Do-wook was worried about was not the immediate cancetion of the performance. After the first performance was cancelled, the avability of all performances could be unclear until the person who sent the message was caught. ¡®Even if one terrorist threat actor is caught¡­ there will be more than one person with this kind of thought¡­ simr things may repeat themselves. If this incident bes known, people may be anxious and not be able to visit the concert venue¡­¡¯ If that happens, guerri performances in the United States may be impossible. This could lead to a situation where the program is canceled. Soon Do-wook shook his head. There was no way to find an answer even if I thought about things that didn¡¯t happen. First of all, the urgent priority was to cancel the performance that was scheduled to take ce in twenty minutes. ¡°I think performing will be difficult. Because safety is more important. ¡°Even if it¡¯s a joke, if it bes known that the performance was carried out after receiving such a message, it will be a problem.¡± The members also nodded as they watched Dowook quickly organize his thoughts and speak. It was closer to a confirmation process than an opinion because it was no different from an opinion that had already been decided. ¡°After canceling this performance¡­ what happens to the next performance?¡± Ahn Hyeong-seo asked with a face full of dejection. Director Oh Baek-ho answered with a bitter expression. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we just cancel the performance today?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡± Team leader Lee Dae-hyung also said as if he was embarrassed. ¡°We will have a meeting soon, but I don¡¯t know when we will be able to perform right now.¡± Sighs flowed from the members¡¯ mouths. ¡°If this fact bes known¡­ the fans¡­ will also be worried¡­¡± Park Tae-hyung said. It was clear that fans would be anxious if the truth became known. Director Oh Baek-ho reported this to Director Kwon Heung-jo and Manager Joanie in Korea, and then quickly contacted the private securitypany he had connected with. I understand that the fans are worried, but the direct targets of the threats were the KK members. I didn¡¯t know that the performance wasn¡¯t the problem, but that my goal should be to return safely to Korea. Team leader Lee Dae-hyungforted the members that it would be okay and went out of the van. The purpose was to convey KK¡¯s position to the production staff at the concert hall and discuss future events. The atmosphere in front of Lincoln Center was already quite chaotic. Seeing the police arriving after receiving a report, fans who knew nothing were wondering why so many police cars were there. KK¡¯s first guerri performance in New York was suddenly canceled due to terrorist threats. *** [KK US activities on high alert! Was he threatened with terrorism?] [K.K. reveals his devastation after failing to perform a guerri performance in New York¡­] [Threatened by gun terrorism? KK fans are shocked] [Deep-rooted racism¡­ KK also suffered!] . . . With the cancetion of the performance, articles poured in immediately not only in the United States but also in Korea. This was because expectations for KK¡¯s performance in New York were high even in Korea. Director Seo Joong-won nced at the headline of the entertainment article and a wry smile appeared on his face. ¡°They even help terrorists and make sure to raise issues.¡± Director Seo Joong-won turned the pages with an expressionless face, as if he was no longer interested. As I turned the page, a special article about Man to Man¡¯s sessful expansion into Japan appeared. As KK left for New York to prepare for her American performance, the Korean music industry began to pour out songs by male idol groups targeting the period when KK was away. If the activity period ovepped with KK, there was no chance for them to see any light, so there were quite a few idols who deliberately avoided that period. However, even if it was first ce on the same music show, it was not the same number one as KK. While KK took first ce in the first week with album sales of 500,000 copies and a digital conversion score of 130 points, other groups¡¯ first ce scores dropped to the 80s just by looking at the digital conversion score. It was true that there was no one among male idol groups that could bepared to KK. In Korea, where there is no KK, the only thing that could bepared to KK was Man to Man. Since they have been constantlypared since their debut, it was quite tiring for the Man to Man members and fans, but it is true that they have risen much higher than the level that was iparable when Seo Kang-jun was there. Man to Man was mentioned as a candidate for this year¡¯s grand prize as it chose the forced march of carrying out activities in Korea and Japan simultaneously. As Ara Entertainment has been performing well in Japan for a long time, Man to Man¡¯s performance in Japan was also quite good, ranking first on the Oricon chart weekly. But for the record, it didn¡¯t make sense as long as KK was there. Nevertheless, since KK was not active in broadcasting, there was talk that Man to Man was a better fit for the target audience. Of course, these were stories cleverly leaked by Ara Entertainment to promote Man-to-Man. A small number of anti-fans who were ufortable with KK¡¯s sess story excitedly spread it around. Chapter 200 # 201 Pandemonium (1) ¡°The position of man-to-man has definitely increased.¡± ¡°yes. KK¡­ It is clear that the gap in sales volume has narrowed and we have established ourselves as a top idol.¡± The head of Ara Entertainment¡¯s strategic nning team responded to General Manager Seo Joong-won¡¯s words. Even the director had no choice but to be careful about what he said when it came to mentioning ¡®K.K.¡¯ This was because it was a very sensitive area for Director Seo Joong-won. The director also understood that Director Seo Joong-won was sensitive. He was raised to the top in every group he touched, but Man to Man was the second-best group for many years due to KK. ¡°okay. What happened? This is enough. If you have a hard time with just one man, you can just hit one more and go up. ¡°Are preparations going well?¡± The preparation that Director Seo Joong-won is talking about here was Ara Entertainment¡¯s female idol group ¡®Valentine¡¯, which is about to debut. The manager responded immediately. ¡°yes. ¡°It is progressing without a hitch.¡± Director Seo Joong-won said, ¡®Good.¡¯ I answered. In any case, as long as they were able to maintain power in the broadcasting industry by nurturing influential entertainers, everything would be fine. So far, Man to Man has struggled a bit as things haven¡¯t gone as nned, but if Man to Man is in the top ranks and Valentine¡¯s Day is a sess, there will be no problem. ¡®With that power, he even brought back a man called his son¡­¡¯ Director Seo Joong-won¡¯s snake-like eyes glowed white. *** Performance cancetion due to death threats. The KK members gathered in their hotel room in despair. The hotel vacated an entire floor for KK. As requested by Director Oh Baek-ho, security guards from a privatepany were stationed in front of the hotel room door, including the elevator on the floor where KK was located. There were also some police officers. ¡°If we keep going like this¡­ shouldn¡¯t we have to go back to Korea?¡­¡± Hyeong-seo Ahn, sitting on the bed, asked with a dark expression. ¡°Don¡¯t be so foolish.¡± ¡°maybe. I really might have to go back¡­¡± Jeong Yoon-gi shook his head, but surprisingly, Kim Won also had negative thoughts. Kim Won also felt a more real fear because he had experienced racial discrimination while living abroad. ¡°The culprit¡­ we will be able to catch him soon.¡± Do-wook always spoke with confidence, but this time it was difficult for him to be confident. It was an even more frustrating situation because there was nothing he could do. Still, the thought that the culprit would be caught quickly was because the New York police and the media never took this issue lightly. It was an uproar in Korea, but the American media was also in an uproar. This was because while this was ssified as an entertainment issue in Korea, it became a social issue in the United States. It was natural that the motive for the person¡¯s threat to terrorize the concert hall by killing K.K. was motivated by racism. Of course, there were many racists in the United States, and there were many who openly practiced racism even if they did not make it obvious. However, internally, the values and racial discrimination advocated by the United States werepletely different, and Americans were very sensitive to external exposure of areas where their country¡¯s civic consciousness could be undervalued. When you are racially discriminated against, you don¡¯t just feel offended; you ask, ¡®Did you discriminate against me?¡¯ That¡¯s why when you ask a question, the other person gets embarrassed and says, ¡®Absolutely not,¡¯ or people around you criticize that person. However, a singer who had won awards from the Billboard and had fans all over the world received death threats and even canceled the performance because he was from the East, so there was bound to be an uproar in the United States. KK¡¯s name continued to be mentioned in the news immediately after the incident became known. The anchors all said that it was discrimination that should not ur and repeated with serious faces that racial discrimination should never ur. The police mobilized arge amount of manpower to quickly track down the person who sent the message. ¡®Once the culprit is found, the performance will be able to resume again¡­ Something like this should not happen again.¡¯ Dowook thought and turned down the TV volume a little with the remote control. The TV in the hotel room was showing CNM, a news channel. I turned it on to see if I could find out news about the criminal more quickly. ¡°Even if the criminal is caught and performs¡­ I think it would be scary. You never know when a bullet will fly. ¡°I guess I watched too many movies.¡± Seok Ji-hoon smiled and said. ¡°¡­You should consider it an honor to die on stage.¡± Jeong Yoon-gi was disgusted by Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s answer and hit Ahn Hyeong-seo on the shoulder. ¡°Mr. Ma. ¡°Don¡¯t say horrible things.¡± ¡°what. But I¡¯m serious. The stage will continue to stand anyway¡­. If you just walk down the street, you¡¯ll die! Even if you eat jelly, you die¡­! ¡°You don¡¯t know when or how you¡¯ll die¡­ If you die on stage, it¡¯s meaningful¡­¡± Jung Yoon-gi tried to cover his ears, saying please don¡¯t say horrible things because no one is going to die. It was a conversation with a bit of joking mixed in to lighten the heavy atmosphere. However, because it was a time again, it was a part where you could feel Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s sincerity about the stage. ¡°That won¡¯t happen.¡± Do-wook spoke and patted Seok Ji-hoon¡¯s pale shoulder. At that time, Director Oh Baek-ho, who had seen the situation at Lincoln Center, opened the door and came in. ¡°Oh bro!¡± ¡°What about the fans¡­?¡± As soon as Director Oh Baek-ho came in, the members asked. ¡°The police in front of Lincoln Center left, leaving only the bare minimum. ¡°First of all, since you¡¯re not here, there¡¯s no reason to show up¡­ But even when some fans tell you to go back, you don¡¯t go back and just stay around.¡± ¡°Not yet?¡± About two hours had now passed since the performance. Normally, it would have been time to finish the performance and head to the next performance location. However, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder when I heard that fans were still staying in front of the venue where the performance had already been cancelled. ¡°Uh¡­ they looked like they were going to protest¡­ Anyway, the remaining police said they would sort it out, so don¡¯t worry too much.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± The members responded in weak voices. I was worried about the fans, but I couldn¡¯t go to Lincoln Center to appease the angry fans. Of course, the target of fans¡¯ anger was not KK, but the person who made the death threat. Fans in Korea urged KK to return to Korea, saying there was no reason for him to be active in the U.S. under such threat. Not only Korea, but also Asia, including China and Japan, the Middle East, and South America. Fans in so-called non-Western countries were angry as if they had been subjected to racial discrimination. Like Kim Won, there were many people who had experienced racial discrimination, big or small, at least once. They know that kind of sadness better than anyone else, and when they heard that something like that happened to an idol they were in awe of, they were so angry that they felt like they would cause a terrorist attack. Even if they were not necessarily fans of KK, there were many people who wrote messages of support for KK members. The same was true for fans in Western countries. They postedments saying they felt ashamed that something like this happened even in this day and age. I was very worried that the KK members would be hurt. Obviously, the target of immigration was different, but in the end, the feelings were the same. The local fans were feeling worried, angry, and ashamed at the same time. Even more so were the feelings of the fans who were waiting for KK in front of the concert venue. Therefore, they gathered around the concert hall, hoping that the culprit would be caught and news of the resumption of KK¡¯s performance would be heard. Despite V TV¡¯s announcement that it would prioritize safety so that KK could continue its activities safely, protests due to anger against the ckmailer showed no signs of abating. On the Inte, local fans were already gathering opinions to protest against racial discrimination. It was truly a huge butterfly effect. The American media, which captured this movement, also said, ¡®A single warning to the world¡¯s beloved boy band made everyone angry,¡¯ and added, ¡®It is fortunate that they quickly canceled the performance to ensure safety, but the hurt KK members and ¡®The hearts of fans must also be kept safe,¡¯ he added. Dowook let go of the remote control he was holding while listening to the anchor¡¯smentsing from CNM. ¡°¡­Better post a message that we are okay.¡± The members nodded at Do-wook¡¯s words. *** [We are fine. I¡¯m sorry that I couldn¡¯t keep my performance promise. We came back, cleaned up and rested well. Do not worry too much. It¡¯s true that I was surprised, but I wasn¡¯t hurt. Nothing happened. So don¡¯t be too angry. Even if someone wants to be angry. It¡¯s a waste of time to love! Let us love each other. I will sing until more love spreads around the world. Please wait a moment.] The message that Dowook posted on the official KK Facenote ount quickly spread around the world. KK became a symbol of love and peace overnight. The guerri performance in the United States, which was just a festival for KK fans, has now be a performance that people around the world are paying attention to. The sess of KK¡¯s performance became like a symbol of peace. In addition, some citizens and officials in New York felt a sense of responsibility and hoped that KK¡¯s performance would be a sess. It wasn¡¯t just a wish in his heart, he actually wanted to help KK¡¯s performance. A famous bottled waterpany based in New York came forward to sponsor KK. They said they would provide all water and beverages to drink at the concert hall. For the ¡®COME HERE¡¯ program, Korean multinationalpanies and thepany for which K.K. is acting as a model were already providing a lot of production support as sponsors. As I was contacted by not only bottled waterpanies but also otherpanies, I was in a situation where I could no longer receive sponsorship. V TV officials expressed their confusion, saying they did not know whether to cry orugh about this. We were grateful for the other support, but more than anything, we were fortunate that the issue of renting a performance venue could be resolved. This was because the performance date was pushed back and all the venues we had rented were cancelled. However, the government office announced that it would provide a stage at any time and in any way for KK¡¯s performance. Thanks to this, KK was able to post a notice to resume the performance the day after the culprit was caught. The culprit was found within two days. He was a high school student who joined a secret group that wanted to exterminate colored people from American soil. It was a club at the level of a mystery club created like a club on the Inte. Like keyboard warriors, everyone only exchanged messages online saying they wanted to ughter people of color, but in reality, they were ordinary office workers, fast food restaurant managers, and graduate students. This high school student, who had always suffered from delusions of grandeur, was the only one who tried to carry out the conversations he had had on the Inte. In fact, there was an attempt to nt a homemade bomb in a Chinese supermarket a year ago. Of course, at that time, it was fortunate that he became a thief because he was used of trying to steal things before nting the bomb. And on Saturday, it was a week since I received the death threat message. 6:59 p.m. KK was standing on a special outdoor stage installed in the middle of Central Park. All six KK people were holding each other¡¯s hands. It was difficult to control the overwhelming emotions. The second hand of the huge digital clock erected on the stage reached 50. The fans began counting with one voice. ¡°10!!!¡± ¡°9!!!¡± . . At 7 o¡¯clock sharp, arge number of people gathered in Central Park shouted. ¡°Kaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!! ¡°!!!¡± ¡°!!!¡± Pot! pop-! Colorful fireworks exploded in the sky along with huge shouts. It was the beginning of American guerri performances. Chapter 201 # 202 Pandemonium (2) ¡°Are you ready?¡± ¡°Yeah¡ª!!!¡± Everyone screamed at the top of their lungs at that spectacr start. Kim Won spun around in his seat as if he could feel the cheers as he watched the people answering his questions. The audience made louder noises in response to Kim Won¡¯s reaction. ¡°I didn¡¯t know so many people woulde!¡± Hyeong-seo Ahn, who took over the microphone, spoke with a face full of emotion. Central Park, located in the center of the city, was truly enormous. Nevertheless, the number of people who flocked to see this performance was such that many of the entrances to Central Park were paralyzed. I wondered how many people wereing, but when I saw it with my own eyes, it was huge. Estimates at the time of entry showed that the number of people was approximately 10,000. Their shouts were enough to make Central Park reverberate. Even now, there were many people running to see KK at the entrance. As usual, notice of time and ce was posted an hour in advance. I couldn¡¯t believe how 10,000 people could gather in just one hour. It was always a precious moment, but it was even more emotional because something happened right before that meant I couldn¡¯t stand on stage. Most of them were local fans. Hyungseo Ahn wanted to express his gratitude in person, so he kept repeating the words ¡®Thank you¡¯. Do-wook took over the microphone from Ahn Hyeong-seo. When Do-wook grabbed the microphone, an unknownmotion arose in the audience. This was because Dowook¡¯s poprity was considerable in the United States. It was clear that it was a face that was popr everywhere. There¡¯s even singing and dancing. It was a perfect character with nothing wrong with it. Do-wook¡¯s eptance speech at Billboard and the messages he posted recently resonated deeply in the hearts of overseas fans and became an opportunity for them to like the ¡®person¡¯ named Do-wook. In addition, some people liked Dowook as an artist whoposed a song with LIL, and the passionate affection of Asian residents who watched ¡®Lovers from Space¡¯ also yed a role. ¡°everyone.¡± Dowook began greeting in Korean. Of course, you could also say hello in English. However, here today, I wanted to further reveal my identity as a singer from Korea. This meant that they would not cower because of or many other discriminators who sent threatening messages to them. ¡®We will not avoid it. ¡®You are the ones who have to stop discriminating.¡¯ I intentionally tried to convey such thoughts. At the same time, Dowook had to be considerate of andmunicate with those who came to the site, so he added English after Korean. It was like he was interpreting himself. ¡°It¡¯s only been a week¡­but it seems like so much time has passed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making you wait so long.¡± As soon as Do-wook finished speaking in English, voices saying ¡®No.¡¯ came from all over the ce. It meant there was no need to be sorry. Among them: ¡®It¡¯s okay!¡¯ There were also voices of Korean fans shouting. There were Korean fans who were studying abroad in New York or had immigrated, but they were also Korean fans who had flown in from Korea and were waiting for KK¡¯s performance in New York at an unknown time. About six of the fans who run KK¡¯s fan site were staying in New York as a group, providing lodging and food, and anxiously waiting for KK¡¯s guerri performance. Dowook briefly looked at the ce where he shouted, ¡®It¡¯s okay.¡¯ There were over 10,000 spectators, but because they were in the front row, they were caught by Dowook¡¯s gaze. The local fans were grateful, but their passion was also great, so Dowook smiled at the camera they were holding. ¡°omg.¡± The hand holding the camera of the fan who received Dowook¡¯s smile trembled for a moment. ¡®oh my god! Do-wook saw it here!¡¯ I was so surprised and happy that I wanted to scream, but I didn¡¯t want my voice to be recorded, so I kept my mouth shut. The fan who flew all the way from Korea to film the stage even had his own sense of duty. This was because these were performances that wouldter be broadcast on ¡®COME HERE¡¯, so there was no live broadcast. Since they can¡¯t watch it in real time, I wanted to share at least a part of it with the many fans who have to wait until it airs to soothe their disappointment of not being able to see KK in person. It wasn¡¯t just the fans who were taking pictures of the stage. Leading media outlets around the world, including the United States, and several media outlets in Korea were reporting. Because it was the first performance since the terrorist threat was received, the level of attention was enormous. The sess or failure of the performance would be broadcast on the news. Thanks to its poprity, even ordinary citizens of the United States who did not know what K-POP was or who KK was joined therge number of people heading to Central Park. For young and middle-aged white Americans, going to KK¡¯s performance has be a symbolic act of ¡®opposing discrimination.¡¯ Of course, KK was a group with the charm to make even those people into their fans through today¡¯s performance. The performance prepared by KK members was enough for that. ¡°I will do my best to perform without regrets! ¡°I hope you enjoy it together!¡± Dowook said in a lively voice. As the speech came to an end and it was time for the song toe on, Dowook¡¯s heart seemed to be beating fast. Lastly, Jung Yoon-gi, who received the microphone, said, ¡®Let¡¯s go!¡¯ He shouted coolly. The prelude to ¡®Connection¡¯ was yed along with Jung Yoon-ki¡¯s autograph. The members quickly formed a formation on stage. ¡°Oh my gosh!¡± ¡°Waaaa¡ª!!!¡± ¡°Kaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!! Once again, there was a roar so loud that it could be heard as far as the Statue of Liberty. ¡°We keep moving forward¡ª!¡± Just like the lyrics of a song, the audience¡¯s entrance continued from the entrance until the song started. As the song started, people¡¯s steps became more urgent. Even though people in the back row could no longer see the stage, people continued to flock in. Manager Oh Baek-ho and album production team leader Shim Jun watched the scene and shared their feelings in the officials¡¯ seats on the outskirts of the stage. ¡°Wow¡­ there are no other men ying the pipe.¡± Looking towards the entrance, Manager Oh Baek-ho spoke first, and Team Manager Sim Jun responded. ¡°Now I can¡¯t go anywhere and say that we raised them. ¡°Because it¡¯s burdensome.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just say he grew up on his own.¡± ¡°haha. ¡°That would be nice.¡± The two watched the stage, trying hard to hide their crushed feelings. ¡°We go on We go¡ª!¡± The expressions of the dancing members were very bright. The voices that responded to the endless crowd of audiences seemed happy in the music they created. *** ¡°I heard that the CEO¡¯s health has worsened.¡± ¡°Then I guess it¡¯s a rumor that Director Seo will be appointed as CEO after the shareholders¡¯ meeting next month.¡± Ara Entertainment headquarters building 7th floor employee lounge. Azy afternoon. While drinking coffee from a vending machine, Ara Entertainment¡¯s ounting team members were whispering among themselves. Through a phone call from the ounting team leader, they learned that the health of the current nominal CEO of Ara Entertainment had deteriorated further. There were many people within thepany who already considered General Manager Seo Joong-won to be the CEO. ¡°It would be nice, team leader. ¡°Isn¡¯t the team leader also in the same line as the general manager?¡± ¡°right. ¡°Ah, so I guess there will be some beans on our team too.¡± ¡°What are we? All you have to do is calcte numbers well. Isn¡¯t there a team leader on the nning team who doesn¡¯t get along with the general manager? ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± ¡°Ah oh. That¡­¡­a strong person. That person is not a good match for Director Seo. Seobon likes people who are a bit gentle. ¡°Director Jeong doesn¡¯t get along with Director Seo, so he can¡¯t really put in much effort these days.¡± ¡°You like being sucked openly, right? ¡°If it goes against the grain, chop it down and press it down.¡± ¡°Assistant Manager Kim, do you want to quit thepany?¡± ¡°No¡­ It¡¯s just that the system is too dependent on what one person says.¡± ¡°Ah, you said your college ssmate was in the nning Team 2, right? ¡°There must be a lot ofints there.¡± ¡°Of course. ¡°If I even be a representative¡­ will that really happen?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he already a representative? If this new group does well, it¡¯s confirmed.¡± ¡°What if it doesn¡¯t work out?¡± ¡°What if it doesn¡¯t work out? Well, something went wrong once during the Man-to-Man¡­ So, Director Jeong has something toin about.¡± When Assistant Manager Kim made a face that said, ¡®I hope so,¡¯ the other person shook his head and said. ¡°Hey, if you¡¯re an employee, just hope that thepany does well. uh? And when you go somewhere, don¡¯t show that you don¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°guide. There is no ce for that. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the rooftop and smoke a cigarette.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a call. Since smoking is not allowed indoors, the lounge is useless¡­¡± The two were having a trivial conversation as they left the lounge. At that moment, Director Seo Joong-won and his secretary were passing through the hallway. The two people were a little embarrassed because they had been talking about him, good or bad, just a moment ago, but they quickly bowed their heads and greeted General Manager Seo Joong-won. Director Seo Joong-won walked down the hallway with a big smile on his face and told everyone to do their best. ¡°You seem to be in a really good mood¡­.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The two people looked at the back of Director Seo Jung-won with a slightly ufortable expression. Of course, Director Seo Joong-won was in a good mood. The debut of ¡®Valentine¡¯ was tomorrow. And the date for convening the board of directors regarding the appointment of the representative was set. It was next month. One month after debut was a very short period of time, but the rookies released by Ara Entertainment achieved some results within that month. Man to Man also achieved impressive sales for a rookie in just one month. Of course, thanks to KK, all those achievements were reduced to nothing. Among the surroundingrge entertainmentpanies, there were no debut oreback schedules for female idol groups for the time being, and the current female idol fandom was returning to the same form as the Spring and Autumn Warring States period without arge fandom. It was a very appropriate time to create a number one group. ¡®representative. It took longer than I thought to get to this point. ¡®I see a lot of dirty things.¡¯ Director Seo Joong-won thought with a bitter smile. He had no way of knowing that the dirty things he had presented to others were more than the dirty things he had seen. *** next day. The members of Valentine were gathered in the waiting room ahead of their debut stage. Unlike other rookies who were gathered together in various groups and used the waiting room, the waiting room for Valentine, who came to the broadcasting station for the first time today, was extremelyfortable. This was because I shared a waiting room with one of Man to Man¡¯s Obin, who is currently the MC for ¡®Life Song¡¯. Even then, Obin was constantly away because he was rehearsing as an MC and going to the waiting room of other fellow singers. ¡°sister! ¡°There¡¯s a wrinkle in your clothes here!¡± A waiting room where only the Valentine members and staff remain. The voice of Valentine¡¯s leader Yeri Han rang out sharply. ¡°uh?¡± Cody ran over and checked the clothes Yeri Han was rocking. It was a natural wrinkle that inevitably urred due to the material. ¡°What if I take care of my clothes like this?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. ¡°I¡¯ll iron it for you.¡± ¡°huh. Please do it quickly.¡± The Valentine members, including Yeri Han, were all 19 and 20 years old, younger than Cody, who was 23, but they were dealing with Cody without any difficulties. At that time, someone knocked on the waiting room door. When Valentine¡¯s manager answered, the waiting room door opened and a girl who appeared to be Valentine¡¯s age peeked out. ¡°I came to say hello to that senior¡­¡± They were the ones who came to say hello to Man to Man¡¯s Obin. These were the ¡®girls¡¯ who would debut today along with Valentine. Chapter 202 # 203 Pandemonium (3) Naturally, today was ¡®Girls¡¯ first visit to the broadcasting station. Everything was amazing. With eyes full of curiosity, I wanted to see Senior Obin as well as Senior Obin¡¯s waiting room. The girls, who nced inside without realizing it, saw Valentine in a colorful costume getting ready inside. The girls also knew that the people who were sharing the waiting room with Obin were Valentines who were debuting on the same day as them. However, even though they were rookies debuting together today, they were not all the same. Unlike the girls that no one even knew existed, Valentine already had a significant number of fans. Ara Entertainment was a difficult ce to be a trainee, and as if it was natural, fans followed the trainees who made their debut there. Since they had already made their debut after going through fiercepetition within the agency, singers who debuted at Ara Entertainment had a lot of pride in ¡®debuting under Ara Entertainment¡¯. It was also true that he had skills. However, although it would be nice if this pride ended only at the level of confidence, many people mistakenly thought that they had already be stars because they enjoyed considerable attention and poprity before their debut and were guaranteed a certain level of poprity afterward. This was exactly the case with the Valentine members. Moreover, they came as trainees when Ara Entertainment was fully established. Therefore, from the time of their debut, they received support for lodging in a luxury vi and maintenance expenses, which are difficult for trainees from other agencies to enjoy. So, in terms of living, he was enjoying the same lifestyle as most singers. Dahye, the youngest of the girls, unknowingly averted her eyes when she made eye contact with Valentine¡¯s Yeri Han. This was because Han Yeri¡¯s eyes as she looked at the door were so cold. ¡®Still, I should have said hello instead of avoiding eye contact¡­ ugh¡­¡¯ Da-hye said, ¡®What should I do?¡¯ It was time to look towards Yunji, the girls¡¯ leader, with concern. Yunji, who said she hade to say hello to Obin, was facing Valentine¡¯s manager. ¡°I don¡¯t have one right now.¡± Valentine¡¯s manager answered in an indifferent tone. ¡°Oh well, I¡¯ll see youter!¡± Yunji was taken aback for a moment, but she answered clearly as she had learned. ¡°What¡­¡± Even when Valentine¡¯s manager answered carelessly by telling her to take care of it, Yunji was not embarrassed and bowed her head. Afterwards, I told the members lined up in the back to go back. Since it was their first time, the girls should havee with their manager to greet them, but the manager had gone to say hello to the producer of Song of Life. As the girls closed the door and left, Yeri Han looked away from the door again and looked in the mirror. ¡°Noisy.¡± It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t like Da-hye, who I met. I wasn¡¯t interested enough to even think about that. I just didn¡¯t like how busy the waiting room became for a while. ¡°Who is it?¡± A member of Valentine with pink hair who was using her cell phone next to Yeri Han asked as if she was talking to herself. ¡°Do you think they are debuting today? Those¡­¡­.girls?¡± ¡°Girls? ¡°Is that the girls¡¯ name?¡± ¡°huh. ¡°It will happen.¡± The pink head frowned slightly at the manager¡¯s answer. ¡°Eh¡­. You look very in¡­ Did youe from the countryside? ¡°Where do you belong?¡± The manager looked embarrassed at the pink haired question. ¡°Where was it¡­¡± ¡°My brother is the manager, what if I don¡¯t know anything about that?¡± The manager looked a little embarrassed when the pink-haired man scolded him, and then said as if he had remembered something. ¡°Comet! ¡°It¡¯s Comet Enter.¡± ¡°Comet Enter? ¡°This is my first time hearing it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s called Shinsaeng.¡± ¡°Ah, I guess my brother didn¡¯t know. ¡°Somehow~¡± The manager, who had pink hair and was wrinkling his nose as he responded in a charming tone to the scolding he had just given, was embarrassed as he didn¡¯t know which melody to dance to, but he couldn¡¯t help but smile. While Yeri Han had a quiet and sensitive personality, Pink Hair had a lively and capricious personality. Neither of them had an easy personality to deal with. However, hested at Ara Entertainment for three years. Considering the managerial industry where job changes are frequent, it was an incredible amount of perseverance. As long as Valentine¡¯s debut album did well, a promotion was also waiting. So the pink hair¡¯s quirky personality felt like a charm. At that time, there was another knock and the waiting room door opened. ¡°Oh!¡± The manager, who was sittingfortably with his back in his chair, suddenly stood up when he saw someoneing through the door. ¡°Are you here!¡± The person he bowed down to greet was Jin Gook-seon, head of the strategic nning team at Ara Entertainment. The strategic nning team was a valuable team at Ara Entertainment, overseeing the nning team and even being involved in overall personnel affairs. Director Jin Gook-seon could be said to be the most powerful person within Ara Entertainment. The Valentine members who were preparing their respective stages also stood up and slightly bowed their heads. When a singer from Ara Entertainment performs on the debut stage, it is customary for key staff, including Director Jin Gook-seon and heads of the nning team, toe. At that time, Director Seo Jung-won entered the waiting room behind Director Chung-won Chung. ¡°Director Bo?!¡± Manager Valentine stuttered without realizing it. Director Jin Kook-seon might not know, but it was really rare for Director Seo Jung-won to visit a broadcasting stage other than a concert. Even the faces of the Valentine members, who seemed fearless, appeared tense. Not surprisingly, the influence that Director Seo Joong-won had on the celebrities affiliated with Ara Entertainment was enormous. While some people, like Cha Eun-ho, made unexpected debuts thanks to the words of Director Seo Joong-won, there were others who were not able to appear on television outside of his eyes. So even though Seo Kang-Jun acted like a tyrant with no visible presence, everyone was quiet. Director Seo Joong-won was actually like a king at Ara Entertainment. Director Seo Jung-won smiled softly as he looked at the hardened people. ¡°I guess everyone was surprised that I came so suddenly? I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t contact you in advance. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it will be too burdensome if I contact you.¡± Of course, he was satisfied to see those who looked at him and stiffened. It was always fun to y the role of king in front of people who trembled at his words. It was one of the reasons why he was obsessed with money and power. ¡°Oh no! ¡°How did we get here¡­¡± The manager answered frozen. ¡°In some way, you came out to encourage me.¡± Manager Jin Guk-seon¡¯s words were answered by the manager and Valentine members who expressed their gratitude. ¡°okay. ¡°Did the rehearsals go well?¡± ¡°yes! ¡°It¡¯s my debut, but the producer praised me because I performed well on stage and a lot of fans came~¡± Among the Valentine members, the one with pink hair who still has a nice touch responded cheerfully. Director Seo Joong-won looked at the Valentine members with a satisfied smile. ¡°haha. You may not be able to see the stage, but Director Jin will be watching, so do well on the main stage. ¡°I¡¯m very excited.¡± ¡°yes. thank you.¡± Leader Yeri Han answered calmly. ¡°Guys, the general manager is here too, so we should take a picture. With the general manager and the manager¡­¡± Valentine¡¯s manager brightened the mood. It was to post a photo on Ara Entertainment¡¯s official ount. It was amon urrence for high-ranking executives, executives, and celebrities to take photos and post them. It was to show off how well they were managing their celebrities. ¡°Where then¡­¡± Director Seo Joong-won stood next to Director Jin Gook-seon. ¡°The manager ising to the center¡­¡± ¡°Haha. ¡°Isn¡¯t today a day where these friends are the main characters?¡± Director Seo Jung-won responded cheerfully to Director Jin Kook-seon¡¯s words. The Valentine members went to the designated spot to take a group photo and stood there. Valentine¡¯s manager quickly opened the camera app on his phone and took a picture. It was an hour before the live broadcast of ¡®Life Song¡¯ started. *** Even though it was his debut performance, Valentine had the title of ¡®Special Rookie¡¯ and was scheduled to sing one and a half songs right before the first ce candidate¡¯s performance. It was super special treatment. This was one of the reasons why fans from other fandoms scoffed at the special treatment given to celebrities under Ara Entertainment whenever they debuted. However, it was able to clearly receive the spotlight and was clearly imprinted on the public. It was a choice worth risking a bit of ridicule. Unlike Valentine¡¯s Day, which was rtively leisurely because the stage was at the back, the girls¡¯ waiting room was extremely busy an hour before the broadcast. This was because it was the stage right after the opening. The time given to the girls was only about 2 minutes. The title song ¡®Our Time¡¯ had to be edited to fit the assigned stage time. Debut stage. We had to work hard to imprint the name ¡®Girls¡¯ on viewers and leave a strong impression within a short period of time. ¡°you can do it! can do! ¡°I can do it!¡± ¡°Ugh. I¡¯m so nervous I feel like I¡¯m going to throw up. ¡°Is it okay to vomit on stage?¡± ¡°real? ¡°Hey, go to the bathroom now and just throw up.¡± ¡°Guys. You guys are a girl group now. ¡°Let¡¯s not say such things out loud!¡± The members nodded at leader Yunji¡¯s words. Of course, the representative, Jeong Hye-seong, was also present in the girls¡¯ waiting room. The atmosphere was different from the visit of Director Seo Joong-won. CEO Jeong Hye-seong seemed like an uncle to the current members. ¡°Lose self-confidence. ¡°Everyone, calm down!¡± CEO Jeong Hye-seong, who said such things, was equally nervous. ¡°Wow¡­ But the costume is really pretty.¡± ¡°Oh, I like it too.¡± The members who all changed into stage costumes looked like ¡®girls¡¯. They wore blouses with lots of frills and hot pants or skirts that showed off their individual personalities. The part where the ¡®difference in money¡¯ was most evident was in clothing. The cheap stage costumes were noticeablycking in detail. However, the stage costumes the girls currently wore wereparable to luxury goods. This was because Do-wook specifically suggested the use of the investment, saying that it would be a good idea to use his investment money to improve the quality of not only the album but also the stage set costumes. ¡®I guess this is where the difference begins¡­¡¯ CEO Jeong Hye-seong had not thought about spending money on clothes. However, after investing money in costumes, the movements of the same choreography became more visible and looked more luxurious. CEO Jeong Hye-seong realized once again that there was a need to invest clearly in idols where being seen was important. It was time to go out on stage. The members and staff gathered in a circle to shout fighting. ¡°There¡¯s probably no one watching Life Songs to see you guys today. I have no interest or expectations from you. but.¡± CEO Jeong Hye-seong spoke calmly and seriously. ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s a better opportunity. Let¡¯s surprise them. uh? ¡°Let¡¯s show what kind of girls you are!¡± ¡°yes-!¡± ¡°yes!¡± The girls shouted loudly at CEO Jeong Hye-seong¡¯s words. *** That time. Dowook was standing at the entrance to a casino in Las Vegas. Chapter 203 # 204 Pandemonium (4) After performing in New York, KK toured Los Angeles and San Francisco. Although there was no emergency situation like the threat of terrorism ahead of the first performance, unexpected incidentsrge and small urred at each performance. There were times when there were too many people than expected and not everyone could enter the scheduled venue, and there were times when an excited fan had difficulty breathing during the performance. Since there were many outdoor performances, the weather was also a variable. The performance in the rain and wind reminded me of the performance in Tongyeong, Korea. Of course, there were many unexpected and surprisingly good things. When a fan¡¯s story arrived that he could not attend KK¡¯s performance due to his illness, the V TV production team worked with KK to n an event for the fan. The performance was performed in the garden of a hospital in San Francisco. Thanks to this, fans who were hospitalized were able to watch the performance through the window, and KK members even made a surprise visit to the fan¡¯s hospital room. As the news was reported through various media, praise for KK once again poured in. It was a meaningful time where fans and KK could feel deep emotions. The process of this performance was captured on camera in detail. On the V TV side, the number of broadcast episodes originally thought to be 8 was increased to 10. Even 8 episodes were not enough to intensively capture the performance and preparation process. The ¡®COME HERE¡¯ PD judged that each member had a distinct charm, so the more they filmed, the more they would not be able to omit any of their stories. It was clear that a lot had happened over the past month. KK¡¯s poprity in the United States was heating up like a cast iron pan. It was not a momentary interest, but a passion that would not cool down for a long time. Nowadays, there is no one who encounters mass media in the United States who does not know KK. If you know LIL or Lady Nana, it means you know KK¡¯s name. Once ¡®COME HERE¡¯ was officially aired, the subsequent reaction was also highly anticipated. So thest day of filming and performance arrived the next day. Thest performance location was Las Vegas. The city was so shy, even dazzling, that it was a city worthy of being the finale of KK¡¯s American guerri performance. ¡°This is thergest casino in Las Vegas.¡± The members looked around and opened their mouths as they heard the words of a local Korean guide who was in charge of interpreting and guiding Las Vegas. The city itself was gorgeous, and thergest casino in the city was definitely eye-popping. ¡°Wow¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re all at the casino. ¡°Can we try it?¡± ¡°Hyung, aren¡¯t you going to be addicted to gambling?¡± ¡°I want to try it too¡­¡± The guide responded with a smile to the members¡¯ chatteringments. ¡°Just try ying slot machines. ¡°Just for fun.¡± At the guide¡¯s words, the members all checked the cash in their wallets. Before the Las Vegas performance, the members seemed to have adapted well to life in the United States. It was not easy to move to a city on a huge continent, live in a foreign ce for a long time, and even perform, but the members were trying to enjoy this time in their own way. Director Oh Baek-ho and other officials were well aware of the members¡¯ difficulties, so whenever they moved to another city, they were considerate of allowing the members to take a day off by visiting tourist attractions instead of practicing. ¡°Oh¡­ I have about 50 dors. ¡°I have to try it quickly!¡± Hyungseo Ahn was excited and entered the casino entrance. The guide and members followed Ahn Hyeong-seo and headed to the area where a huge number of slot machines were lined up. In addition, two bodyguards followed behind at a certain distance so as not to inconvenience the members. Of course, since there were so many people in the casino, some of them recognized the KK members. However, because the bodyguards were clearly visible in the back and everyone was immersed in the world of games rather than watching stars, the KK members were able to move rtively freely. Kim Won, the only person with experience visiting a casino, sat down and started the slot machine. The members first saw Kim Won doing it and thought about doing it themselves. Everyone stared at the spinning slot machine screen with excitement, hoping to hit the jackpot. ¡°What the¡­¡­.¡± The result was, of course, a ¡®bump¡¯. As Kim Won muttered in a disappointed tone, Seok Ji-hoon sat down next to him and said, ¡°I heard there is such a thing as beginner¡¯s luck, so I¡¯ll give it a try.¡± ¡°There are six of us, and one of us will get caught in something!¡± When Seok Ji-hoon responded to Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s words, Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s eyebrows rose. Anyway, the other members began to take their seats one by one. Because there were quite a lot of people, we couldn¡¯t sit in a row, so we found a seat as close as possible and sat down. The guide stood behind Ahn Hyeong-seo, as if he was most worried about him. Dowook, who was in the back, was looking for a spot to try it out at least once. An old man with white hair was standing up from the machine directly across from him. ¡®I should sit there¡­¡¯ That was when Do-wook sat down and saw the old man leaving. The ce itself wasrge, but there were so many peopleing and going that it wasmon for people to pass by each other. However, the movements of the young man who had just passed by the old man were clearly unnatural. A young man says ¡®Sorry.¡¯ I said hello and tried to pass by without incident. Do-wook jumped up from his seat. Dowook looked back at the bodyguards behind him. As Do-wook suddenly stood up, one of the bodyguards who noticed the movement made eye contact with Do-wook. ¡°¡­¡­ excuse me!¡± Dowook pointed his finger toward the young man and shouted urgently. At Do-wook¡¯s shout, the eyes of those around him turned to Do-wook. The old man also saw Do-wook. ¡°Your wallet!¡± At Dowook¡¯s shout, the old man reflexively put his hand into the back pocket of his pants where he had kept his wallet. Naturally, nothing was caught. As if the body reacted first, the bodyguard was chasing the young man as Do-wook pointed. The young man¡¯s steps were getting faster. He looked back and started running as he was chased by someone who was wearing civilian clothes but looked like he was a bodyguard based on his physique and appearance. During the sudden chase, the people in the hall looked back at them once in a while. Dowook went back to the other side and headed toward the entrance. As the situation became more noisy, the personnel inside the casino also began to move. Dowook quickly and concisely exined the situation to the security guards at the entrance. At that moment, a young man who had been chased by KK¡¯s bodyguard wasing towards Dowook. The casino¡¯s private security guards, who looked like giants from movies, blocked the young man. The young man pulled away for a moment, but it was no use. The police had already been called after checking the CCTV at the headquarters upstairs. It happened in an instant. The members who were excitedly ying the slot machines and the old man who almost had his wallet stolen were watching with nk faces as the culprit was caught. ¡°thank you.¡± Meanwhile, Dowook was thanking the bodyguard who helped him. ¡°it¡¯s okay.¡± He was a Korean private bodyguard who stayed by KK¡¯s side throughout her performance in the United States. In fact, this was not the first time this had happened, so the casino was handling it quickly. The pickpocket was quickly handed over to the police and was bowing his head in apology to the victim for his negligence in management. On one hand, he even thanked Dowook for his help. Dowook wanted to talk about the case, but he didn¡¯t think he had done much, so he shook his head. ¡°Uh¡­ how did you know?¡± When Do-wook, who received only a light thank you, turned around, Tae-hyung Park asked. Taehyung Park¡¯s eyes were truly awe-inspiring. Park Tae-hyung was also sitting right next to Do-wook. Taehyung Park also saw therge old man, but he only recognized him as part of the crowd and did not notice anything unusual about him. ¡°I just¡­ saw it¡­¡± Because the members were looking at Do-wook as if they were looking at something more fascinating than a slot machine, Do-wook responded in a slightly embarrassed tone. Dowook always had a habit of not overlooking anything and observing people deeply in order to always make the right decisions. Coupled with his outstanding physical ability, he was able to catch even a pickpocket. Of course, it was possible because the pickpocket caught today was not a very veteran person. An old white man wearing a shabby hat and walkers expressed his gratitude to Dowook with a wink. Dowook, who happily received a thank you, left to enjoy the slot machines again with the members. The old man¡¯s eyes narrowed as he looked at Do-wook¡¯s back. ¡°That Asian guy who helped me¡­ perhaps¡­¡± The old man muttered as if he wasn¡¯t sure. The casino manager standing next to him responded as if he was surprised. The manager was worried that he might be offended because he almost got pickpocketed just a moment ago. ¡°Do you know who Mr. Martin is?¡± His name was Martin. He was not a VVIP customer at this casino because he did not spend a lot of money, but he stayed in Las Vegas for a long time about once a year and enjoyed light games. Of course, the manager knew him for another reason. ¡°No, I don¡¯t know who it is. I was wondering if he might be a celebrity because he has such great looks. Don¡¯t Asian celebrities even know that?¡­¡± ¡°No. He is a member of a world-renowned boy band. It¡¯s K.K¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Ah! KK? I¡¯ve heard of it! The music video was impressive¡­ Are you a member of that group?¡± ¡°yes. This is truly amazing. ¡°I can¡¯t believe a star like that would even help Mr. Martin.¡± ¡°I know. That¡¯s amazing. ¡°It¡¯s like a ¡®hero¡¯ in a movie.¡± The manager¡¯s eyes sparkled with interest. It was the manager¡¯s first time talking to Martin, and it was a great honor. ¡°Like a character you created?¡± The wrinkles around Martin¡¯s mouth darkened. *** After the ¡®Life Song¡¯ broadcast ended. A female idol group that debuted today was posted on a real-time search term on a Korean inte portal site. 1 Cancelled due to rain 2 LG Twins 3 Girls . . 7 Our Time 8 Life Song Rey 9 Dahye 10 Valentine . . ¡®Girls¡¯ was ranked higher than ¡®Valentine¡¯. Immediately after the performance, Valentine¡¯s real-time search terms soared due to the fact that she received special treatment for stage time despite being a rookie, but it was the girls¡¯ performance that ultimately became more of an issue. It was exactly what CEO Jeong Hye-seong said. The unexpected appearance of a talented neer was a refreshing shock to viewers. It feltpletely different from the idols and girls fromrge entertainmentpanies that I was used to seeing. Unpolished movements that do their best to the point where the sweat on their foreheads is clearly visible, making their faces and expressions more natural as they are not formalized or polished. At the same time, the songs and costumes are as high quality as any otherrge agency. Solid singing skills and group dance. Even if the stage quality was equally high, the ¡®earnestness¡¯ and ¡®passion¡¯ for the stage were bound to be expressed outside of TV as well. As soon as the performance was over, it started going viral with manyments posted on the Inte such as ¡®Who are the girls and what agency are they from? I was surprised.¡¯ At the time of the first ce announcement, the youngest Dahye¡¯s bright eyes and a single teardrop, captured for about two seconds on the stage with all the cast members, had an enormous impact. It was a moment enough to steal the hearts of both men and women. It was an unusual energy. Even in the morning, music charts that were outside the rankings had entered the top 100. Although it was only a one-time performance, those who watched the broadcast were able to think about something because they had learned something. It was thought that ¡®Girls¡¯ might ovee the limitations of small and medium-sized agencies like the next KK. ¡°It¡¯s Hyesung Entertainment¡­ It¡¯s apany founded by CEO Jeong Hye-seong, who worked at Cheongwol. And¡­¡± ¡°Tell me.¡± Director Seo Joong-won¡¯s voice rang low in the office as he listened to the secretary¡¯s report. ¡°There seems to be a rumor that KK¡¯s Kang Do-wook invested¡­¡± Chapter 204 # 205 Last Minute (1) ¡°What?!¡± Director Seo Joong-won¡¯s voice grew louder. ¡°Mr¡­.¡± While cursing, Director Seo Joong-won stood up from his seat and grabbed his coat. The secretary standing in front of the desk quickly moved and opened the door to the general manager¡¯s office. ¡°Have the car wait.¡± ¡°yes. All right. ¡°Where should I take you¡­¡± In response to the secretary¡¯s question, Director Seo Jung-won frowned for a moment and seemed to be thinking. ¡°Yangjae-dong.¡± ¡°yes.¡± The secretary answered and sent a message to Director Seo Jung-won¡¯s driver who was waiting below. Director Seo Jung-won¡¯s hometown was in Hannam-dong. When you say Yangjae-dong, you are probably referring to an officetel in Yangjae-dong. It was the ce where Director Seo Joong-won¡¯s entertainment was. For a while, it was a ce I frequented as if it were my home. However, recently, ahead of Valentine¡¯s debut and the board meeting to appoint a CEO, he had almost stopped visiting. It was because I was out of my mind and trying to be careful with my movements. The secretary who contacted the driver then immediately contacted the owner of the officetel in Yangjae-dong. ¡°Director, I think we will arrive at Yangjae-dong within thirty minutes. yes. yes.¡± While the secretary was on the phone, Director Seo Joong-won stood in front of the elevator and thought about Do-wook. ¡°You annoying bastard¡­¡± At this level, it seemed like he was deliberately trying to ruin his work. However, it turns out that he was a kid of the same age as my son. There was no way a kid like that could harm himself. It seemed like a coincidence turned into a bad rtionship. Even if it¡¯s a coincidence, if it turns out to be a bad rtionship, it¡¯s just a bad rtionship. ¡°I had to cut the buds and dry the seeds¡­¡± Tsk, Director Seo Jung-won clicked his tongue. It wasn¡¯t something that could get on my nerves like this in the first ce. But now I was horribly irritated. I didn¡¯t want to see uncut shoots growing, so I joined hands with otherrge agencies and put pressure on them through broadcasting stations, as I had done before, but KK didn¡¯t appear on the air at all. Rather, it pioneered other Inte tforms. Even the me app developed by KK grew so big that celebrities from Ara Entertainment had no choice but to appear on the me app. ¡®If that doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll at least set it on fire.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t let it continue to be intrusive. Thinking about that, Director Seo Jung-won gritted his teeth. I thought at the same time. Just like Man to Man did to KK, we couldn¡¯t let Valentine lose out to the girls. This time, we had to settle for a win early on. After the secretary finished the call, Director Seo Jung-won gave one more order. ¡°Schedule a meeting with Director Jin tomorrow.¡± ¡°yes. All right.¡± In order not to offend Director Seo Jung-won, the secretary answered as politely as possible. Ding- Just then, the elevator arrived with a cheerful beep. *** [¡®Girls¡¯ Dahye ¡°I was so moved at the moment of my debut that I cried¡­ tears of joy¡±] [Girls on Valentine¡¯s Day¡­is this the golden age of female idol groups?] [Girls¡¯ rebellion! From a rookie that no one expected to a promising star of the year!] [¡®Our Time¡¯ reverses the music chart¡­ Competing with excellent music] [The hot girls¡¯ group dance¡­ MyTube views explode!] ¨C They¡¯re all in high spirits ! Haha, it¡¯s nice to see haha ¨C Let¡¯s go to #1 on the music charts of Our Time!~~~ I hope it¡¯s a big hit!! -Dahye is really so cute?? She looks like glutinous rice cake?????? -I absolutely love it??? -Dahye! A lot of sisters! ah ! Stuck! all ! -Da-hye crying is such a pawn. I can¡¯t escape from the GIF . -Please tell me the name of the third member from the left . It¡¯s long hair. -It¡¯s leader Yoonji~ -Goddess Yoonji, please have me¡­ -Although they all seem to look ordinary. You can never find it around you.. ¨C Ordinary hahahaha ¨C Ordinary is Oba¡­ He is a non-ordinary person ¨C He is a soldier on leave. I was watching the song of life at my unit on Sunday, and the smile wouldn¡¯t leave my face. I really want you toe to my unit to perform. ¨C Our unit first ¨C I¡¯m old enough to be called uncle, but I forgot my age and watched it in fascination. I felt rejuvenated. Hehe ¨C It¡¯s a testament to practicing hard. M ¨C Hyesung Entertainment? It¡¯s my first time hearing it, but the quality of the stage is good haha ¨C It definitely seems to have simple and innocent charms ¨C Is Valentine giving birth or the girls giving birth ? ¨C There must be theseparison bugs . ¨C The girls are andslide winner ¨C Doesn¡¯t Valentine give birth to beauty? Haha ¨C It¡¯s true that she¡¯s pretty. But the stage was worse than I thought ¨C it was pretty, but it was too Ara Enter style so it seemed to lose its freshness haha ¨C Everyone is giving birth hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaan¡­ It¡¯s been a while since the debut stage of the song of your life. The girls¡¯ debut song ¡®Our Time¡¯ was achieving tremendous results, showing a steady rise on the music charts and settling in the top 3. It was a great help to see that people were interested and listened to the song once it went up and down the real-time search list. Because the song was so good, it rose in the music rankings through word of mouth. Even without separate press y, reporters had no choice but to react to this chart reversal. Unlike Valentine¡¯s articles, which were formal press releases requested by Ara Entertainment, the articles about the girls were covered by reporters themselves. Thanks to its poprity, it was clearly gaining fans from the younger generation who mainly use the Inte. Those who first recognized the potential of the girls spread the performance videos all over the Inte, and Hyesung Entertainment also faithfully responded to fans¡¯ demands by posting many photos and videos rted to the girls on their social media ounts. Because the topic was so popr, I was able to immediately schedule music broadcasts that other singers other than ¡®Life Song¡¯ had not been able to catch. Some cable music entertainment programs even contacted me saying they wanted to interview me. In fact, Valentine was already active in the first week, appearing in almost all programs aimed at rookies. Nevertheless, with their poprity on the Inte and the power of their songs, the girls were threatening Valentine¡¯s fandom, which had already established a certain level of fandom. Considering that the girls¡¯ full-fledged broadcasting activities began now, it seemed clear that their poprity would grow even faster without any surprises. The KK members had arrived at Incheon Airport afterpleting all their schedules in the United States. They were waiting for their suitcases toe out from the baggage im area. Everyone had their hats pressed down on their tired faces from the long flight, but people who recognized the members kept ncing at them. If Director Oh Baek-ho, who was standing next to him, wasn¡¯t looking around with a more grim expression due to fatigue, he would have definitelye to get an autograph. The gaze of those around me was now all too familiar. Dowook paid no heed to it and was watching articles on the Inte entertainment section while waiting for his luggage toe out. A faint smile appeared on Dowook¡¯s lips. ¡®The response is definitelying faster¡­¡¯ Originally, the girls were a group that gradually built up their ranks to a certain level. However, with Dowook¡¯s investment, the quality was further improved and the speed at which poprity was building was extraordinary. At this rate, he could easily beat Valentine and win the Rookie of the Year award. Looking at Do-wook smiling at his cell phone, Hyeong-seo Ahn nced at Do-wook¡¯s cell phone suspiciously. Ahn Hyeong-seo jokinglymented on the girls¡¯ article on Do-wook¡¯s cell phone screen. ¡°Are you looking at the girls¡¯ article instead of reading our article?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± When Do-wook looked a little embarrassed, Ahn Hyeong-seo giggled. ¡°hey. Taehyung, Do-wook is also more than just a friend¡­ what should I say? Because he¡¯s an investor¡­ money? Is money more important than friends? ¡°No, more than a friend, a girl?!¡± Because it was a rare opportunity to make fun of Do-wook, Ahn Hyeong-seo spoke excitedly. Park Tae-hyung, who was next to him, was just smiling with an ambiguous expression at Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s words. ¡°no. ¡°I¡¯ve already read all of Taehyung¡¯s articles.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± In response to Do-wook¡¯s reply, this time, Ahn Hyeong-seo said, ¡®Ah.¡¯ He made a regretful sound. ¡°You¡¯ve already seen everything?¡± ¡°yes. I saw it as soon as Inded and turned off airne mode. ¡°Everyone was full of praise, Taehyung.¡± Ahn Hyeong-seo couldn¡¯t find the answer to Do-wook¡¯s words that drove a wedge into his mouth and remained silent. The reason Park Tae-hyung¡¯s article appeared was because yesterday was the broadcast date of . While KK was in the U.S., the broadcast of ¡°Dancing Dancing¡± was already halfway through. The viewership ratings for ¡°Dancing Dancing¡± exceeded expectations. It was thanks to KK¡¯s ability to create buzz in the first episode. The so-called ¡®aggro¡¯ was also really attracted as several participants said in interviews that they could not recognize Taehyung Park as a judge. It was true that people who liked Park Tae-hyung were angry, but as a reaction, they praised Park Tae-hyung¡¯s performance. The following broadcast episodes also captured the attention of viewers with amazing performances. The broadcast was bing more exciting day by day as fans started cheering for each team in a confrontational structure called teampetition. Yesterday, Taehyung Park, who had been quiet, was broadcast showing leadership and leading the team on stage, and his name was on the real-time search keywords all morning. ¡°I heard so manypliments. ¡°The hard work of going back and forth is worth it, baby.¡± Jeong Yoon-gi added. Since there was a recording of ¡°Dancing Dancing¡± once every two weeks, Taehyung Park had to make a forced march back and forth between Korea and the United States. It was fortunate that the remaining filming could now be recorded in Korea. ¡°There will be a livepetition starting next week, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Park Tae-hyung, who was embarrassed by the sudden praise for himself, answered Seok Ji-hoon¡¯s question. ¡´Dancing Dancing¡µ was Taehyung Park¡¯s individual activity, and although he was already busy with group activities, the KK members were taking care of each other. ¡°Oh Jim is out!¡± Kim Won shouted, pointing to a suitcase filled with stickers from KK¡¯s Fan Club keyring goods. The carrier that Kim Won pointed to belonged to Ahn Hyeong-seo. Starting with Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s suitcase, the other members¡¯ suitcases were being ced on the conveyor belt one by one. The members quickly packed their luggage. And then I went out the arrival hall door. ¡°It¡¯s K-K!¡± As soon as I left the arrivals hall door, someone shouted for KK. At the same time, a tremendous amount of sh rain poured down on the KK members. Although I had heard that reporters would be there, it was an astonishing number. Even though they had scheduled a separate press conference to reveal their thoughts on their activities in the U.S. and their ns for future activities, the media¡¯s interest in reporting KK¡¯s news as soon as possible was enormous. ¡°Please look here!¡± ¡°Here too!¡± It was an unexpected and excessive wee, but instead of frowning, the KK members responded as best as they could to the reporters who called them. I felt like I knew the title of the reporter¡¯s article that was about to be published. It was truly a ¡®golden return¡¯ for KK who returned with great sess in the US. *** It was a ce I returned to after a long time. As soon as they arrived at the dorm, the members postponed packing their luggage and copsed one after another. The press conference was the day after tomorrow. I was nning to get plenty of rest until tomorrow and adjust to the jetg. Dowook also postponed packing his luggage until tomorrow. It was when Dowook returned to the room after taking a shower. A message arrived on my phone. It was a message from reporter Seongjun Choi. [I think I caught it] [(Photo)] There were a total of five photos sent by reporter Seongjun Choi. In all three photos, Director Seo Joong-won was present. Director Seo Jung-won was filmed entering an officetel, standing in front of room 1101, and even entering room 1101. And there was Joo Min-ah in the two photos. There were two photos of Joo Ju-ah from room 1101. Chapter 205 # 206 Last minute (2) *** A building in Gangnam where the V TV Korean branch is located. The conference hall was crowded with many people. There were so many people that it was impossible to close the conference room door. KK¡¯s press conference was about to begin. Today¡¯s press conference by KK was supposed to mainly discuss stories rted to V TV¡¯s ¡®COME HERE¡¯ broadcast, which airedst night in the United States and this morning in Korea. It was KK who received death threats during her first performance. Since it was his first time back in Korea after that incident, the interest of Korean fans and the public was bound to be high. Even if there had been no separate incident, interest would have been high. KK was, in name and reality, the best output produced by the Korean music industry. In addition, it was unusual for KK to hold a press conference in Korea. In fact, KK¡¯s ¡®Continue¡¯ activities were far outside the framework of existing singers¡¯ activities. This was the case when theypletely refused to appear on music broadcasts and made aeback through a new medium called the me app, performing guerri performances here and there. Afterwards, he immediately performed on stage in various cities in the United States. Since they performed all over the ce, they actually reached out to offline fans and the public directly, and even when they went to the U.S., they interacted well with fans through social media. However, since there were no Korean broadcast appearances or interviews, general broadcasting and mediapanies could feel thatmunication with KK wascking. That is why Hit Entertainment gave it the unusually grandiose title of press conference. This press conference was an opportunity to quench the thirst felt by mediapanies in Korea. It was also a gesture showing that Hit Entertainment is not neglecting the domestic media. ¡°In 5 minutes¡­ we will start on time. ¡°Please tidy up the space a bit.¡± Anyway, nominally it was a promotional event for ¡®COME HERE¡¯ and the press conference was hosted by V TV. The assistant manager of the public rtions team of V TV¡¯s Korean branch quieted the noisy space like the market floor. KK members were already preparing for a press conference in the conference room next door. It was irrelevant to say that it was V TV officials, not the members, who were nervous ahead of therge-scale press conference. Although it was clear that they would be bombarded with questions as it was their first time appearing in the domestic media for a long time, the KK members were already very ustomed to being in the spotlight. But not V TV officials. Although V TV was arge broadcasting station with branches all over the world, as well as its US headquarters, the Korean branch was only responsible for adjusting the time zone of programs sent from the US and editing them to suit Korean standards. It was not our first time hosting such arge event as we had neverunched our own program before. ¡°It was a branch that the headquarters didn¡¯t pay any attention to, but thanks to KK, we were treated well¡­¡± ¡°I think the effect of promoting the channel in Korea is also huge.¡± ¡°I always see foreigners, but watching a show with a Korean as the main character makes me feel good.¡± Aside from being nervous, V TV officials were in a very good mood. I felt like I had finally arrived in Seoul after working in the outskirts. Five minutes passed while the officials were talking. The assistant manager of V TV¡¯s public rtions team opened the back door of the conference room at the exact time and called in the KK members. Members dressed in suits began to walk through the door one by one. ¡°Ugh.¡± The assistant manager of the public rtions team, who was experiencing something like this for the first time, frowned and groaned softly. That¡¯s how many shes poured out all at once. The hall, which had been quiet for a while, became noisy again. The KK members waved their hands very skillfully and found their seats. ¡®hello!¡¯ And they did not forget to greet those who came to cover them energetically. Even though the KK members were seated, there were constant requests here and there to smile and wave to the members. The assistant manager of the public rtions team quickly went to the emcee¡¯s seat and spoke into the microphone. ¡°Uh¡­ Today¡¯s scheduled time is about an hour. Don¡¯t think too hastily¡­¡± The assistant manager¡¯s tone soon became soothing. Despite this, there was a reporter with a camera who recklessly shouted at me to look at it. It was an extremely rude shout, but instead of frowning, the KK members smiled slightly. ¡°Come on, reporters! Let me start by taking questions. ¡°I¡¯ll have a photo timeter before I leave!¡± Hyungseo Ahn said in a yful voice. V TV¡¯s assistant manager also quickly added to Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s sensible response. ¡°yes. Uh¡­ I¡¯ll go in the designated order.¡± The first questioner was a reporter from Kimin Ilbo. ¡°First of all, I would like to ask you about your thoughts on the first broadcast of ¡®COME HERE¡¯, which airedst night in the United States.¡± Jeong Yoon-gi grabbed the microphone and began to joke. ¡°It hasn¡¯t been broadcast in Korea yet. They said the response to the first broadcast in the US was quite good. When we came to V TV, the people involved weed us so much¡­ haha. It feels good. It¡¯s so good. It was an honor and a burden at the same time to have our program in the U.S. It¡¯s still just the beginning, but the results are good¡­ It feels like a bit of a burden has been lifted and we¡¯re flying by. Feel.¡± The KK members had smiles on their faces at Jung Yoon-gi¡¯s answer. It was only when the KK members arrived at the press conference that they heard from V TV officials that the real-time viewership rating in the U.S. was 9%. It was an incredible record considering that the viewership rating of America¡¯s most influential and popr audition entertainment program was in the low 10% range. Considering that it will be broadcast simultaneously not only in the United States but also around the world today and tomorrow through the V TV channel, it was a broadcast that was even more anticipated in the future. Next, reporters asked about the difficult moments during the performance of ¡®COME HERE¡¯, how they felt when they received a death threat, etc. KK members took turns answering questions. It was a friendly atmosphere. As the atmosphere was getting warmer, a new question came from an entertainment reporter. ¡°What are your future activity ns? ¡°Many fans are also looking forward to our next activities.¡± ¡°We are thinking about releasing a full-length album at the end of this year or early next year. However, I n to continue to actively engage in personal activities. As you know, Taehyung is appearing on Dancing Dancing¡­ and you can also see our Kim Won acting as an MC on V TV in the United States.¡± The reporters¡¯ hand movements became faster as Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s quick answer came out. The news about Kim Won as MC was also new news. Kim Wonughed mischievously, drawing a ¡®V¡¯ shape with his finger at the barrage of shes that exploded in his direction. Hyungseo Ahn continued speaking. ¡°Solo and unit music will be released soon. Really soon! Also, Jihoon and I, Ahn Hyeongseo, have ns for activities, so please look forward to it!¡± At Hyungseo Ahn¡¯s words, a littleughter erupted from the press box. They were happily saying that they were only taking a short break from group activities and that they had no ns for individual rest. ¡°And we have a fan meeting next month. This is a fan meeting for fans in Korea. ¡°Hyungseo, you didn¡¯t tell me the most important thing.¡± Ahn Hyung-seo rolled his eyes at Seok Ji-hoon¡¯s announcement and diss. The news of the fan meeting was one of the news that fans were most happy about. The reporter who had asked the question nodded and asked back. It seemed like what I actually wanted to ask about wasn¡¯t the activity n. ¡°But will future activities also exclude domestic broadcasting activities? Since he is not appearing at all except for certain broadcastingpanies¡­ there is a lot of talk about whether there is a conflict¡­¡± It was a very sensitive question. For a moment, there was tension in the press conference room. However, because it was an expected question, Dowook took the microphone. ¡°Not at all. It is true that due to promotional strategies and schedules¡­ I was less able to broadcast during the ¡®Continue¡¯ promotions than other times, but there were no conflicts¡­ or anything like that. We are always grateful to all the ces that call us.¡± No one here knew that KK had protested because the broadcastingpanies did not treat KK properly due to pressure fromrge entertainmentpanies. However, the broadcasting station had already raised the white g due to the great sess of the me app performance. Production director Kwon Heung-jo¡¯s ears were sore as he heard from broadcastingpany executives that they would always do their best for KK¡¯s performance during the next activity. For a while, there was a reception every day. Broadcastingpanies were now not only paying attention to Ara Entertainment, but were also trying to join hands with Hit Entertainment. So, it was time for KK to give up and move on. It was because we couldn¡¯t pretend to be with the broadcastingpany forever. In response to Dowook¡¯s answer, a reporter from an entertainment program raised his hand and asked. ¡°Would you like to appear on our live broadcast?!¡± Dowook smiled and responded to the reporter¡¯s clear voice. ¡°of course. ¡°Please call me anytime.¡± After that, other good questions continued. Reporters also did not ask unreasonable questions to attack KK or write provocative articles. KK had truly be a hero who brought glory to Korea,parable to sports stars. In this atmosphere, writing a wed article would only result in criticism. After sessfullypleting the question period, the KK members had a photo time in front of reporters as promised. It lookedfortable, but in fact, the members were a little nervous, fearing they would make a mistake. Do-wook thought while posing in front of the camera with a face that looked like it had been painted. As the brief press conference ended, the thoughts that had been in Do-wook¡¯s mind since yesterday resurfaced. ¡®At once¡­. You have to send it all at once. I can¡¯t throw away this opportunity clumsily.¡¯ I was worried about how to effectively send Director Seo Joong-won away so that he would never set foot on this floor again. And the methods quickly passed by with a sh exploding in front of my eyes. *** Director Seo Joong-won¡¯s number for Valentine¡¯s Day was Man to Man¡¯s Chae Eun-ho. Now that Man to Man¡¯s stock price has soared, the n to feature Chae Eun-ho, who is the most popr among them, as a solo artist was also included in Ara Entertainment¡¯s annual n. Of course, Valentine¡¯s presence in Chae Eun-ho¡¯s solo activities was part of Ara Entertainment¡¯s strategic strategy of ¡®selling new talent.¡¯ Originally, the timing was set for when Valentine would release his second single. But there was no time. If things continue like this, Valentine¡¯s Day could bepletely eaten up by the girls. In that case, Director Seo Joong-won could have been reduced to an ipetent person whose projects were lost to small and medium-sized agencies twice, including Man to Man and Valentine¡¯s Day. For that reason, Director Seo Joong-won brought forward the release of Chae Eun-ho¡¯s solo album. Valentine was also able to be listed as a performer on many music broadcasts and entertainment programs in which Chae Eun-ho will appear. The n was to maximize Valentine¡¯s awareness before releasing his second single. In that situation, I thought that if I released my second single, I would be able to somehow turn around my record with the girls. Chae Eun-ho¡¯s music release date has been brought forward like that. Chae Eun-ho¡¯seback show, which was broadcast live on the me app, also included a Valentine¡¯s stage. Dowook had already figured out those ns. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung, who is an acquaintance at Ara Entertainment, quickly figured out the schedule. Inside Dowook¡¯s room at KK¡¯s amodation. Dowook went to the music site and checked the music rankings. 1 ¨C LUV Chae Eun-ho 2 ¨C Girls of Our Time . . Chae Eun-ho¡¯s solo album ranked first on the music charts upon its release. Dowook checked the time. It was soon time to broadcast starring Taehyung Park. Chapter 206 # 207 Last minute (3) *** The employee in charge of writing press releases in the Ara Entertainment public rtions team had a hard time hiding his embarrassment. I felt like I needed to revise the titles I had selected, such as ¡®Man to Man Chae Eun-ho¡¯s sessful solo debut, LUV¡¯s No. 1 sensation.¡¯ Chae Eun-ho¡¯s music release time is 6 p.m. However, this was because the music rankings changed at midnight. The nning and strategy team and the album production team, which are in charge of analyzing the performance after the release of music, were also embarrassed. Yesterday, it was clearly confirmed that Chae Eun-ho¡¯s ¡®LUV¡¯ was ranked #1 on the music charts. Of course, even if you entered in first ce, it was not possible to stay in first ce. However, the girls¡¯ song, which ranked second, had already been released for about three weeks. It was in 3rd and 4th ce for several days, and even when it rose to the top again, it was still around 2nd ce. As a rookie, it had stayed at the top of the charts for quite some time, so it was clear that the only thing left to do was to go down. And among the music sources to be released for the time being, there is no music source that is as well-known as Chae Eun-ho. The drama OST could have been an ambush, but there was no particrly influential drama that could stand out. Although it was pushed back under the direction of General Manager Seo Jung-won, it was a release date that took all of these things into consideration. They were even promised exposure by distributing the music through Pineapple Music, which boasts thergest market share in the music chart market. Chae Eun-ho¡¯s song not only appeared on the main screen, but also continued to appear in rmended songs, encouraging users to click on it. Man to Man¡¯s fandom has now clearly established itself as thergest fandom next to KK. There was no situation where Chae Eun-ho¡¯s sound could have been pushed out. The person who was feeling the gloomiest about the real-time music charts was Jin Gook-seon, head of the strategic nning team. I wasn¡¯t afraid of Director Seo Jung-won¡¯s anger for a moment. Director Jin Gook-seon was in the same boat as Director Seo Jung-won. Because of that, he was able to take on the position of head of the strategic nning team, the most important position among Ara Entertainment¡¯s working-level staff. 1 Listen Bunker21 2 LUV Chae Eun- ho 3 Our Time Girls . . 68 Valentine¡¯s Day Like Chocte . . Valentine was also doing extremely well for a rookie. Chae Eun-ho also had a sessful solo debut. However, it seemed clear that Ara Entertainment¡¯s reputation was cracking. That meant that Director Seo Jung-won¡¯s reputation was being damaged. It was natural to say, ¡®It¡¯s not like it used to be.¡¯ It even achieved this level of sess because it was Pineapple Music that was intentionally promoting Ara Entertainment¡¯s songs. In BN Music and Jam Music, Chae Eun-ho ranked 3rd and Valentine ranked 80th. Although their market share was lower than Pineapple Music, they were stillrge music sites. If a major singer was pushed out by surprise by releasing a music source, I would at least try to create apetitive structure, but the singer that Chae Eun-ho was pushed out was a singer with a group name I had never heard of called ¡®Bunker21¡¯. It was a huge wound to my pride. If this was the case, there were limits to the strategy of leading Valentine with Chae Eun-ho. It was a game where the focus had to be on making Chae Eun-ho number one. ¡°Who the hell are you? How can you suddenly be number one? ¡°Isn¡¯t it like hoarding?¡± As the influence of music sites grew stronger, there were a few agencies that resorted to a method called ¡®sound recording hoarding.¡¯ Once the rankings are raised, it is easy to maintain the rankings because many people listen to them, so it was a tactic used by entertainmentpanies to somehow promote their singers. The strategic nning team¡¯s office became deathly quiet as Director Jin Kook-seon muttered to himself in anger. However, it was also true that Director Jin Kook-seon¡¯s anger was funny to the team members who were listening. In the case of Ara Entertainment, not only was there controversy over hoarding, but they also strategically partnered with Pineapple Music to openly promote Ara Entertainment¡¯s songs. As the saying goes, it was a ¡®strategic partnership¡¯. It was publicly known to all members of the strategic nning team that bribes were being exchanged with Pineapple Music. ¡°Yesterday, on a program called Dancing Dancing, she performed a ballet performance to this song¡­. Looking at that, I think she might be a singer promoted by TBN. Considering that the distributor is BN Music, run by TBN¡­¡± It was just as the team member exined. Bunker21¡¯s ¡®Listen¡¯ became known after being broadcast on TBN¡¯s popr program ¡®Dancing Dancing¡¯st night. It was a special stage where ballerinas performed with pop music in the background, not ssical music. ¡®Listen¡¯, which was apanied by an acoustic band, was a song with a cheerful melody and bitter emotions. It was a song that once you heard it, you would want to keep listening to it, and if you listened to it, you would want to go outside for a walk. The tone of thefortable melody was also soft and pleasing to the ear. It was a familiar tone that seemed to have been heard somewhere, but with a unique singing style, it also felt unique. If Chae Eun-ho¡¯s ¡®LUV¡¯ is a gorgeous dance song and the song bes perfect when you enjoy watching it, Bunker21¡¯s ¡®Listen¡¯ was a song optimized for listening. It was also a song that would be yed on the streets and in cafes for a long time toe. Of course, even if it was a good song, it didn¡¯t mean it could get first ce right away. We needed awareness that would entice people to click. However, this unheard of new singer debuted through a popr program called ¡®Dancing Dancing.¡¯ As people were looking for the song from ¡®Dancing Dancing¡¯, TBN just happened to release the song. ¡°The agency¡­¡± ¡°The distributionpany is listed as the same¡­ Did BN Music produce its own singer?¡± ¡°If he had done that much, we would have known.¡± Director Jin Gook-seon frowned and answered. Director Jin Kook-seon checked BN Music¡¯s site. The music was released on all sites, but each site in charge of distribution was different. Just as Pineapple Music featured songs from Ara Entertainment, which it distributes, as rmended songs, BN Music also featured songs from ¡®Bunker21¡¯, which it distributes. It was when Director Jin Kook-seon entered Jam Music with a curiosity in mind. ¡°Try to find the right agency. ¡°Have you been hoarding money?¡± ¡°yes. All right.¡± In fact, within Ara Entertainment¡¯s album production team, there was already a reaction saying, ¡®Bunker21¡¯s song is so good that we can¡¯t help it.¡¯ ¡®We need to receive more songs from Ara. ¡®If you continue to work conservatively with existingposers, you may continue to lose out on songs.¡¯ Problems with the album production process were pointed out. It was a story that came out from the time when Man to Man was losing to KK. Promotion and strategy are important, but the album production team thought that the most basic thing was the song itself. However, because the position of the strategic nning team was much stronger than that of the album production team, the opinion of the album production team was that the strategic nning team¡¯s position was that the strategy was as important as the song. After a few sesses, we sometimes reached the arrogant idea that strategy could cover everything. Therefore, it was difficult for Director Jin Gook-seon to admit that he was pushed out by a singer whose name and face he did not know. At that time, the phone rang at Director Jin Kook-seon¡¯s desk. For a moment, I thought it was Director Seo Jung-won, but Director Jin Gook-seon was nervous, but he soon confirmed that it was an external call. Director Jin Gook-seon, who made a gesture with his hand to get his team members out of their seats, answered the phone. ¡°yes. ¡°This is Jin Gook-seon from the strategic nning team at Ara Entertainment.¡± -ah. Manager! hello. Pineapple Music¡­¡­. The person who made the call was the person in charge of the distribution contract for Pineapple Music. Since it was rare to receive a call from a contract manager who was not in charge of distribution, a question mark appeared in Director Jin Kook-seon¡¯s head. And Director Jin Gook-seon¡¯s expression gradually darkened. ¡°Do you think that makes sense now?!¡± In the end, Director Jin Kook-seon¡¯s voice became louder. The strategic nning team members who had been holding their breath have now reached the point where they are holding their breath. Director Jin Gook-seon soon calmed his voice and continued speaking calmly. ¡°All right. It seems like this is an area that requires separate discussion. yes. First, let me give you a report¡­ Yes. I understand your position¡­¡± *** ¡°Pleasee in.¡± Director Seo Joong-won answered the loud knock on the door. The atmosphere in Director Seo Joong-won¡¯s office was also not good. Director Seo Joong-won was already nning to call Director Jin Kook-seon, but he received a call from Director Jin Kook-seon asking if he could go up to the office first. ¡°okay. ¡°What¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Director. ¡°There is no shame.¡± As soon as Director Jin Gook-seon sat down, he bowed his head to Director Seo Jung-won. However, Director Seo Joong-won shook his head. It was clear that the situation was not good. However, Director Seo Joong-won also recognized that pushing his own person, Director Jin Gook-seon, to the brink would only result in him being scraped off. Anyway, he needed someone to work for him. Even Chae Eun-ho¡¯s album was in trouble. I needed a loyal dog who would work harder. ¡°no. That¡¯s it. Director Jin did his best. How can Director Jin manage such variables?¡­¡± ¡°Thank you for saying that.¡± Even though Director Seo Joong-won offeredforting words contrary to expectations, Director Jin Guk-seon¡¯s expression remained dark. Director Seo Jung-won even came up with the measures he had in mind. ¡°For those who are talking about Bunker21 or something, the genre is different from Eunho¡¯s, so¡­ I¡¯ll just unplug like this is what happened anyway. ¡°A lot of new talents have appeared¡­ and they even tie up valentines to the girls.¡± Director Jin Gook-seon also nodded because it was the method he was thinking of. ¡°And beat those KK guys.¡± ¡°yes?¡± ¡°I wonder if it will still be the same even if KKes back¡­ Now the generations are changing. ¡°You know what I mean, right?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ But if you do that, it might just be too aggressive¡­¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we at least try to attract clicks rted to Chae Eun-ho and Valentine first? uh? ¡°First of all, I have to raise my grades right away.¡± It was a tactic that only an unknown agency would use without considering long-term image. Even if he pretended to be okay, it was clear that Director Seo Joong-won was feeling upset ahead of the board meeting. Director Jin Gook-seon answered without furtherment. ¡°yes. All right. ¡°I will forward this to the PR team and they will be processed quickly.¡± ¡°okay.¡± ¡°But I have something to report to you¡­¡± ¡°But what?¡± ¡°I got a call from Pineapple Music. ¡°I want to increase distribution fees¡­¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°We n to upload them all at once starting next month.¡± ¡°Even now, they already take half of the music profits! This is like a day robber! If I upload everything, will you stay still somewhere else? uh?¡± Director Seo Joong-won huffed. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything we can do¡­ We have to distribute¡­ This time, not only pineapple but also BN and jam are being uploaded. ¡°It seems like collusion.¡± Naturally, if themission went up, the profit returned to the agency would inevitably decrease. It couldn¡¯t have been bad news in an already bad atmosphere. At that time, Director Seo Jung-won¡¯s secretary burst open the door to the Director¡¯s office and came in. ¡°what!!!¡± Director Seo Joong-won shouted in a raw voice. He seemed ready to throw the coffee cup in front of him at any moment. The secretary responded with a wince. ¡°Director. You two¡­ I think you should see it now. ¡°It was an article that just came out¡­ and there was an uproar.¡± The secretary held out the pad she was holding. There was an article floating on the secretary¡¯s pad. Former Man to Man member Seojun. So, it was an article about Seo Kang-jun¡¯s return. Chapter 207 # 208 Last minute (4) Director Seo Jung-won¡¯s eyes shook greatly. ¡®no! Not yet!¡­.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t time for the article toe out yet. Director Seo Joong-won couldn¡¯t bring himself to speak out loud and read the article¡¯s contents quickly with his eyes. [Will former Man to Man member Seojun return to the entertainment industry? I bought a ne ticket to Korea¡­ ording to a tip from an acquaintance, Seojun, who caused controversy due to a school violence incident, is returning to the entertainment industry. While living abroad, Seojun hung out with Koreans and threw parties every night, saying, ¡®I will definitely return to the entertainment industry. ¡® ¡®It is unfair.¡¯ It is said that such words were repeated. ¡­¡­ As a result of verification, it was confirmed that the ne ticket to return to Korea was purchased. Considering that Seojun¡¯s father is an executive at Ara Entertainment, returning to the entertainment industry does not seem to be difficult. However, it is unclear how the public will ept Seo-jun¡¯s return after only a year¡­ The victim¡¯s wounds have not healed and he is still receiving outpatient psychiatric treatment¡­] Headquarters Seo Joong-won, who read the article to the end. I ground my teeth. ¡°Mr. Geez!¡± In the end, Director Seo Joong-won couldn¡¯t bear it anymore and cursed. Director Jin Gook-seon, who read the article together, did not look good either. It was difficult to say anything other than adding insult to injury. Director Jin Gook-seon also knew that Director Seo Jung-won was trying to bring back his son Seo Kang-jun. However, caution was needed to make a sessful return. In fact, there was no such thing as enough time to apologize, but at least time was needed for the public anger to subside. Because it was not their business, the public easily forgave it even after 2 or 3 years if they showed a few tears or reflection. But not now. Seo Kang-jun¡¯s name was still mentioned in one or twoments of Man to Man¡¯s article. Director Seo Jung-won¡¯s judgment was that at least six more months should pass. Director Seo Joong-won has been nning Seo Kang-joon¡¯s return ever since he took over as CEO. Also, even if I did return, it was never going to be this way. The n was to somehow push it into the drama, achieve casting, and then publish a casting article. Once cast, there was some controversy for a moment, but that was it. After the work came out, people were more immersed in the role than the celebrity itself. As roles were added, the issue of the celebrity itself became blurred. It was thanks to him that it was easier for actors toe back even after causing controversy than for celebrities in other fields. However, since an article was published about his return to Korea so early, public opinion was likely to be overturned. The content of the article also felt malicious from the perspective of Director Seo Jung-won. threw a party I felt unfair. The victim is still suffering. It was all true, but it was extremely unfavorable to Seo Kang-jun. As expected, real-time search terms on portal sites were uproar with Man to Man, Seojun Ara Entertainment, Seojun Father, etc. It was Director Seo Joong-won who had just ordered Chae Eun-ho to bring up the Valentine¡¯s Day issue, even if it meant aggro. However, there was also a degree of ¡®aggro¡¯. Even when the issue is forgotten in a negative way like this, if the issue explodes and is deeply imprinted in the public¡¯s mind again, Seo Kang-Jun¡¯s return bes really distant. ¡°What kind of bastard¡­. immediately for defamation¡­.¡± As expected, the newspaperpany was News Patch. The reporter¡¯s name was Kim Joo-yeon, an ordinary name. The author wasn¡¯t important anyway. It was obvious that reporter Choi Seong-jun, the older brother of Seo Kang-jun, a victim of school violence, would be behind him. Director Seo Jung-won, who was about to tell them to file aint, closed his mouth. If he filed aint, Seo Kang-Jun could have appeared to have a hard-line stance that he had no intention of returning, but that was all. Things could only get bigger for no reason. Director Seo Joong-won held the back of his neck as he felt his blood pressure rising to the top of his head. Valentine was pushed aside by girls, and Chae Eun-ho was pushed aside by a singer whose face he did not know. The distributor raised themission and Seo Kang-Jun¡¯s return was in danger of beingpletely canceled. We were able to solve them one by one. But all the problems wereing together too quickly. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Director Jin Gook-seon asked with a stern expression. This was because Director Seo Joong-won looked as if he would copse at any moment. The secretary quickly poured cold water in front of Director Seo Jung-won. Director Seo Jung-won took a gulp of water. ¡°Ha¡­¡± A sigh escaped from Director Seo Jung-won¡¯s mouth. The biggest problem was that all these problems were happening ¡®now¡¯. The CEO election board meeting was tomorrow. If this were the case, there was a high possibility that the board of directors would postpone the appointment of CEO Seo Joong-won again. Even before this board meeting was held, he had to oveements such as ¡®We need to wait a little longer¡¯ and ¡®There are no real results yet.¡¯ It was as if the remarkable achievements he had made while working in the working-level, such as the myth of Sabang, had been reset when he ascended to the position of head of the division. If Director Seo Joong-won had been a direct descendant of the current CEO or had a more reliable backing, he would not have been verified to this extent. The ¡®performance system¡¯ that applied only to outsiders of the board of directors wasughable and sometimes humiliating. So, I did everything possible, looking forward to the day when I would be able to take on the position of representative. I couldn¡¯t bear to see the position of representative being taken away right under my nose. ¡°first.¡± It felt like I had a cramp in my head. Director Seo Jung-won opened his mouth with difficulty. First, we had to deal with the most problematic part at tomorrow¡¯s board meeting. Seo Kang-jun was the child of Director Seo Joong-won. If Ara Entertainment¡¯s image was damaged by Seo Kang-Jun, it was not simply a problem with the affiliated entertainers. It was obvious that even Director Seo Jung-won would be held responsible. That was why, when the Seo Kang-jun incident first urred, he was kicked out of Man to Man in order to end the controversy faster than other times. ¡°Please convey the official position. Ara Entertainment has no intention of bringing back Seo Kang-joon. ¡°Instruct them to distribute all press releases.¡± It couldn¡¯t have been a good feeling to drive a wedge into my son¡¯s inability to return. It was obvious that my wife would make a fuss at home, but I could just pretend that it would be pushed to ater date because of the news. The secretary responded to Director Seo Jung-won¡¯s instructions and hurriedly left the Director¡¯s office. Director Jin Gook-seon asked, looking at Director Seo Jung-won¡¯s notice. ¡°But¡­ what should we do with the Pineapple Music Gun?¡± Director Jin Gook-seon also didn¡¯t want to ask in this situation, but he had to give a quick answer to Pineapple Music anyway. Director Seo Joong-won frowned a little and answered. ¡°First, let¡¯s schedule a meeting as soon as possible.¡± ¡°yes. All right.¡± Director Jin Gook-seon¡¯s expression as he answered was not pleasant. Even he was thinking that even Director Seo Joong-won might not be able to find a suitable solution this time. But I soon organized my thoughts. ¡®Even if you can¡¯t be the CEO tomorrow¡­ you can just stay in the position of head of the division and look for another opportunity¡­ There won¡¯t be any other recements in thispany anyway¡­ ¡® Director Jin Gook-seon bowed his head as he thought about the future of the string he held. The steps leaving the headquarters director¡¯s office were heavy. *** The day the board of directors meeting was held to discuss the appointment of CEO Seo Joong-won of Ara Entertainment. The news that came with the morning paper was that the board of directors¡¯ agenda had been added. ¡®The matter of dismissal of Director Seo Joong-won¡¯. The additional agenda item was submitted by Director Jeong, who did not like Director Seo Jung-won. It may be possible to postpone the appointment of the CEO, but it was unthinkable to be deprived of the position of head of the division. There was no reason for that. It made no sense for the board of directors to even discuss dismissal due to this level of poor performance. Not only the major singers and girl groups that created the current Ara Entertainment, but also Sabang Shinhwa, which is considered to have written the history of idol groups, were all the people that Seo Joong-won had a hand in, from memberposition to albums and activity strategies. Thanks to that, I got to where I am now, and although there were ups and downs with Man-to-Man after that, I somehow made it to the top. Due to being pushed out by KK, the achievements of Director Seo Joong-won were being undervalued. Even if he was undervalued, he was not a candidate for dismissal. ¡®The board of directors is going to fire me? Nonsense. If Director Jeonges out like this now, there must be something¡­¡¯ Director Seo Jung-won¡¯s mind became moreplicated than ever before. ¡®What¡­ the hell¡­¡¯ The previous day, Director Seo Joong-won had been thinking about solutions in the office untilte at night and had stayed one night at a hotel near the office. Another reason was that I did not want to go home to Hannam-dong and argue about my wife and son. ¡®Should I contact other directors and get information from them?¡¯ At that time, Director Seo Jung-won¡¯s cell phone rang. He was the current CEO of Ara Entertainment. Director Seo Joong-won hurriedly pressed the call button. ¡°CEO!¡± Urgency and anger were mixed in unrefined form in the voice. However, the other person¡¯s voice was extremely calm. He was an elderly man receiving treatment due to worsening illness. Seo Joong-won cleared his voice. ¡°Have you received a call from the representative¡­? ¡°My dismissal is on the board¡¯s agenda¡­!¡± -you. The voice of the current CEO of Ara Entertainment calling out to General Manager Seo Joong-won was cold and stern. Anyway, he was the current CEO who put himself in this position and tried to hand over the CEO position to General Manager Seo Jung-Won. Headquarters Seo Joong-won felt the seriousness of the situation again at the CEO¡¯s icy voice. -It would be better not to attend the board meeting at all. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± -Resign yourself. quietly. This is thest piece of advice and consideration I can give you as someone who cared for you. If you quit first, I¡¯ll take care of it afterwards. Stop it. The rmended resignation from a representative he trusted made Director Seo Jung-won furious. He was cornered. I wanted to deny it, but I could feel it. Everything I had built was falling apart. Silently, like a sand castle copsing. But quickly. -The original evidence containing all the corruption youmitted was ced in the hands of Director Jeong. If you go to the board of directors, you will be exposed for embezzlement and breach of trust. ¡°What kind of nonsense is that?!¡± Director Seo Jung-won shouted, unable to ovee his anger. Director Jeong¡¯s side received enough evidence to fire Director Seo Jung-won, and he said that if Director Seo Jung-won himself resigns, the representative will somehow avoid holding him ountable for anything else. ¡°I definitely gave it a chance.¡± Just like that, the CEO¡¯s phone call was cut off. Director Seo Joong-won, who was frozen in panic, quickly searched the call list. [Juminah] As soon as the call was connected, a mechanical sound was heard. ¡®The number doesn¡¯t exist anymore¡­¡¯ Director Seo Jung-won threw the cell phone on the floor. The cell phone was lying on the carpet. ¡°You piece of shit!¡± *** [Music chart sess! ¡®Listen¡¯ Who is Bunker21?] Looking at the headline on the front page of the entertainment section of a sports newspaper, Manager Joanie smiled meaningfully. It was only once in a decade that an unknown singer achieved such results. Because there was no information, people¡¯s curiosity was at its peak. Nowadays, you don¡¯t know if you really want to know or if you are just ying a guessing game. On the Inte, articles analyzing voices are posted second by second, or articles like novels about knowing who someone is are posted. Every time ¡®Listen¡¯ was yed, people made bets to guess who it was. ¡°Everyone is in an uproar. ¡°There is quite a bit of talk about him being Do-wook.¡± ¡°haha.¡± Do-wook, who was sitting in front of Manager Joanie, smiled lightly and talked about what he had nned to do when he met Manager Joanie today. ¡°Have you received a call from Jam Music?¡± ¡°yes. received. You know that agencies don¡¯t like celebrities they can¡¯t control, right? Really¡­. In a way, Mr. Do-wook is truly out of control. I didn¡¯t know you were making this kind of investment. ¡°Aren¡¯t there too many secrets?¡± At first nce, Manager Joanie¡¯s words sounded likeints. However, Manager Joanie¡¯s face was full of satisfaction and pride. ¡°Thanks to you, I have nothing to do.¡± ¡°sorry. ¡°You took away the manager¡¯s job¡­¡± ¡°Now you¡¯re making jokes like that? anyway. The acquisition of Jam Music is progressing quickly. ¡°The headaches caused by distribution fees are over.¡± A smile passed between Manager Joanie and Dowook. Do-wook smiled and checked the time on his phone. It was time for Seo Joong-won, the head of the division, to no longer be the ¡°head of the division.¡± Chapter 208 # 209 New Prologue (1) The first time Dowook bought Jam Music stock was when he invested in Hyesung Entertainment. As the album market decreased and the music market emerged, investors who saw the potential of the market in the very early stages invested significant amounts of money into music distributors. Among the music distributionpanies that sprang up at that time, the ones that survived were ¡®Pineapple Music¡¯, ¡®BN Music¡¯, and ¡®Jam Music¡¯, which are now called the top three music distributionpanies. However, Jam Music¡¯s share of the music market was quite low, at around 10 percent. This fact was clearly realized when wepared the fact that Pineapple Music and BN Music had a market share of 56% and 26%, respectively. In fact, its position was gradually being lost to Pineapple Music, which was the industry leader, and BN Music, which was receiving support from a music broadcaster called TBN. When the music is released, it is released in the same way, but if the distributor is Pineapple, it is exposed a lot on the Pineapple site and shows strong performance on the Pineapple chart. In that case, it was advantageous for the producer to distribute through Pineapple Music, which has the highest market share. Because of that connection, Pineapple Music continued to grow while Jam Music continued tog behind. However, since Do-wook said he was investing in Jam Music, the consultant introduced by Do-wook¡¯s father had no choice but to express deep concern. In fact, even after Dowook bought the stock, Jam Music¡¯s stock price continued to decline. However, Do-wook bought more shares every time Jam Music¡¯s stock price fell. As a result, Dowook¡¯s stock in Jam Music became enormous. Of course, it didn¡¯t have much mary value. If Dowook had invested the same money elsewhere, he could have made more money. However, what Dowook wanted to gain was not financial gain. What I wanted to achieve by investing in Jam Music was to acquire defense tools as a producer. Just as album sales and broadcast rankings were indicators of poprity in the previous era, as music charts began to rece them, the power of music distributors became enormous in the music industry. In order for the music produced by producers to reach consumers, a distributor was essential. Because of that structure, distributors who grew in size increasingly passed the burden on to both producers and consumers for their own profits. In this way, the distribution fee amounted to half of the total profit, and even if consumers purchased music at a high price, the actual profit returned to the producer was not much. There continued to be criticism that thepany sat back and took too much advantage, but it was difficult to change the already established structure. ¡®The tyranny bes more severe as Pineapple Music is acquired by a famous conglomerate and forms a near-monopoly market¡­¡¯ Do-wook clearly knew that future. And now, Pineapple Music had just been acquired by a famous conglomerate. That¡¯s why Pineapple Music is moving to raise fees all at once. It was Pineapple Music that proposed collusion through behind-the-scenes work to BN Music and Jam Music. Dowook¡¯s preparation was a preparation for that. Dowook was now in the position of a producer who produced music, not simply an employee of an entertainment agency. And the consumers were fans who listened to Dowook¡¯s music. ¡®In the past, no one could stop the tyranny of Pineapple Music because it had grown so big¡­¡¯ By owning Jam Music, Dowook nned to prevent Jam Music from raising fees. If themission was not raised, Jam Music would naturally lose moneypared to other distributors in terms of immediate profits. The problem is that even though themission is low, the market share is also low, so Jam Music could not be the top choice for productionpanies. However, the story could have been different if KK joined hands with Jam Music. Now, KK is a singer who has achieved the highest marks in both album sales and digital music performance even without any broadcast activities. It also meant that there was no need to promote it through Pineapple Music, which has high fees. In addition, if Hit Entertainment helps Jam Music grow and Jam Music¡¯s market share increases, Jam Music will also be able to have an influence. In that way, the rtionship between the productionpany, distributor, and consumer could be created in the positive direction that Dowook wanted. It was difficult for Do-wook, who is currently active in various fields, to handle this work alone. So Do-wook was thinking of handing this over to Manager Joanie. Dowook was already the majority shareholder of Jam Music and had the power to move Jam Music. Jam Music, which was losing ground, had no reason to refuse Hit Entertainment¡¯s hand. It was an opportunity to revive the article. Dowook¡¯s proposal to acquire a distributionpany was surprising even for Hit Entertainment, which must bear the burden of distribution fees in the long term. Director Joanie was just amazed that Do-wook had been preparing for a long time in a direction that even she had not imagined. ¡°But it looks like Pineapple Music has already notified its customers that they will be raisingmissions¡­ Shouldn¡¯t they let Jam Music know that they won¡¯t follow suit?¡± Manager Annie asked Dowook. If it bes known that Jam Music will not raise fees, some people will definitely feel burdened by the fees and choose Jam Music over Pineapple. In particr, agencies withrge singers were expected to show interest. In that case, there was a high possibility that Pineapple Music¡¯s fee increase policy would be canceled. ¡°We¡¯ll have to wait a bit before announcing it to the outside world.¡± The increase in distributionpany fees was one of the situations that would put pressure on Director Seo Jung-won. It was clear that if themission was increased, sales performance would decline, and that fact would serve as justification for the Ara Entertainment board of directors to demand more performance from General Manager Seo Jung-won. It was not until after Director Seo Joong-won hadpletely fallen into abyss that the fee increase case was aborted. ¡®Of course, too many things have alreadye in the way of Director Seo Joong-won¡­¡¯ At that time, Do-wook¡¯s cell phone rang. It was an unsaved number. ¡®It¡¯s Jumin.¡¯ Do-wook asked for understanding from Manager Joanie and stood up. It was also a call to let me know that everything wasing to an end. *** ¡®goodbye.¡¯ It was Dowook¡¯sst greeting. Joo Min-ah hung up the phone with Do-wook and calmly walked out. I wasn¡¯t able to properly say hello to my family or even the manager I had been with for a long time. They only unterally announced that they would quit their jobs and live abroad for the time being. A reporter spotted Joo Min-ah walking alone toward the arrival hall and ran to her. As soon as one person came running, all the reporters wandering around the airport began to gather. She wasn¡¯t covered by a hat or a mask or sunsses. He was too big a top star for that. After ¡®Lovers from Space¡¯, Joo Min-ah was at the height of her poprity by ying the lead role in her next weekend drama. It was an hour ago that she suddenly announced her retirement. It was a retirement announcement made through personal SNS, not through the agency. The story was that she was mentally and physically exhausted from her long career in the entertainment industry and wanted to live a new life as an ordinary human being rather than as a celebrity Joo Joo Ah. Inside Ara Entertainment, Joo Minah¡¯s agency, the situation was turned upside down. Calls from reporters poured in. However, there was nothing I could do other than reply that I was assessing the situation. There was a week left until her contract was renewed. Not only had the contract not been signed, but the terms of the renewal had already been agreed upon. The reporters searched for the whereabouts of Joo Min-ah, who posted the article, and even found out that Joo Min-ah was leaving the country today, so they were camped out at the airport. ¡°Mr. Jumin! Why did you suddenly decide to retire?!¡± ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°Are you married?¡± ¡°Answer me just once! Mina!¡± A corner of the airport quickly became a mess. Juminah lowered her mask as if she had no choice. Juminah¡¯s face was extremely haggard. Juminah opened his mouth with difficulty. ¡°It¡¯s not like something is wrong. It is exactly as written on SNS. I am so sorry and grateful to the fans who have loved me so far. I think it was too much of a life for me. I will live with a heart of reflection and atonement. I think any more attention would be too difficult for me. Then¡­¡± Her appearance was quite different from the one she was loved for her lively image. Tears clung to Juminah¡¯s eyes. Joo Min-ah bowed deeply and entered the immigration hall, bypassing the reporters. Reporters captured Joo Min-ah¡¯s shabby appearance on camera without any filtering. ¡®It¡¯s the end.¡¯ Juminah bit her lip and held back tears from flowing. He didn¡¯t even have the right to shed tears. I was just grateful to Do-wook for allowing me to achieve the ¡®end¡¯ that I could never have achieved on my own. It was only a week ago that Do-wook came to visit Joo Min-ah. When Do-wook received the photo of Joo Min-ah and Director Seo Jung-won taken by reporter Choi Seong-jun, Do-wook was deeply concerned. If rumors of an affair between the two broke out, it would naturally be a blow to Director Seo Jung-won. However, in the case of an affair, the blow would have been greater for Joo Joo-ah than for Director Seo Jung-won. Joo Joo-ah would suffer such a blow that her future life would be uncertain, but Director Seo Jung-won could not have known. It was unclear whether the Ara Entertainment board of directors would kick out General Manager Seo Joong-won just because he was immoral. Valentine¡¯s weakness due to girls. Seo Kang-Jun¡¯s return to the entertainment industry fails. The appearance of Bunker21, like an ambush. Pineapple Music¡¯s fee increase that I believed in. Everything was prepared by Do-wook to weaken General Manager Seo Jung-won¡¯s internal position. It was clear that the board would take ipetence more seriously than immorality. Revealing an affair here? ¡®No, the target is not Joo Joo-ah, but Seo Joong-won. As long as the power rtionship is clear, it¡¯s hard to think of it as just an affair that happened out of love for each other¡­ Jumin, there¡¯s a way to use the card more effectively¡­¡¯ I needed something bigger. Something that will not only shake your position, but send you away altogether. Do-wook was confident that there would be something else to gain from the rtionship between Director Seo Jung-won and Joo Min-ah. We had to break even. In any case, the evidence of the two people¡¯s affair was already in Do-wook¡¯s hands. So Do-wook contacted Joo Min-ah directly. Reporter Choi Seong-jun could have stepped forward, but celebrities never reveal anything to reporters. Regardless of the true intention of the approach, it was difficult to trust the reporter. It was not difficult to secretly contact Joo Min-ah. Ju Min-ah seemed to think that Do-wook had a crush on her. Dowook presented a photo to Joo Joo-ah, who came out dressed up to the fullest. ¡°A friendly reporter sent it to me. If this happens, I think Minah¡¯s career in the entertainment industry will be over¡­¡± Not only her life in the entertainment industry, but her life as a woman could also fall into the abyss. At first in shock and then in fear, Juminah was unable to say anything. Joo Min-ah, who was shedding tears in silence, began to tell Do-wook everything, as if she thought her life was already over. ¡°¡­Anyway, I¡¯m the one who made these choices. If you have to be punished, you should get it¡­.¡± Towards the end of Joo Joo-ah¡¯s story, Do-wook felt human anger towards Director Seo Jung-won. He was a parasite named power who lived by sucking the blood of the weak. ¡°Then let¡¯s do it like this. I will block this article. Instead¡­¡± Joo Joo-ah¡¯s eyes were greatly shaken by Do-wook¡¯s words that he would not publish the article. Chapter 209 # 210 A New Prologue (2) Around the time when Joo Joo-ah started working in a girl group and her name as well as the group began to be known. Joo Joo-ah receives a threatening phone call from her ex-boyfriend, whom she dated when she was a trainee. There was a video of him having sex with Joo Min-ah on his ex-boyfriend¡¯s cell phone. For Joo Joo-ah, who had agreed to leave a video because they were in love with each other, it was a threatening phone call that came as a surprise. When her ex-boyfriend asked for money, Joo Joo-ah was trembled and sent the money. However, contrary to his promise, the ex-boyfriend did not delete the video and instead demanded money from Joo Joo-ah. At that time, Ju Minah did not have therge amount of money he was asking for because the settlement had not yet been received. Minah Joo, who suffered from constant threats and secretly suffered from money problems, eventually reported this to her manager. Originally, the house was not well-off, so it was no longer possible to raise money, and I thought that this would not be a fundamental solution. In addition, the extreme stress was exhausting my mind and body, which was also affecting my group activities. In the end, the only person who had anything to say was the manager. After informing the manager of the general facts, the manager immediately reported the details to Seo Joong-won, who was the head of the strategic nning office at the time. The more people knew about it, the less good it was. The manager¡¯s judgment was that this was something that would be reported to Seo Jung-won anyway and that the solution should be resolved on Seo Jung-won¡¯s behalf. As an employee of Ara Entertainment and the manager who manages Joo Joo-ah, the manager¡¯s judgment was not wrong. However, what was overlooked was that Seo Joong-won was a viin. Seo Joong-won called Ju Joo-ah, who was only 21 years old, and spoke with a cold face. ¡°Why should I help you?¡± Juminah felt like her hands and feet were getting cold. I wonder if she would be kicked out of the group like this, or maybe she should have given money to her ex-boyfriend on her own behalf without telling thepany until the end¡­ Joo Joo-ah also debuted after going through a difficult time as a trainee. I didn¡¯t want it to end like this. For a brief moment, Juminah felt nervous as if she would faint. Seo Joong-won shook his head and said as if he was tired. ¡°If you take care of the smelly waste¡­ I should have something in return¡­ I think it would be quickest to just let you out. ¡°Rather than dealing with a guy like that.¡± ¡°Chief! Please save me just once. If you can help me just once, I¡¯ll really, really work hard. Please¡­. Please, just once¡­ Ugh. I will do anything¡­¡± Juminah¡¯s face was already covered with tears. At such a young age, I was carrying too much burden on my own. Ju Minah was on the verge of being pushed off a cliff. Seo Joong-won, sitting in front of arge desk and looking down at himself with cold eyes, felt like the only savior who could save him. Seo Joong-won was doing calctions at that time. He couldn¡¯t put a dent in the group he was raising, so as soon as he received the report, he dealt with the man who threatened Joo Joo-ah. He had someone search through his house and delete all the videos he had. He actually threatened the man, saying that he would sue him because he had receivedpensation through threats. Joo Joo-ah¡¯s ex-boyfriend must have fully realized what kind of person Seo Joong-won is. The original sex video owned by Joo Joo-ah¡¯s ex-boyfriend was in the hands of Seo Joong-won. At the time, Seo Joong-won was acting as an intermediary who found sponsors for some of the trainees who left Ara Entertainment because they were not part of the debut group. Since he had no foundation other than his wife¡¯s family, he had to rely on the power of high-ranking people in each field to increase his power. This was the method I came up with for that purpose. High-ranking executives were people who were as excited about having fun with women as they were with money. It was one of the ways to unleash one¡¯s beastly desires and at the same time reveal one¡¯s power. The former Ara Entertainment trainees that Seo Joong-won connected with them were not just ¡®bar girls¡¯. However, the risk of exposure was much lower than that of actual celebrities. By knowing this and putting his weakness into his hands, Juminah was a card he could use as he pleased. Even a pretty popr celebrity. However, since it was still active, it was difficult to pass it off as a sponsor. Seo Joong-won was both a pimp and the head of Ara Entertainment. Seo Joong-won¡¯s eyes narrowed as he looked at Joo Min-ah, who was crying and willing to do anything. Juminah¡¯s firm breasts and slim waist caught my eye. I thought he didn¡¯t stand outpared to the other members, but when he was alone, he had a pretty believable face. When I think back, I felt like I had a nice cold with him because he had a very friendly personality. Since they are agency officials and celebrities, there will not be much suspicion. Director Seo Joong-won had a hard time suppressingughter. The time hade to enjoy the taste of power. ¡°Anything¡­ Then shall we talk about whether you can really do anything?¡± Director Seo Joong-won stood up and ced his hand on Joo Min-ah¡¯s shoulder. That¡¯s how the rtionship started. Seo Joong-won had a video of Joo Min-ah and her ex-boyfriend having sex. In fact, he could have been worse than my ex-boyfriend. Seo Joong-won was truly in a position to bring Joo Min-ah into the abyss. At that moment, Juminah felt like something had broken. It felt like a part of my self had been torn apart. The morous life of a celebrity. Juminah decided to focus only on that life. He didn¡¯t even look towards the darkness. After having sex with Seo Joong-won, I always felt nauseous and had to run away to the bathroom under the pretext of washing up, but that was why I epted the money and casting offer that Seo Joong-won gave me in return. I felt like I would go crazy if I didn¡¯t do that. Because of that kind of rtionship, Seo Joong-won had no hesitation towards Joo Min-ah. That was the reason why Joo Joo-ah knew that Seo Joong-won was acting as a pimp to the trainees, giving bribes here and there, and even epting bribes. It was because I didn¡¯t think that Joo Min-ah, who was like a doll in my hands, could do anything with her will. However, Do-wook was currently sitting in front of Ju-min. ¡°Give me something else. Something that could destroy Seo Joong-won¡­ let¡¯s do that instead. At least if Minah wants to get out of this rtionship¡­ I think it would be a good opportunity.¡± I briefly wondered why Do-wook was trying to bring down Director Seo Jung-won, but the reason was not important. Looking at Do-wook¡¯s straight and sincere eyes, Joo Min-ah felt very ashamed of herself reflected in those eyes. After thinking for a moment, Juminah nodded as if she had made up her mind. Dowook was right. It was an opportunity to escape from the rtionship with Director Seo Joong-won. He was no longer the sole victim. No matter how it started, he was also someone who receivedpensation from Seo Jung-won. After a while, I was so consumed with the money and fame that Seo Jung-won provided that I might never be able to return to a normal life. Now, even if Seo Joong-won revealed a video of her having sex with her ex-boyfriend or revealed what happened to her, there was nothing he could do about it. If I had the chance to turn back, I wanted to. ¡®It¡¯s already toote to be normal, but¡­¡¯ Juminah opened her mouth, thinking. As Do-wook expected, Joo Min-ah had the stature to take down Director Seo Jung-won. A list of trainees and sponsors sold in the name of sponsorship. List of bribes given and received. Clear evidence that could be handed over to the prosecution was stored in Joo Min-ah¡¯s Yangjae-dong officetel. Joo Min-ah decided to hand it all over to Do-wook. ¡°This photo will never be revealed to the world, but¡­ if we investigate Director Seo Joong-won, Min-ah¡¯s name maye up. Then, Minah, who is a celebrity, may be the only one who gets the most attention¡­ Is that okay?¡± Dowook added, suppressing his ufortable feelings. This is what Do-wook already thought of when he said he wanted to take down Seo Joong-won. Juminah nodded. Joo Min-ah was a victim of power rtions. Because the damage had been done for so long and thepensation had been paid, it seemed that he could not think of himself as a perfect victim. Of course, it was clear that if this matter were made public, Juminah would not be able to avoid social criticism. It would have been nice if she had been a little wiser, but I didn¡¯t think she could have made a different choice at the time. Joo Min-ah was sitting in front of Do-wook with an expression that said she would endure anything. Dowook calmly opened his mouth. ¡°Let¡¯s do it this way.¡± Do-wook organized the list as soon as he received the evidence from Joo Min-ah. Fortunately or unfortunately, there were almost no lists rted to Joo Min-ah. Because it was Director Seo Jung-won¡¯s own work, he did not leave any evidence. As long as Director Seo Joong-won didn¡¯t speak up, it seemed like Joo Min-ah wouldn¡¯t be implicated. Do-wook sent the organized evidence to Director Jeong, who was in trouble with Director Seo Jung-won. There was help from team leader Daehyung Lee. And I received help from Yumin Lee, CEO of Yoosung Fashion. Because many of the people involved were high-ranking executives in the media and broadcasting industries, it was not something that could be done by just reporting it. A trustworthy person from the prosecution was needed. Dowook became an anonymous informant. Ju Minah decided to announce her retirement just in time. I was afraid of Seo Joong-won¡¯s retaliation, and since it was a wrong start from the beginning, I wanted to end it. Everything was happening smoothly. The most perfect moment. Do-wook pushed the first domino set up to take down Seo Joong-won. From then on, Dowook didn¡¯t have to do anything. I just watched. *** It was an hour before the Ara Entertainment board meeting. After finishing the phone call with the CEO, General Manager Seo Joong-won went to Ara Entertainment¡¯s office and contacted the directors. However, no matter whatmunications they received, none of the directors received a call from Director Seo Jung-won. There were more than a few directors who begged him to get money. But now that he was pretending not to know me, I couldn¡¯t forgive him. ¡°Aaaah!¡± Seo Joong-won, head of the headquarters, was so upset that he shouted from his office. However, even though Director Seo Jung-won did not forgive, there was nothing that could be done. ¡®Dismissal¡­ It makes no sense to be dismissed!¡¯ Director Seo Jung-won still denied reality. ¡®Do you bitch X betray me?!¡­¡¯ Director Seo Joong-won thought that Director Jeong had contacted Ju-min Ah and lured her away. Unless Director Jeong said he would look after her, there was no way Joo Min-ah could have betrayed her. ¡®I have a video in my hand¡­¡¯ Director Seo Joong-won was suddenly struck by a strange sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. Director Seo Joong-won clearly had a video of Joo Min-ah. Nevertheless, the fact that Joo Min-ah betrayed him¡­ waspletely understandable only in one situation. Director Seo Jung-won hurriedly opened the Inte window. Director Seo Joong-won¡¯s prediction was correct. Joo Joo-ah¡¯s announcement of retirement was heating up the Inte. Of course, it was only possible to control actress Joo Joo-ah¡¯s life when she risked her life for the title of ¡®actress¡¯. Revealing the video of the retired Joo Joo-ah may have brought her personal life down to earth, but it would have been difficult to get anything in return. ¡®You made a n! Damn¡­. Just spread the video and make people criticize you no matter if you go abroad or do something else. That¡¯s it. But right now¡­!¡¯ Director Seo Joong-won tried to remain calm. ¡®wait for a sec. The CEO said that if I quit, he would block Director Jeong. That¡¯s because exposing my list of corruptions won¡¯t do any good for the CEO. Director Jeong doesn¡¯t have a good rtionship with the CEO, so he wants to put his own person in the CEO position¡­ and he takes advantage of this to bully the CEO¡­¡¯ After thinking about it calmly, I came up with an answer. It was the same too. Before the board of directors started, they had to use the representative to create an excuse to put pressure on Director Jeong. At that moment, someone knocked on Director Seo Joong-won¡¯s office door. ¡°Come on in.¡± As Seo Jung-won answered, a delivery man wearing a motorcycle helmet came in. ¡°It¡¯s quick!¡± The delivery man handed an envelope of documents to Seo Joong-won. The delivery man left and Director Seo Joong-won tore the document envelope with impatient hands. There were documents inside. It was a divorce document sent by Seo Joong-won¡¯s wife. Just as Director Seo Joong-won was in shock, a knock was heard again. Director Seo Jung-won couldn¡¯t even answer. But the door opened and men in suits came rushing into the office. They were people sent by the prosecution. Chapter 210 # 211 New Prologue (3) An arrest warrant was issued for Director Seo Joong-won and the decision to arrest him on site was made because the evidence was too clear and it was judged that there was a risk of him fleeing the country. Investigators grabbed both arms of Director Seo Joong-won, who was in shock. Director Seo Joong-won, who had screamed and struggled to escape the first few times, stopped as people in the office, including his secretary, flocked in. Investigators began dragging away Director Seo Jung-won. The Ara Entertainment headquarters was already turned upside down. The news that Director Seo Joong-won was being arrested spread widely within thepany. Of course, none of the employees were worried about the safety of Director Seo Jung-won. They chatted and talked about what would happen to thepany and themselves in the future. The gazes sent by the employees gathered in front of Director Seo Joong-won¡¯s office were no longer directed at the head of the division, who was at the pinnacle of power. ¡®The things that were bowing down to me just a little while ago!¡¯ Director Seo Joong-won clenched his fists. The investigators saw his expression and strengthened his bound arms. Even the CEO and the board of directors had already turned their backs on General Manager Seo Jung-won. Even though he was arrested, the thought of ¡®I can do my best¡¯ no longer urred to Director Seo Jung-won¡¯s mind. The high-ranking executives who received the bribes were likely busy cutting their tails. However, if it were not for the divorce papers sent from his wife, he would have thought about escaping the prosecution¡¯s investigation somehow. Even if all the evidence is clear, the sentence could be reduced if the wife¡¯s family takes action. But even his wife had turned her back on him. The wife probably decided to divorce by agreement rather than go to court in order to avoid embarrassing the family. It was obvious without even asking why my wife turned her back on me. If Joo Min-ah handed over the evidence to Director Jeong or the prosecution, it is highly likely that he would have used his wife¡¯s help as well. Of course, it was difficult to believe that Seo Joong-won¡¯s wife turned away from him just because of her affair with Joo Min-ah. Seo Kang-jun, the son whom his wife cherished. Just because Seo Kang-joon was forced to flee and study abroad while receiving criticism from the public, his wife¡¯s trust in Director Seo Jung-won was already severely damaged. It was her great dissatisfaction that Director Seo Joong-won did not actively participate in Seo Kang-jun¡¯s work afterward because he was aiming for the CEO position. However, when Director Seo Joong-won said he would bring Seo Kang-jun back, he held back. His wife must havepletely changed her mind as the article was published prematurely and Seo Kang-Jun¡¯s future became more uncertain. ¡®Maybe I should have coaxed my wife right away on the day the news broke¡­¡¯ Director Seo Joong-won thought for a moment and then shook his head. The culprit behind all of this was Ju Min-ah. ¡®Jumin, there¡¯s no way that bitch could have nned this all by herself. There¡¯s clearly someone behind it. ¡®What the fuck!¡¯ But I couldn¡¯t even guess who it was. Director Jeong was the strongest candidate, but he was also a member of Ara Entertainment. It was clear that if the prosecution arrested Ara Entertainment¡¯s executives, it would also have an impact on thepany. They would not have even mobilized the prosecution to bring down Director Seo Jung-won. ¡®What on earth¡­¡¯ My thoughts continued to linger. There were no regrets about the past when only evil deeds weremitted. He was just angry at his own ambitions being lost right before his eyes. ¡®What!¡­¡­ What did I do wrong? Where did it go wrong?¡¯ Behind Director Seo Joong-won, the office he used was being randomly dug up by investigators. Folders flying around in a mess and nametes turned over. It was like the present of Director Seo Joong-won. ¡®How did everything happen like this¡­¡¯ It copsed so quickly and in an instant. It was something that had been umted for nearly twenty years. But Director Seo Joong-won couldn¡¯t do anything right now. ¡®It¡¯s over.¡¯ Finally, Director Seo Jung-won thought. His life was already over. There was no need for a prosecutorial investigation or trial. The eyes of the office staff who had been bowing down to him just a moment ago felt like daggers. However, he did not bow his head until the end. That was thest bit of pride he had left. But no matter who saw it, it was just ridiculous pride. He was walking down to the shabby end, being criticized by those who reigned in the ce where he enjoyed the most power and prestige. And along the way, the victim¡¯s older brother, who had been harmed by Seo Kang-jun¡¯s evil deeds that he had sown, was standing guard. ¡°Get out of the way!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get out of the way.¡± Reporters were standing camped at the entrance of the Ara Entertainment headquarters. The investigators dragging Seo Joong-won bit the reporters. The sound of the sh echoed unusually cheerfully in the middle of Gangnam. Passersby also saw the reporters gathered and snooped around, interested in what was going on. Ara Entertainment employees who followed them ran back inside the building, fearing that their faces would appear in the newspaper. Although it was not a huge number, it was surprising interest considering that it was a case that had not yet been properly investigated and that Director Seo Joong-won was not an executive at one of the top 10 majorpanies in Korea. The people on the prosecution side also seemed a little taken aback by the reporters¡¯ arrival. Even Seo Joong-won, who held his head up stiffly until the end, eventually lowered his head to avoid the cameras. However, his face was already captured on the camera held by reporter Choi Seong-jun. *** [Ara Entertainment¡¯s top executive arrested by prosecutors¡­] [Man to Man¡¯s Seo Jun¡¯s father arrested on charges of embezzlement from within Ara Entertainment] [Arrested Seo Joong-won, head of headquarters, reportedly had a mistress¡­divorce proceedings in progress] [Seo¡¯s father and son¡¯s ordeal, school violence From being arrested by the prosecution] [Even taking a trainee and sponsoring him? The terrible actions of Director Seo Joong-won¡­] [Ara Entertainment CEO expresses regret over this incident¡­ It¡¯s just the personal greed of Director Seo] [Seo Jun¡¯s department hasmitted many vicious crimes¡­ He will likely be sentenced to prison] -Wow¡­ Bean powder There is no soybean powder like this ¨C He looks dirty. ¨C He nted something and it grew haha. Seojun wasn¡¯t a human trash for no reason haha ¨C Seojun is really over ¨C They must have been his son¡¯s friends.. He sold all those kids..?? Really. It¡¯s a devil disguised as a human ??? ¨C Shouldn¡¯t the bastards who were sponsored also be investigated??? -I see an article saying there is an investigation -I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll get cut off again. Anyway, I¡¯m d that bastard was caught. -What kind of ordeal is this? He should suffer more -Let¡¯s investigate properly and deliver justice~~!! -Jumin, isn¡¯t the fact that you retired rted? ¨C Let¡¯s not make Ara Entertainment celebrities victims because of this incident ¨C My friend was Joo-min¡¯s co-ordinator friend, and he said that it was difficult for Joo-min as he became very popr after filming Lovers from Outer Space. He must have been exhausted from debuting at such a young age ¨C Human trash was here. -Is it because of this bastard that Ara Entertainment¡¯s performance has been so bad these days? -This is the person who created Sabang Shinhwa, but this is also the person who caused them to disband -Famous for retaliating if their contract is not renewed -I thought the entertainment industry was dirty, but it¡¯s really dirty. It¡¯s dirty! ¨C Will it have any effect on Man to Man¡¯s next album? ¨C I¡¯m worried about that too¡­ ¨C Ara Enter isn¡¯t a corner store, so I guess that¡¯s the only person there. Everything goes well even without that one person. The waiting room of the studio where the pre-recording of SVS¡¯s ¡®Life Song¡¯ is taking ce. . There was no expression on Dowook¡¯s face as he scrolled through the articles andments. As expected, Ara Entertainment seemed to have decided to cut off the name of General Manager Seo Joong-won. All of the charges that Director Seo Joong-won personally received for a bribe or embezzled thepany¡¯s public funds were to be exposed one by one and applied to his sentence. The problem was about spawning. Those who received sponsorship included high-ranking broadcasting station officials, media representatives, university professors, and representatives of various businesses, regardless of field. However, from what I heard the prosecution¡¯s position through CEO Lee Yu-min, it was said that only some of the personnel were under investigation. It seems that those in too high a position are difficult for even the prosecution to touch. What Do-wook wanted was not to realize social justice, so this was enough for him. But I couldn¡¯t help but feel bitter. ¡®If Seo Joong-won had been closer to the core of power¡­¡¯ Perhaps Do-wook¡¯s revenge would have been a longer battle and the probability of sess would have been lower. Even so, it was clear that he would have taken revenge. Dowook shook his head. ¡®Fortunately, we were able topletely destroy both Seo Kang-jun and Seo Joong-won.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t that Do-wook dug a trap and added to the crime. Dowook simply timed it to prevent them from using money and power to avoid legal and moral judgment. The two people paid the price for their sins. With that alone, they be criminals, the sons of criminals, property confiscation, and even family breakdown. Life was thrown into the gutter without recovery. ¡®He might not realize that it was his own fault¡­¡¯ But Do-wook didn¡¯t want to worry about it until then. Anyway, Do-wook¡¯s revenge ended perfectly. It was over. It was the ¡®end¡¯ that I had constantly longed for since the beginning of my life as Kang Do-wook, not Kim Bo-myeong. I was happy and exhrated. After writing the article, I could even feel the joy in reporter Choi Seong-jun¡¯s voice as he expressed his gratitude to Do-wook for the past days. It was the same with Dowook. If it had been like before, it would have felt vain at the same time. It was a time when the only goal was revenge. But Dowook had new goals. There were so many precious people with whom I would spend my future life. Although I felt bitter for a while, it could also be a new goal. ¡®As time passes, I will be older than my actual age. I don¡¯t know the future because there are so many things that have already changed¡­ but after that, I can¡¯t know the future even for a moment. Maybe that was the real beginning of Kang Do-wook¡¯s life¡­.¡¯ Do-wook thought and stood up. ¡°Oh bro. It just happens. ¡°Let¡¯s go now!¡± Seok Ji-hoon, who was sitting next to him, also got up from his seat. ¡°I think this is my first time recording without fans. What about after the debut stage?¡± ¡°but. But wasn¡¯t there about a dozen or so fans even when we debuted?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. ¡°I¡¯ve been a fan since I was a trainee¡­¡± The two walked out the door of the waiting room while talking about various things. In front of the door of the waiting room where the two people went, the singer¡¯s name was written inrge letters, just like other singers¡¯ waiting rooms. [Bunker21 ¨C Entry prohibited except for those involved-] *** At that time, Manager Oh Baek-ho, who was having a meeting in the office with Lim Seong-an, head of the new talent development team, about KK¡¯s follow-up group, received a phone call. It was a call from team leader Daehyung Lee. Chapter 211 # 212 New Prologue (4) After receiving the call, Manager Oh Baek-ho left the office to meet Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung said there was no need to rush, but it was because Director Oh Baek-ho was in a hurry. The ce where Director Oh Baek-ho and Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung met was at a cafe near the office. ¡°Oh, Manager, here!¡± Team leader Lee Dae-hyung, who came first and was waiting for Director Baek-ho Oh, gestured. Director Oh Baek-ho was recently promoted to ¡®manager¡¯ in a personnel change. In terms of performance and profits, Hit Entertainment had already started to surpass the three major entertainmentpanies with just KK¡¯s team, but the organization was still small in terms of scale. For that reason, the rank promotion itself did not have much meaning internally. This is because within the manager team, Director Oh Baek-ho was already working at the level of a manager or higher, rather than a manager. Still, it was a position with more authority and responsibility, and the sry also increased significantly. ¡°ah. manager.¡± Manager Oh Baek-ho found team leader Lee Dae-hyung and quickly headed to his seat. It is said that a position makes a person, and after being given the title of manager, the feeling that I already had of hisrge physique and extraordinary strength became even more intense. Although Manager Oh Baek-ho was not going to harm himself, Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung somehow unconsciously leaned back and flinched. The title ¡®Manager¡¯ was added after Oh Baek-ho, so it felt like a title from the dark world rather than apany title. ¡°haha. ¡°You came quickly.¡± Team leader Lee Dae-hyung quickly came to his senses and smiled at Manager Oh Baek-ho, who was sitting in front of him. Of course, team leader Lee Dae-hyung also received a sry increase. However, his rank was still manager, but in the case of Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung, he could even be transferred to a different department. There was a high possibility that Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung would take the ce of Manager Joanie of the nning and Operation Team. This was a story about when Manager Joanie took the position of managing director. Due to the acquisition of Jam Music, the date was slightly postponed. After Manager Joaniepleted the acquisition, Hit Entertainment¡¯s internal organization was scheduled to bepletely reorganized. ¡°Congrattions on your promotion to manager.¡± ¡°I received congrattionsst time too. So you¡¯re saying you¡¯re going to Ara Enter?¡± As soon as Manager Oh Baek-ho sat down, he asked directly. I hadn¡¯t even ordered a drink yet. The waiter who was carrying the menu to take the order was squirming behind him as if he sensed Manager Oh Baek-ho¡¯s harsh energy. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung shook his head in a cold sweat and called a waiter to receive the menu. ¡°Oh no. Boss. This is true. ¡°Let¡¯s order first.¡± ¡°No? ¡°I¡¯ll have an iced caramel mhiato.¡± ¡°haha. yes. no. here! ¡°A ss of iced Americano and a ss of iced caramel mhiato.¡± Team leader Lee Dae-hyung quickly ced his order and faced Manager Oh Baek-ho again. When I told Do-wook over the phone that I had a new proposal and that I also had an offer from Ara Entertainment, Manager Oh Baek-ho insisted on meeting me right away. As Manager Oh Baek-ho, he had no choice but to do so. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung was the only person other than himself who knew the story between Dowook and Ara Entertainment, which the members did not know about. Also, it could be said that from the beginning of his debut until now, KK has yed an important role at the most important moments among those involved until he is in his current position. In particr, Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung¡¯s role in advancing into the U.S. was enormous. Manager Joanie also thought highly of that point, and Manager Baekho Oh did the same. The team was different and the job was different, but as a close associate of the group called KK, I couldn¡¯t send someone like team leader Lee Dae-hyung to Ara Entertainment. ¡°yes. I was offered the position of head of strategic nning Jin Gook-seon, who worked under Seo Joong-won, the head of the division¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­.¡± As the head of the division Seo Joong-won became like that, a major shake-up was underway at Ara Entertainment. Director Seo Joong-won Most of the people who were riding the line were being separated. Although the position was filled internally, it was true that there were quite a few vacancies anyway. It was apany that had been number one in the industry for a long time. As a result, the talent market in the entertainment industry was fluctuating due to positions that were suddenly created. Cheongwol and major entertainmentpanies were also paying close attention to not losing key personnel to Ara Entertainment. In any case, since they were people with Ara¡¯s know-how, there were many small and medium-sized agencies trying to bring in people who had been pushed out of Ara Entertainment. One of the Hit Entertainment album production team members has already been scouted by Ara. Because the group called K.K. was the best group at the moment, being involved in ¡®K.K. production¡¯ was considered a career that would be respected anywhere in the industry. It was okay because it was normal for employees to changepanies and it was not a major leak. Of course, when ites to team leader Lee Dae-hyung, things are different. ¡®As expected, Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung has been offered an important position.¡¯ Manager Oh Baek-ho nodded calmly. Anyway, I was able to remain calm because I already knew that Team Leader Daehyung Lee¡¯s choice was Hit Entertainment. ¡°How about working for about six months, reacquainting yourself with Ara¡¯s work, and then moving on to the position where the head of the department was¡­¡± Manager Oh Baek-ho¡¯s eyes widened. In other words, the position that Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung was offered was that of General Manager Seo Joong-won. The position of head of strategic nning was quite expected, but it was not the position of head of the division. Even if Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung became the manager, there was quite a difference between the position of manager of Hit Entertainment and the position of general manager of Ara Entertainment. ¡°You mean you refused that?¡± Manager Oh Baek-ho¡¯s voice became slightly louder. ¡°yes.¡± Team leader Lee Dae-hyung smiled kindly and answered clearly. ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s good for thepany and me¡­¡± The reason he bothered to mention the rejected offer to Manager Oh Baek-ho was because Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung himself wanted to drive a wedge so that he wouldn¡¯t be swayed any further. It was a very tempting offer for Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung. Certainly, if I were to be the general manager of Ara Entertainment, I would be able to do a lot of things at home and abroad based on thepany¡¯s size and influence in the industry. However, there was also a desire to continue growing Hit Entertainment together. Present and future Many things had to be considered and there were many conflicts. ¡°Within the next ten years, Hit will be a biggerpany than Ara. ¡°I saw that future.¡± The drinks the two people had just ordered were ced on the table. Manager Oh Baek-ho cleared his throat and responded to Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung¡¯s words. ¡°If that happens, there¡¯s nothing left to hope for. Everyone at the top is dreaming¡­ I just came from a meeting with the head of the rookie development team. KK will continue to grow, but we also need to nurtureters¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡± ¡°Even team leader Lee knows that Do-wook invested in the girls, right? The next group toe out of Hit Entertainment will probably be raised by Dowook like KK. ¡°If Team Leader Lee stays, wouldn¡¯t it be even more likely to happen?¡± Manager Oh Baek-ho asked with confidence. ¡°sure.¡± Team leader Lee Dae-hyung seemed to have been confirmed once again that his thoughts were not wrong. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung already firmly believed that thepany with producer Kang Do-wook would soon be the top of the industry. Dowook was an unprecedented figure in Korea both as a star and as a producer. In fact, when the proposal came in from Ara, team leader Lee Dae-hyung was the first to tell Do-wook about the proposal. When I first received a scouting offer from general manager Seo Jung-won, the reason I stayed at Hit Entertainment was ultimately because of Do-wook. I thought it would have a big impact on my choice this time too. And it was as expected. When I told Dowook about the proposal, he didn¡¯t hesitate and congratted me. ¡°Isn¡¯t this already the second offer from Ara? ¡°Everyone in the industry will be watching you, team leader.¡± ¡°It would be embarrassing if you floated it like that. haha.¡± ¡°If you are the team leader, you will do really well at Ara. In fact, I can help raise Ara up even more than Director Seo Jung-won¡­¡± ¡°Do you want me to go to Ara, Mr. Do-wook?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a great offer? I also want to see the No. 1 agency led by the team leader. But¡­¡± Hearing Do-wook¡¯s words, Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung felt that Do-wook was not just treating him as a member of thepany, but was treating him as a person. Even if it is only good for Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung personally, Do-wook is a person who does not hesitate to tell Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung to choose the better side. ¡°That ce is so¡­ don¡¯t you know? Ara is a ce where internal factions are severe and broadcasters can hold power. ¡°I just hope that the team leader doesn¡¯t waver.¡± Team leader Lee Dae-hyung was silent for a moment. In fact, it was one of the things that Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung was concerned about. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung was a man with a lot of ambition. So far, Hit Entertainment¡¯s healthy atmosphere and its ambitions have been radiating only in a positive direction. But I didn¡¯t know how the atmosphere would change people. I was afraid that if I went to Ara Entertainment, I would be a dog of power like General Manager Seo Joong-won. As expected, Dowook pointed out that point precisely. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung nodded. At Hit Entertainment, Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung had already learned too much about the joy of pure achievement thates after hard work, passion, and passion. There were many people at Hit Entertainment who acknowledged that. Also, the thought that it would be right to stay at Hit Entertainment, not right away but five or ten years from now, remained strongly in Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung¡¯s mind after meeting Do-wook. ¡°Let¡¯s do well until the end.¡± ¡°Yes, manager. And¡­¡­¡± ¡°Right, what is the suggestion that Do-wook came in?¡± ¡°Mr. Do-wook is currently on the bunker21 schedule, right?¡± Manager Oh Baek-ho checked the time and nodded. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung was thinking about sending a message to Do-wook, but stopped because he didn¡¯t want to get excited about the performance. Of course, Do-wook was not a beginner who would ruin the stage with something like that, but it was news that even Do-wook could be excited about. ¡°Do-wook¡­ do you like General Comics?¡± When asked by team leader Lee Dae-hyung, Manager Oh Baek-ho suddenly showed an indifferent expression as if he was wondering if we were talking about a cartoon. Then he shook his head in disbelief. *** SVS ¡®Life Song¡¯ live broadcast site. ¡°ruler! Bunker21, which everyone has been curious about, finally reveals its identity today!¡± ¡°Yes, you are also today¡¯s top candidate, right? The song of life released for the first time! Please stay tuned!¡± ¡°I am introducing! Bunker21!¡± Obin, MC of Life Song, and Dahye of Girls, who became the special MC, introduced Bunker21. Bunker21¡¯s stage was privately pre-recorded with only a minimum number of people, so even the MCs did not yet know who Bunker21 was. Everyone looked at the monitor with pounding hearts. Soon, the two men were revealed through the hazy dry ice smoke apanied by the acoustic guitar apaniment of ¡®Listen¡¯. ¡°Aaaah!¡± ¡°omg!¡± ¡°what? What!¡± ¡°oh my god! See you on stage!!!¡± Do-wook and Seok Ji-hoon, whose faces you couldn¡¯t recognize, were singing on the VCR screen. While the recorded screen was being broadcast, Do-wook and Seok Ji-hoon were also appearing on the live stage as a service. Most of those who came to the audience were fans of Chae Eun-ho, today¡¯s other first ce candidate, Man to Man fans, and fans of other groups. Nevertheless, the reaction of fans who saw Do-wook and Seok Ji-hoon was enormous. Everyone was in a state of shock. ¡°Kyaaaah!¡± Obin and Dahye in the MC section were as surprised as the audience members who were screaming. Da-hye, who is also a fan of Do-wook, was silent about the unexpected meeting. Do-wook and Seok Ji-hoon smiled leisurely and waved their hands toward the audience. Chapter 212 #213 Hero (1) -What is it? Why is KK here? -Kang Do-wook??? Seok Ji-hoon??? -What am I seeing??? -???????? I couldn¡¯t believe it while listening to the song, but you guys were right!! -Wow, this song is really amazing -I didn¡¯t even think about it because the way they sing is different -It¡¯s apletely different vibe from KK¡­ Wow¡­ -I was wondering if a newer like Comet woulde out, but in the end, it turned out to be an established singer¡­I¡¯m disappointed¡­in the end. The Korean music industry.. the thought of those vegetables and rice.. -Why on earth are you so disappointed hahaha ¨C I guess you don¡¯t like vegetable bibimbap. Ah~ I want to eat it~ -??? Hahaha ¨C crazy hahahaha ¨C Seok Ji-hoon can you y the guitar too? -I said I was learning at a fan meeting before¡­ I¡¯m studyingposition along with it ?? -I¡¯m really touched?? I feel like I received an unexpected surprise gift??? -Only people who went to Life Song today hahaha -Doukmari toilet paper But what happened to the information? Get some tissues ready ¨C I really had no idea ¨C I¡¯m just crying ????????????? ¨C KK ss is sweeping the music charts even when they release a song while hiding their identity! -Bunker 21 Where are the ugly kids who sing in the bunker? Haha ¨C Everyone said Bunker 21¡¯s face would be Jonmot lol ¨C The standard for Jonmot must change¡­ ¨C Ommani Banbehome ?_x I thought it was Kang Do-wook ¨C Next week¡¯s #1 is Bunker21¡¯s reservation ¨C Well, Bunker is on air 1 The reason they didn¡¯t rank was because they didn¡¯t have album sales or points and didn¡¯t receive fan votes, but now that it¡¯s known that it¡¯s KK, they¡¯ll probably get full votes next week ¨C If they release an album, it¡¯ll be even bigger ¨C It¡¯s already amazing that they¡¯re in 3rd ce even though only the music scores are reflected haha ¨C On the music charts I don¡¯t n on going down haha. It¡¯s really amazing, it¡¯s amazing ¨C Red Eyes is at the level of a year now haha ¨C I thought it was boring because they yed it so much in every store, but if Do-wook sings, it¡¯s okay~^^~ ¨C Oh, it¡¯s really a blessing that I couldn¡¯t go to today¡¯s broadcast. Will it appear on¡­another broadcast? ?? -This is the keyring I just came from after checking the Bunker 21 schedule. Cold Radish¡­ ? ¨C If you go to KK¡¯s concert, it will also be Bunker 21¡¯s concert. ¨C You said you were holding a fan meeting soon, right? All viewers watching ¡®Life Song¡¯ were surprised by Bunker21¡¯s identity. There has often been talk of Bunker21¡¯s vocals being Kang Do-wook from KK because his vocal tone is simr to Do-wook¡¯s. However, what no one was sure about was that Do-wook¡¯s singing style was so different from his usual singing style. If Do-wook were Bunker21, he would have participated in the song ¡®Listen¡¯, but ¡®Listen¡¯ was a song that would be difficult to say that Dowook participated in. No matter how different the genre was, when the same personposed and arranged the music, its original color was bound to be revealed. However, every part of the song, from the chord progression to the instruments used, waspletely different from Dowook¡¯s previous works. It was natural. This is because theposer and arranger of ¡®Listen¡¯ was Seok Ji-hoon. From the beginning of their debut, KK members were very interested in directly participating in the album due to Dowook¡¯s influence. Seok Ji-hoon was the same. I learned everything from watching Do-wook, as well as Jung Yoon-gi and Kim Won, writing lyrics and working hard on songs every day. As his basic knowledge about songwriting grew while working at KK, Seok Ji-hoon thought that he should try ying guitar, which he had been doing as a hobby, more seriously. In particr, when I saw that a songposed by Jeong Yoon-gi was included in KK¡¯s album, I was very inspired, even though I didn¡¯t say anything. It was a time when the name ¡®48 Hours Camping¡¯ was well known. I was very thankful for that, but since my main job was music, I wanted to grow musically as well. After leaving ¡¯48 Hours Camping¡¯, Seok Ji-hoon continued to study while touring and performing various performances. Not only did he already have basic skills, but everyone around him became Seok Ji-hoon¡¯s helper. First of all, the members were all good teachers with extensive knowledge about music. Although we only had a little time, the equipment was fully equipped and it was the perfect situation to studyposition and other things. Shim Jun, the leader of the album production team, was also impressed by the way his nephew Seok Ji-hoon studied music without being conceited by his poprity, and gave Seok Ji-hoon a lot of theoretical help. It was Do-wook who helped Seok Ji-hoon more than anyone else. Whenever Seok Ji-hoon felt gloomy that he didn¡¯t seem to have any talent, it was Do-wook who not only became his mental helper by giving various advices, but also took good care of him and made sure Seok Ji-hoon was equipped with all the equipment. Through Seok Ji-hoon¡¯s own efforts and the help of many people, the song that was created during the U.S. performance was ¡®Listen.¡¯ Of course, it was not the first song that Seok Ji-hoonposed. The first file title of ¡®Listen¡¯ was ¡®Seok Ji-hoon ver.21¡¯. ¡°This is it!¡± ¡°This is it?¡± ¡°Wow¡­ is this really something you wrote, Jihoon?¡± It was the 21st song released by Seok Ji-hoon. Only in the 21st version was Seok Ji-hoon able to write a song that satisfied the KK members. In fact, the 21st song was not satisfactory. Team leader Shim Jun even made an uproar, saying that Gam was telling him that he had to release an album right away. However, it was too far from KK¡¯s music to be included on KK¡¯s album. ¡®Listen¡¯ was a song that felt like your ears were melting right from the beginning with the acoustic guitar. It was an amazing song to say that it wasposed by Seok Ji-hoon, who is always polite and sometimes appears stiff. Perhaps because I studied through practical experience first, rather than going to an academy to study, both the chord progression and the way I used instruments were subtly different from existing songs. That was also the reason why the public became enthusiastic about Seok Ji-hoon¡¯s song ¡®Listen¡¯. It was a veryfortable yet unique feeling to listen to. Along with the OK unit album, there was talk about Seok Ji-hoon¡¯s solo album. However,poser Seok Ji-hoon decided that it was better suited as a duet rather than a solo. At that time, Do-wook had many thoughts. KK was already normal and there was no one in the country who did not know Dowook. Of course, you should always do your best, but it was clear that as long as you had the name K.K., sess was guaranteed to some extent. But Dowook still wanted to grow. I wanted to challenge myself. Dowook was even afraid of losing those spirits. Also, one day, KK¡¯s poprity will disappear. There was a fear that I felt because I am human, under the proposition that nothingsts forever, that if the name K.K. disappears, I will be unable to do anything. So what I was thinking about was to sing under a name other than my own. It could be said to be an arrogant challenge, but Do-wook once again wanted to know whether Kang Do-wook, a member of Kang Do-wook, could be recognized as just a singing Kang Do-wook, rather than as Kang Do-wook, who had already be a star. It was ¡®just in time¡¯. Dowook suggested releasing a song while hiding his identity as K.K. As Seok Ji-hoon, it was clear that if it was a song released by KK¡¯s Seok Ji-hoon, there would be a lot of interest, and it was true that such things were burdensome. That¡¯s how the two formed ¡®Bunker21¡¯. To match the song ¡®Listen¡¯, Do-wook changed his singing style and Seok Ji-hoon used a falsetto that he did not normally use in KK albums. If you listened very closely, you could tell that it was two people, but it was difficult to tell that it was two people unless you were Team Leader Sim Jun. In that process, Taehyung Park rmended a song during the ¡®Dancing Dancing¡¯ program meeting. It could only be said that it was amazing timing that Bunker21 interfered with Chae Eun-ho¡¯s solo album, which was one of Director Seo Jung-won¡¯s important cards. Bunker21¡¯s ¡®Listen¡¯ was released and took first ce on the music charts. *** It¡¯s time to announce the first ce in ¡®Song of Life¡¯. Today, all the cast members were on stage. Do-wook and Seok Ji-hoon were also there. The camera continued to focus on two people who were not even first ce candidates. MC Obin also seemed to want to talk to Do-wook, not because the broadcast was the problem. Producer Hyun Joo-hyuk, below the stage, looked like his mouth was being torn apart. This was because I heard the news that Bunker21¡¯s stage recorded the highest real-time viewership ratings of ¡®Life Song¡¯ ever. We won¡¯t know until the ratings tablees out tomorrow, but this was enough to make SVS a gold standard. ¡°Today¡¯s number one is¡­¡± Da-hye, holding a cue card, said in a trembling voice while looking at the VCR screen. Only then did Chae Eun-ho and the girls appear side by side on the VCR screen. The album score and music score were announced. Chae Eun-ho¡¯s album score was high, and the girls¡¯ music score was high. Since both were evenly matched without a big difference, it seemed like first ce would be decided by the final voting score. It was a moment full of tension. ¡°First ce is¡­¡± Obin said, heightening the tension again. Obin cheered for Chae Eun-ho and Da-hye cheered for the girls on his team and waited for first ce to be decided. Seok Ji-hoon, who knew that Do-wook had invested in the girls, was also supporting the girls in his heart, but Do-wook¡¯s feelings were a little different. ¡®Chae Eun-ho is also a good singer who deserves to be first ce¡­¡¯ Chae Eun-ho¡¯s skills as a soloist were surprising. Earlier, Dowook saw the stage with his own eyes and was greatly stimted in his own way. ¡°First ce is¡­ Chae Eun-ho! Congrattions!¡± Dahye¡¯s lively voice resonated throughout the scene. When first ce was announced, Chae Eun-ho, who was watching the screen, burst into tears. Obin¡¯s eyes, who were looking at the MC, also became bright. Even when Man to Man won first ce, the tears were not shed. It was Chae Eun-ho¡¯s first solo win. Chae Eun-ho has already been nominated for first ce several times, but he kept losing out on first ce to other singers, and only today was he able to take first ce. Every time I was pushed out, I saw theck of awareness not only from the head of the division, Seo Jung-won, but also from the head of the strategic nning department. Responsibility for the result fell on Chae Eun-ho. In the meantime, Seo Joong-won, head of thepany, was arrested, and the atmosphere inside Ara Entertainment continued to be unfavorable. Not only Chae Eun-ho but also the Man to Man members continued to suffer. That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t help but shed tears at number one. Upon receiving the trophy and bouquet of flowers, Chae Eun-ho expressed his sincere gratitude. The girls¡¯ song was not even ¡®Our Time¡¯, but a follow-up song. It was clear that Man-to-Man fans would have suffered a huge blow to their pride if they had not been ranked first until today. In contrast, the girls showed off their potential by nominating the follow-up song to their debut album for first ce. It was unfortunate, but it was enough. The girls¡¯ future was shining brightly no matter who saw it. As the first ce announcement time came to an end, the prelude to Chae Eun-ho¡¯s song ¡®LUV¡¯ began to y. As he went down the stage, Do-wook sincerely congratted Chae Eun-ho on his first ce. Chae Eun-ho wiped away her tears, smiled brightly, and bowed to Do-wook. *** When Do-wook and Seok Ji-hoon returned to the waiting room. In the waiting room, there were KK members and Manager Oh Baek-ho, who hade to congratte the two on Bunker21¡¯s debut stage. As soon as I opened the waiting room door and entered, the members burst out paper fireworks and brought in cakes. ¡°Why even do this while everyone is so busy?¡± Seok Ji-hoon just said that and couldn¡¯t hold back his happy expression as he cut the cake. It was a good time as we shared cake for a while. Manager Oh Baek-ho, who was alone looking at his watch to see if there was any urgent matter, said with a serious face. ¡°It¡¯s over now.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°What ends?¡± Kim Won and Ahn Hyeong-seo, who were eating cake, asked back. Do-wook was worried about Manager Oh Baek-ho, who had been looking nervous from earlier. ¡°Do-wook, it¡¯s time for you to go.¡± ¡°I¡­ where are I going?¡± ¡°uh. I have to go to the hotel and pack my bags. ¡°I have to pack my bags and go to America¡­¡± Manager Oh Baek-ho suppressed the smile that kept spreading across his lips. ¡°Do-wook Ma is going to America alone again?¡± Manager Oh Baek-ho nodded to Jeong Yoon-gi¡¯s question. ¡°I received a casting offer from Heroes.¡± Everyone was dumbfounded and thought about what ¡®Heroes¡¯ was, and their thoughts seemed to stop for a moment. ¡°No way¡­¡­¡± Do-wook was the first to open his mouth. That was unlikely. General Comics¡¯ movie ¡®Heroes¡¯. Dowook was asked to appear as one of the heroes in ¡®Heroes¡¯. Chapter 213 # 214 Hero (2) ¡°Heroes¡­ ¡­ . Those heroes¡­ ¡­ .¡± Taehyung Park said, stuttering. Kim Won was already in a state of chaos, walking around the waiting room and hitting his knees. He was pping his forehead like a child actor from a si that gained national poprity twenty years ago. Of course, instead of ¡®Oh my God,¡¯ Kim Won shouted, it was in English. ¡°Oh my gosh! That¡¯s¡­ ¡­ ¡°So so amazing!¡± Kim Won grabbed Do-wook¡¯s shoulders with both hands and shook them. Dowook was almost dizzy because of Kim Won, but it was difficult to tell whether he was dizzy because Kim Won shook his shoulder or because he heard such tremendous news. When I said I was cast in ¡®Heroes¡¯, I meant casting for the movie ¡®Heroes¡¯. The original work was aic of the same name published by General Comics. As the title suggests, numerous modern-day heroes appeared in the cartoon ¡®Heroes¡¯. The movies made by General Comics based on the stories of such heroes one by one, including ¡®Billion Man¡¯, ¡®Hercules¡¯, ¡®Speed Spider¡¯, ¡®Soldier America¡¯, and ¡®Shark¡¯. As the movies became sessful one after another, General Comics became a brand called ¡®General¡¯. Meanwhile, the movie ¡®Heroes¡¯ brought together all the heroes from the cartoon ¡®Heroes¡¯ and made them appear. The sess of the movie ¡®Heroes¡¯ was truly enormous. There have been many hero movies throughout history, but ¡®Heroes¡¯ was on a different scale in everything from the cast to the production cost. The term ¡®the ultimate king¡¯ of American movies was appropriate. Since fans of each character were already gathered together, the synergy effect was perhaps natural. The poprity of ¡®Heroes¡¯ was not just limited to the United States. It was global. In Korea, more than 7 million viewers watched ¡®Heroes¡¯. Box office profits reached a whopping $1.5 billion. It was an enormous number, exceeding 1 trillion in Hanwha. Not only did it go without saying that it was a leading role ying a hero in Heroes, but casting roles were also a stepping stone to bing global stars. No, just by appearing in ¡®Heroes¡¯, he had already be a global star. It was the ¡®Heroes¡¯. The atmosphere in the waiting room was very tense. ¡°What is your role in Heroes?¡± Hyungseo Ahn asked with shining eyes. ¡°What is the importance of Ma¡¯s role? ¡°Even if he only appears on Heroes for 10 seconds, he¡¯s a huge sess.¡± ¡°brother! Heroes is great, but Dowook is also KK.¡± Jeong Yoon-gi thought that Do-wook¡¯s role may not be that big, so he quickly blocked Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s question, and Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s position was that the movie ¡®Heroes¡¯ was great, but Do-wook was also great. Both of them had attitudes that could be considered as members of the same group and Do-wook¡¯s ¡®fans¡¯ at the same time. Dowook was already dizzy with the casting itself, but the role was actually very important. As K-POP became popr and Korean actors emerged, Hollywood sometimes cast Korean actors targeting the Asian market. However, the roles of Asian actors in Hollywood were very limited. The same was true for Korean actors. There were many roles that did not have proper scenes and had to be viins or rtively weak roles. As a Korean, inspired by the Japanese style of samurai, there were times when I had to make difficult choices. ¡®If it¡¯s that way, it¡¯s better not to do it¡­ ¡­ . No matter how many heroes¡­ ¡­ .¡¯ Dowook was still humble, but that did not mean he was unaware of his position. KK and Dowook were one of the pride of the Korean people. When Koreans talk about Korea to foreigners, they tend to ask something representative of Korea, such as ¡®Do you know kimchi?¡¯ There were many people saying that it was tacky to ask foreigners such things and jokingly saying that it was the ¡®Doyuno Club¡¯, but in any case, it was clear what it was that represented Korea. ¡®Do you know¡¯ was followed by not only kimchi but also Korea¡¯s representative foods and culture, such as bulgogi, Dokdo, Park Jin-seong, and Kim A-young, as well as famous sports yers. KK had now proudly joined the ranks. Recently, there have been various stories spread on the Inte that foreigners often ask Koreans if they know ¡®KK¡¯ when they first meet them. If KK¡¯s Do-wook appeared in an absurd role in ¡®Heroes¡¯ just for the sake of fame, the pride of the people and fans could be hurt. Dowook didn¡¯t want to do that either. Even now, he was doing his best in his current position. Manager Oh Baek-ho nodded as if he knew what Do-wook and the other members were thinking. ¡°uh¡­ ¡­ . What is Do-wook¡¯s role in Heroes? ¡­ .¡± Manager Oh Baek-ho said. ¡°I heard you¡¯re one of the heroes¡­ ¡­ .¡± Dowook swallowed his saliva once. ¡®Hero of Heroes!¡¯ It waspletely the lead role. It was a scale that was difficult to imagine. ¡°shaman¡­ ¡­ Something like Shark¡­ ¡­ ?¡± In fact, Taehyung Park was one of the ¡®Heroes¡¯ enthusiasts in Korea. In particr, he was a big fan of Shark, who was normally a shy and ordinary person, but suddenly changed and ripped off everything. ¡°hmm¡­ ¡­ . Actually, I don¡¯t know much about Heroes. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung also said he didn¡¯t know the character. I don¡¯t think there was a separate Asian hero character in General Comics¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°that¡¯s right¡­ ¡­ .¡± Taehyung Park nodded his head slowly. Taehyung Park had alreadypletely read the original ¡®Heroes¡¯ic. In the original work, there were no Asian characters at all, and since it was aic that was decades old, the heroes were all American or from outer space. That was the reason why ¡®Heroes¡¯ was criticized as American-style heroism. ¡°He said he would find out if we went and talked to him. He¡¯s one of the heroes, but I don¡¯t know what kind of character he is¡­ ¡­ . So I set up a meeting right away. Whether it¡¯s a group or not, a decision needs to be made quickly to make an activity n and set a schedule¡­ ¡­ .¡± From thepany¡¯s perspective, it was natural that they were anxious. ¡°yes.¡± Dowook tried to control his excitement. Even if he was a ¡®hero¡¯, there was no information to know what kind of hero he would be. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s huge. A casting offer for Heroes¡­ ¡­ .¡± When Seok Ji-hoon spoke, all the members who had calmed down for a moment started shaking their shoulders again with excitement. ¡°Okay, even if I don¡¯t appear on this, I think I can go on a real talk show and brew it a hundred times?!¡± Do-wook also rxed a little andughed at Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s words. The waiting room was being cleaned up and the members, led by Manager Oh Baek-ho, wereing out of the waiting room one by one. Girls who had removed all their makeup and changed from stage costumes to civilian clothes were passing through the waiting room hallway. ¡°oh!¡± Kim Won, who likes female idol groups and knows all the names of female idols, was the first to react when he saw the girls. Of course, unlike other idols, the girls were a little more special to Kim Won because they were the group that Dowook invested in. ¡°hello!¡± ¡°Hello, senior!¡± The girls who discovered KK bowed and greeted her. Since most of the people who appeared on music broadcasts were senior singers, the girls would greet them dozens of times a day when they came to the broadcasting station. Therefore, the reaction speed of greeting KK as soon as he found her was almost at the machine level. KK smiled awkwardly as she looked at the girls lined up to greet her. ¡®I heard that Dowook debuted thanks to you¡­ ¡­ !¡¯ ¡®Our Do-wook invested and created¡­ ¡­ !¡¯ The members seemed excited, but their mouths twitched because they wanted to say such things. In fact, Do-wook greeted him calmly, as if he were dealing with other junior singers. Dowook fixed his gaze on the girl on the far left who was looking at him with sparkling eyes. He was a member who bowed his head half a beatte even when saying hello. She, whose pronunciation of greetings was unclear, was a Japanese member of the girls. He was a member that CEO Jang Hye-seong epted Do-wook¡¯s advice and recruited with difficulty. It¡¯s hard to tell just by looking at them, but there are subtle differences in face shape and eyebrow shape. The name of the shy Japanese girl with pink cheeks is Miru Hashimoto. Although he looked shy, he was more passionate than anyone else on stage. Of course, due to the rtively short training period andnguage limitations, his skills were lower than those of other members, but he had clear attractive points. Thanks to this, she was the second most popr in Korea after the youngest Dahye and leader Yunji. ¡®also¡­ ¡­ CEO Jang Hye-seong clearly also has an eye for vision.¡¯ Do-wook thought while looking at Miru. The girls were currently the hottest female idols in Korea. Although the fandom was not thergest, it was expanding its power the fastest. Even though they are neers, the girls¡¯ fans have developed among Japanese K-POP fans. Although the girls¡¯ music resonated well with Japan, it was clear that having members from their own country had a positive influence. The proof was that Miru was the most popr in Japan. The Japanese market¡¯s ability to mobilize funds was enormous, so it was a great opportunity for Comet nning, which did not have much capital. Do-wook¡¯s insight was a great help to Hyesung nning and the girls in many ways. ¡°then¡­ ¡­ .¡± The leader, Yunji, brushed back her long hair, bowed politely, and walked by. A line of girls followed Yunji behind. There was no unnecessary attention given to the KK members or Dowook. In fact, he must have been curious about the fact that Do-wook and Seok Ji-hoon were Bunker21, and he probably wanted to say hello to Do-wook after seeing him for the first time in a long time, but he didn¡¯t show it at all. Only the youngest, Da-hye, looked back once more with regret. Rather, it was the KK members who were confused. ¡°uh¡­ ¡­ ¡°You know each other right?¡± ¡°Ma Dowook lied to us.¡± Ahn Hyeong-seo and Jeong Yoon-gi, who wanted to show off Do-wook¡¯s abilities, asked. ¡°haha.¡± Dowookughed awkwardly. I even found it cute that the girls listened so well to their instructions. Dowook turned around with a happy smile. Manager Oh Baek-ho urged the members. *** A mansion in California, USA. It was truly a mansion of enormous size. It only took a few minutes by car to get from the first door to the living room of the mansion. As soon as I entered the reception room, employees bustled around to greet Do-wook and team leader Dae-hyung Lee. ¡®This ce¡­¡¯ ¡­ .¡¯ Dowook was impressed as he looked around the house. Pictures and photos of Heroes¡¯ heroes were making their presence felt on every wall. This California mansion was the mansion of Martin, who created ¡®Heroes.¡¯ Chapter 214 # 215 Hero (3) Martin¡¯s representative came out first and greeted Do-wook and team leader Dae-hyung Lee. Martin¡¯s agent, Sarah, said hello and handed over the script to the two. It was a draft of ¡®Heroes 2¡¯. ¡®Heroes 2¡¯ was scheduled to be released at the end of next year thanks to the poprity of 1. In fact, in the case of movies like ¡®Heroes¡¯, the period of post-production work, including CG work, was much longer than the filming period. The actual filming took just one or two months. It would have been nice if the script could have been delivered in advance, but the script work was being done inplete secrecy. The only people who had the original files were less than ten people, including Martin and the writers who helped write the screeny for the film¡¯s director. Sarah asked for understanding, saying that in Do-wook¡¯s case, it had not yet been decided whether he would appear or not, so he had no choice but to be more cautious. ¡°Oh, I understand.¡± When Dowook responded that he fully understood, Sarah, a blonde beauty, smiled brightly. ¡°You¡¯re really handsome, just like you see in the picture.¡± Dowook looked a little embarrassed at Sara¡¯s praise. Sarah continued. ¡°And you look young too. ¡°I would believe it if they said they were high school students.¡± ¡°thank you. Sarah¡­ I thought she was the actress who was appearing.¡± Sarah smiled at Dowook¡¯spliment, saying she was grateful even if it was just empty words. However, Dowook did not say this in vain. He appears to be well over 170 centimeters, has a slender physique, and has the morous look of a Westerner. The icy blue eyes were like transparent beads. Even Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung, who had never shown such behavior while working, could be felt ncing at Sarah with rational eyes. ¡°The part drawn with the highlight pen is the role that Do-wook will y.¡± Do-wook and team leader Dae-hyung Lee nodded and opened the script with trembling hearts. ¡®David Lee.¡¯ It was Do-wook¡¯s real name for the role he yed. And the name Do-wook was called in the y was none other than ¡®Real Man.¡¯ ¡®Real Man?!¡­¡­¡¯ Do-wook checked the name and searched for memory. On his way to the United States after receiving the offer, Do-wook read General Comics¡¯ original ¡®Heroes¡¯ in his spare time on the ne. Although time was short and I couldn¡¯t read all the books, I still had time to read all the episodes rmended by Taehyung Park, a fan of ¡®Heroes¡¯. Taehyung Park said that just by reading it, you will have no problem understanding the entire history of the main characters and the context of the movie. However, no matter how much I searched my memory, I could not remember the character ¡®Real Man¡¯. Looking to the side, I noticed that Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung, who knew more about ¡®Heroes¡¯ than Do-wook, also knew nothing about the character. Since there was no way to use a character in a movie that did not appear in the original work, the two people had no choice but to have questions. Sara, who saw the expressions on the two people¡¯s faces, seemed to understand and held out a separate piece of paper containing descriptions of the characters. The paper showed an illustration of a person wearing a mask and a suit attached to their body. Even looking at the illustration, it was the same as seeing it for the first time. Moreover, I even frowned a little. The shape of the ck-based mask was very bizarre. ¡°Ah, Real Man is actually a role that only appeared once in aic a few years ago. When New York¡¯s public facilities were destroyed while Billion Man was fighting his opponent, he stepped in and rescued the citizens. But it didn¡¯t gain much poprity¡­ so it hasn¡¯t appeared since.¡± As expected, he was not an official hero. However, this did not mean that Do-wook and team leader Dae-hyung Lee were disappointed in their roles. Even if he were a ¡®hero from Heroes¡¯, it was fully expected that he would not be an incredibly important hero. Rather, what is questionable was the intention to make a character who was not popr and appeared only once in theics appear in the movie. ¡°Actually, this is one of the heroes that Martin really wanted to grow into. If Soldier America is a hero representing the previous era, I think Real Man is a necessary hero for the new era. ¡°If an attractive person like Do-wook takes on the role of a real man, wouldn¡¯t he be able to bring out the charm in the movie that he couldn¡¯t bring out in theic¡­ I¡¯m looking forward to that kind of effect.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Dowook nodded. ¡°yes. ¡°He is not an official hero in ¡®Heroes 2,¡¯ but if the response is good, he will be an official hero and is even drawing a big picture of producing a separate movie, ¡®Real Man.¡¯¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡­¡± Team leader Lee Dae-hyung eximed in exmation. After listening to the exnation, I could tell that General Comics really viewed Dowook favorably. And if what Sarah said was true, it really was a huge opportunity. It may be a small role right now, but it is a character with endless potential in the future. ¡°Do-wook has a charm that goes beyond that. Aren¡¯t American girls already crazy about it?¡± Team leader Lee Dae-hyung appealed to Do-wook and spoke as an official from Do-wook¡¯s side. Sarah let out a pleasantugh. ¡°sure. As I look at Dowook, I feel like I am falling in love with his mysterious ck eyes. ¡°I understand why Martin wanted the real man under the mask to be an Asian man with dark eyes.¡± ¡°Haha, is that so?¡± Dowook let out a lightugh. However, Dowook¡¯s expression as he read the character description soon became very serious. Dowook carefully read the story about ¡®Real Man¡¯ through the paper. Dowook¡¯s mouth was serious. After seeing Do-wook like that, Sara left her seat for a moment to allow the two people to look at the characters and script. In the cartoon, David quickly runs to the building that Billion Man touched just before it copses and saves a child who was almost crushed by the fallen structure, and someone says ¡®Please save me¡¯. As soon as he shouts, he rushes through the acrid dust and evacuates dozens of people. He was so fast that no one saw David¡¯s face. Those who received help from him think that a ¡®ck object¡¯ or ¡®ck wind¡¯ saved them. After David disappeared, when Billion Man grasped the situation and tried to find the identity of the ¡®ck wind¡¯, the speed was so fast that only the ¡®bizarre mask¡¯ that fell was left lying around. This was the content of the cartoon. Martinter tried to tell the story when people became curious and searched for the identity of the ¡®bizarre mask¡¯, but the identity of the ¡®bizarre mask¡¯ was left behind as it was buried in other events. Martin¡¯s idea of David¡¯s story was detailed in the character description and script. David is a Korean who came to the United States to study. After the age of 20, a gene that was inherent in him was expressed, giving him a faster reaction speed than anyone else. Everything from visual acuity to running ability to hearing is fast. It was a mutant ability that was too fast. However, David was a quiet and introverted personality who hated being the center of attention the most in the world, and he never wanted to show his abilities to the world. However, on the day of the incident, he could not stand to see the child die, so he picked up a random mask that had fallen on the ground during the performance and went out. Afterwards, David is called to Billion Man and receives a new mask containing all of Billion Man¡¯s skills and helps the Heroes with their work. Because of his dislike of attracting attention, he initially tries not to help the Heroes, but when he learns that the final viin of ¡®Heroes 2¡¯ is working with North Korea to drop nuclear weapons, he realizes what his destiny is as a Korean and helps the Heroes. The Real Man part in ¡®Heroes 2¡¯ was like that. It was to the extent of helping when confronting North Korea, which was not even the final viin but a coborator of the final viin. By the time Do-wook and team leader Lee Dae-hyung had finished reading the character descriptions and script, Sara returned to her seat. Behind Sarah was an old man with white hair. ¡°Have you seen everything?¡± The two people who had been concentrating with their heads on the table raised their heads when they heard Sarah¡¯s words. Dowook checked Sarah¡¯s back and brought his eyebrows together. ¡®Huh?¡­¡­ I¡¯ve seen it somewhere before¡­¡¯ As I traveled around the world, I met more than one person. This was true even if you were a foreigner. It was a time when Do-wook thought for a moment when he saw a familiar face. ¡°This is Mr. Martin. ¡°You are the owner of this house and the owner of General Comics.¡± ¡°ah!¡± Do-wook and team leader Dae-hyung Lee stood up. At the same time, Dowook remembered where he saw Martin. It was a casino. He was an old man who had been pickpocketed at a casino. Since Martin¡¯s face was not well known, it was probably natural that Dowook did not recognize Martin. ¡°Laughs. ¡°Will you remember me?¡± ¡°yes! ¡°I saw you in Las Vegas back then¡­ Is that right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. Thanks to you, I didn¡¯t have to do anything stupid. ¡°Thank you so much.¡± When Martin held out his hand, Dowook held Martin¡¯s hand politely. Sarah smiled as she watched the two men shake hands. Sarah had already heard Dowook¡¯s story from Martin. Martin, who returned from a long break in Las Vegas, said he had found a way to revive the ¡®Real Man¡¯ character. That method was Dowook. In Martin¡¯s opinion, the Real Man should not be white. When Martin first drew ¡®Heroes¡¯, the times werepletely different now. ¡®Heroes¡¯ was no longer a work created by Martin alone. Many people participated inics and movies and worked hard to create a hero who would be someone¡¯s idol and dream. Thanks to this, Heroes could exist today. Among them were not only white people. There were Asians and cks, men and women. In order for ¡®Heroes¡¯ to continue to be heroes for various age groups around the world, they had to change. That is why the hero Real Man, whose identity was not revealed on purpose, was included in theic. Incorporating an Asian hero from the beginning was likely to cause resistance among some readers. It was a means to reduce that resistance. However, the intention of the cartoon was a failure, and Real Man¡¯s story was still not properly depicted due to being overshadowed by other characters. As Martin quickly noticed the pickpocket¡¯s actions and ran away, Martin immediately thought of the real man. It was fateful for Martin that Dowook¡¯s K.K. Ra was a member of a world-famous boy band and even an actor recognized at Cannes. Martin began work on incorporating Real Man into the film, using Dowook as the model for the character he had originally envisioned. The part where Real Men appeared in ¡®Heroes 2¡¯ was scripted that way. Martin sat down and asked Dowook sharply. ¡°How is it?¡± Dowook looked at Martin¡¯s wrinkled face. It felt as if various stories were overflowing with each fine wrinkle. ¡°It was so good. Heroes 1 was also a really amazing story¡­ but the scale of 2 is jaw-dropping. I almost want to see Heroes 2 right now. All I can say is that it¡¯s an honor to be the first to see the script for such a movie¡­¡± ¡°Really?¡± When Dowook answered, Martin asked back. Martin seemed to want Do-wook¡¯s impressions in more detail. ¡°yes. In particr, including Real Man and a superpower who can see the future¡­ the various heroes in action are truly ¡®Heroes¡¯ rather than ¡®Heroes¡¯. ¡°I felt like I had no time to breathe.¡± The appearance of ¡®various¡¯ heroes was also one of the key themes of ¡®Heroes 2¡¯. Martinughed heartily at Do-wook¡¯s uratements. Martin, who had already fallen in love with Do-wook at first sight, felt that he was a real man sent from heaven. ¡°Good, good. how is it. Would you like to be a real man?¡± Martin asked Dowook. ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry, but¡­ my answer is no.¡± Sara, who was trying to take out the contract documents next to Do-wook¡¯s words, stopped as if she was embarrassed. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung was the same. How many actors in the world can turn down the role of Heroes¡¯ hero? Probably not. In particr, it was not an opportunity that was often given to Asian actors. That was the reason why he could not refuse even if it contained discriminatory content and entered Hollywood. The mindset was to advance somehow. From Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung¡¯s perspective, there were no major problems except for some jokes. Only Martin asked, looking at Dowook with sharp eyes. ¡°Why?¡± Chapter 215 # 216 Hero (4) Team leader Lee Dae-hyung felt his hands sweating at Martin¡¯s sharp expression. If there were no major problems, in fact, even if there were some problems, appearing in ¡®Heroes¡¯ was unconditionally beneficial to Do-wook. It was a separate issue for KK to be a world-renowned idol group and for Dowook to be a truly world-ss actor. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung looked at Martin¡¯s expression. Martin was an old man and a master. Although he may seem like an ordinary old man in passing, the world he created called ¡®Heroes¡¯ was not an easy one. Of course, Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung also had some parts that bothered him, but it was very difficult to express them without adding or subtracting them in front of Martin, the creator. It was because I couldn¡¯t mess things up for no reason. ¡°There are several reasons¡­¡± ¡°Which one is it?¡± When I heard that there was not just one, but how many, Sarah quickly asked. ¡°The story is that David¡¯s mother works as a cashier at a Korean town supermarket and his father works as a cleaning worker at the university David attends. ¡°I came to the United States for the education of my only son.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. Even Americans know well that Koreans have a tremendous passion for education. Thanks to this, there are many Koreans in leading universities such as the Ivy League. The parents¡¯ spirit of sacrifice for him is also extraordinary¡­. Martin was also deeply moved by the story of Mr. Choi, a professional golfer, about his father. ¡°They say he worked as a manager while starving for Choi.¡± In response to Dowook¡¯s words, Sarah exined the background to the setting. ¡°yes. David¡¯s family story is quite understandable¡­ In order not to fail his parents¡¯ sacrifices and expectations, David bes a person who does nothing but study. ¡°Hees to a foreign country and only studies. He has no freedom of mind and is oppressed, so he is an introverted and passive person.¡± Martin nodded. Dowook¡¯s interpretation of the character was urate. And the character David portrayed by Martin was also convincing from the background to the present. Considering that the heroes of ¡®Heroes¡¯ have their own human agony, the setting given to the character of the first Korean-American immigrant child was quite persuasive. But that was the problem. ¡®What Americans think of Koreans¡­ is very much the same.¡¯ Although it seemed like he had put some thought and research into it, in the end, the image of Asians that Westerners had was inevitably embedded in it. The part about meeting Billion Man, receiving thetest Real Man mask, and growing up while working as a hero could actually be interpreted from a Western perspective. ¡®You can¡¯t be thankful just because it doesn¡¯t remind you of Koreans during the Korean War.¡¯ Do-wook continued speaking while thinking. ¡°Of course, other heroes also have ws and struggles. However, I have an introverted and passive personality¡­ a study bug¡­ I think this only fixes the preconceived notions about Koreans or the negative image of reality.¡± Martin¡¯s expression was dark. ¡°If such an ordinary, universal character bes a hero and changes, wouldn¡¯t that be meaningful?¡± Sarah countered. ¡°of course. However, I am not happy with the idea that introverted and passive characters are themon characters in Korea. Even if you be a hero, that will ultimately be your true personality.¡± Dowook said with a serious expression. Sarah fell silent, thinking she had made a mistake. ¡°Actually, I may be hoping for too much in this regard. But¡­¡± ¡°Keep talking.¡± Martin said to Dowook, who looked cautious as he looked at Martin¡¯s expression. ¡°More than anything¡­ the reason I can¡¯t y this character is because of the changes in David¡¯s body.¡± A man several generations older than David, probably his great-grandfather, lived on the Korean Penins and lived during the Japanese colonial period. And he was a person who was mobilized for Japanese medical experiments. Although he was released safely without any problems at the time, it was established that gic modification had urred in the body of Do-wook, the third generation. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung nodded. This part was also difficult for team leader Lee Dae-hyung to understand. However, since it wasn¡¯t exined in detail and was treated as a single line of dialogue, I wondered if I should skip it. During the Japanese colonial period, Japanmitted many atrocities. The Maruta experiment was one of them. However, the Maruta experiment was simply summarized in one line as a ¡®Japanese medical experiment¡¯ for technological advancement. If used well, it could have been an expose on the fact that human experiments were even conducted during the Japanese colonial period, but the focus was not on such anti-humanity aspects. Rather, Do-wook¡¯s amazing abilities originated from Japanese experiments, which, like colonial history, ultimately helped him be a hero with amazing abilities. It was a critical issue at stake in the history of East Asia. If it was not going to be properly illuminated by summarizing it in one line, it was right to leave no room for interpretation. Martin and Sarah remained silent for a long time as Do-wook clearly talked about the parts that could be problematic. ¡°This is a very sensitive issue.¡± Team leader Lee Dae-hyung added with difficulty in a heavy atmosphere. I hoped that they would understand why Do-wook had no choice but to take such a strong stance. Of course, Martin and other screenwriters wrote the scenario with the historical background of Korea and Japan in mind. But to them, it was just ¡®material¡¯. Because of that, many things were overlooked. Although these were things that I thought about and set in depth, they were only ¡®concerns as material¡¯ for the work. Heroes was also a field where experts in each field demonstrated their expertise to the maximum. It was no different for such experts to make this mistake when they said they would cast Do-wook, who is Korean. It was because I thought it was too easy. Without realizing it, they thought, ¡®This will be enough.¡¯ I had this thought. They make Asians the heroes and cast Koreans. That alone was already a change that broke a certain mold. I thought it was meaningful enough as a movie. The movie ¡®Heroes 2¡¯ would gain significance for its existence with more free-spirited and progressive content than the original. The clumsiness that was uncharacteristic of the ¡®Heroes¡¯ production team was fully reflected in the script. Dowook felt that he could no longer do this work at that point. It was easy to say that it was wrong if it was discriminatory content without any consideration at all. Then, that¡¯s when the worries begin. However, in this script, there were parts that I ¡®worried about in my own way¡¯ and I thought that it would be difficult for the other person to understand what the problem was. Since this script would be the result of all my worries, I felt that it would be unreasonable to ask for changes to the script. ¡°Hmm¡­ I see.¡± It was a short period of silence, but it felt like a long time. After a long silence, Martin spoke. ¡®Is this the end of rejection?¡­¡¯ Team leader Lee Dae-hyung swallowed his saliva in disappointment. At that time, my eyes met Sarah. However, Sarah, who had had a bad expression before, had a smile on her face. ¡®what?¡¯ It was when Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung had a moment of doubt. Dowook was facing Martin so he couldn¡¯t see Sara¡¯s expression. Martin¡¯s expression was very solemn. It was definitely a different feeling from when I saw Dowook at the casino. ¡°¡­That won¡¯t work.¡± Martin said. Dowook did not regret his choice. He thought it would be a bigger mistake to contribute to the world¡¯s misconceptions about Korea and Asians. However, through his own words, he hoped that Martin and the production team of ¡®Heroes¡¯ would lead the first Asian character in more depth and detail. ¡°I am truly grateful for this opportunity. Heroes is a movie that has a greater impact on the world than any other movie. Young people, in particr, develop their own dreams by watching Heroes. ¡°It would really mean a lot if the Real Man character waspleted and joined Heroes.¡± Dowook said with a light smile. However, because he was sincerely hoping for such a thing, his eyes were serious. After creating ¡®Heroes¡¯, Do-wook was talking about what Martin thought about the most, the greatest joy and burden, and the driving force behind producing ¡®Heroes¡¯ for a long time. Martin thought as he looked into the ck eyes that seemed like they would be sucked in. His eyes were not wrong. Although it may have been Do-wook who caught the pickpocket, it was he who discovered ¡®the real man¡¯ called Do-wook. ¡°i know. Don¡¯t know. So this script¡­¡± Martin said, his expression softening. ¡°That won¡¯t work. ¡°As it is.¡± ¡°¡­¡­yes?¡± Dowook looked at Martin with a puzzled expression. Sarah smiled as if she knew that would happen. In fact, when setting up the character, questions were raised just once about whether it was already too old-fashioned or whether it contained only preconceptions about Koreans and whether there were no elements that could break the preconceptions. That was even by Martin. The Korean that Martin met, Do-wook, was by no means introverted, timid, or passive. However, there was an image that the majority thought of, and following the image was an easy way to gain sympathy from many people. There is only an image of Koreans that the majority think of, and the concern about what the majority of Koreans are actually like is ¡®because they are going to be heroes anyway.¡¯ It was true that I didn¡¯t think about it any more. Since he is not yet the main hero of ¡®Heroes¡¯, it is true that there was little time devoted to him. In any case, Do-wook saw right through the fact that he was trying to go so easily. I hadn¡¯t even thought about the Japanese experiment, to the point where I thought I might have to apologize to Do-wook. It was a failure to properly understand the pain of the Japanese colonial period. ¡°The Real Man character will bepletely revised.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Do-wook is a real man who needs to bepleted anyway. There¡¯s no way other Koreans would want a real man who Do-wook doesn¡¯t want. I am a person who doesmercialics andmercial films. ¡°This amount of modification is nothing in order to allow a wider audience to see it.¡± Martin said firmly. Do-wook, who had guessed that he would be a very stubborn type as a master, had to admit that this was also his prejudice. As amercial writer, Martin was always ready to ept the opinions of others. Because of that, we were able to build the world of ¡®Heroes¡¯ by transforming the work to keep up with the times. ¡°Still a no? Was the revised script so messed up that you didn¡¯t want to receive it?¡± ¡°Oh no! ¡°It¡¯s just Mr. Martin¡¯s work¡­¡± ¡°Can you reject it by criticizing its mistakes so harshly?¡± When Martin said something half-jokingly, Dowook could onlyugh. ¡°thank you. For speaking honestly. ¡°It¡¯s amercial movie focused on entertainment anyway, so not everyone has high expectations, but I still thought it would be good if it had some depth.¡± Dowook nodded at Martin¡¯s sincere words. After a long meeting with Martin, Do-wook and team leader Dae-hyung Lee left Martin¡¯s mansion after spending dinner together. Sarah saw the two off. ¡°How did you know?¡± Team leader Daehyung Lee asked Sara. ¡°Martin will ept Do-wook¡¯s words¡­¡± Sarah looked at Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung as if asking what he meant, then smiled as if she understood. This was because the embarrassed expression on Team Leader Daehyung Lee¡¯spletely iprehensible expression when Sara smiled earlier left quite an impression on Sara¡¯s memory. ¡°Martin never responds by saying, ¡®I see,¡¯ to opinions he doesn¡¯t approve of. Because there are many people who distort and understand even the shortest words they say¡­ But in Do-wook¡¯s words, in the end, ¡®I see.¡¯ ¡°You said it.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± ¡°yes. okay.¡± Team leader Lee Dae-hyung and Sara looked at each other and smiled. There was a long discussion, including connecting the director of the ¡®Heroes¡¯ film team via video call, but it was fortunate that the work waspleted well. Do-wook and team leader Lee Dae-hyung could not hide their expectations about how the revised script would turn out and how Do-wook¡¯s ¡®Real Man¡¯ would ultimately turn out. *** 3 monthster. General Comics Studio in the United States. Dowook entered the huge studio for his first filming. It was also Dowook¡¯s first appearance scene. It was a character that Dowook studied for quite a long time, going through various script revisions. Dowook was confident that he could y David, who was now apletely new character from the first draft, and the real man well. It was like that until I arrived at the studio. Chapter 216 # 217 Blockbuster (1) General Studio¡¯s staff weed Dowook, who was visiting the studio for the first time. The general manager, whom he had already met during the meeting, approached Dowook and greeted him warmly. ¡°Wook! ¡°Wee!¡± Jean-Luc, who directed ¡®Heroes 2¡¯, is a French-American director who has received favorable reviews for his excellent screen directing in previous works. At thest meeting, he already gave a long speech to Do-wook about how much he loved ¡®Heroes¡¯ from the original to the movie ¡®Heroes¡¯ and how happy he was to take over as general director. He was a very passionate and active director. For a good picture, he did not hesitate to take off his socks, go into the water, and stand next to the camera director to give direction. Thanks to this, the main cast of ¡®Heroes¡¯ had to take more cuts than in ¡®Heroes 1¡¯, and someined of fatigue. Of course, since they were all actors with a strong sense of professionalism, they performed passionately ording to Jean-Luc¡¯s demands, even though they openly frowned in front of Jean-Luc and said that they were tired. Hulbert, who yed the role of Billion Man, was said to have gritted his teeth half-jokingly and half-seriously to see how well the movie was made once it waspleted. However, Do-wook was morefortable with a director who actively expressed his opinions rather than a sensitive style. Without saying anything, it was difficult for actor Do-wook to understand the director¡¯s meaning, and he had to think twice as hard to perform a cut that the director would approve of. It was okay to think, but there were many times when if I went in the wrong direction, all my thoughts were in vain. ¡°ruler! As everyone knows, this is Mr. Dowook Kang, who ys Real Man!¡± Director Jean-Luc stepped forward and introduced Do-wook, and the staff members who were scattered around and watching their work surrounded Do-wook and apuded. Dowook bowed his head to the staff in Korean style. ¡°Then we will go straight to rehearsal.¡± Jean-Luc said and returned to his seat. ¡°Mr. Do-wook, I think you should stand in the center.¡± Next to Do-wook was Daniel, a manager at a local managementpany who would help Do-wook during his appearance on ¡®Heroes¡¯. Daniel immigrated from Korea after finishing middle school and high school to attend college. He entered Brown University, a leading university, and earned a master¡¯s degree in media. He was working in the marketing team of a local managementpany. As Daniel¡¯spany took charge of everything from marketing to management for Do-wook¡¯s ¡®Heroes¡¯ US activities, Korean-born Daniel temporarily took on the role of Do-wook¡¯s manager. Excellent sociability, eloquence, and humor and sense thate from a pleasant personality. Daniel was a person whocked everything. Thanks to this, Dowook was able to receive a lot of help, starting with the ¡®Heroes¡¯ director meeting and the process of researching and preparing the character in Korea. Daniel was truly close to a ¡®real man¡¯ from his upbringing to his personality. Looking at Daniel, Dowook reaffirmed in his heart that the story that ¡®Asians are passive and introverted¡¯ is just a prejudice. Real Man David, whose character setting has changed, had a cheerful personality to the point where he could hum a song even on the street. He had the mentality of a boy who was too yful and sometimes got into trouble. In short, Nri is good at studying. Wherever he goes, people always follow him. David¡¯s new human concerns were the emotions he felt because he was a stranger. Even he, who always seems bright and has many boyfriends and girlfriends, cannot help but feel bitter when he encounters moments where he feels like he is neither Korean nor American. It was a feeling that many immigrants to the United States would actually feel. The idea was to narrow the gap by joining ¡®Heroes¡¯. As Daniel said, Dowook stood in the center of the studio. As Do-wook stood,rge cameras slowly moved and confirmed Do-wook¡¯s location. Dowook even had to feel embarrassed. The ce where Do-wook stood was an empty square space. When the camera test was over, a staff member approached Do-wook and exined the filming route. In the square space, there was a slightly raised area like a mound, and it was said to be an 89-story high-rise building that would copse due to fragments of a missile thrown by Billion Man during a fight with the enemy. ¡°Ah¡­ yes¡­..¡± Do-wook nodded and answered. The staff continued their exnation with a serious expression. It was a scene where a building would copse and huge pieces of debris would fall and slide down to rescue a young girl. Since he had already seen the storyboard, Dowook easily understood the scene. The scene where you witness the building copsing while walking down the street was actually scheduled to be shot outdoors on the streets of New York. ¡°We will shout. All you have to do is move ording to the sound.¡± ¡°yes. All right.¡± ¡°Hold your child and run slowly toward the end. ¡°It will be processed about ten times faster, so please consider your facial expressions.¡± Dowook nodded. More than half of the filming for ¡®Heroes 2¡¯ was CG filming and action scenes. Dowook made a lot of preparations in Korea for this. Dowook originally had excellent motor skills and was maintained through regr exercise, but in order to better fit his role as a real man, Dowook grew his muscles even more. It was not something that could be achieved by simply growing muscles. Because I was set up as an ordinary college student, I worked hard on details, such as building fine muscles that would not be noticeable when I put on clothes, but would be clearly visible when I take them off. I also learned wire action through a short period of high-intensity training while attending action school. Because I yed a role with supernatural powers in ¡®Lovers from Space,¡¯ I was mentally prepared to some extent to y something invisible. However, the CG in ¡®Heroes¡¯ was iparablyrger than that of ¡®Lovers from Space¡¯. ¡®It¡¯s almost like nothing. Did everyone act in this situation?¡­¡¯ As expected, preparation and actual performance were different. Do-wook was determined that it would be a difficult shoot. First, the route rehearsal began. Up to this point, Dowook had proceeded without difficulty. The actual filming was a problem. ¡°Ah!¡­¡­.¡± With his quick body vision, he checks the child and all the debris of the falling building faster than anyone else. And run. It was a simple scene. It wasn¡¯t aplete mess. Dowook showed off his skills. However, a bit of immaturity was felt in Do-wook¡¯s gaze and facial expression. ¡°Let¡¯s go one more time!¡± The cry of ¡®one more time¡¯ rang out in the studio for the fifth time already. If he were a rookie, he would have been considered pretty good for his first filming, but it was Do-wook who was doing this acting now. Director Jean-Luc had seen Dowook¡¯s acting references several times and was well aware of his acting skills. I couldn¡¯t be satisfied with this. As this is Real Man¡¯s first appearance, as the original author and producer Martin intended, Real Man had to be able to capture the audience¡¯s attention even in his brief appearance in order for Real Man to continue into the series and establish himself as a major hero. Dowook was also dissatisfied with his own acting. ¡®The face and body are stiff¡­ I can¡¯t help but feel awkward.¡¯ Even though I was acting with enough imagination, I couldn¡¯tpletely get rid of the awkwardness. It could be that my body stiffened without realizing it due to the pressure of the empty space. I always felt free when I acted, but this time I felt like my body was out of my control. ¡°Only smoke appliances. ¡°Stiff.¡± At that time, Dowook raised his head at the harsh criticism that came from behind Director Jean-Luc. Daniel, who was next to him, seemed very surprised as if he had heard it. The staff looked at Do-wook to see if he was offended. Director Jean-Luc looked back and greeted the sharp critic with a calm face, as if it had not happened in a day or two. ¡°Hulbert¡­¡­.. I¡¯m notte today.¡± ¡°When on earth did you say I waste? ¡°I heard my new friend was really great, so I came to see him¡­ I guess I¡¯ll have to go wait again.¡± It was Hulbert who yed the role of Billion Man. The next part Do-wook was to film was his role with Hulbert. Hulbert stopped by in advance of the first filming with Do-wook. ¡®Oh my¡­¡¯ Billion Man was a movie that Dowook also enjoyed watching. ¡®From Billion Man Part 1 to Part 4¡­ Hulbert, who was with the entire series, is the Billion Man himself. Acting with Hulbert was what I was most looking forward to, but it seems like my first impression wasn¡¯t good.¡¯ Do-wook bit his lip in disappointment. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d ever felt nervous or intimidated by the cast of a blockbuster movie just because I came to Hollywood, but if it was like this, my confidence was no different from arrogance. ¡®Maybe I got nervous without realizing it¡­¡¯ Do-wook became impatient, wanting to quickly throw away the awkwardness and find his own pace. ¡°Let¡¯s say hello to Hulbert here and continue filming. ¡°I think it would be a good idea for Mr. Kang to get some rest as well.¡± Director Jean-Luc, perhaps aware of Dowook¡¯s impatience, spoke calmly. Anyway, Dowook also had to say hello to Hulbert, so he walked towards the director and Hulbert. ¡°This is Kang Do-wook.¡± Hulbert snorted at Dowook¡¯s greeting. ¡°It would be better for me to act with my eyes closed.¡± Dowook¡¯s expression hardened at Hulbert¡¯s sarcasm. As I heard, Hulbert was an easy-going man. It was an unimaginable first greeting in Korea. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I made a bad first impression. ¡°I was looking forward to acting with Mr. Hulbert.¡± Dowook expressed his impressions as they were. ¡°I expected it too. I saw it at Cannes. ¡°Your acting.¡± Dowook looked surprised at Hulbert¡¯s words. Director Jean-Luc scoffed, saying that Dowook had been to Cannes, where Hulbert had never been. ¡°Then what do you do? ¡°I guess what I saw was in vain.¡± ¡°Stop it. Why are you more upset than me, the director? This is Do-wook¡¯s first film and he has only filmed five times. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that you also have scenes where you made NGs more than ten times.¡± ¡°What are you talking about like that? ¡°It¡¯s embarrassing.¡± As Director Jean-Luc defended Do-wook, Hulbert frowned. Although the words were sarcastic, I could feel Hulbert¡¯s expectations for Do-wook, who was famous only as a singer entering Hollywood for the first time and was virtually unknown in Hollywood. ¡®I want to do well¡­ but wait¡­¡¯ Hulbert¡¯s words yed again in Dowook¡¯s mind, who had been feeling nervous for the first time in a long time. *** That time. Various Inte portal sites in Korea were hot with Do-wook¡¯s news. This was because the news of Dowook¡¯s appearance in ¡®Heroes 2¡¯ was officially reported. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung checked the articles pouring in in real time and smiled. It wasn¡¯t just Korea. Asia was shaking. Even if an unknown Asian actor became the hero of ¡®Heroes¡¯, it would have been an uproar, but it was Do-wook. Dowook was like an unrivaled ruler in Asia, both as an actor and as a singer. Dowook¡¯s every move is reported, and this news was truly unprecedented. Reporters from Korea as well as China were moring to go all the way to the United States to cover Do-wook, and the sess of ¡®Heroes 2¡¯ in Asia was such a positive response that it was almost guaranteed. KK members were at Incheon Airport with team leader Lee Dae-hyung. ¡°Wow¡­ I¡¯m really looking forward to it!¡± ¡°Are you looking forward to going to the Billboard Awards? Are you looking forward to now? ¡°How do you choose that! Seok Ji-hoon¡­ I knew that was the case, but are you really a cruel ningen?¡± While listening to the conversation between Ahn Hyeong-seo and Seok Ji-hoon, Jeong Yoon-gi let out an awkwardugh. Taehyung Park¡¯splexion was almost pale. ¡°Bro are you okay?¡± Kim Won asked with concern. Taehyung Park nodded with difficulty, saying it was okay. Koo Cheol-min handed out airne tickets to the members. Team leader Lee Dae-hyung, who was looking at his cell phone, stood up and led the members. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°yes!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Chapter 217 # 218 Blockbuster (2) *** Filming resumed again. Dowook went to his location and stood. Contrary to his words that he would go back and rest, Hulbert was looking in from outside the studio with his arms crossed. From the perspective of the photographer, it was a very burdensome presence. Director Jean-Luc scolded him for what he was doing, but Hulbert paid no heed. ¡°If the Real Man actor wants to go, go for it. ¡°Do you mind that I¡¯m here?¡± Rather, Hulbert asked Dowook if he was worried about him. It was true that Do-wook was also burdened, but he shook his head. The next scene was immediately with Hulbert. I thought it would be easier to get used to the presence of a great actor named Hulbert in advance. Dowook shook his head and smiled and replied that it was okay. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s a different species!¡± Hulbert shrugged his shoulders as if to say, and Director Jean-Luc shook his head. Hulbert thought while looking at Dowook. Do-wook did not feel the intimidated feeling that is usually felt among neers whoe to Hollywood for the first time. He looked calm and bold. After talking to him, I definitely got that impression. However, Hulbert became more curious as to why he was acting so stiff as if he was nervous. Meanwhile, the person in charge of special makeup came over and corrected Dowook¡¯s makeup, which had been slightly removed. The scar near his forehead was also a key feature of David¡¯s character. After the makeup artist touched it a few times, the faded scar quickly darkened. The scar that appears every time the bangs shake adds to the mysterious feeling that there are many stories behind Do-wook. Do-wook calmly organized his thoughts while wearing makeup. Do-wook¡¯s mood, with his eyes darkened, conveyed a deep atmosphere that was different from that of ordinary people. Director Jean-Luc was secretly impressed as he checked the camera. ¡®You really have an attractive face. I almost want to work on another project together. It¡¯s definitely an atmosphere that wille to life more if you y a role that conveys deeper emotions than in an action movie like Heroes¡­¡¯ Director Jean-Luc was not the only one looking at Do-wook, who was lost in thought for a moment. Dowook was receiving all the attention of the staff around him, including Hulbert. Although I didn¡¯t start filming, it was just before filming and I was the main character of the scene in front of the camera, so it was natural. These gazes were nothing new to Do-wook, as he had been receiving such gazes for quite some time, whether on stage or while acting. ¡®okay. Even in Hollywood¡­.¡¯ Dowook has always done his best for the best results. The adverb ¡®hard¡¯ was also the adverb that suited Dowook best. The results of hard work always came back to Do-wook. So I tried ¡®harder¡¯ every day. Continuing to mentally repeat ¡®let¡¯s do well¡¯ in order to work hard was like a mantra to motivate Do-wook. This was the same thing. It wasn¡¯t an opportunity thates to everyone, and it was an opportunity that I didn¡¯t know when it woulde again, so I kept thinking about how I wanted to do better and do well. However, it seems that such a mindset acted as a burden when filming ¡®Heroes 2¡¯. While saying hello to Hulbert, I thought as usual, ¡®I want to do well,¡¯ and then realized. Even though the situation was different, the reason I felt awkward doing movements I had already practiced many times was not because of therge studio or because my body was not used to CG acting or action acting. Do-wook¡¯s determination to do better than the opinions of others gave him the greatest sense of pressure from himself. Dowook responded to Hulbert¡¯s ¡®I¡¯d rather act with my eyes closed.¡¯ I remembered the words. In reality, it was impossible to act with your eyes closed, but Dowook did image training with his eyes closed. ¡®Okay¡­ I rxed my body¡­ and looked at the child. Save? I have a moment of concern¡­ but I have to save it. As if flying¡­. running quickly¡­. No. Slow¡­ slow!¡¯ Even in my head, my movements were frozen. If Dowook didn¡¯t like something, he started over again and again. Of course, even if I repeated it dozens of times in my head, it actuallysted less than a minute. ¡®This is the part where CG processing will be added. My movements don¡¯t have to be perfectly fast¡­ Just make use of my facial expressions¡­ React quickly¡­ Run¡­ Yeah¡­ ..!¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m going¡­¡­¡¯ ¡®Is this it?¡¯ Dowook¡¯s eyes suddenly opened. ¡°oh!¡± When Do-wook suddenly opened his eyes, the makeup artist who made eye contact let out a loud ¡®ah¡¯ sound in embarrassment. The hand that was touching the brush that was applying shading to the bridge of the nose also stopped. The thought ended and I opened my eyes, but the makeup artist was so embarrassed that Do-wook felt a little embarrassed. ¡°sorry. ¡°I was surprised when our eyes suddenly met.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ it¡¯s okay.¡± Do-wook was wondering if eye contact was such a surprise, but first of all, he told the makeup artist that it was okay so as not to embarrass him. ¡°Editing isplete.¡± ¡°thank you.¡± The makeup artist¡¯s earlobes turned bright red as he left the studio while being greeted by Dowook. Since I said it in English, ¡®Thank you.¡¯ Even though it was a simple word of two sybles, it sounded very sweet to the makeup artist¡¯s ears. The makeup artist was surprised not just because our eyes met. My heart reacted quickly to the eyes and face of Dowook I encountered. Of course, around Dowook, there were a truckload of people of all genders who fell in love with Dowook¡¯s charm in this way. So, without expecting the makeup artist¡¯s racing heart at all, Dowook only thought that the image training he had justpleted was sessful. ¡®My movements don¡¯t have to be perfect¡­.¡¯ Such thoughts were able to reduce the pressure of ¡®doing well¡¯ by half. ¡®Just do what you drew just a moment ago.¡¯ Dowook took a stance and thought. With Director Jean-Luc¡¯s autograph, Dowook moved his body without hesitation. It was no different from the previous shooting. However, only Do-wook¡¯s mindset changed. However, it was also evident in his movements. Do-wook¡¯s body, after putting down the burden, truly looked like a ¡®real man¡¯. It was very fast and agile. The moment you frown and turn around to get to the point where the child is. ¡°Sigh!¡± Until the moment when Do-wook, who was breathing heavily, held his breath while holding the child. ¡°Cut! great!¡± It was perfect. Judging from all cuts from the ten cameras installed to film from various angles, the acting was wless. Dowook acted with his facial expressions and body perfectly as if he hade out of a storyboard and a cartoon. Director Jean-Luc¡¯s cut sound rang cheerfully outside the studio. It was a surprising performance that he could improve so much all at once, but for Do-wook, who had both talent and enough effort, it was even harder to believe that he acted like a beginner for a while. In fact, even if the acting was good, it was not easy to make it feel cool before adding CG. From the outside, it could easily have seemed like running, rolling around, and making a fuss alone in the air against a background that was just in blue. However, those who had just watched Do-wook¡¯s acting fell in love with it, forgetting all about the background. As the movements became more natural, Do-wook¡¯s inherent attraction was finally able to be demonstrated. ¡°Wow¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What, it seems so real. ¡°It almost feels like you¡¯re seeing a copsed building.¡± ¡°stylish. ¡°I can see why teenage girls are crazy about it.¡± Words that it was cool naturally came out of the staff¡¯s mouths. It looked like this at first nce, but people were very excited to see what it would be like if CG was used and the building actually copsed. Dowook walked out of the studio while observing the reactions of director Jean-Luc and the staff. Director Jean-Luc said to Dowook while giving a thumbs up. ¡°This is it! ¡°To get a feel for it right away¡­ Isn¡¯t that amazing?¡± As it was Do-wook¡¯s first time filming, director Jean-Luc actually expected it to be a little more difficult. And even right before filming, I thought that a movie that deals with emotions would be more suitable for Dowook than an action movie. However, Director Jean-Luc had to immediately change his thoughts. Do-wook was an actor who proved that he could show quality acting even in action movies. Hulbert, who had his arms crossed, had already uncrossed them and was casting a bored gaze towards Do-wook. Dowook and Hulbert¡¯s eyes met for a moment. Instead of saying another word, Hulbert looked away and began to warm up to prepare for filming. Although they didn¡¯t say much, Dowook was able to know Hulbert¡¯s evaluation just by looking at Hulbert¡¯s expression for a moment. ¡®I liked it.¡¯ Dowook was finally able tough withplete peace of mind. Immediately filming began for the scene where Hulbert and Dowook meet on the remains of the broken building. The chemistry between Hulbert and Dowook was absolutely perfect. There was no need to talk about the acting of Hulbert, who had alreadypletely immersed himself in Billion Man through filming ¡®Billion Man¡¯ and ¡®Heroes 1¡¯. Hulbert, standing in front of him, was just acting and moving while wearing special clothes for filming, but in the eyes of Do-wook, who was acting with him, it felt like Hulbert in the form of Billion Man was speaking. Do-wook did not lose and responded to Hulbert¡¯s performance with excellent acting. ¡°Follow me, kid. It¡¯s hard to even exin how stupid it is to jump into this with your bare hands. ¡°I¡¯ll show you what the technology is like in myb.¡± ¡°Little one¡­ You¡¯re not asking me to take you home, are you, Grandpa?¡± ¡°what?¡± Hulbert looked genuinely moved by Do-wook, who spoke with a rebellious look in his eyes. ¡°It is true that Koreans look young.¡± ¡°korean? North? South?¡± ¡°As expected, that question. ¡°My name is David Kim¡­ which one do you think it is?¡± ¡°No way¡­¡± David continued to bewilder Billion Man. Director Jean-Luc smiled with satisfaction at Do-wook¡¯s shameless performance, which waspletely different from the deep expression he disyed when saving the child. ¡°If you want to take me, show me. ¡°I wonder what else Billion Man can do¡­ other than destroying buildings where civilians go.¡± It was the first meeting between David and Billion Man. David was also a character that would add depth to the concerns of Billion Man as a hero. Hulbert¡¯s expression crumpled at David¡¯s provocation. Once again, Director Jean-Luc said ¡®Okay¡¯. There was quiet apuse among the staff. It was truly amazing breathing. Everyone could understand what Hulbert said before starting the acting, saying that there would probably be no need for rehearsal. *** It was none other than Hulbert who stopped Dowook, who was about to say hello and head back afterpleting today¡¯s studio filming. ¡°David.¡± Dowook reacted naturally to the name David and turned around. It was true that it was easier for Hulbert, an American, to be called David, his name in the y, rather than Do-wook. ¡°What¡¯s going on¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s a party tomorrow night, will youe?¡± ¡°Party?¡± ¡°okay. It¡¯s just a casual party where Heroes actors get together and have a drink. ¡°There is no filming for two days after tomorrow.¡± It seemed like it was a drinking party that actors who had already filmed ¡®Heroes 1¡¯ often gathered together. For Dowook, it was a great opportunity to build friendships with those he would film with in the future. It was an invitation that was even more meaningful because it was received from Hulbert, who had a prickly personality. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s my honor.¡± ¡°good. See you tomorrow night. ¡°I¡¯ll contact you through the manager.¡± Hulbert immediately took out his sunsses from his jacket pocket, put them on, and left the filming set. Because Director Jean-Luc asked Do-wook to stay for a while, Do-wook was waiting for Director Jean-Luc, who was talking with other staff members. At that time, the door to the filming set opened and five men came in, filled with excitement. They were KK members. Dowook, who saw the members, was very surprised and looked at the members approaching him with his mouth open. ¡°Do-wook hyung!¡± ¡°Do-Wook!¡± ¡°We came. ¡°Ai!¡± Dowook asked in bewilderment. ¡°W¡­ What¡¯s going on here¡­¡± His face was a mixture of joy and surprise. The members looked at each other¡¯s faces andughed heartily. Dowook¡¯s curiosity increased. After that, Manager Oh Baek-ho entered and greeted Do-wook. ¡°What can happen? ¡°I came here to film.¡± ¡°yes? ¡°Shooting?¡± Chapter 218 # 219 Blockbuster (3) ¡°Okay. filming.¡± Manager Oh Baek-ho answered once again. At that time, director Jean-Luc, who had finished talking with the staff, approached Dowook and the KK members. ¡°oh! Okay! ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see the group KK here.¡± Daniel, who was next to Dowook, volunteered to interpret. In response to Daniel¡¯s interpretation, Manager Oh Baek-ho greeted Director Jean-Luc in all the English he could speak and shook hands. ¡°Wow¡­ I really didn¡¯t know I coulde here! I already feel thrilled just thinking about it. Thank you very much for inviting us. Director Jean-Luc!¡± Kim Won came forward and spoke on behalf of the members. Director Jean-Luc looked at Kim Won and said that he was d if that was the case. The members were standing behind with flushed expressions, looking at Director Jean-Luc. The members had a bewildered look on their faces as they nced at the studio, which was bigger than any studio they had ever been to. In particr, Taehyung Park looked like he was about to cry. He was always in the star¡¯s position, but here, Park Taehyung was in the fan¡¯s position. Do-wook still had an expression on his face that he couldn¡¯tugh or cry because he didn¡¯t know what the situation was. Director Jean-Luc, who knew the inside story, raised the corner of his mouth and said. ¡°Do-wook, aren¡¯t you d that the members are here? ¡°Your expression looks strange?¡± ¡°ah! ¡°That¡¯s not it!¡± The members¡¯ attention was also focused on Dowook. Dowook was very embarrassed and waved his hands. ¡°Because it was so sudden. ¡°I haven¡¯t even been able to say hello properly yet¡­ and the filming¡­¡± ¡°Haha! I¡¯m kidding too. Well, it looks like everyone arrived safely, so I¡¯ll just go. See you all tomorrow! ¡°Thank you for your hard work today, Mr. Kang.¡± Director Jean-Luc saw Do-wook looking embarrassed and smiled yfully as he greeted him. ¡°yes! see you tommorow!¡± The members, including Kim Won, bowed their heads and greeted Director Jean-Luc. Do-wook also said hello to the director first. Ahn Hyeong-seo, who continued to look at Do-wook in confusion, opened his mouth after Director Jean-Luc left. ¡°Do-wook is really surprised by such a surprise visit!¡± ¡°I know. ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯re always embarrassed because you¡¯re really not happy.¡± When Do-wook responded to Jeong Yoon-gi¡¯s words by asking if that could be possible, Kim Won giggled and responded. ¡°Hehe. ¡°We came all the way from Korea as top secrets to see how embarrassed you were.¡± ¡°Somehow¡­ suddenly no one said anything since yesterday, so I thought everyone was busy.¡± Dowook was puzzled because no messages were posted in the KK group room where conversations took ce several times a day. ¡°Because they were all on the ne!¡± Do-wook chuckled at Seok Ji-hoon¡¯s clear answer. ¡°What on earth is filming¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re all going to appear on Heroes under the name of KK, aren¡¯t we?¡± ¡°K-K¡­?¡± ¡°It will be KK without Kang Do-wook. ¡°We decided to film tomorrow¡¯s performance outdoors.¡± Do-wook¡¯s eyes, who seemed like they couldn¡¯t be more surprised by Jeong Yoon-gi¡¯s words, grew bigger and bigger. Daniel, who was in charge of marketing in the United States for the members¡¯ surprise visit, was also hiding this fact from Dowook. ¡°Mr. Do-wook, do you know that in that scenario, there is a scene where a city electronic disy board shows that North Korea has joined hands with its enemy, Alpharon?¡± ¡°yes. i know.¡± ¡°If you look at that scene, the peaceful images of New Yorkers appear first, and then when the newses out, Billion Manes out of the tallest building and takes off through the sky, right?¡± ¡°yes. no way¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Among those peaceful scenes, you will also pass by a scene of a concert in Central Park.¡± ¡°Then, to that concert¡­!¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. I think the director originally thought it would be something like a quartet orchestra performance, but it changed to include KK appearing in that performance.¡± As Daniel continued his exnation, proud smiles appeared on the faces of the KK members. Kim Won seemed to puff out his chest and then stick it out, which made his chest look full. Do-wook checked the facts by looking at the members¡¯ faces, then at Daniel. All of the KK members were to make special appearances on Heroes. ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°The music director wanted to add powerful rock or pop music to the scene where Billion Man is flying through the sky¡­ I think ¡®Continue¡¯ was also one of the candidate songs. ¡± ¡®Continue¡¯ was definitely a powerful song that suited the scene. Nevertheless, it was surprising that ¡®Continue¡¯ was among the nominated songs. ¡®Continue¡¯ was the first of KK¡¯s songs to appear on the Billboard and was a song that greatly contributed to KK bing a world-ss group. At the time, I was thrilled just to enter the Billboard chart, but now the song ¡®Continue¡¯ has be so famous that it can be mentioned everywhere. ¡°In the meantime, Do-wook¡¯s appearance was confirmed, and director Jean-Luc¡¯s idea was to include a scene where KK performs himself. In fact, KK¡¯s performance in Central Park was very sensational¡­ In the movie, it was a scene where citizens were enjoying the performance of superstar KK, just like in real life.¡± Dowook, who listened to Daniel¡¯s exnation, nodded. In the performance scene, I could actually imagine the song ¡®Continue¡¯ getting louder and Billion Man flying in the sky. It was sure to be a cool scene. Even from the outside of the movie, it seemed quite usible. It was a win-win opportunity that could be used for promotions for both the ¡®Heroes 2¡¯ production team and KK. There was no disagreement that KK had established herself as a global star in name and reality, but her special appearance in ¡®Heroes 2¡¯ would put a stamp on that name. Dowook has already received unprecedented star treatment in Korea just by appearing in ¡®Heroes 2¡¯. He was now a ¡®global star¡¯ rather than a ¡®Korean star¡¯. However, Dowook was not the only one in that position. Just as there was a group called K-K until Do-wook came to this ce, all of the K-K members were with Do-wook. It was a good thing for the entire group called K.K. Do-wook felt more overwhelmed than when he received an offer to star in a movie. ¡°Oh my¡­ it was so good. It¡¯s such good news without giving away such a big deal¡­ wow¡­ it¡¯s so good. ¡°Everyone appears in one movie¡­ and Heroes¡­¡± When Do-wook found out the whole story, he rambled in an uncharacteristically overflowing sense of joy. The members also felt proud of Dowook being truly happy. In addition to the joy that came from the fact that KK appeared in ¡®Heroes 2¡¯ and that the song was included, Dowook was only then able to truly feel the joy of meeting the members for the first time in a long time. The first filming was today, but Dowook had already been in the United States three weeks ago to prepare for filming. Daniel became a good friend, and the filmpany General also supported Do-wook, both financially and spiritually, to ensure that the lead actor had no shortage in his life. Nevertheless, Do-wook had no choice but to feel lonely as living alone in the United States was different from the life he had lived with the members before. In such a situation, my joy was doubled when I met members who had now left their colleagues and be friends and family. ¡°They say filming is tomorrow. First of all, we came right after getting off the ne and I¡¯m really hungry, so let¡¯s talk more as we go. Let¡¯s go eat a burger quickly! Hamburger!¡± ¡°Do-wook probably ate a hamburger. ¡°A Korean restaurant is better.¡± ¡°is it? Dowook, what do you want to eat? ¡°I¡¯m so hungry, everything is fine.¡± Ahn Hyeong-seo and Jeong Yoon-gi said. As soon as the members gathered together, a noisy atmosphere was created, which put Dowook¡¯s mind at ease. ¡°I went to a Korean restaurant yesterday too and the hamburger was okay. ¡°But aren¡¯t you tired?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not prabrum!¡± I slept a lot on the ne. Yoongi hyung also snored.¡± ¡°Why did you say I was snoring?¡± ¡°Hyung¡­ I was d it was a real business ss. If you think the fans heard it¡­.¡± Jung Yoon-gi just lost his appetite as if he had nothing more to say in response to Kim Won¡¯s point and the youngest member¡¯sment. Manager Oh Baek-ho, who was watching, shook his head and led everyone. ¡°Then let¡¯s go to the hamburger restaurant. ¡°Daniel, may I ask you to guide me?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Daniel answered willingly. So Do-wook and the members all left the filming site for the hamburger restaurant together. ¡°It¡¯s a shame I couldn¡¯t see Dowook filming.¡± ¡°I know. Because the time is not right. ¡°When are you filming again?¡± Even as they left, the members continued the conversations they had been unable to have since they had been apart. Dowook¡¯s face was very bright as he talked with the members. *** [All KK members decided to make a special appearance in ¡®Heroes 2¡¯!] [Another performance at KK Central Park, this time filming ¡®Heroes 2¡¯?] [Kang Do-wook in progress filming ¡®Heroes 2¡¯¡­ KK Cameo appearance] [It¡¯s featured in KK¡¯s song ¡®Heroes 2¡¯! Poprity continues..] . . . [The world¡¯s most popr boy band, KK, will appear in ¡®Heroes 2¡¯?!] The next day, numerous articles poured in in Korea along with the filming in Central Park. It wasn¡¯t just Korea. All over the world, including China and Japan. Articles were published everywhere there were KK fans. There were as many articles as when Dowook was first cast. The promotional effect initially aimed for was effectively achieved by both parties. Many articles have also appeared in the US and Europe, where it can be said that there are still more fans of ¡®Heroes¡¯ than fans of KK. Although the article was published out of anticipation for ¡®Heroes 2¡¯, many fans were also happy to hear that they could briefly see KK¡¯s performance in the movie as something different and fun. ¡°There was also an article in the culture section of the New York Times. I came in person to take pictures of the scene today. ¡°Have you seen it?¡± ¡°yes. ¡°I just checked the article.¡± Dowook smiled happily as he responded to Daniel¡¯s words. Today¡¯s filming for the KK members was able to bepleted quickly after a total of two filming sessions, as all they had to do was perform on stage as usual. Since it wasn¡¯t a live stage anyway, the members divided Do-wook¡¯s empty seat into N parts and performed the choreography wlessly. Watching the members perform below the stage was a very unfamiliar feeling, but Dowook happily cheered on the members at the filming site. ¡°Arrived.¡± Daniel said as he stopped the car. After having a simple dinner with the members who had finished filming, Dowook had just arrived at the location of the party that Hulbert had invited yesterday. It was clear that if we made friends in advance at the party, it would be helpful on the next filming site, which involves a lot of joint action scenes. ¡°Thank you, Daniel.¡± ¡°Please contact me after you finish. ¡°I¡¯lle pick you up.¡± ¡°No, I guess I can just call a taxi¡­¡± ¡°There are a lot more things to be careful about in the United States than in Korea, and this is my job, so I hope you don¡¯t feel too burdened.¡± ¡°All right. ¡°Then I¡¯ll contact you when I get back home.¡± ¡°yes. ¡°If anything happens in the meantime, please contact me at any time.¡± Dowook nodded. It was true that, except for Hulbert, there would be a gathering of actors that I had never seen before, and I had never participated in a gathering like this in the United States before, so I was nervous. However, because it was truly a ¡®private¡¯ party held by the actors appearing in Heroes, it was difficult to have a separate manager. ¡°Well, if it¡¯s Mr. Dowook, I don¡¯t think you need to worry too much. Hulbert, I liked it too¡­ ¡­ . ¡°Wouldn¡¯t the level of difficulty be a little lower for other actors?¡± ¡°haha. yes.¡± Dowook also agreed with Daniel. After all, they were fellow actors appearing in the same movie. When Dowook got out of the car while thinking, a familiar face had just arrived in front of Hulbert¡¯s Hampton vi where the party was being held. Chapter 219 # 220 Blockbuster (4) He was ¡®Soldier America¡¯. He was one of the heroes ying a central role in ¡®Heroes¡¯ along with Billion Man. The actor ying Soldier America, a former American soldier turned into a hero, was Chris Moore. It seems that Chris Moore was also invited to Hulbert¡¯s party today. Chris Moore had the face of a typical American handsome man, with blonde hair, blue eyes, a high nose and cool mouth. It was a face that could be cast as a hero representing America. In addition, he had a sturdy body that looked as if his muscles were about to burst, just like I saw in the movies. It seemed like he had grown his muscles more than usual for filming. Dowook also boasted a strong body, standing over 180 centimeters tall, but there was an inevitable difference in size. Standing next to Moore, Dowook felt rtively small. So Do-wook felt more like meeting ¡®Soldier America¡¯ in ¡®Heroes¡¯ than with Hulbert. ¡°Chris Moore?¡± At Dowook¡¯s call, Moore frowned and looked down at Dowook. Dowook looked behind Moore and was able to quickly realize why Moore was nervous. ¡®As expected, a Hollywood star¡­.¡¯ Just by looking at it, there were about two or three paparazzi following Chris Moore. Although Do-wook lived a rtively private life in the United Statespared to Korea, Do-wook also understood Moore¡¯s frustration. In Korea, Do-wook also had a history of being troubled by sasaeng fans. ¡°My name is Kang Do-wook¡­ I think it would be best to go in and say hello.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ah! Dowook! Ah, that¡¯s right.¡± Moore, who seemed to have btedly realized who Do-wook was, made a happy face for a moment, then hardened and answered. Moore also thought it would be better to go in and say hello first, as Dowook said. It was an encounter that wouldn¡¯t have been a problem even if the paparazzi took pictures, but in any case, being photographed in an extremely private space other than a filming location was unpleasant. The two hurriedly rang the bell of Hulbert¡¯s vi. Soon after confirming the identity of the two people, the door was opened from the inside. Only after entering the vi did Chris Moorepletely rx his expression and speak to Dowook. ¡°I heard the story from Hulbert! nice to meet you! I almost made a mistake on our first meeting. Haha¡­ I¡¯m so annoyed because you¡¯ve been following me around all day!¡± In the drama, Chris Moore was said to be too cautious and frustrating, but in reality he seemed to be quite talkative and had a light-hearted vibe. Even if they didn¡¯t say much, it was enough to understand just their facial expressions and tone of voice. Do-wook¡¯s English steadily improved while working overseas, and by the time he was preparing for the movie, it was almost at the same level as Kim Won. Thanks to this, it was easy to see that the words and intonation Chris used were light and not very formal. Since Hulbert¡¯s personality waspletely ¡®Billion Man¡¯ itself, Dowook was even surprised by the difference in Chris Moore¡¯s personality. ¡°I guess it would be worth it if itsted all day. You followed me all the way to the Hamptons¡­¡± ¡°So. Terrible things. ¡°Actually, there¡¯s a girl I¡¯ve been hanging out withtely, and she must¡¯ve smelled her and runs towards me¡­ I¡¯m so sick of it.¡± As I listened to Chris Moore getting angry about the paparazzi as if he was truly fed up, I soon found myself in front of the main vi building. The front door of the main building was wide open. Dowook checked the time just before entering the front door and sent a message to the KK members¡¯ group room. The members went to see a performance to enjoy a night out in New York among themselves. He also said he would go for a drink together when it was over. Dowook left a message telling the members not to wait for him at the dorm as he would bete. The room was noisy, as if the party had already started. The DJ who is said to be the most famous in New York clubs these days was DJing in the center. Those invited to the party were scattered here and there, chatting and sipping champagne served by separately hired waiters. ¡°Has it really started already?¡± ¡°What a long time!¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I saw you at the filming set the other day.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a greeting.¡± It was the ¡®Shark¡¯ actor who greeted Moore. It seemed certain that all the major heroes of ¡®Heroes¡¯ were invited. But it wasn¡¯t just heroes who were invited. Beautiful women wearing quite revealing dresses wereughing and mingling with the actors here and there. Next to the ¡®Shark¡¯ actor, a woman with soft ash-colored hair was sitting with her legs crossed in a seductive pose, subtly stroking his thigh. When Do-wook said it was a party at a vi, what Do-wook had in mind was a more calm atmosphere. It was a party with wine rather than champagne and waltzes rather than DJs. It was hard to imagine that a party hosted by Hulbert would be this crazy. ¡®I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good ce to talk to actors¡­¡¯ Do-wook¡¯s brow furrowed a little. Moore didn¡¯t care and grabbed Dowook¡¯s arm. ¡°Here, Dowook! I met you in front of here. Aren¡¯t you a friend who is somehow curious? Is this what oriental beauty is like? ¡°I think I know why Martin casted him directly on Real Man.¡± Moore introduced Dowook in a chatty manner. I couldn¡¯t get used to the sight of America¡¯s standard handsome man being talkative. Only then did the Shark actor break away from the woman and formally offer to shake her hand. ¡°Oh¡­ nice to meet you. ¡°Jake.¡± ¡°Ah, nice to meet you.¡± At that moment, Hulbert wasing down the stairs on the second floor. Hulbert, dressedfortably, held a bottle of strong liquor in his hand. ¡°Hulbert¡­ can almost be said to be alcoholic. If you drink together, you won¡¯t survive. ¡°Just thinking about drinking together makes me want to throw up.¡± Moore spoke, but Dowook had already caught Hulbert¡¯s eye. Hulbert called Dowook to the bar and asked him to have a drink with him. Moore and Jake ran away, saying they didn¡¯t want to mess with Hulbert. It was hard to tell whether he hated drinking with Hulbert or wanted to enjoy his time with the invited beauties. Anyway, Dowook sat down with Hulbert and drank together. Dowook did not enjoy drinking. However, it was only for self-management, and Do-wook¡¯s body was quite resistant to alcohol. If it was fortunate, it was fortunate. Contrary to concerns, Hulbert did not force Dowook to drink. Instead, it seemed like all that was needed was for Dowook to set the mood appropriately. Hulbert began by asking Do-wook how his acting suddenly improved during the first filming, and also asked about K.K. I couldn¡¯t tell if it was because he had seen ¡®Blue Whale¡¯, which was screened at Cannes, or because he was curious about the fact that he was from a world-renowned boy band, but in any case, Hulbert was quite interested in Do-wook. Thanks to this, Dowook was able to talk a lot with Hulbert. Compared to Do-wook¡¯s limited acting experience, Hulbert was an experienced actor who worked in Hollywood for over ten years and worked his way up from the bottom. There was ¡®that Hollywood¡¯. It was a level ofpetition that was on a different level from Korea. Hulbert had to go through all kinds of hardships to be the ¡®Billion Man¡¯. ¡°When I really wanted to give up, an opportunity came. There was a lot of opposition from people around me who thought that if I continued like this, I would be a beggar on the street¡­ but my pride wouldn¡¯t allow me to stop there. Well, you can call it stubbornness¡­ Anyway, stubbornness won.¡± Do-wook nodded deeply while listening to Hulbert¡¯s words. Do-wook agreed, even though the opportunity came when he had already given up. ¡®Once upon a time¡­ truly, once in a while a chance¡­es.¡¯ Through the conversation, Dowook was able to learn a lot from Hulbert. If ¡®Heroes 2¡¯ is released like this and there are no major problems, Do-wook will have the opportunity to be an actor not only in Korea but also in Hollywood. Dowook was able to hear about the details of not only his life as an actor in Hollywood but also life as a star in the United States that he would not know unless he had experienced it. ¡®As expected, it was good that I came. I was able to learn a lot about the atmosphere of this ce for my future activities. I think it would be difficult to get close to the actors other than Hulbert¡­but it would be enough to match the acting skills on set.¡¯ But it didn¡¯t end there. Even in a noisy atmosphere, actors often came to say hello to the host, Hulbert, and each time, Hulbert properly introduced Dowook even in a drunken pronunciation. Thanks to this, Do-wook was able to have quite a variety of conversations with an actor who has a very good reputation in Hollywood as a talented actor, even though he is a viin rather than a hero in ¡®Heroes 2¡¯. He didn¡¯t know Do-wook at all, but after talking to him a few words, he said, ¡®That¡¯s not normal.¡¯ made an evaluation. Hearing that, Hulbert got drunk andughed in a voice twice as loud as his usual voice. ¡°okay! Not usually. there is. Something. ¡°This isn¡¯t just the energy you feel because you have ck eyes.¡± ¡°I have ck eyes too.¡± ¡°Rather than ck¡­ aren¡¯t you cloudy?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s rude!¡± The two were quite young and it was time to give a generous evaluation of Do-wook, who had just arrived in Hollywood. Chris Moore, who seemed even more drunk than Hulbert, approached. His face was bright red and his eyes were open. Moore said, lifting Dowook up from where he was sitting. ¡°Why is my young and handsome friend hanging out with these old guys? Let¡¯s have fun!¡± Dowook was taken aback by those words, but Hulbert reacted as if he was not surprised. Hulbert frowned and waved his hands. Since it was too much of a hassle to deal with him, he told me to take Do-wook with me. Dowook was dragged by Moore to the living room sofa. Unlike the bar table area, which was quiet, the ce was crowded with people. On the sofa, a supporting actor whose face Do-wook knew was sharing a deep kiss with a blonde beauty. ¡°Okay, we¡¯re going to y poker. How about a game together? Hey Eric! ¡°Go do the rest in the guest room upstairs!¡± Even though he was drunk and red-faced, Moore said something quite sane to his supporting actor. Chris Moore also seemed to like Dowook. There was no reason for me to refuse when he asked me to y poker to get to know him. However, Do-wook found it difficult to erase his uneasy feeling, perhaps because of the lewd energy circting in the parlor or because of Moore¡¯s drunken face. ¡°Do you think the alcohol is strong? Even after drinking with Hulbert, I still feel fine. First, have another drink of this.¡± As Do-wook sat down next to Moore, the man across from him began to quickly hand over cards. Moore offered Dowook a red drink that was on the side table. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Do-wook, who was handed a ss of alcohol, was about to drink it first. The words ¡®don¡¯t pick up anything and eat it¡¯ that I heard in a conversation with Hulbert passed by. It was a metaphorical statement while talking about not taking on any role even if it¡¯s urgent. And for the first time in a long time, an article he had seen before appeared in Do-wook¡¯s mind. The reason for my reluctance became clear. ¡®You shouldn¡¯t drink it.¡¯ Chapter 220 # 221 Blockbuster (5) When Dowook tried to put down his drink, Chris Moore¡¯s face suddenly turned grim. He was a man who could make a scary face just as easily as he could smile. It was even more so because I was drunk. He asked in the same annoyed tone he used when swearing at the paparazzi. ¡°Why don¡¯t you drink it? ¡°At most, they gave me good things.¡± Dowook hardened his face. Moore¡¯s tone of voice and expression, as if he looked down on Do-wook, were a sight to behold. But there wasn¡¯t much one could hope for from a drunk person. ¡°Drink it? Are you breaking the mood by asking us to have some fun together? Anyway, this is why kids who don¡¯t know anything¡­¡± Unable to listen to Moore any longer, he cut off Moore¡¯s conversation and answered calmly. ¡°I think I should go.¡± ¡°what? You want to go suddenly? ¡°The cards are all down, what are you talking about?!¡± The people who had gathered together to y poker were talking loudly, asking what was going on. ¡°You gave me a little bit of advice that I couldn¡¯t even exin, but you don¡¯t know the topic¡­ and you ignore me?!¡± Chris Moore¡¯s voice rose. Dowook swallowed dry saliva. I didn¡¯t want to get into an argument with Chris Moore here. I could have asked Hulbert at the bar table for help, but I didn¡¯t want to cause any trouble or cause any trouble at the party Hulbert was hosting. Chris Moore was the one who brought the drugs, but if themotion grew and the paparazzi outside caught him and made an article, it was Do-wook who would suffer. Just by being there, it was clear that Do-wook would be viewed with suspicion. It may be true in the United States, but in Korea, ¡®drug suspicions¡¯ were not a light issue. Besides, Dowook was a stranger here anyway. Regardless of who was at fault, it was impossible to know which way public opinion would be formed when Chris Moore and Dowook faced off. ¡®It¡¯s best to leave this ce quietly.¡¯ However, Chris Moore was in no mood to let Dowook go quietly. ¡®But I can¡¯t allow myself to drink a ss of medicine under the pretense of appeasing Moore¡¯s mood. After drinking the medicine, I don¡¯t know if there will be any reaction that I can¡¯t control¡­¡¯ Do-wook stood up, putting his hands in his jacket pockets. When Do-wook stood up, Moore cursed and stood up after Do-wook. It seemed like he was about to throw a punch at Do-wook. ¡°Are you really going? Cheeky bastard! ¡°I knew you were a bastard who would ride on young girls¡¯ backs and tease them.¡± Dowook quietly looked at Chris Moore, who was speaking in a threatening posture. He had an indifferent and cold expression. Chris Moore gritted his teeth as if he felt ufortable with Dowook¡¯s gaze. At first, he thought it was because he was drunk, but when he saw Chris Moore¡¯s words and actions, Dowook realized. From the beginning, it was clear that Chris Moore did not like Dowook. Even if he drank the alcohol rmended by Moore, he would have argued with Do-wook at some point, whether he yed poker or said something. Do-wook recalled Jeong I-wook, whom he met in ¡®Lovers from Space¡¯. It was no different from that. While talking with Hulbert and other actors, Dowook thought, ¡®Hollywood is different in many ways and there is a lot to learn.¡¯ The thing that was most different from the Korean entertainment industry was the scale and the resultingpetition and the lives of actors. However, Dowook had no choice but to ridicule Chris Moore¡¯s actions. In the end, it also depends on what kind of person you are. Although Chris Moore enjoyed more wealth and poprity than Korean celebrities, he was a childish person who was immersed in that kind of life and behaved worse than a 10-year-old child. He didn¡¯t want to make a fuss, but he wasn¡¯t going to let himself or his fans be insulted. At that time, Dowook¡¯s cell phone rang. Dowook checked his phone and looked at Moore. It didn¡¯t feel like a conversation, but since it was in the middle of a conversation, he asked for consent to answer the phone. Instead of arguing further with Do-wook, Moore avoided Do-wook¡¯s gaze. Do-wook was so cold that he did not sumb to provocation, and the ringtone seemed to have awakened him and brought him to his senses a little. The call was from Ahn Hyeong-seo. Ahn Hyeong-seo asked in a loud voice, ¡®What is it? ¡®What did you write?¡¯ he asked. Dowook sent a message to the group room where the members were with his hands in his pockets. Since the message was sent without looking at the screen, it probably contained nonsensicalbinations of vowels and consonants, but Dowook thought that someone among the members would quickly see it and call him. Since the members are more interested in Do-wook than anyone else and know him well, I thought that the ridiculous message would not be ignored, and it turned out to be true. Ahn Hyeong-seo, who always checks SNS and carries a cell phone, called Do-wook as soon as he discovered it. The loud voices of the members could be heard behind Ahn Hyeong-seo, who was answering the phone to see if he was having a drink with the members. Dowook answered the phone in a serious voice. -what? Why are you suddenly speaking in English? Hello? Is this a prank call? He felt that Hyeong-seo Ahn was embarrassed, but Do-wook paid no attention and continued to speak in English. In the end, Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s voice was heard calling Kim Won. Soon Kim Won changed the phone. The expressions on the faces of people around them, including Chris Moore, who were listening to the phone call were bing hard. ¡°Oh, if I need to be investigated by the police for the stolen items¡­ I can go there¡­¡± ¨C Investigation? Are you acting now? Kim Won looked amused and asked Do-wook muttering in English. Of course, Do-wook could not answer Kim Won¡¯s question. Dowook looked around. There must be someone here who is also in possession of drugs that are illegal in the United States. The movements of the person who was dealing the cards were noticeably stiff. He made eye contact with Chris Moore and said. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m going right now. ¡°Can you pleasee here?¡± ¡°This bastard¡­ Where did he get this¡­¡± Chris Moore blinked his eyes slowly, muttering as ifpletely intoxicated. However, the person who was dealing the cards hurriedly stood up and spoke. ¡°Who are you calling? Only invited people cane here. Just go. Let¡¯s send this bastard away. ¡°The atmosphere was just messed up.¡± Do-wook said while listening to Kim Won mumbling on the phone in the tone of a detective from an American drama he enjoyed asking for the address. ¡°no. ¡°I¡¯ll go there.¡± Dowook hung up the phone and looked around at Chris Moore and the group. Regardless of the atmosphere, there were still some people who were drunk and were ying around with women. The person who was spinning the cards lifted the skirt of the woman next to him. The woman was already drunk and couldn¡¯t control herself. ¡°moore! Look at this. Let¡¯s let that boring guy go and have fun. ¡°How about taking your clothes off as a bet?¡± It certainly seemed like it was the most poignant. Chris Moore frowned but did not hold Dowook anymore. Dowook quickly left the ce. By the time Dowook came out, Hulbert had also gone up to the second floor and was nowhere to be seen from his seat at the bar table. After leaving the party and sending a thank you and sorry message to the members that he would go and exin soon, Dowook contacted Daniel right away. While waiting for Daniel, Dowook saw paparazzi with their lenses shining everywhere. I emotionally understood why actors leave New York, throw parties at vis in the Hamptons, and shed their facades. There were times when Do-wook also felt stuffy under too many gazes. However, just because I felt stuffy, I did not want to give up all of the rationality that I should have as a human being. At least Dowook was like that. ¡®It is dangerous in that respect to be distracted by alcohol or drugs¡­¡¯ The more star one became, the more fame and wealth followed, and the more temptations there were. Just because it looks shy doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s all good or right. Do-wook realized that from now on, he must be more alert and try not to lose the pure dream he first had. After some time, Daniel¡¯s car arrived in front of the vi. As Do-wook got into the car, he thought of Seo Jung-won. Seo Joong-won¡¯s trial appeal was in progress. I didn¡¯t know what the final oue would be, but it was clear that I would be sentenced to prison. He probably did not intend to be a ve to wealth, fame, and power from the beginning. ¡®But I guess I was gradually eaten by them¡­¡¯ *** Next shooting day. It was a scene where Real Man was contemting joining Heroes activities in earnest. It was Do-wook¡¯s solo filming, and Do-wook showed off his outstanding talent for emotional acting, further capturing director Jean-Luc¡¯s heart. After finishing filming, Do-wook conveyed his opinions to director Jean-Luc. ¡°I have no intention of ignoring Chris Moore¡¯s insulting remarks. ¡°Without an apology from Mr. Moore, I don¡¯t think I will be able toe to the set with Chris Moore.¡± Director Jean-Luc¡¯s expression hardened upon hearing the news of the sudden boycott of filming. Apart from thinking that Dowook was a good actor, he also seemed to think that he was arrogant. However, Dowook had no intention of backing down. The one who clearlymitted rudeness was Chris Moore. ¡°I have already conveyed my opinion to Mr. Moore through his manager.¡± ¡°After hearing the story, of course I think Moore was a little rude. But David. Not taking pictures because of personal feelings¡­ I don¡¯t think that¡¯s something a professional would do. There are also contractual issues¡­¡± As expected, Dowook¡¯s side said that it would not be a good idea to step forward like this. Dowook was a humble person, but he was not a funny or easy-going opponent. He was also quite proud of his current position. I hoped that the ¡®Heroes 2¡¯ cast and production team would take this opportunity to learn that. Do-wook continued calmly in response to Director Jean-Luc¡¯s words. ¡°If there is a problem with the contract, you can always pay a penalty. ¡°I have no intention of acting with someone who does not recognize me as an equal actor.¡± It was said that he could quit. It was director Jean-Luc who was embarrassed when Do-wook came out stronger than expected. The penalty was a huge amount. If the money was earned simply as an actor, it could have been difficult to handle. However, Dowook was a member and producer of the world-famous group called K.K. In addition, a lot of capital has already been umted through various channels. Now, the damage caused by Do-wook quitting was significant for ¡®Heroes 2¡¯. There was already quite a bit of promotion involved with Dowook. Perhaps they were so used to their position that they never thought that Dowook could easily give up on a movie called ¡®Heroes¡¯. ¡®That¡¯s probably why Chris Moore treated me so easily¡­ he probably thought I was the one who was desperate¡­¡¯ Director Jean-Luc nodded with an embarrassed look on his face. ¡°I understand for now. He¡¯s actually a bit¡­ rude. ¡°It would be nice if David understood¡­ but it would be right to apologize before the next filming.¡± Chapter 221 # 222 Start (1) *** Of course, Dowook also thought it would be best not to withdraw from ¡®Heroes 2¡¯. All I had to do was get a proper apology from Chris Moore. Daniel told Moore¡¯s managementpany that Dowook was very angry at Moore¡¯s discriminatory remarks, and that if the reason for Dowook¡¯s departure is revealed, Moore could be used of being a racist. He also quietly suggested that the fact that he vited drugws could be known even if he did not go to the extent of being racist. Daniel also exined in detail that Do-wook is a person who would reveal everything honestly even if he loses his role as ¡®Heroes¡¯. In the end, because Dowook was hard-line, Moore had no choice but to raise his hand. Moore came to Dowook¡¯s waiting room on the day of filming. Moore¡¯s face was filled with exasperation. With a red face, Moore apologized to Dowook. ¡°What are you apologizing for?¡± Do-wook pressured Moore until he heard a specific apology from Moore saying that he would never say things like ¡®young bastards¡¯ or ¡®young girls¡¯ again. Moore¡¯s manager, who knew Moore¡¯s personality, felt restless, but Do-wook wanted to receive that level of apology. Of course, Moore wasn¡¯t truly apologizing. However, the damage to his pride was enough to make up for what happened that day. Anyway, nothing else happened that night with Moore, who was under the influence of alcohol and drugs, and it was meaningful to receive an apology from Moore, who was in a rational state. After Moore apologized and left, the door to the waiting camping car provided for Dowook was opened once again. As Do-wook¡¯s manager, it was Manager Oh Baek-ho who received permission to enter the filming set. ¡°Do-Wook!¡± Daniel, who was with me, looked surprised. This was because Manager Oh Baek-ho¡¯s momentum was strong as he entered the camping car. Of course, Do-wook, who had been with Director Oh Baek-ho for a long time, was not surprised by Director Oh Baek-ho¡¯s bear-like spirit. ¡°Did you get the apology from that bastard?¡± ¡°yes. Well, for now¡­¡± ¡°Okay. Baby, no matter how you live or not. ¡°How dare you try to ruin someone else¡¯s life¡­¡± Manager Oh Baek-ho stiffened his expression and clicked his tongue. Do-wook was K-K¡¯s pride, regardless of Do-wook himself. Manager Oh Baek-ho and the members fully supported Do-wook¡¯s statement that he would not appear in ¡®Heroes 2¡¯ unless Chris Moore apologized to him. Of course, there was also the belief that Dowook would be able to receive an apology from Chris Moore. Therefore, they actively put pressure on Chris Moore¡¯s managementpany through Daniel. Manager Oh Baek-ho, who was frowning, lowered his frown and continued speaking. ¡°Was the remaining filming period about two weeks?¡± It seemed like he was asking Dowook, but it was Daniel who confirmed. After confirming, Daniel nodded. Thest day of filming was exactly 10 dayster. ¡°I think I should go to Las Vegas with the members right after it¡¯s over. as soon as.¡± ¡°Not Korea?¡± The members were staying in the United States with Do-wook, taking a break while working on their own songs, clearing all their personal schedules. Originally, I was nning to return to Korea with Do-wook and review my future activity ns. There were many albums that were pushed back, including Dowook¡¯s solo album and KK¡¯s album. The fastest one was Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s solo album. Manager Oh Baek-ho smiled and nodded in response to Do-wook¡¯s question. It was a smile that appeared when there was good news. ¡®What¡¯s going on? No, if it¡¯s Las Vegas at this time¡­¡¯ Do-wook blinked and asked in a recalled tone. ¡°No way, on the billboard¡­¡± Manager Oh Baek-ho shouted at Do-wook¡¯s words. ¡°okay! I went to Billboard again! Besides¡­¡± The fact that we would be invited to the Billboard Awards again followingst year was something we had been anticipating both internally and externally. ¡®Connection¡¯, the title of KK¡¯stest album, inherited the energy of ¡®Continue¡¯ and maintained a fairly good ranking on the Billboard charts. Gaining momentum from American performances with V TV, the group surpassed its previous performance and continued to remain in the top rankings. Even now, quite some time after the album was released, it was still in the top 40. It was an incredible result, and it was better than ¡®Continue¡¯. However, the problem is that during ¡®Continue¡¯, he was a candidate for the Rookie of the Year Award. KK, who had already won the Rookie of the Year award, now had topete with prominent world-renowned singers whose names would make people gag. Therefore, the question was, ¡®Which category will I be able to list my name in?¡¯ ¡°Besides, I wasn¡¯t only nominated in one category. ¡°Best Album, Top Dance Artist, and Social Artist¡­ In addition, I was even offered a special performance.¡± Daniel, who was listening next to him, opened his mouth. ¡°oh my god! ¡°The Best Album and Top Dance Artist categories are the main award categories, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Manager Oh Baek-ho answered. The candidates in all three categories were world-ss singers, iparable tost year¡¯s Rookie Award nominees. KK waspletely shoulder to shoulder with them. ¡°I think I have to go to Las Vegas right away for the special performance.¡± ¡°I¡­ I see.¡± Dowook answered a little nkly. Certainly, entering the Billboard charts was not the end of sess. That was just the beginning. The peak continued to rise. Manager Oh Baek-ho ced his hand on Do-wook¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Do-wook.¡± ¡°yes.¡± ¡°Good work.¡± It was a heavy word from Manager Oh Baek-ho, who has been with Do-wook from the beginning until now. Manager Oh Baek-ho may not be able to gauge Do-wook¡¯s feelings, but it was clear that he was one of the people who understood the most after himself. ¡°Ah¡­ I haven¡¯t even received the award yet.¡± Although he said so, Do-wook also knew the meaning of Manager Oh Baek-ho¡¯s words, ¡®Thank you for your hard work.¡¯ Even if he didn¡¯t receive the award, Do-wook already had to put in a lot of effort up to this point. ¡°Acting is so much fun, but now I can¡¯t wait to get on stage.¡± However, Do-wook was ready to work harder in the future. To that end, I promised myself several times not to lose my original, pure dream. Manager Oh Baek-houghed at Do-wook¡¯s words. ¡°I really wish I had five bodies instead of two.¡± ¡°So greedy¡­!¡± Manager Oh Baek-ho scolded him. Dowook smiled cleanly. *** After finishing the final filming of ¡®Heroes 2¡¯, Dowook and the KK members left New York and headed to Las Vegas. Daniel and Dowook, who did their best both materially and spiritually throughout the filming of ¡®Heroes 2¡¯, bid a sad farewell. Dowook also exchanged greetings with director Jean-Luc and Hulbert separately before leaving for Las Vegas. As director Jean-Luc continued filming, he realized that Dowook was a greater character than he thought. He had a premonition that in the future, he might not be able to appear in his own movies other than the ¡®Heroes¡¯ series. Hulbert did not specifically mention what happened between Dowook and Moore at his party. However, whenever there was a strange tension between the two on set, Do-wook gave his strength. Thanks to this, the remaining filming was able to bepleted safely without any major issues with Moore. ¡®Heroes 2¡¯ was scheduled to be released next spring after undergoing editing work. Even if it was released, it would not be possible for all the big actors who would pay a huge amount of money for a day to gather. Promotional activities would also be carried out by teams across the world. Before breaking up with Do-wook, Hulbert expressed his desire to visit Korea. Unlike director Jean-Luc, who simply felt the energy of a great actor in Do-wook while filming, Hulbert felt a more human charm towards Do-wook. Dowook also wanted to maintain a good rtionship with Hulbert. Although he relied too much on alcohol in his personal life, he was a good actor who had a lot to learn from Do-wook. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ then¡­ Hyungseo¡¯s album and Dowook¡¯s solo album will be released at the end of the year and early in the year¡­ and KK¡¯s album will be released to coincide with the release of Heroes 2. the poor?¡± The business room of a hotel in Las Vegas where the Billboard Awards ceremony was held was converted into a Hit Entertainment conference room. Hotel meetings, which were awkward at first, became a familiar urrence after KK became a world-ss group. Shim Jun, head of the album production team, organized the entire album release schedule. The KK members nodded. Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s solo album was supposed to include a song written andposed by Seok Ji-hoon and a song featuring Kim Won. ¡°Do-wook, is your schedule okay? Did you say you have a few songs written¡­¡± ¡°I have¡­ but I think I¡¯ll probably have to work on them more after the awards ceremony ends. And¡­¡± The members and team leader Sim Jun¡¯s attention was focused on Do-wook. ¡°I hope my solo album will be released as a digital single. ¡°I want to pay more attention to Heroes and KK¡¯s uing album¡­¡± Team Leader Sim Jun¡¯s eyes widened a little. In fact, since the KK album was the main focus rather than the solo album, it was something I wanted to ask from the perspective of the album production team leader, but it was not something I could say to Dowook. However, when Do-wook said that he wanted to focus on KK¡¯s album rather than his own album, it was good news for Team Leader Sim Jun. ¡°Well¡­ is that okay?¡± ¡°sure. I am a member of KK. And this KK album¡­ it¡¯s really new¡­ I want to try something more. Properly¡­¡± It¡¯s not that he hasn¡¯t done it properly so far, but Do-wook now wants to set foot in a new ce. It was true that until now, I had chosen a safe path that was ¡®sessful¡¯ in order to achieve sess. However, since I was established enough to be on Billboard¡¯s main awards list, I thought it was time to change and challenge myself musically. And I thought that only by doing so could I survive for a long time into a future that Do-wook did not know about. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not Kang Do-wook for nothing. ¡°It was great!¡± Team Leader Sim Jun shouted in an excited voice. The members¡¯ expressions were subtle. It was because I felt somehow sorry and thankful. Jeong Yoon-gi took one look at Do-wook and said. ¡°Of course it is, but¡­ it is not easy¡­ I will work harder too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, bro, work harder!¡± Hyeong-seo Ahn chimed in as if he was being scolded for no reason. ¡°I too¡­ I¡¯ll do my best at the choreography¡­!¡± Taehyung Park, who was sitting next to Dowook, also spoke. ¡®If it¡¯s like this, a group called K.K. can¡¯t go down.¡¯ Team leader Lee Dae-hyung, who was watching the meeting from one side, thought. ¡°Okay then, let¡¯s take a ten minute break and then move on to the awards ceremony stage concept meeting!¡± When Manager Oh Baek-ho shouted, Ahn Hyeong-seoughed. ¡°Can¡¯t we take a fifteen minute break? The meeting is too long¡­¡± ¡°Do you want to rest forever?¡± Ahn Hyeong-seo quickly closed his mouth at Manager Oh Baek-ho¡¯s fierce look. ¡°Let¡¯s put together a truly killer stage and sweep the Billboard!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Kim Won shouted with all his might in response to leader Jeong Yoon-gi¡¯s shout. Even though it was a shamefulment, Ahn Hyeong-seo and the other members all had the same thoughts as Jeong Yoon-gi. Both Dowook and the members had the same desire to be on stage quickly. Chapter 222 # 223 Start (2) *** Drum, rumble, on a darkened stage. The drums sounded loudly, heightening the tension. And boom! With the sound, a pin light turned on in the very center of the stage. Dowook was standing where the lights were turned on. A situation in which only the drum sound continues and there is no apaniment. However, the sound of the drums, which had been sounding at intervals, became faster at some point and became a rhythm based on the bass. Dowook started singing to the beat. calling me when you feel- Dowook¡¯s sweet voice resonated powerfully and clearly throughout the concert hall. As the song drew to a close, the pitch got higher and higher. The sound that came through the microphone without shaking prated into my ears and gave me a shiver. The singers and the audience, who had been holding their breath waiting for the stage, let out a roar as if they were all holding their breath. Waaaaaa wheeeeik! Shouts, whistles and apuse all mixed together, heating up the concert hall. Billboard Awards held in Las Vegas. It was the start of KK¡¯s performance, which won two awards, including being nominated in three categories and winning the Top Social Artist and Top Dance awards. Do-wook, who heightened the atmosphere with his singing, moved his body as if he was conducting. As the sound of the drums faded, various instruments, led by the trumpet, created apaniment. It was the real prelude to ¡®Connection¡¯. Colorful graphics appeared on therge screen behind Do-wook and surrounded him. The fast-moving graphics caught the eye. The graphics on all screens installed in the concert hall were connected as one. And at that moment, a zing pir of fire with tremendous firepower erupted, and members jumped to both sides centered on Do-wook. The height was the same, as if it matched the height of the jump. Park Tae-hyung, spurred up, took a step forward and did a somersault. Waaagh! Okay! Love you!!! The shouts got louder. Most of the awards ceremony audience were KK¡¯s fans. The sound of KK fans seemed to pierce the concert hall. It was too hot to remain still, like a zing pir of fire. The singers who were sitting in their seats stood up to enjoy the stage even more. From then on, the song ¡®Connection¡¯ began in earnest. When you think you¡¯re alone, look back. I¡¯m standing there ¨C Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s voice and beautiful Korean lyrics are once again heating up the Billboard awards ceremony. The graphics moved ording to the rap content of Kim Won and Jeong Yoon-gi. Along with that, a huge number of back dancers appeared on stage. It was truly a huge number of people. Therge group moved as one. It was an amazing group dance that was also seen in ¡®Continue¡¯. In ¡®Connection¡¯, there was no separate group dance, but this stage was specially prepared by the members to show off the sharp group dance, which is one of KK¡¯s pride. It was a softer choreographypared to ¡®Continue¡¯, but that¡¯s why the KK members and dancers on stage looked amazing as they performed the choreography as if they were even more united. That wasn¡¯t all. Like the stars in the night sky, We all connected ¨C The moment the song reached its peak and Seok Ji-hoon uttered the lyrics ¡°connected,¡± dozens of drones flew in the air. The drones drew arge shape simr to KK¡¯s logo in the air. It was on a huge scale. The lights dimmed and the drone¡¯s light shone brighter. Below, KK and arge group of dancers became one and repeated the choreography of ¡®We are all connected.¡¯ The sight on stage was truly spectacr. Everyone at the concert sang ¡®We are all connected¡¯ passionately. Not a single person was left out and spoke in unison. The scene on stage was spectacr, but the scene below the stage was also spectacr. ¡®Ah¡­¡­¡¯ Do-wook felt as if his heart would stop. In fact, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for someone to hyperventte immediately due to the intense live performance. Of course, Dowook and the members were all controlling themselves to prevent such a crisis situation from urring through numerous performances and management, but it was difficult to control the excitement that was so great that it enveloped the whole body, causing all the energy inside to explode. ¡®Right now¡­ I think it would be okay if I died.¡¯ Dowook thought as he listened to the echoing voice. A song written by oneself, lyrics written by oneself, a song sung by oneself. It was a song that everyone sang together at the same time. Kim Bo-myeong, who sang ¡®If It Was a Dream¡¯, was now too vague in Do-wook¡¯s memory. However, Do-wook struggled to remember Kim Bo-myeong. Kim Bo-myeong was also Do-wook. Before it was everything, now it is part of it. And anyway, that was the reason Do-wook came here. I didn¡¯t want to lose it just because it was a dark color. ¡®I¡¯m happy enough to die, but I want to be happy longer.¡¯ The repeated refrain gradually became more frequent. But the heat did not go away easily. Dowook¡¯s members were breathing heavily on stage with overwhelmed faces. The members gathered together in a formation and smiling wlessly at the camera were broadcast live around the world. The camera captured all of these scenes without exception. Even though all the lights on stage were turned off, the audience¡¯s apuse for KK showed no sign of ending. The MCs hosting the awards ceremony were embarrassed and tried to calm the audience down, but the audience did not let KK go easily. In the end, the MC seemed to have given up on the proceedings and was busy praising KK¡¯s performance. The KK members going down the stage were almost delirious because they had put all their energy into it, but they kept all the apuseing towards them. The sound of apuse seemed engraved in every cell of my body. ¡°Are you guys okay?¡± This was the first thing Manager Oh Baek-ho said to the KK members who returned to the waiting room. Manager Oh Baek-ho, who was under the stage, was momentarily stunned. Each and every member did their best on stage, truly breaking their souls. Although the members always did their best, it was their first time performing on stage in a long time. Because I was thinking that this moment would notst forever, the performance became more passionate. Koo Cheol-min was busy handing out bottled water to the members. The members had nk expressions, as if they were really upset. ¡°everyone.¡± Dowook, who had finally caught his breath, opened his mouth. The members who were sitting or lying on the waiting room floor, unable to properly control their bodies, focused their attention on Do-wook¡¯s words. ¡°Thank you. And¡­¡± Do-wook thought that now he had to say something he had never said before. Because there was no other way to express it. ¡°It¡¯s the best.¡± The members burst intoughter at Dowook¡¯s words. ¡°Yes, don¡¯t do that. Everyone¡­ they¡¯re really the best.¡± Jeong Yoon-gi said. ¡®best.¡¯ The standards could be different for each person, and it would not be possible to definitively call KK¡¯s position the best. Fortunately, there were still many mountains left to climb. Having a mountain to climb was fortunate for the young KK members, so they did not pride themselves on being the best. But at this moment. The members wanted to tell each other that they were the ¡®best¡¯. *** [Legendary performance by KK, winner of 2 Billboard awards] [Shouts to KK who swallowed up the Billboard] [KK¡¯s energy¡­ Shaking the American continent!] . . -proud. K.K. -Wow¡­what is this¡­?? It¡¯s not just soup, it¡¯s something I have no choice but to admit lol -It was a stage that will go down in Billboard history -It¡¯s so shocking¡­it doesn¡¯t make sense -I¡¯m so thankful to all the members for being singers?? A world without KK. .I can¡¯t imagine anymore ?? ¨C Will a group like KK¡­ be able toe out again in the next ten years? ¡°If ites out in 10 years, it will all be because of Do-wook¡­¡± Hyeong-seo Ahn said while re-reading the article from the Billboard awards ceremony that he had saved. Even though several months have passed, the members still reminisce by watching stage videos or reading articles. Do-wook smiled and shook his head at Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s words. ¡°I¡¯m not confident either.¡± Just because you have a good song or money doesn¡¯t mean everything is possible. In order for a group like KK to be born, every little personality of the members had to match. ¡°And I¡¯ve said it several times, but KK is still¡­¡± ¡°I know, I know. ¡°It¡¯s just that I¡¯m already disappointed.¡± ¡°Do-wook understands. ¡°Hyungseo, your album was a flop, so it looks like spring ising.¡± At Seok Ji-hoon¡¯s words, Ahn Hyeong-seo red at Seok Ji-hoon. Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s solo title song ¡®You and I¡¯ was still ranked high on the music charts. The only thing that happened was that Ahn Hyeong-seo drank and was teased for failing to meet the sess standard of reaching No. 1 on the Billboard chart, which even K.K. had yet to achieve, which he had promised. ¡®But maybe KK¡¯s new album¡­¡¯ Dowook carefully thought about the new album¡¯s ranking on the Billboard chart. Then he quickly shook his head. ¡®Don¡¯t expect too much.¡¯ Hit Entertainment¡¯s new headquarters conference room. All KK members were gathered together and preparing for a concept meeting for KK¡¯s new album. The ce where the members gathered boasted apletely different scale and facilities than previous conference rooms. Kim Won, Jeong Yoon-ki, and Park Tae-hyung were tinkering around with things like microphones and projectors before the meeting started. After acquiring Jam Music, Hit Entertainment relocated its headquarters. This was because it was not something that could be expanded to the building next door. The new headquarters was a building located about 30 minutes away from where the previouspany was located. Hit Entertainment took over the entire 17-story building, which was built less than a year ago. Hit Entertainment acquired not only Jam Music but also ¡®Girls¡¯ Hyesung Entertainment as a subsidiary. CEO Jeong Hye-seong was still the CEO of Hyesung Entertainment, but as a subsidiary of Hit Entertainment, he would be subject to some interference from Hit Entertainment. However, CEO Jeong Hye-seong judged that this method would be better for the greater development of ¡®Girls¡¯ and future business. Moreover, within Hit Entertainment, there was Do-wook, who would also y an active role as a producer in the future, and the management policy was well aligned with CEO Joanie, who is now the CEO, so it was an opportunity for CEO Jeong Hye-seong to raise solid capital while producing ording to her own n. Meanwhile, Dowook was naturally named as a director of Hit Entertainment. It was natural since he owned significant shares in Jam Music and Hyesung Entertainment. CEO Joanie also called Do-wook a future representative. But that was too far away. Right now, we were in a hurry to decide on the concept for the next album. ¡®Because I decided to try something new¡­.¡¯ Chapter 223 # 224 Start (3) As Do-wook knew, the future was not far away. That¡¯s why the new challenge felt more meaningful. ¡®No, there may be almost nothing in this field anymore¡­ so many things have changed.¡¯ These were things that changed due to KK and Dowook. ¡°Ten years from now¡­ how far will we be¡­?¡± Taehyung, sitting next to Do-wook, muttered quietly. ¡°Well¡­¡­.¡± Dowook didn¡¯t know either. However, I did not want to set possible limits. The moment you set a limit, you will be trapped within it. Even though it may seem a little reckless, I wanted to keep flying together. ¡°The title of the next song¡­ I think I remembered it.¡± Park Tae-hyung¡¯s eyes were filled with curiosity at Do-wook¡¯s words. ¡®To the sky¡¯. It was the title of KK¡¯s 4th full-length album. *** ¡®Heroes 2¡¯ Korean release date. Articles about KK and Dowook poured in all day long. Not only did it dominate real-time search terms, but there were many people talking about KK just by taking the subway or bus. The advance reservation rate for ¡®Heroes 2¡¯ reached 95%. All movie theaters were stered with ¡®Heroes 2¡¯, to the extent that some even questioned whether there was an over-monopoly of theaters. There was some influence fromrge distributors, but it was not monopolized by distributors. That¡¯s how many audiences wanted ¡®Heroes 2¡¯. The ¡®Heroes¡¯ series was originally very popr. The appearance of the first Asian, or rather Korean, hero was enough to bring all Korean audiences to the screen. It included not only heroes but also performance scenes of KK members. This level of enthusiasm was not surprising in a situation where Koreans appearing only as extra actors in Hollywood movies could be a publicity issue. In addition, the heroes of ¡®Heroes¡¯, who were frowned upon because they did not visit Korea often despite having many fans in Asian countries right before its release, visited Korea. Billion Man¡¯s Hulbert, who can be said to be the central axis among heroes, also visited. Incheon Airport was paralyzed by Hulbert¡¯s visit. Hulbert mentioned Do-wook and praised Do-wook in all 10 interviews he gave while staying in Korea. Media around the world were transcribing Hulbert¡¯s interview and selecting Dowook as the actor to watch most in ¡®Heroes 2¡¯. KK¡¯s fans around the world were also excited. This was because it was also the day when the music video for KK¡¯s 4th full-length album ¡®To the Sky¡¯ was released and the music was released. It was chaos. The music video and music release time was 6 PM. KK¡¯seback show, which will be broadcast live around the world through a coboration between V TV and TBN, will also be held at 6 p.m. The morning was Dowook and K.K in ¡®Heroes 2¡¯ and the afternoon was ¡®To the Sky¡¯. It was truly KK and Dowook¡¯s day. [THIS IS REAL MAN] Advertisements celebrating Do-wook¡¯s Hollywood debut and KK¡¯seback were posted by Do-wook¡¯s fans on electronic billboards around the world, including New York¡¯s Times Square. ¡°Congrattions on the release of your movie, Dowook!¡± ¡°congrattions!¡± ¡°The response right now is amazing! ¡°It¡¯s no joke because everyone who saw the movie praised you.¡± ¡°of course! ¡°Every portion is a killing point!¡± The members who gathered together checked the reaction to ¡®Heroes 2¡¯ on their cell phones and congratted Do-wook. The members had all finished watching the preview. ¡°They say it looks real. Looking at Mr. Do-wook, it seems like he is now hiding his Real Man abilities¡­ Now, it seems like he definitely has a secret, whether it¡¯s superpowers or something¡­.¡± Park Tae-hyung also nodded as if he greatly agreed with Seok Ji-hoon¡¯s words. . ¡®It¡¯s a secret¡­¡¯ Everyoneughed, saying it could be so, but Do-wook, who actually kept the secret, couldn¡¯tugh and was lost in thought for a moment. To create a synergy effect, the release date andeback date were set on the same day, but it was actually a very burdensome task for Dowook. Just thinking about watching the audience¡¯s reactions and reviews after the release made me feel nervous and nervous, and it was also the day of KK¡¯seback. Because they knew Do-wook¡¯s nervousness, the members relieved Do-wook¡¯s nerves by conveying their enthusiastic reactions about ¡®Heroes 2¡¯. But in fact, the members were also nervous ahead of their uingeback. ¡°Thank you, everyone¡­¡± Dowook, dressed in white from shirt to pants and greeting with a kind smile, looked like an angel had descended. The other members were equally dressed in clean white clothes. Of course, it won¡¯t be long before everyone is drenched in sweat. It was now 5 minutes before the ¡®To the Sky¡¯eback show. ¡®To the sky¡¯ is a song with a dreamy atmosphere that ispletely different from the songs released by KK so far, and was a challenge for both producer Dowook and KK. However, this did not mean that KK¡¯s color was abandoned. Because they used a dreamy sound and did not forget the powerful rhythm, the group dance was at the level of ¡®Continue¡¯ or ¡®Connection¡¯. In addition, the content of the lyrics was also a continuation of ¡®Connection¡¯. If ¡®Connection¡¯ touched the hearts of fans by telling them to call me anytime and anywhere because we are connected, ¡®To the sky¡¯ was about holding hands and flying towards the same ce. KK¡¯s fans nned to step up step by step with KK through song and reach that high point together. ¡°Let¡¯s all take a deep breath.¡± At the words of leader Jeong Yoon-gi, the members all gathered together and took a deep breath. Even though it was already severalebacks, Ahn Hyeong-seo had even taken Cheongsim Pill. ¡°Well¡­ shall we go then¡­¡± At Taehyung Park¡¯s words, everyone gathered together and raised their hands. ¡°let¡¯s go!¡± Dowook shouted. KK¡¯s chant before going on stage rang out in unison in the waiting room. Outside the waiting room, over 100,000 fans were waiting for KK. Dowook and KK members dressed in white ran toward the stage. As I approached the entrance to the stage, the shouts I heard from afar were getting louder and ringing in my ears. Dowook felt his heartbeat speeding up. It was another moment for KK to write history. And it was a history that would continue in the future. *** . . . 20** years. Grammy Awards. Dowook just won the Producer Award. It was Dowook¡¯s second Grammy win. The first Grammy award was for KK¡¯s 6th full-length album released in the United States. After receiving the award, numerous people apuded Dowook as he came down the stairs. The one who gave Dowook a bouquet of flowers was singer Kim Ji-yeon, who was also present. From candidate selection to screening, there were many internal controversies and fiercepetition. However, in the end, this year¡¯s producer was Dowook, who produced Kim Ji-yeon¡¯s album ¡®SAINT¡¯. Jiyeon Kim was not a singer who debuted in the United States and was based in the United States. I could tell just by looking at the name of the activity, ¡®Kim Ji-yeon¡¯, which is the same as the Korean name. That¡¯s why there was a lot of controversy. It was also a huge event for KK to win the Grammy. Although KK¡¯s 6th album was officially released in the United States, the Grammys were a conservative awards ceremony. There was controversy at the time as to whether KK, who was a world-renowned singer but was not ssified as an ¡®American singer¡¯, should be given a spot at the Grammy Awards. But it was KK. KK was a singer loved by everyone around the world. It was difficult to reject the huge wind called Grammy. In this way, the first Korean Grammy winner was born. If the award at the time was a breaking of the implicit standard of awarding the award to an ¡®American singer¡¯, this time it was a breaking of the Grammy¡¯s visible judging standard of ¡®release of an official American album¡¯. It was not an album released in the United States, but an album released and distributed in Korea. Nevertheless, the album ¡®SAINT¡¯ was ranked #1 on all charts in the United States as well as other countries. There was no thought of going down for over three months, and it was echoing all over the world. Even the Grammys had no choice but to break their conservatism. It was a miraculous song created by Kim Ji-yeon¡¯s unique husky yet soft voice and Do-wook¡¯s colorful yet easy-to-listen melody. What was even more surprising was that Kim Ji-yeon was an amateur who had just turned 20, which Do-wook had recently discovered on MyTube. All of this was possible thanks to the support of Dowook, who was influential enough to be included in Time magazine¡¯s 100 most influential people, and the public rtions power of Hit Entertainment, which has now be a huge entertainment industrypany. ¡°T¡­ Congrattions! Producer!¡± Do-wook smiled at Ji-yeon Kim¡¯s congrattions. Although he wasn¡¯t old enough, it felt too in for a smile from someone who was opening new paths and creating history. Rather, Kim Ji-yeon¡¯s fingertips trembled a little as she delivered the bouquet. Just a year ago, struggling to make ends meet and posting songs on MyTube felt like a dream. Do-wook was the one who gave Kim Ji-yeon a dream-like reality. Again, Do-wookforted Kim Ji-yeon¡¯s trembling shoulders. Like Do-wook, Ji-yeon Kim would be the dreams and hopes of many young people. And the next day. It¡¯s been a while since KK gathered together. Dowook¡¯s second Grammy Award win. This time, congrattions on winning the Producer Award had already been shared through messages and phone callsst night. ¡°Do-wook looks great today too?¡± ¡°Ah, Dowook seems to get more handsome as he gets older!¡± Do-wook smiled quietly at the words of Tae-hyung Park and Hyeong-seo Ahn. As time passed, the members changed and remained the same. The biggest change is that Taehyung Park, who was once an introvert, has now be an active person, running his own business outside of KK activities. Taehyung Park¡¯s shy personality, which his broadcasting activities could not change, was able to change by opening a dance academy and teaching students. The passion for teaching good dance is what changed Taehyung Park. ¡°Now that I¡¯ve done it, I¡¯vee to this point¡­¡± said Seok Ji-hoon, who is still polite but has stopped talking to the members and has be like friends. The members were at the main building of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration had ns tounch Nomad 2 into the sr system next year. The first Nomad, sent 10 years ago, came with a golden disk containing greetings and ssical music innguages from around the world. It meant sending Earth¡¯s culture to space, where we don¡¯t know what kind of organisms might live there. And this time, Nomad 2 was also scheduled to carry a specially produced Golden Disk so that it could be loaded on the spacecraft. And one of the 10 songs on the Golden Disk was KK¡¯s ¡®To the Sky¡¯. It was selected as a representative song to express the 21st century of the Earth. As we entered the main building entrance, a NASA employee came out and guided the KK members. As part of the promotion, the members were given the opportunity to tour which spaceship KK¡¯s song would be loaded on. ¡°I didn¡¯t know I¡¯d see a spaceship.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know either. Not at all¡­¡± Do-wook responded to Jeong Yoon-gi¡¯s words. The members walked out of the NASA lobby following the guidance of the staff. The members¡¯ footsteps echoed in the quiet lobby. Like everyone else, Do-wook¡¯s steps, living in an unknown future, were serious and powerful. Chapter 224 # 225 Epilogue *** ¡°Today¡¯s studio recording¡­ I¡¯m really nervous too. The first ever! The best ever! ¡°Because a guest ising.¡± ¡°If a professional broadcaster like Jeon Hyeon-yu gets nervous, then a cartoonist like me¡­ uh¡­ I¡¯m so nervous right now¡­¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t this person take medicine?¡± ¡°Mr. Kiwan, didn¡¯t you take Cheongsimhwan before starting?¡± The recording site of ¡®People Living Alone¡¯ at MVC Studio in Sangam-dong was several times busier than usual. ¡®People Living Alone¡¯ was a reality entertainment show that reflected the times when single-person households were increasing and followed the daily lives of celebrities who live alone. It had the highest viewership rating and topicality among entertainment programs currently airing. Its poprity was growing as not only popr celebrities, but also famous webtoon writers and sports stars appeared, and it has already been three years since it aired, and it has already be MVC¡¯s gship program and long-running program. At that time, the studio door opened and Ahn Hyeong-seo, one of the fixed panelists, came in. ¡°Oh, Mr. Hyungseo!¡± ¡°Hyungseo, I was just waiting for you, Hyungseo!¡± ¡°Today¡­ because the guest is so special.¡± Ahn Hyeong-seo could be said to be the number one contributor to establishing ¡®people who live alone¡¯. The KK members enlisted together, were discharged, and continued to be active in their respective fields. In the case of Ahn Hyeong-seo, he is called the crown prince of OSTs and has made a name for himself in the OST field to the point that there is a saying that if you want a drama to be popr, you should cast Ahn Hyeong-seo. Then, the entertainment show I appeared on after a long time was ¡®A Person Who Lives Alone¡¯. Ahn Hyeong-seo was not supported only by KK fans, but was receiving attention from the general public, and many people were interested in Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s private life, known as the ¡®OST rich person¡¯. Although she lives in a luxury vi, the way she spends her normal daily life, such as shopping at home and cooking with friends, is in response to such interest. In addition, Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s appearance full of excitement and singing all day was enough entertainment fun. Thanks to this, Ahn Hyeong-seo earned the nickname ¡®Hungry Rich¡¯ after being rich in music, and became a regr cast member on ¡®The Man Who Lives Alone¡¯. ¡°Isn¡¯t that too much? ¡°I¡¯m also KK¡­!¡± Jeon Hyeon-yu smiled at Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s words and pretended tofort Ahn Hyeong-seo by telling her to quickly sit down. The influence of KK members in the broadcasting industry was still great. No, it had influence in more diverse fields than before. The same was true for Ahn Hyeong-seo. However, the person who will be the special guest on today¡¯s ¡®People Living Alone¡¯ is the person with the greatest influence among the KK members. ¡°Well, now that Hyungseo is here, we will wee our guests today. Due to my busy schedule, it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve appeared on Korean TV. ¡°Please have Hyungseo call me in particr.¡± ¡°yes. Then let¡¯s call it. Dowook! Kang Do-wook!¡± When Hyeong-seo Ahn called, Do-wook, who was behind the set, opened the door and walked in. The studio was shaken by Dowook¡¯s appearance. Jeon Hyeon-yu and Ki-wan Park Na-ra stood up and greeted Do-wook. Dowook, dressed in a white shirt and ck pants, greeted everyone with a rxed smile on his face. *** ¡°hello. This is Kang Do-wook. It¡¯s an honor to appear on ¡®People Living Alone¡¯. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve appeared on a Korean program and I get to meet Korean fans¡­ I¡¯m a little nervous too.¡± Dowook¡¯s house located in California. Dowook, who was in front of the camera, was saying hello. ¡°My original home is in Korea¡­ but I am currently living in the United States to film ¡®Real Man 2¡¯.¡± Following ¡®Heroes 2¡¯, Dowook also appeared in ¡®Heroes 3¡¯. At the same time, the importance of ¡®Real Man¡¯ in the movie world has increased, and he has even achieved the incredible feat of being released independently as ¡®Real Man¡¯ . After the exclusive release, Real Man has established himself as a popr ¡®Heroes¡¯ character that can rival Billion Man. Even ¡®Real Man 2¡¯ was about to be released. As a singer and producer, Do-wook won a Grammy, and as an actor, he already swept the Academy Awards for the movie ¡®Hyper¡¯. It was a unique entity not only in Korea but also in the world. Every day, people from all over the world contacted me who wanted to see Dowook and work with him. However, Dowook never forgot Korea, where he first started his career. Dowook thought that if he lost his identity as a Korean, his unique position in the world would be no different from that of others. The activity Do-wook chose immediately after being discharged from the military was none other than Korean dramas. Do-wook reached another peak by appearing in writer Jeong Eun-soo¡¯s ¡®Heirs of the Sun¡¯, which he had previously agreed to do together if he were to do a drama. It was a drama that not only garnered viewership ratings but also created a huge number of buzzwords. It was a huge craze that could make up for the gap during his military service, and it also had an impact on his overseas activities, making Do-wook¡¯s return feel like a tailwind. For that reason, Korean programs were given priority in the programs appearing in order to promote ¡®Real Man 2¡¯. In particr, ¡®People Living Alone¡¯ was a program that member Ahn Hyeong-seo appeared on and rmended, so I decided to appear on it without hesitation. Along with the greetings, Dowook¡¯s natural daily life was revealed. The main filming of ¡®Real Men 2¡¯ already ended at the end ofst year. However, additional filming was in progress due to script changes that urred during the editing process. For that reason, Do-wook was also working on Kim Ji-yeon¡¯s album at the same time. Do-wook¡¯s daily routine started at 5 a.m. and continued continuously. Jogging at 5 a.m., showering at 6 a.m., watching the news with a light breakfast, leaving for the filming site at 7 a.m., and doing makeup untilte in the afternoon¡­ And in the evening, there was a meeting with officials rted to Kim Ji-yeon¡¯s album production. Dowook, who returned home after a meeting with officials, sat on the sofa and seemed to rest for a while, but got up after less than 30 minutes. Then, he locked himself in his music studio in his California home and began working on music. It wasn¡¯t until 10 p.m. that Do-wooky down in bed and got some rest. But even that wasn¡¯tplete rest. Dowook was exploring films that had recently won awards at Cannes and analyzing the music and acting in the films at the same time. ¡°What¡­ you live a day like itsts 48 hours.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired if you live like that?¡± Jeon Hyeon-yu and Ki-wan clicked their tongues and asked after seeing the footage from Do-wook¡¯s first day. ¡°Do-wook¡­ you¡¯re really the same as ever! Mr. Dowook lived like this even when he was promoting KK. ¡°He is a truly respectable friend.¡± Jeon Hyeon-yu and Ki-wan shook their heads at Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s words. Park Na-ra just wanted to talk about Do-wook¡¯s abs that were revealed during the shower scene. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m used to it¡­¡± Do-wook¡¯s words were met with boos, but he just shrugged his shoulders leisurely. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not like that every day. I also take a break sometimes. If you look at the next day¡­¡± So we naturally moved on to the second day¡¯s filming. The second day was a day without filming. Just like yesterday, the sight of him waking up at 5 a.m. and jogging was admirable. Do-wook¡¯s breathing while sweating and running was undisturbed, and he was able to get a glimpse of the secret of his stamina while working as an actor and musician. Dowook returned home, rested for a bit, then went into the studio again and started working. ¡°I heard it was my day off!¡± ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m taking a break¡­¡± When Do-wook responded to Jeon Hyeon-yu¡¯s cry, Jeon Hyeon-yu shuddered. However, for Do-wook, it was a pleasant break to try various things and work without being rushed. Around 11 a.m., Dowook went out of the house to eat brunch. California¡¯s sunlight made Do-wook¡¯s muscles, which he grew for filming ¡®Real Man 2¡ä, stand out even more. I didn¡¯t know Park Na-ra¡¯s mouth would shut up. There were about five cars in the garage of Dowook¡¯s California home, ranging from sedans to luxury SUVs. The Korean house had three more cars suited to Korea. Because the weather was nice, Dowook chose a blue sports car and rode it. The driving scene was like an advertisement. The ce Dowook drove to was a nearby restaurant. There, Dowook met Ariel, who was also his neighbor¡¯s cousin. ¡°Could it be¡­are you Ariel?¡± ¡°Ah yes. I¡¯m talking with Ariel about working on a song. Since we are neighbors, we sometimes y tennis¡­¡± Ariel was an American singer-songwriter who is currently ranked number one on the Billboard. Although it was a song, it was a typical blonde beauty. Ariel, who had arrived in advance and was waiting, saw Do-wook and gave him a light hug. Ariel¡¯s eyes were sparkling as she looked at Dowook. The panelists watching the screen unanimously said that Ariel seemed interested in Dowook, but Dowook only shook his head. The two ended the brunch in a happy mood, chatting about everyday things. After finishing brunch with Ariel, Dowook returned home and went to the swimming pool. Dowook¡¯s California home had an outdoor swimming pool measuring about 50 pyeong. The panelists¡¯ mouths opened when they saw the outdoor swimming pool. It was a ce with better facilities than most water parks. Do-wook, who is enjoying a break while swimming, says, ¡®Isn¡¯t that what you were aiming for?¡¯ Jeon Hyeon-yu scolded him for his envy, but Do-wook was really just showing his usual self. In the afternoon, a guest came to Dowook¡¯s house after swimming. When Do-wook opened the door, what he saw was Kim Won. ¡°uh! Mr. Kim Won!¡± Park Na-ra shouted as she saw Kim Won¡¯s face for the first time in a long time. Joy also shed on Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s face. Unlike Do-wook, whomutes between Korea and the United States, Kim Won was living in the United States. After being discharged from the military, Kim Won suddenly went abroad to study. The reason was that I wanted to finish studying, which I had put off for my singing career. Those who thought about Kim Won¡¯s fun-loving and noisy image wondered how he would study, but Kim Won entered Harvard with his natural intelligence and perseverance that was different from his public image. Kim Won, who entered Harvard, majored in cultural anthropology and aplished amazing tasks. Papers published by Kim Won were even introduced in famous research journals. However, he never lost his confidence as a rapper by often uploading songs he personally worked on to Music Club. All of Kim Won¡¯s songs on Music Club were free, but he was receiving huge donations. There was no other reason why Kim Won came to California. Today was the day when all KK members decided to gather together. ¡°brother! brother. long time no see. Even though we are in the same United States, it is still too far away¡­¡± ¡°So. ¡°What about the other members yet?¡± ¡°yes. ¡°The ne should have arrived now, so it¡¯ll be here soon, right?¡± Kim Won, who had already been to Do-wook¡¯s house a few times, naturally took a drink from the refrigerator and sat on the sofa. ¡°How are you studying these days?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard¡­ But I heard that the physical strength I developed while promoting KK is very helpful.¡± ¡°haha. Well, it¡¯s hard to be as busy as I was back then.¡± Dowook sat across from Kim Won. Although it had been a long time since west met, the two of them did not feel any awkwardness. KK members were family to each other. No matter how long we were apart, we never felt awkward. The two sat together and watched the KK-era stage together on arge TV. Even as I was immersed in memories, I was giggling at that part, saying that Jung Yoon-gi did the choreography wrong. While the two were watching KK¡¯s performance and reminiscing, the remaining members arrived. The members were from Korea. Jung Yoon-ki had established arge hip-hopbel in Korea and had be an outstanding producer, producing many hip-hop singers. As the CEO of an entertainment agency, Jung Yoon-gi now exudes a dignified style. What Jeong Yoon-gi presented as he entered the house was an expensive wine that was difficult to find. Jeong Yoon-gi brought it for us to drink together. Next, Taehyung Park showed his face. ¡°Do-Wook! Won-hyung!¡± Park Tae-hyung, who called Dowook two people with a cheerful voice, was also the representative of a famous dance academy. The dance academy established by Taehyung Park was an academy with a national and international chain. Since there was a branch in California, Taehyung would oftene and spend time with Do-wook while he was in California. Seok Ji-hoon and Ahn Hyeong-seo came in after the two representatives. After being discharged from the military, Seok Ji-hoon continued his ¡®bunker21¡¯ activities alone. Seok Ji-hoon discovered new talent with each album. ¡®bunker21¡ä was the best rookie candidate. The best rookie among them was, of course, J.U. Jayu is currently the top female solo singer in Korea. At the same time, he took on the position of director at Hit Entertainment. ¡°Is our Director Seok here?¡± At Park Taehyung¡¯s words, Seok Jihoon looked at his brothers without being hateful. ¡°Everyone is the representative¡­¡± Although Seok Ji-hoon is quite old now, he is acting like the youngest, which he did not do when he was young. ¡°I¡¯m a student.¡± ¡°Harvard¡­¡± Do-wook tapped Seok Ji-hoon on the shoulder as he muttered. The broadcast showed the KK membersughing and talking after gathering together for the first time in a long time. Each of the six members changed a lot and sometimes remained the same. However, the appearance of KK with all six members together was as warm as before. They were once people who wrote history every day. And even now, that history continues. The warm appearance of the KK members brought joyful smiles to the faces of the panelists watching the screen. *** ¡°Hwiyu¡­! I really enjoyed it. It¡¯s nice to see them still looking the same. ¡°It would be a good gift for KK fans who wanted to see us all together.¡± In response to Jeon Hyeon-yu¡¯s summaryment, Do-wook smiled and replied that he hoped so. Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s expression when he saw them was very bright. And then. The studio lights went out. ¡°what¡­¡­!¡± While Dowook was surprised, the studio door opened again and the members came in with candles on the cake. ¡°Happy birthday- Happy birthday- My dear Dowook-¡± It was apanied by a happy birthday song. Jung Yoon-gi, Kim Won, Park Tae-hyung, and Seok Ji-hoon. Dowook¡¯s eyes grew so big that they couldn¡¯t get any bigger at the members¡¯ surprise appearance. Today, the day of filming, was Dowook¡¯s birthday. Dowook¡¯s eyes became moist. No matter when I received it, the congrattions I received from the members were happy and touching. And it had been a long time since I had had a surprise birthday party like this one. I was grateful that the members, who were busy in their respective fields and had difficulty getting together, came together again for me. Just like that, another birthday passed by. It was a week before the release of KK¡¯s special album. Chapter 225 # 225 Epilogue *** ¡°Today¡¯s studio recording¡­ I¡¯m really nervous too. The first ever! The best ever! ¡°Because a guest ising.¡± ¡°If a professional broadcaster like Jeon Hyeon-yu gets nervous, then a cartoonist like me¡­ uh¡­ I¡¯m so nervous right now¡­¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t this person take medicine?¡± ¡°Mr. Kiwan, didn¡¯t you take Cheongsimhwan before starting?¡± The recording site of ¡®People Living Alone¡¯ at MVC Studio in Sangam-dong was several times busier than usual. ¡®People Living Alone¡¯ was a reality entertainment show that reflected the times when single-person households were increasing and followed the daily lives of celebrities who live alone. It had the highest viewership rating and topicality among entertainment programs currently airing. Its poprity was growing as not only popr celebrities, but also famous webtoon writers and sports stars appeared, and it has already been three years since it aired, and it has already be MVC¡¯s gship program and long-running program. At that time, the studio door opened and Ahn Hyeong-seo, one of the fixed panelists, came in. ¡°Oh, Mr. Hyungseo!¡± ¡°Hyungseo, I was just waiting for you, Hyungseo!¡± ¡°Today¡­ because the guest is so special.¡± Ahn Hyeong-seo could be said to be the number one contributor to establishing ¡®people who live alone¡¯. The KK members enlisted together, were discharged, and continued to be active in their respective fields. In the case of Ahn Hyeong-seo, he is called the crown prince of OSTs and has made a name for himself in the OST field to the point that there is a saying that if you want a drama to be popr, you should cast Ahn Hyeong-seo. Then, the entertainment show I appeared on after a long time was ¡®A Person Who Lives Alone¡¯. Ahn Hyeong-seo was not supported only by KK fans, but was receiving attention from the general public, and many people were interested in Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s private life, known as the ¡®OST rich person¡¯. Although she lives in a luxury vi, the way she spends her normal daily life, such as shopping at home and cooking with friends, is in response to such interest. In addition, Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s appearance full of excitement and singing all day was enough entertainment fun. Thanks to this, Ahn Hyeong-seo earned the nickname ¡®Hungry Rich¡¯ after being rich in music, and became a regr cast member on ¡®The Man Who Lives Alone¡¯. ¡°Isn¡¯t that too much? ¡°I¡¯m also KK¡­!¡± Jeon Hyeon-yu smiled at Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s words and pretended tofort Ahn Hyeong-seo by telling her to quickly sit down. The influence of KK members in the broadcasting industry was still great. No, it had influence in more diverse fields than before. The same was true for Ahn Hyeong-seo. However, the person who will be the special guest on today¡¯s ¡®People Living Alone¡¯ is the person with the greatest influence among the KK members. ¡°Well, now that Hyungseo is here, we will wee our guests today. Due to my busy schedule, it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve appeared on Korean TV. ¡°Please have Hyungseo call me in particr.¡± ¡°yes. Then let¡¯s call it. Dowook! Kang Do-wook!¡± When Hyeong-seo Ahn called, Do-wook, who was behind the set, opened the door and walked in. The studio was shaken by Dowook¡¯s appearance. Jeon Hyeon-yu and Ki-wan Park Na-ra stood up and greeted Do-wook. Dowook, dressed in a white shirt and ck pants, greeted everyone with a rxed smile on his face. *** ¡°hello. This is Kang Do-wook. It¡¯s an honor to appear on ¡®People Living Alone¡¯. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve appeared on a Korean program and I get to meet Korean fans¡­ I¡¯m a little nervous too.¡± Dowook¡¯s house located in California. Dowook, who was in front of the camera, was saying hello. ¡°My original home is in Korea¡­ but I am currently living in the United States to film ¡®Real Man 2¡¯.¡± Following ¡®Heroes 2¡¯, Dowook also appeared in ¡®Heroes 3¡¯. At the same time, the importance of ¡®Real Man¡¯ in the movie world has increased, and he has even achieved the incredible feat of being released independently as ¡®Real Man¡¯ . After the exclusive release, Real Man has established himself as a popr ¡®Heroes¡¯ character that can rival Billion Man. Even ¡®Real Man 2¡¯ was about to be released. As a singer and producer, Do-wook won a Grammy, and as an actor, he already swept the Academy Awards for the movie ¡®Hyper¡¯. It was a unique entity not only in Korea but also in the world. Every day, people from all over the world contacted me who wanted to see Dowook and work with him. However, Dowook never forgot Korea, where he first started his career. Dowook thought that if he lost his identity as a Korean, his unique position in the world would be no different from that of others. The activity Do-wook chose immediately after being discharged from the military was none other than Korean dramas. Do-wook reached another peak by appearing in writer Jeong Eun-soo¡¯s ¡®Heirs of the Sun¡¯, which he had previously agreed to do together if he were to do a drama. It was a drama that not only garnered viewership ratings but also created a huge number of buzzwords. It was a huge craze that could make up for the gap during his military service, and it also had an impact on his overseas activities, making Do-wook¡¯s return feel like a tailwind. For that reason, Korean programs were given priority in the programs appearing in order to promote ¡®Real Man 2¡¯. In particr, ¡®People Living Alone¡¯ was a program that member Ahn Hyeong-seo appeared on and rmended, so I decided to appear on it without hesitation. Along with the greetings, Dowook¡¯s natural daily life was revealed. The main filming of ¡®Real Men 2¡¯ already ended at the end ofst year. However, additional filming was in progress due to script changes that urred during the editing process. For that reason, Do-wook was also working on Kim Ji-yeon¡¯s album at the same time. Do-wook¡¯s daily routine started at 5 a.m. and continued continuously. Jogging at 5 a.m., showering at 6 a.m., watching the news with a light breakfast, leaving for the filming site at 7 a.m., and doing makeup untilte in the afternoon¡­ And in the evening, there was a meeting with officials rted to Kim Ji-yeon¡¯s album production. Dowook, who returned home after a meeting with officials, sat on the sofa and seemed to rest for a while, but got up after less than 30 minutes. Then, he locked himself in his music studio in his California home and began working on music. It wasn¡¯t until 10 p.m. that Do-wooky down in bed and got some rest. But even that wasn¡¯tplete rest. Dowook was exploring films that had recently won awards at Cannes and analyzing the music and acting in the films at the same time. ¡°What¡­ you live a day like itsts 48 hours.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired if you live like that?¡± Jeon Hyeon-yu and Ki-wan clicked their tongues and asked after seeing the footage from Do-wook¡¯s first day. ¡°Do-wook¡­ you¡¯re really the same as ever! Mr. Dowook lived like this even when he was promoting KK. ¡°He is a truly respectable friend.¡± Jeon Hyeon-yu and Ki-wan shook their heads at Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s words. Park Na-ra just wanted to talk about Do-wook¡¯s abs that were revealed during the shower scene. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m used to it¡­¡± Do-wook¡¯s words were met with boos, but he just shrugged his shoulders leisurely. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not like that every day. I also take a break sometimes. If you look at the next day¡­¡± So we naturally moved on to the second day¡¯s filming. The second day was a day without filming. Just like yesterday, the sight of him waking up at 5 a.m. and jogging was admirable. Do-wook¡¯s breathing while sweating and running was undisturbed, and he was able to get a glimpse of the secret of his stamina while working as an actor and musician. Dowook returned home, rested for a bit, then went into the studio again and started working. ¡°I heard it was my day off!¡± ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m taking a break¡­¡± When Do-wook responded to Jeon Hyeon-yu¡¯s cry, Jeon Hyeon-yu shuddered. However, for Do-wook, it was a pleasant break to try various things and work without being rushed. Around 11 a.m., Dowook went out of the house to eat brunch. California¡¯s sunlight made Do-wook¡¯s muscles, which he grew for filming ¡®Real Man 2¡ä, stand out even more. I didn¡¯t know Park Na-ra¡¯s mouth would shut up. There were about five cars in the garage of Dowook¡¯s California home, ranging from sedans to luxury SUVs. The Korean house had three more cars suited to Korea. Because the weather was nice, Dowook chose a blue sports car and rode it. The driving scene was like an advertisement. The ce Dowook drove to was a nearby restaurant. There, Dowook met Ariel, who was also his neighbor¡¯s cousin. ¡°Could it be¡­are you Ariel?¡± ¡°Ah yes. I¡¯m talking with Ariel about working on a song. Since we are neighbors, we sometimes y tennis¡­¡± Ariel was an American singer-songwriter who is currently ranked number one on the Billboard. Although it was a song, it was a typical blonde beauty. Ariel, who had arrived in advance and was waiting, saw Do-wook and gave him a light hug. Ariel¡¯s eyes were sparkling as she looked at Dowook. The panelists watching the screen unanimously said that Ariel seemed interested in Dowook, but Dowook only shook his head. The two ended the brunch in a happy mood, chatting about everyday things. After finishing brunch with Ariel, Dowook returned home and went to the swimming pool. Dowook¡¯s California home had an outdoor swimming pool measuring about 50 pyeong. The panelists¡¯ mouths opened when they saw the outdoor swimming pool. It was a ce with better facilities than most water parks. Do-wook, who is enjoying a break while swimming, says, ¡®Isn¡¯t that what you were aiming for?¡¯ Jeon Hyeon-yu scolded him for his envy, but Do-wook was really just showing his usual self. In the afternoon, a guest came to Dowook¡¯s house after swimming. When Do-wook opened the door, what he saw was Kim Won. ¡°uh! Mr. Kim Won!¡± Park Na-ra shouted as she saw Kim Won¡¯s face for the first time in a long time. Joy also shed on Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s face. Unlike Do-wook, whomutes between Korea and the United States, Kim Won was living in the United States. After being discharged from the military, Kim Won suddenly went abroad to study. The reason was that I wanted to finish studying, which I had put off for my singing career. Those who thought about Kim Won¡¯s fun-loving and noisy image wondered how he would study, but Kim Won entered Harvard with his natural intelligence and perseverance that was different from his public image. Kim Won, who entered Harvard, majored in cultural anthropology and aplished amazing tasks. Papers published by Kim Won were even introduced in famous research journals. However, he never lost his confidence as a rapper by often uploading songs he personally worked on to Music Club. All of Kim Won¡¯s songs on Music Club were free, but he was receiving huge donations. There was no other reason why Kim Won came to California. Today was the day when all KK members decided to gather together. ¡°brother! brother. long time no see. Even though we are in the same United States, it is still too far away¡­¡± ¡°So. ¡°What about the other members yet?¡± ¡°yes. ¡°The ne should have arrived now, so it¡¯ll be here soon, right?¡± Kim Won, who had already been to Do-wook¡¯s house a few times, naturally took a drink from the refrigerator and sat on the sofa. ¡°How are you studying these days?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard¡­ But I heard that the physical strength I developed while promoting KK is very helpful.¡± ¡°haha. Well, it¡¯s hard to be as busy as I was back then.¡± Dowook sat across from Kim Won. Although it had been a long time since west met, the two of them did not feel any awkwardness. KK members were family to each other. No matter how long we were apart, we never felt awkward. The two sat together and watched the KK-era stage together on arge TV. Even as I was immersed in memories, I was giggling at that part, saying that Jung Yoon-gi did the choreography wrong. While the two were watching KK¡¯s performance and reminiscing, the remaining members arrived. The members were from Korea. Jung Yoon-ki had established arge hip-hopbel in Korea and had be an outstanding producer, producing many hip-hop singers. As the CEO of an entertainment agency, Jung Yoon-gi now exudes a dignified style. What Jeong Yoon-gi presented as he entered the house was an expensive wine that was difficult to find. Jeong Yoon-gi brought it for us to drink together. Next, Taehyung Park showed his face. ¡°Do-Wook! Won-hyung!¡± Park Tae-hyung, who called Dowook two people with a cheerful voice, was also the representative of a famous dance academy. The dance academy established by Taehyung Park was an academy with a national and international chain. Since there was a branch in California, Taehyung would oftene and spend time with Do-wook while he was in California. Seok Ji-hoon and Ahn Hyeong-seo came in after the two representatives. After being discharged from the military, Seok Ji-hoon continued his ¡®bunker21¡¯ activities alone. Seok Ji-hoon discovered new talent with each album. ¡®bunker21¡ä was the best rookie candidate. The best rookie among them was, of course, J.U. Jayu is currently the top female solo singer in Korea. At the same time, he took on the position of director at Hit Entertainment. ¡°Is our Director Seok here?¡± At Park Taehyung¡¯s words, Seok Jihoon looked at his brothers without being hateful. ¡°Everyone is the representative¡­¡± Although Seok Ji-hoon is quite old now, he is acting like the youngest, which he did not do when he was young. ¡°I¡¯m a student.¡± ¡°Harvard¡­¡± Do-wook tapped Seok Ji-hoon on the shoulder as he muttered. The broadcast showed the KK membersughing and talking after gathering together for the first time in a long time. Each of the six members changed a lot and sometimes remained the same. However, the appearance of KK with all six members together was as warm as before. They were once people who wrote history every day. And even now, that history continues. The warm appearance of the KK members brought joyful smiles to the faces of the panelists watching the screen. *** ¡°Hwiyu¡­! I really enjoyed it. It¡¯s nice to see them still looking the same. ¡°It would be a good gift for KK fans who wanted to see us all together.¡± In response to Jeon Hyeon-yu¡¯s summaryment, Do-wook smiled and replied that he hoped so. Ahn Hyeong-seo¡¯s expression when he saw them was very bright. And then. The studio lights went out. ¡°what¡­¡­!¡± While Dowook was surprised, the studio door opened again and the members came in with candles on the cake. ¡°Happy birthday- Happy birthday- My dear Dowook-¡± It was apanied by a happy birthday song. Jung Yoon-gi, Kim Won, Park Tae-hyung, and Seok Ji-hoon. Dowook¡¯s eyes grew so big that they couldn¡¯t get any bigger at the members¡¯ surprise appearance. Today, the day of filming, was Dowook¡¯s birthday. Dowook¡¯s eyes became moist. No matter when I received it, the congrattions I received from the members were happy and touching. And it had been a long time since I had had a surprise birthday party like this one. I was grateful that the members, who were busy in their respective fields and had difficulty getting together, came together again for me. Just like that, another birthday passed by. It was a week before the release of KK¡¯s special album. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!