Prince From Another Dimension Becomes An Idol [EN]: Chapter 101

#101.

‘Is this about the awards ceremony?’

Dojae carefully guessed.

He had been concerned about not being able to prepare for the SVS Awards [an annual music awards show broadcast by SVS].

The preparation time wasn’t exactly short.

However, he was worried because there seemed to be friction with the broadcasting station.

A few days ago, he and Gijun, who was working on the arrangement with Director Lee Jeong-yeop, were told that the stage time had been set, but the work on the song for the “Gayo Festival” [a year-end music program] should be put on hold while they renegotiated with the broadcasting station.

The other members thought the stage time was 4 minutes, as initially announced.

“This might be a story that doesn’t need to be told. It’s not a good story to know. But I want to make sure we address it accurately in case you find out later and feel uncomfortable or misunderstand.”

Team Leader Kim Seok-cheol’s introduction was unusually long.

The members, who had been listening to Kim Seok-cheol’s words with a little more ease than before, not automatically tensing up, now had stiff expressions.

The atmosphere didn’t seem to indicate good news.

“You all know that MOST received 4 minutes for the SVS Awards stage.”

“Yes……”

Heungmin answered quietly.

“Frankly, I think you all know that’s a short amount of time compared to our performance this year.”

The members couldn’t deny it.

They knew how much stage time was given to a singer who enjoyed similar popularity last year.

“I’ll tell you in advance, so you know on the day, The Origin got 8 minutes.”

It was twice as much time.

Even considering seniority alone, setting aside performance and popularity, it was too much.

Confusion flashed across the faces of the members, who had been looking dejected.

Team Leader Kim Seok-cheol sighed inwardly, feeling sorry and complicated.

It was better for them to know in advance than to find out on the day and feel upset.

“Big Boyz got 7 minutes.”

The added words seemed to contain even anger.

“That’s ridiculous.”

“No way……”

It was worse than when compared to themselves.

The members shook their heads.

Team Leader Kim Seok-cheol continued calmly.

“The company considered not attending the awards ceremony because they thought it was unfair.”

Vice President Jeong Hyeong-seok’s opinion was quite firm, and his opinion made sense.

They couldn’t keep being treated poorly forever.

Declaring a boycott of the awards ceremony was a drastic measure, but it was the most sure way to make this reality known.

MOST and Big Boyz were both popular idol groups.

It was enough to make the fandom and the industry buzz.

But that was it.

The moment they boycotted the awards ceremony, they would be blocked from appearing not only on SVS entertainment programs but also on music shows and radio.

While they were in a tug-of-war with the broadcasting station, Kingdom singers would lose a stage.

Even if there were other channels and media besides TV, the risk was clear.

Team Leader Kim Seok-cheol persuaded Vice President Jeong Hyeong-seok.

And he contacted the higher-ups at SVS one more time.

“Our vice president is even considering a boycott.”

“What? Are you saying you’re just going to walk out? Oh, do as you please. Can’t you calculate who will lose more if you do that?”

He first conveyed Vice President Jeong Hyeong-seok’s strong will.

He was going to wield both the carrot and the stick [offer a reward and a punishment].

He could bet on it because it was the unvarnished truth.

If things went wrong… he was also willing to really boycott.

Team Leader Kim Seok-cheol conveyed his opinion without wavering, even amidst the shouting.

“He is even willing to bear the losses… Of course, he is. Don’t you know? He’s a very upright person.”

“He’ll just break!”

“I don’t think the broadcasting station will be without damage either. Because there’s an image. We’ll take a bigger hit, though.”

“Yeah. Knowing that……!”

“So, please pay a little attention. We will cooperate as much as possible.”

When Team Leader Kim Seok-cheol took a humble stance, the CP [Chief Producer] in charge said slyly.

“Ah. So, if you show some sincerity earlier, it’s easier for me to talk to the higher-ups, right?”

Of course, he ignored those words.

The CP sighed as if he couldn’t help it.

“Hoo…. Okay. PD [Producer] Oh. How much more can you adjust?”

They didn’t want the ridiculous situation where a whale’s back was broken in a fight between shrimp [a situation where a large entity suffers due to a conflict between smaller entities].

PD Oh Jong-hwan looked at his cell phone and calculated frantically before saying.

“About 2 minutes. No more.”

Since they couldn’t take time away from other singers now, they reduced the promotion video time for their own program.

Team Leader Kim Seok-cheol didn’t want to harm other teams with this, so he agreed to that amount.

“Well, you guys figure out how to use it and let me know.”

Team Leader Kim Seok-cheol simply replied, “Okay,” without changing his expression to Oh Jong-hwan PD, who spoke curtly.

That’s how MOST and Big Boyz got a total of about 2 minutes of additional time.

However, concerns still remained.

If Big Boyz, who were nominated for the Best Artist Award, were to have a longer stage than The Origin, they had to give Big Boyz 1 minute and 30 seconds.

Teams 1 and 2 of the planning department gathered for a long meeting.

Big Boyz was Kingdom’s first idol.

Even if MOST’s popularity was soaring, it was in the company’s best interest to uphold Big Boyz’s prestige.

“…So MOST has arranged the stage to be around 4 minutes and 15 to 20 seconds.”

That meant the remaining 1 minute and 40 seconds were given to Big Boyz.

He thought the members might be dissatisfied later because this was at the company’s discretion.

So, they decided to tell them everything honestly.

The members, who seemed to be thinking quietly for a moment, slowly nodded.

“I understand.”

Gijun accepted the facts on behalf of the group.

He knew what Kim Seok-cheol was worried about, but it was okay.

It wasn’t exactly a sacrifice, and it was natural.

The MOST members’ pride also wouldn’t allow Big Boyz to perform on a shorter stage than The Origin.

And from the beginning, MOST was only given 4 minutes.

Rather, it was fortunate that it was increased by even 20 seconds.

Above all, it was better to be on stage than not to be on stage at all.

All the members had the same thought.

“If the time is short, we can show an even more intense stage!”

Lui shouted, standing up abruptly, breaking through the heavy atmosphere.

It was easier said than done.

However, Lui’s energetic positivity wasn’t just reckless positivity.

MOST was a group that always tried to create the best stage, and they proved that effort on stage.

They just had to show that kind of stage that day.

“That’s right. A stage so good that they’ll regret not giving us more time……”

Gyuseong’s usually gentle eyes were fierce.

The broadcasting station’s attitude seemed to have instilled a determination in the members.

A determination to show a good stage and become a bigger singer that they could no longer ignore.

The members pledged a hundred times that they would follow this determination and make it happen.

Dojae’s dark eyes also shone intensely as he looked at the members clenching their fists.

***

Since the exact stage time was set, Gijun and Dojae stayed up late after practice for several days to refine the song for the “Gayo Festival.”

It was a composition completed after everyone put their heads together and pondered, including choreographer Yangmal, Director Lee Jeong-yeop, Planning Team 2 employees, and the members.

It was past two in the morning when the two finally finished working on the song.

“Let’s see. Everyone’s okay with this now, right?”

Director Lee Jeong-yeop, who was suffering from Gijun and Dojae’s perfectionism, asked.

The two nodded at the same time.

“Oh, in the past, I only had to deal with one Gijun…. Now there’s Dojae too. My back is breaking.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Ah! You only say you’re sorry, but Dojae, you’re doing more. I’m scared just when you open your mouth with ‘I’m sorry’?”

Dojae laughed lightly at Lee Jeong-yeop’s jest.

He was actually as much of a perfectionist as the two of them, even though he was saying this.

That’s why the three of them could work together.

If it weren’t for the three of them, someone would have already fallen out.

“You guys even practiced…. You must be tired. Go in quickly. You have practice again from morning tomorrow.”

“Yes. Thank you for your hard work, Director.”

“I’ll go in.”

Director Lee Jeong-yeop waved his hand as he accepted the greetings.

The two left Director Lee Jeong-yeop’s studio and walked toward the dorm.

The studio was right next to the Kingdom office building, so it was close to the dorm.

There were often people taking walks late at night, but no one recognized the two people wearing black long padded coats and hats.

Perhaps because it was so late and they were separated from the members, there seemed to be no stalker fans following them.

Recently, stalker fans had appeared, so they were careful when the members went around together.

“Are you tired?”

Gijun asked Dojae.

“Yes. A little.”

Even Dojae, who had good stamina, hadn’t slept properly for three days in a row.

His body was bound to feel heavy.

“Hyung [older brother or male friend] must be tired too.”

“Well, I’m probably more tired. I have less stamina than you, and I’m old.”

Dojae, who knew it was Gijun’s style of joke, smiled slightly.

In fact, there wasn’t much age difference, but Heungmin often teased Gijun’s unique lack of energy, calling him old.

However, Dojae and the members knew that Gijun’s lack of energy was because he worked until dawn every day.

In a way, he might have had better stamina than anyone else.

‘He must have done this work alone last year.’

Dojae felt Gijun was amazing again.

He was also grateful for his efforts for the team.

“Around this time last year……”

Just in time, Gijun also thought about last year and started talking.

It was a cold and quiet dawn.

Walking down a deserted street with only the moon hanging alone, Gijun seemed to have become a little sentimental.

“I was very impatient.”

The existence of Kedo, a friend who stood at the starting line with him but started earlier, made Gijun impatient.

He felt like he had to achieve something a little faster.

“I’m not like that anymore. Even though I’m being interfered with in many ways.”

Dojae listened quietly to Gijun’s honest words.

It could be because he had grown steadily and quickly over the past year and achieved sufficient success.

But that wasn’t the only reason.

Unlike Lui, who was born bright, Gijun tended to view the world a little negatively.

Even though he was like that, the fact that he had a positive mind like Lui was probably because his belief in the team called MOST was firmly established.

“I just think we should keep working hard. Of course, we have to work hard and do well.”

Dojae said, raising the corners of his lips.

“I don’t know well, but…. In my opinion.”

“……”

“I think we’re going in the direction we dreamed of. So, I’m not impatient or worried about what’s in front of us. Anyway, we just have to keep walking.”

“Yeah. I guess so.”

Gijun nodded in agreement with Dojae’s words.

The moon felt unusually bright.

And he was a little embarrassed that his younger brother had said these words.

“It’s cold. Let’s go quickly.”

The two hurried toward their dorm.

***

A few days later.

SVS “Gayo Festival” Day.

In the bustling atmosphere of the waiting room, the members gathered their hands.

It was time to go on stage.

“We can do it!”