Becoming An Idol Wasn’T On My Plan [EN]: Chapter 102

102.

Unlike the year-end music stages of the three major broadcasting stations, this BMW event didn’t overlap with any other award ceremonies. Perhaps because it was the BMW show that even people who weren’t deeply interested in idols might watch at least once, college students who had finished their final exams gathered in their rooms, lazing around and turning on the TV to watch BMW. Similarly, Ji Dong-hwa’s fan, whose ‘deokjil’ [the act of intensely supporting a celebrity or idol] combat power had reached its peak with the end of the semester today, infiltrated her friend’s room and took over the TV.

“Hey, seriously. Why did you leave your TV at home and come all the way here to cause a ruckus?”

“I can’t scream when my mom is next to me. And it’s the first time I’ve come out as a ‘deok’ [fan] to my college friend, so please have mercy.”

She was resolute. She had wanted to go to the venue but failed. To scream to her heart’s content, she had no choice but to buy a whole chicken and come to her friend’s house.

On TV, the entrances were in progress. As rookies, they would have been assigned an early spot, so they would be out soon. She quickly set up the chicken, appeasing her friend’s complaints, turned on SNS on her phone, and knelt down humbly.

She, who had been bound by the shackles of exam period, was now liberated and ready to head to the utopia called Ji Dong-hwa.

The TV showed commercials for a while. Her friend, eating chicken, was about to ask the serious Ji Dong-hwa fan if she was crazy, but the seriousness was beyond her expectations, so she closed her mouth. Soon after, the commercials ended, and Blossoms’ entrance began. Munching on chicken, the friend, who didn’t even know what Blossoms was because Ji Dong-hwa’s fan wasn’t the type to do real-life 영업 (promotion), watched TV.

‘Wow, they’re all so handsome.’

She was thinking so comfortably when she suddenly gasped as Ji Dong-hwa, who got out of the car last, was zoomed in on.

The close-up of Ji Dong-hwa’s decadent face. She almost suffered a fatal blow.

“…Hey, who’s that? He’s amazing.”

The friend carefully turned her head and asked Ji Dong-hwa’s fan. But, unfortunately, there was no answer.

Ji Dong-hwa’s fan was so focused on the screen that she even forgot to breathe. And 3 seconds later, still with her eyes fixed on the TV, she roared.

“I didn’t get to see this! At the venue! My! Damn! Life!”

Even so, her hands quickly uploaded a post to SNS. N years into ‘deokjil’ [fangirling], it was a natural movement of her thumb.

Sighing as she watched, her friend turned her eyes back to the TV. This time, a scene of him walking and smiling with tears in his eyes as he looked to the side. She gasped again. The atmosphere, the atmosphere was overwhelming. In the falling snow, a decadent yet handsome man was doing that.

“Ah, Ji Dong-hwa is the hope of the idol world. All humans are destined to ‘deokjil’ [stan] Ji Dong-hwa. Seriously, he’s a star. Fucking, the universe is going to help Ji Dong-hwa.”

Ji Dong-hwa’s fan muttered as if chanting a spell. The madness of a college student who has finished the semester is truly amazing.

And then came the interview.

— Dong-hwa! Which part of your body are you most confident in? As an idol, what part of your body are you confident in!

She almost burst into tears at the sight of Ji Dong-hwa tilting his head slightly as if he couldn’t understand the question. So fucking cute.

— Well, my brain, I guess.

— Pardon?

— I think my brain is somewhat presentable.

“…Is he, like, a bit of a 4D character?” [A term for someone with an eccentric or unpredictable personality]

Her friend muttered and chuckled. Who in the world would talk about their brain when asked about their confident body part? Does he literally mean he’s a ‘brainiac’?

“Yeah, highly developed intelligence is indistinguishable from madness.”

That’s the ‘deokjil’ [stanning] point, she muttered quietly.

“Hey, that’s going to be circulating as a meme on the internet.”

“I’m already writing a draft of a 영업 (promotion) post.”

As soon as it’s over, she’s going home to edit the photos. As a side note, since they weren’t the only ones who thought this way, there’s a rumor that Ji Dong-hwa’s appearance and unique remarks even made it into a small article.

* * *

The BMW event, which officially opened its doors, only assigned a stage to about 5 rookie teams who debuted this year. Even then, the individual stage time was only about 2 minutes.

In the waiting area for performers set up on one side of the awards ceremony, I’m watching the stage. The opening stage was set up by the person who won the competition program that was popular in the middle of this year. I didn’t watch the program, but I’ve heard the song, so I quietly enjoyed the stage.

Of course, my body is still not in the best condition, but thanks to the medicine, I probably look fine on the outside.

As soon as that stage ended, along with the MCs’ welcome greetings, the awards that no one would be curious about began. It’s an award called Global something, which is selected based on overseas influence, so it seemed easy to manipulate. Perhaps it’s an intention to save face for someone among the performers.

“Come to think of it, it’s amazing that Dong-hwa’s name is on the composer award list.”

I nodded. I wrote two of our songs, but Jun-seong’s influence in writing the songs seems to have contributed significantly to getting my name on the list of nominees. Other people’s works are also great, so I don’t think I’ll win. I just hope I can receive the Rookie Award as a result of my efforts.

As I was enjoying the stage, the call sign dropped. It was time for a joint performance and individual performances of the rookies, grouped as ‘Rookies of the Year’.

We carefully entered the backstage waiting room. Because of the order of this stage, I first received a school uniform.

“Wow, even if I see it again, I can’t get used to Dong-hwa 형 (older brother/male) wearing a school uniform.”

Lee Hyun-jae said, wearing a white silk shirt as his stage costume. Does he mean I look old? Personally, it’s been about 10 years since I wore a school uniform, so I’m also very unfamiliar with it.

“When 형 (older brother/male) wears a school uniform… what should I say, it’s like he’s playing the brain role in a circle that appears in a boy’s comic.”

That means I look like a delinquent, Hyun-jae. I smiled slightly, recalling the memory of deeply exploring delinquents in the past.

“Anyway, just slack off on stage, 형 (older brother/male). With your current appearance, I think they’ll see it as a concept?”

You have a great talent for saying crazy things without a care, Hyun-jae. You might as well say it’s possible to go back in time… um, it is possible.

Anyway, I appreciate your concern, but I can’t slack off on a stage that many people interested in the music industry watch, given the nature of the awards ceremony. It’s a stage where I have to do my best to pretend to slack off, though.

* * *

A pre-recorded BMW VCR is played.

Ji Dong-hwa and Seok-jun walk in wearing school uniforms with a few backup dancers. Ji Dong-hwa is wearing his school uniform properly and wearing glasses without lenses, and Seok-jun threw away his jacket and wore a hoodie.

On the other side, the members of God A came with about three backup dancers wearing the same school uniforms. When they met in the middle, Yoon Seong-ho smiled kindly with a candy in his mouth.

“Our Blossoms! Long time no see!”

Ji Dong-hwa responds with a blank expression.

“Please be quiet, God A. Are we in a position to greet each other?”

“That’s true too! Because we have to compete to see who’s the Rookie of the Year!”

Yoon Seong-ho, who had been smiling kindly as if he went to church, suddenly became serious and gestured behind him. The other members and backup dancers slowly walked out and stood in a line.

At that, Ji Dong-hwa nodded once without a word, and the backup dancers walked forward.

The phrase ‘Fighter’ appears on the screen, and soon the screen switches to the stage.

The beat that Ji Dong-hwa exchanged for his life to almost create anew resounds heavily, and in the center, the members of Blossoms and God A, still facing each other, are caught in one scene.

First, Yoon Seong-ho. He opens his mouth somewhere between singing and rapping.

Uh? Hello. I don’t need advice, just give me money.

Uh? Still not gone. I don’t have time to hear those words.

Yoon Seong-ho, who smiled kindly and put his hands together politely when he said the first line, glares at the camera with a cold expression when he asks if they’re still not gone. It’s an expression that Ji Dong-hwa strongly insisted on putting in after exploring in-depth the theory of delinquents.

Following is Seok-jun’s rap part.

Maybe, Maybe, I don’t understand, someone says I’m crazy when they see me

Blah, Blah, I understand, I’m tired of looking at the top from under the mountain

Seok-jun looks up and back, then rubs the back of his neck in a sly manner as if his neck hurts.

I’m the Top, (on the Top), get on here, (climb on)

Hold on tight if you want to be like me, I’m a bit rough, ptooey

The lyrics are about how I’m the best here. Ji Dong-hwa personally wanted to change all the lyrics, but he stopped because he knew that it would be said that it was not respect for his seniors.

Even so, Seok-jun scatters his 날티 (delinquent vibe) here and there, unlike his usual self, and dances with the other three members, then grabs the camera and turns it to the back.

Ji Dong-hwa walks out expressionlessly between the two lines of backup dancers. As he walks out slowly, step by step, with an expression that still exudes decadence, the beat is simplified, and on top of it, a voice with an attractive tone is added.

Someone else barks again, living like that, falling behind in the world, they say

So I bark, I’d rather fight the world and die, I say

Ji Dong-hwa stands in the middle of the backup dancers with a perfect blank expression as if he has no emotions. He looked like a young chairman leading people in a suit, not a school uniform.

You didn’t know, we live like the moths to a flame

Do you understand, we get angrier the more we do, like

Ji Dong-hwa sings, changes his blank expression to a look of contempt as if he’s annoyed, walks forward, strokes Yoon Seong-ho’s head once, and stands next to him.

The moment the formation is finally completed,

We, are, Fighter.

The short sentence drops word by word, and a dull beat and exciting synth sound flow. The beat, which would have been grand and majestic, was transformed into a delinquent march by Ji Dong-hwa’s touch.

Changing the color while borrowing only the framework of the existing beat was annoying and cumbersome, but Ji Dong-hwa and the A&R team stayed up all night to complete it.

Performing a free-spirited dance in a formation centered on Yoon Seong-ho required as much practice as performing a perfectly coordinated dance.

Then, Lee Ji-hyun and Ho-yeon’s rap parts continue for 4 bars each, and when everyone crouches down, Yoon Seong-ho gets up alone. He scratches the back of his neck with a pure smile.

Who opens their mouth saying they know me better, please Shut the (Um—) because it’s noisy

I know myself better, so mind your own business, if you’re going to use it, please, Gimme that (Money—)

And when the camera zooms in on Yoon Seong-ho’s shoulder, Ji Dong-hwa flicks Yoon Seong-ho’s head with his fingertips from the side and takes the camera away. Then, Seok-jun puts his arm around Ji Dong-hwa’s neck and tries to come out with him, but he pushes his hand away again as if he’s annoyed.

Ji Dong-hwa licks his lips with his tongue once in the ending screen and sings the last part.

We, are, (Um—)

After spitting out only two words and turning around, the other members start fighting for the camera, and Ji Dong-hwa looks at them with a pathetic look, and the first unit stage is finished.

* * *

After finishing the stage and coming down, I almost lost strength in my legs, but I endured it for now. Yoon Seong-ho supported me from the side as I staggered for a moment and let out a small scream.

“Why, what’s wrong? Are you hurt, Dong-hwa?”

I couldn’t react much to Yoon Seong-ho’s careful question. Literally, I had no strength.

“형 (older brother/male)—nim, how about you take a break for a while.”

Seok-jun ran up from the side and moved as if to carry me on his back, but I just put my hand on his shoulder and walked.

The last stage of the beginning is still left. I can’t collapse, so I have to endure it somehow.

“It’s okay, let’s go to the waiting room first.”

Considering the time to change clothes, there’s not much time left.