Becoming An Idol Wasn’T On My Plan [EN]: Chapter 130

130.

In late April, as the cold weather subsided and the warmth of spring was in full bloom, Chae Ha-min was smiling brightly in the car heading to the broadcasting station.

“Dong-hwa, your hair looks really good. The more I look at it, the prettier it is!”

“…Yeah.”

Because dyeing my hair was confirmed during the preparation of the new album, I had to wear a hat and hoodie whenever I went out to hide my hair for a while. Thanks to the concept film being released yesterday, I can finally reveal my hair. Freedom.

This time, only Ryu Yi-deun has black hair, and the rest of the members have dyed their hair. Although it’s less than Chae Ha-min’s pink, my gray hair is also quite striking. There are records of hair dyeing in ancient Egypt around 3200 BC, but I wonder if it was this painful back then.

“Ah, it was so funny when Dong-hwa asked with a straight face, ‘Is it physically possible to endure this pain?’ while getting his hair dyed.”

“That’s right—, Yi-deun hyung-nim [older brother], you— endured it so well, but only in words. I— have never seen hyung-nim show— that he’s in pain on the outside.”

Unfortunately, it really hurt, you bastards. At that time, I thought an Italian artisan was practicing sewing on my scalp.

“Ah, but it feels kind of new. Even though it’s a mini-album, it’s already our third album… and it’s been a while since we’ve gone to promote a song like this.”

Come to think of it, the broadcast where I met Simba-ssi [Mr. Simba] is airing today. Compared to the other members, I have too many scenes that will be edited out, so I think it will focus on the other members.

“Idol Workshop, it’s a pretty big place, but I didn’t expect them to call us alone.”

At Ryu Yi-deun’s words, Lee Hyun-jae thinks for a moment as if running statistics, and then opens his mouth.

“Among the rookies, we and God-A are the ones who survived, but our scores are much better… These days, the way music sites select songs has changed, so it’s difficult to chart, but we went up to the 40s with Cloudy Blue, right? Of course, it doesn’t mean that many fans have increased.”

“But it doesn’t feel real, does it? Hyun-jae, do you remember? When the TOT hyungs [older brothers/seniors] went on Idol Workshop, we gathered in the practice room and said, ‘Wow, hyungs must have succeeded.'”

“I remember. Looking at it now, it seems like that’s not an indicator of success. Seeing us appear on it.”

“Hey, have confidence, Hyun-jae. Still, it’s too early for a complete rookie to go on……”

Chae Ha-min and I have memories that we can’t relate to, so I should stay still.

“Is that place that big?”

“Yeah, I wanted to come here when I was a trainee, Dong-hwa. Didn’t you watch Idol Workshop?”

At Chae Ha-min’s words, I nodded. Recently, I occasionally watch TV with the members to learn what kind of music is coming out and how to act on TV, but in my previous life, TV was just a decoration at home.

“Really, I can’t believe I spent my trainee life with you. You know too little about the idol ecosystem for a trainee, really!”

He even knows the word ‘ecosystem,’ how admirable. But at the playful rebuke, a question I had put in my head suddenly popped out. I had pondered and asked about the big questions about Gisaeng [his system/AI assistant], but unlike those, this was a question that I had put off for a while because it was not important.

‘Logically, is that possible? If I had opened up the possibility at that point in the past, my memories should have changed from that moment as well.’

I smiled at Chae Ha-min once and lay down as if I was tired, calling Gisaeng in my mind.

Gisaeng, explain.

Dding—!

[I don’t like that you use me like a slave, just like him!]

Explain.

[Surprisingly, I spent about 3 years training an artificial intelligence with your behavior patterns and thought patterns to observe the aftermath of twisting the possibility and put it into the experiment! It’s nothing, so don’t worry.]

Okay, I understand. That crazy human, he really treated me like a slave.

[Don’t you like it?]

Quite a bit.

[That’s me! A common point between us, who are different and the same!]

I’m not interested in sentimental sounds, Gisaeng.

[Me neither! Another common point. It’s really fateful! However, if it flows according to the current possibility, there is a possibility that you will pour out sentimental sounds yourself!]

……Ha, nonsense. Except for when I reconciled with Mok-hwa, I have no record of acting ‘sentimentally’.

Anyway, the possibility of me becoming an idol trainee was 0, so it became like that because you forcibly executed it.

“…But, hyung-nim, can I ask why— you became a trainee?”

Seok-joon asks very carefully. He seems worried that it might be difficult to talk about.

I made an excuse to Lee Hyun-jae before that I didn’t remember because of amnesia, but looking at the way I’ve shown Mok-hwa and the members so far, it would be reasonable to say that my memories have almost returned. Also, Chae Ha-min and Ryu Yi-deun were happy to see me and said that my memories seemed to have almost returned.

Should I just make up something, a reason?

“I started because I enjoyed listening to idol music and composing.”

Yeah, let’s do that. The simpler it is, the fewer questions arise. The reasonable question, ‘If that’s the case, why not be a composer?’ will be appropriately sealed in front of the unfortunate story of amnesia and the abstract concept of dreams.

“Oh! Hyung-nim! That’s cool! You’re a genius composer after all!”

“Come to think of it, Dong-hwa used to report monthly evaluations with his own songs, right? I was really amazed at that time, how can he compose so well and be confident in the songs he made.”

That’s not me, Ha-min. That’s an artificial intelligence that has learned my behavior patterns.

[Even if you were in the same situation as that artificial intelligence, the probability that you would have acted like that is 99.984%, and the remaining 0.016% is the probability that you would be so absorbed in composing that you would not be able to enter the monthly evaluation! Of course, the probability that you would have become a trainee of your own free will in a naturally twisted environment is 0.000032%!]

……Quiet, Gisaeng. I feel anger and gratitude for you at the same time.

* * *

I don’t know how big Idol Workshop is, but I’ve studied the general information.

It is a long-running program of about 3 years with Yesung, an entertainer from an actor, and Hyesung, a comedian, who are called the Double Stars, as MCs [Masters of Ceremony/Hosts].

……I’m probably the only one who knows that a star system in which two stars orbit together is called a binary star, so let’s stay still.

Anyway, this program, which has been running for 3 years, is named ‘Idol Workshop’ in the sense that the two MCs bring out the hidden talents and abilities of idols.

In addition, this is something I just learned through Lee Hyun-jae’s explanation, but it also functions as a place for those who enjoy idol culture to find someone to ‘stan’ [support/be a fan of].

So, it would be nice to film it enjoyably and fun if possible.

I think I know myself well. At least I’m not a funny person, so I think it’ll be okay if I smile as much as possible and react enthusiastically. Like listening to Mok-hwa.

As I was determined to do so, I arrived at the broadcasting station.

“Ah, everyone, there will be a lot of people from the broadcasting station in the waiting room, so please! Be careful what you say and don’t break down too much. Got it?”

The road manager asks before getting off. Why do you bother to ask about something obvious?

I went into the waiting room for filming and was getting my hair fixed when it happened.

Knock, knock, the door opened abruptly after a short knock.

“Welcome to Idol Workshop!”

A loud shout from someone presumed to be Yesung-ssi [Mr. Yesung].

Ryu Yi-deun put the kimbap [Korean seaweed rice rolls] he was eating on the desk as if throwing it and jumped up from his seat.

“Hello, sunbaenim [senior/respected colleague]! I’ve been a fan since the movie ‘Walking to the Wilderness’.”

He fixes his face straight ahead and spits out the prepared greetings, while turning his hand behind his back to signal everyone to gather. I feel like I’ve witnessed the extreme of multitasking that humans can do.

In response to the signal, everyone gathers and greets him, and Yesung-ssi shudders as if burdened and waves his hand to tell us to sit comfortably.

“Oh, the spirit is good, good. It’s been a while since I’ve seen a baby group that hasn’t even debuted for a year, so I’m overwhelmed. Everyone, sit down, I’ll give you a briefing on today’s filming.”

As I moved my steps at Yesung’s guidance, I felt a sense of doubt. …Does the main MC usually guide how to film the program?

“Blossence friends, nice to meet you! I’m 32 years old, still cute and adorable Yesung. Blossence friends, can you introduce yourselves one by one?”

Goodness, why bother mentioning your age to double your shame. In addition, the index finger on the puffed-up cheeks and lips, spitting out the word ‘cute and adorable’, caught my eye and made even the viewer feel ashamed.

The other members seemed to have similar thoughts, except for Ryu Yi-deun, they all had embarrassed expressions.

“I’m 22 years old, Muscle Cutie Yi-deun.”

You crazy bastard, don’t do it. Don’t make such bizarre words, don’t shout such things proudly. The manager clearly told you to keep your dignity.

“I, I’m 21 years old, Gi, Giant Rabbit Ha-min!”

As Chae Ha-min struggled to finish, Yesung and Yi-deun’s eyes turned to me. I can feel Ryu Yi-deun’s strong will that you can do it. ……Damn it, social life.

“I’m, 21 years old, a composing machine Dong-hwa.”

“Hey! Again! Again! It wasn’t embarrassing enough!”

Yesung-ssi shouts viciously in a voice like a philosopher who is dissatisfied with society. What is this anyway? Why are you doing this?

“You have to be embarrassed enough in the waiting room to be able to fly high when you enter the workshop! It’s a rehearsal, so again!”

The training method is very spartan. Are you about to be pushed back into the annals of history by Rome?

“Dong-hwa hyung [older brother], let’s do Ice Prince.”

…Are you seriously mentally ill, Yi-deun.

“Ice Prince! I like it, hyung-nim!”

Shut up, I don’t like it, Jun.

“21 years old, Ice, Prince, Dong-hwa.”

At that moment, laughter erupts from everywhere. Those who know my usual appearance are laughing quite violently. The members were whispering that they were sorry that they couldn’t leave it as a video.

[I’m disappointed! I don’t do such things!]

Don’t come out before I call you, you damn Gisaeng. Since I did it, you did it too.

What is life anyway? Why do humans exist? Many thoughts flashed through my mind in that short time.

Damn idol, it’s not bad to be with Luminus.

“Oh, your ears are a little red to be an Ice Prince. In that sense, one more time with cute and adorable!”

I looked at Yesung-ssi. Eyes full of requests to stop, I said ‘Please.’ with my lips, and he laughed again and moved on to another person.

After such a stormy self-introduction, I was a little dumbfounded to hear that there was no need to introduce myself like this inside. So it wasn’t even a practice, then, why did you do it?

Hoo, it’s a relief that it wasn’t left as a video.