Becoming An Idol Wasn’T On My Plan [EN]: Chapter 45

45.

As the music video starts, a deep blue hue spreads across the screen.

Over it, the words ‘Cloudy Blue’ are written in white.

As the camera zooms out, a single blue eye is revealed, followed by Lee Hyunjae’s face.

Lee Hyunjae, who had been staring straight ahead, gently closes his eyes, and the screen transitions to a close-up of Ji Donghwa sitting in the same location as in the concept photo.

At that moment, a sensual synth sound flows out, as if fantastical creatures are riding waves around Ji Donghwa.

Ji Donghwa smiles slightly and opens his mouth, his voice spreading like a whisper or a hum.

The whisper of the waves, the scents of blue

We met in the gap of the bright blue clouds

Swimming together in the sea above the sky

Oh, In the Cloudy Blue

The song pauses briefly, and only the sound of crashing waves echoes.

As Ji Donghwa closes and opens his eyes once, the blue screen sweeps past like a wave, as if the camera also closed and opened its eyes.

Then, Ji Donghwa is sitting on a chair in the sky, looking up at the sea visible above his head.

And as Ji Donghwa gets up from his seat, he plunges into the sea above.

The screen transitions, and an intense beat flows out, with the earlier synth creating a dreamy yet refreshing atmosphere.

The other four members poke and prod Ji Donghwa, who is lying down, checking if he is alive.

The members, who had been quietly watching Ji Donghwa as he flinches and wakes up, take him somewhere.

And with that, the song begins.

The whisper of the waves, the scents of blue

We met in the gap of the bright blue clouds

Swimming together in the sea above the sky

Oh, In the Cloudy Blue

The members walk through the sea where clouds flow and arrive at a ruined castle. Lee Hyunjae carefully leads the bewildered Ji Donghwa.

Ryu Iden freely walks along the ruined castle walls, and the members follow him from below.

The surrounding atmosphere is fantastical yet somehow chilly and desolate, like a world after its demise.

Ryu Iden, sitting on a half-destroyed throne, playfully smirks.

Then, a bright light fills the space, and golden light begins to flow subtly through the blue.

A refreshing yet dreamy synth is placed on the drums like waves, creating an exciting atmosphere.

Ryu Iden playfully lies on the throne, moving the beams of light around and singing.

The only blue thing in this gray world

We are the only ones who can understand each other

And the scene transitions, and Chae Hamin stands on the sea, looking at the sky and singing.

The boundary between morning and night, above the cloudy waves,

Everything below is black, only us

Lee Hyunjae sits alone at a small table floating in the sky, singing in a clear voice.

Cloudy Blue – Blending into each other

Everything else is hidden by the clouds

Cloudy Blue – We are one now

Will you stay with me, on this crumbling castle?

Seokjun sits alone on a boat, with birds on his shoulders and head. Behind him, a whale spouts water.

The atmosphere, which had been heightened by Lee Hyunjae’s pre-chorus, disappears, leaving only the synth. In the bouncy synth, Seokjun sings the hook in a low voice.

Blue – Only us in the ruined world

But – Ignore everything else

Bloom – The sea where clouds bloom

Bet – Forever with just us (Shh-)

Seokjun raises his index finger to his lips, and the music stops briefly before starting again.

Now, the members live in the ruins, relying on the light emitted by Ryu Iden and the stars.

Amidst the members playfully joking around, scenes of Ji Donghwa alone, detached and watching them, are inserted.

And as the song nears its end, when Seokjun’s hook flows out with Lee Hyunjae’s ad-libs,

The members are talking to each other before one by one lying down and falling asleep in a space filled with only blue light.

As everyone falls asleep, Lee Hyunjae walks out alone.

And it is revealed that Ji Donghwa is pretending to sleep and watching Lee Hyunjae.

And the screen zooms in on Lee Hyunjae, and the moment Lee Hyunjae tightly closes his eyes, the screen fills with blue again, and the MV ends.

* * *

While monitoring the released music video together during the last practice session the day before the showcase, I thought.

‘…How much money did they pour into this?’

It wasn’t much when we were filming. Honestly, it was shabby. The scene where I fall into the sky was actually just me sitting upside down on a chair with a mechanical device and then falling.

After adding CG [computer graphics] in post-production, a dreamy and refreshing yet somehow precarious scene was completed.

As the MV ends, everyone claps and starts chattering about how beautiful the visuals are.

Then Seokjun suddenly asks.

“But—what is our music video—about?”

“The story writer said they threw away the story they had been working on after listening to your song lyrics, right? Donghwa, did you hear anything about it?”

Actually… I don’t really know either. It’s not a story I wrote myself, so how would I know? However.

“…It feels like a story about me entering Hyunjae’s mind.”

I don’t know much about visual aesthetics, but isn’t that screen a representation of Lee Hyunjae’s inner self?

“Oh, why do you think so, Donghwa hyung [older brother/male friend]?”

“…In the first scene, there’s a continuous scene of closing eyes.”

The act of closing the eyes and then transitioning the scene is commonly used as a technique to show the camera being absorbed into that field of vision.

So in that video, Hyunjae and I were facing each other, and after that, me falling into the sky symbolizes entering Lee Hyunjae’s inner world, right?

“Then Donghwa, why are Iden hyung and Junnie in Hyunjae’s inner world?”

“…I don’t know either.”

Since they said at the last production meeting that the story would continue like a series with each album, we’ll know more if we watch the videos that come out later.

After sharing a few more stories about the music video, Ryu Iden wraps up the atmosphere.

“Alright! Let’s practice one last time and go up, guys!”

* * *

About an hour left until the press showcase.

Lee Hyunjae and Chae Hamin huddle together, their hands trembling.

“…Hyung, I’m so nervous.”

I handed Lee Hyunjae a ginseng tea with honey.

“…Considering the amount of practice, it seems like it would be harder to make a mistake.”

I pour a cup for Chae Hamin as well.

“I know, but I was nervous when I was on the survival stage, but it can’t be compared.”

Chae Hamin mutters, holding the warm tea tightly in both hands.

“…I think we’re debuting, we really are.”

Then Ryu Iden, who had been listening to the schedule from the staff, says.

“Guys, I told you about the weird sound source during the rehearsal, and we only need to look at the list of expected questions from the reporters one more time.”

…I’m sorry, but I’ve already memorized that, puppy. Just in case, even yours.

While the members are focusing on the reporters’ questions, I turn my eyes to look at Seokjun.

Seokjun was wearing earphones and closing his eyes alone, but suddenly he opened his eyes wide and started crying.

No, what is it, what the heck.

I blankly stared at him and poured a cup of ginseng tea and handed it to him.

“Thank―, hic, you.”

“…Why are you crying?”

“Because we’re debuting together, sudde―nly, hic.”

…What are you talking about.

“In my dream―, hic, in my dream.”

I silently sat next to him and gently patted him. Then, he calmed down and quietly opened his mouth.

“Hyungnim [term of respect],―”

“Yeah.”

“I just― had a dream―, that I was debut―ing with someo―ne different―.”

…Hmm, similar to a fragment of possibility.

“…Is that so?”

“I’m so―, so happy― that I can debut― with the curre―nt members―.”

“…Okay.”

Then Seokjun smiles transparently.

I pushed Seokjun’s back to get his makeup fixed.

…The emotion lingering in Seokjun’s eyes just now was definitely a sense of relief.

I called Gijisaeng.

‘Gijisaeng, is it possible to see one’s other possibilities through dreams?’

[It is possible, and rather, that is more common.]

…Ha, was there someone with serious personality problems among the survival participants?

* * *

The MMS Entertainment Newsroom was incredibly busy due to Blue Jack and High Six’s comeback.

However, reporter Shin Minsoo came out today to attend the showcase of a rookie group called Blossence.

‘Ha… I wanted to go to Blue Jack. My precious views…….’

“Well, now that I’m here, I need to ask about something that will be an issue.”

He enters the venue, sits in his assigned seat, and examines the stage.

“Oh, they spent some money.”

A tea set and table are floating in the sky, and remnants of ruins fill the stage surroundings.

It’s not easy to spend money on a stage that won’t even be broadcast properly, so it seems like the agency has decided to push them.

‘Spending money on a rookie whose debut overlaps with Blue Jack and High Six… Why would they do that.’

Wouldn’t it be better to aim for the next album and end their activities early?

‘Come to think of it, they’re doing a lot of viral marketing too. I wonder if it will work out.’

As the start time approaches, the venue lights dim, and a video that appears to be a music video begins on the screen above the stage.

‘…What, why is the song good.’

It’s a subtly exciting song somewhere between dreamy and refreshing. Rather than a bursting feeling, it was music that was good to listen to while slowly driving along the beach at one in the summer night.

Especially when the hook composed of synth lines and sing-rap flows in the middle, the rhythm comes alive and is addictive.

He quickly scans the album information sent in advance to check who the composer is.

Ji Donghwa? Wait… If it’s Ji Donghwa, it’s a self-composed song. Furthermore, there were no prominent names other than Ji Donghwa in the arrangement.

‘The visuals too, no, how much money did they spend?’

Shin Minsoo quickly played with his fingers on the typewriter.

[Blossence, a declaration of intent with a self-composed song]

The rookie Blossence, who is a hot topic, has declared their intention to enter the music industry. (Omitted)

As the fantastic and precarious fairy tale-like video ends, the members come up and greet.

“to be Blooming, Hello, we are Blossence.”

They turn their hands once like flowers and bow their heads.

Amidst the unique indifferent reaction of the press showcase, only the sound of camera shutters echoes.

The members say their prepared remarks and then immediately stand in stage formation.

As Ji Donghwa stands in the center and the other members surround him, they look like they are nestled snugly in the clouds because of their white outfits.

As the stage begins, Ji Donghwa leans on the members and slowly lies back.

The whisper of the waves, the scents of blue

We met in the gap of the bright blue clouds

Swimming together in the sea above the sky

Oh, In the Cloudy Blue

‘Oh, the tone is crazy. Is that Ji Donghwa?’

The members move their bodies as if flowing with Ji Donghwa’s voice, moving as if clouds are billowing.

Ji Donghwa smiles languidly while lying halfway on the cloud.

An choreography that relies on each other or leans on each other in the middle. The sensual lines in it add a luxurious feel.

‘…Overall, it’s a soft and wave-like choreography. It looks easy to mess up, but they do it well… Especially him, Chae Hamin.’

The choreography of standing in a diagonal formation in order of height and sequentially riding the waves was reminiscent of crashing waves.

And at the end, Ryu Iden, who rode the wave, comes to the center, takes Seokjun’s hand, leans his body forward, and sings. The other members use their hands to shape wings. It looked like Ryu Iden was floating in the sky.

The only blue thing in this gray world

We are the only ones who can understand each other

After that, the atmosphere is heightened by Lee Hyunjae’s high notes. Just when it seems like something is about to explode, the song leaves only the synth, making the feeling pure.

Blue – Only us in the ruined world

But – Ignore everything else

Bloom – The sea where clouds bloom

The members ride the rhythm to the synth, then one by one cover their eyes with their right hands and look at the ceiling. And when Seokjun stands alone in the center.

Bet – Forever with just us (Shh-)

He puts his index finger to his lips and nods his head once. The remaining members drop their hands and bow their heads deeply as the still young but bold-featured face makes a shushing sound and smiles. It was as if they were asleep.

And when the song flows out again, they lift their heads, look at each other, smile brightly, and continue the stage excitedly again.

And when Seokjun’s hook finally explodes with Lee Hyunjae’s ad-libs at the end of the song, the members gather with Lee Hyunjae in the middle and lean on each other, falling asleep as if drowsy. Only Lee Hyunjae looks straight ahead and smiles quietly.

‘The lyrics… are not bad in their own way.’

We gather and become the only blue existence to rely on in the gray city… It feels closer to friendship than love.

As befitting a press showcase, a small applause flowed out as if there was no applause.

‘…But it seems a little louder than usual.’

* * *

‘The reaction is terribly unresponsive, as I’ve heard.’

I caught my breath after finishing the stage.

If I hadn’t heard Junseong say not to worry because a lack of reaction at the press showcase doesn’t mean the stage was ruined, I wouldn’t have been able to adapt.

‘…I want to show it to the fans soon.’

…I used to hate being on stage, but now I want to show it ‘soon’.

…I’ve changed too.