Becoming An Idol Wasn’T On My Plan [EN]: Chapter 86

86.

Two days before the comeback, I spoke with Yoon Sung-ho on the phone, and it seems the situation isn’t too bad. Yoon Sung-ho’s voice is also a bit brighter than before, so I guess his relationship with the other members in the group has improved somewhat.

The entertainment industry has been shaken by a drug scandal due to the small list I initiated, but it’s something that was bound to happen eventually. So, instead of worrying about that, the priority is to successfully wrap up the upcoming comeback showcase.

Every day is spent practicing dancing and singing the same song until dawn. It’s tough, but this kind of focused peace is always welcome, so it’s okay.

“Hey, Dong-hwa hyung, Reminia sunbaenims’ [senior artists] group, who are overlapping with our comeback this time, has been turned upside down.”

I search my mind through the familiar name. Hmm, those are the people who sang “Genie” during the second survival competition.

“…Why?”

I can guess, though.

“The most popular member of that team, Seo Ji-eun sunbae, wasn’t on the list… you know the rumors, right?”

I see. It’s the responsibility of choice. They must be standing at a crossroads, either becoming beings who move forward by taking responsibility or becoming weak by avoiding it. Unfortunately, it’s the price they paid for their mistakes, so I don’t feel guilty.

“Besides Reminia sunbaenims, other teams are also affected, so our comeback season is a bit less crowded.”

Hmm, I don’t understand exactly what that means, but I can tell from his bright expression that it’s a good thing.

It seems that the misfortune of others becoming our joy is a logic that works even in the entertainment industry.

“…It wasn’t intentional.”

“Hey, that’s not why I said that. I just thought we might be able to get first place this time. So, let’s decide on a pledge in advance. Let’s not have something happen like last time.”

Ryu Iden wears a blissful expression as if the dream he’s dreaming is playing out before his eyes. It doesn’t look good, and I don’t want to sympathize.

“Don’t get your hopes up for nothing.”

Expectations only serve as the basis for betrayal and disappointment. My life proves that living with pessimism is more rational than harboring hope.

Then Chae Ha-min runs up to me, hands me a bottle of water, and playfully taps my shoulder.

“Still, wouldn’t it be okay to decide on a first-place pledge, Dong-hwa? Even if it’s getting our hopes up for nothing, it’s okay if we’re having fun. Luminous [Blossence’s fan base] would like it too, right?”

The surprisingly optimistic and hopeful rabbit-like guy made a cheerful sound. …Hmm, I guess so. I was persuaded by Chae Ha-min’s words, which is embarrassing.

“Then, what kind of pledge?”

* * *

Blossence’s official SNS [Social Networking Service] was already buzzing due to the release of concept photos.

Even though the entertainment industry was burning like the world was collapsing, the SNS announcements were much more important to fans who weren’t very interested in entertainment news other than Blossence’s comeback at this point.

Official_Blossence

D―2, Snake in Me, Concept Photo Preview.

(Ryu Iden cut. Sitting on a half-collapsed throne, ignoring the snake.)

(Ji Dong-hwa cut. Lying down wearing only a jacket, with a black snake crawling on his neck.)

(Chae Ha-min cut. Sitting on the ruins of a building floating in the sky, facing the biggest snake on the set.)

(Seok-jun cut. Running away from the snake while holding a white hamster in his arms.)

(Lee Hyun-jae cut. Sitting alone in an empty lot with no snakes, blankly looking at the sea-like sky.)

If the concept photo for the 1st album was blue, the concept photo for the 2nd album, ‘Snake in Me,’ leaned more towards gray. Snakes, a touch of smoky eye makeup, and flowing costumes were stimulating fans’ imaginations.

FlowerLifeBet

―Ji Dong-hwa… you… that… wearing only a jacket… not buttoning it up? I’m going to cry, really… Gather all the button-up squad…

RoomNutAllGather

└I’m sorry, but can you understand my desire to see a slightly more exposed look?

SnowdropInSummer

―I… I liked snakes… I realized today for the first time that a reptile breeder is my ideal type, really…

LonelyNight

└Condition) A rabbit-like man who looks like he’s about to be eaten by a snake but is strangely eye-catching = Since it’s impossible, I’m destined to stan [support] Ha-min for life

RighteousAndGood

―Iden-ah, you’re arrested under some law and have to live in that outfit forever ㅜㅜ I’m so happy that it’s a life sentence!!

FoxEntertainmentConquestGi

―…Seductive fox… seductive flower boys… I still think refreshing is more fitting… seducing me so intensely…

And so on, fans continued to shed tears over the teasers and concept photos.

In the midst of such festive days, a post was uploaded to the official account.

Official_Blossence

―What would be a good first-place pledge? Let’s decide with Luminous! (Smiling rabbit)

…It was a post where a cheerful voice seemed to echo in the text.

Fans began to debate various ideas through their respective communities and social media accounts.

―Honestly, whatever we do, it should be something that makes the kids comfortable and doesn’t make them suffer.

└I totally agree… Let’s not make the kids suffer with the pledge!

└Film a vlog of the kids eating at a 5-star hotel restaurant, Nietzsche!

―RoomNuts, a cover dance wearing Wizney [parody of Disney] princess costumes, am I the only one looking forward to it?

└Wow… really… someone who understands… I’m discovering a new taste today…

└At least a Michelin inspector… a master of taste…

―Our Luminous must solemnly demand animal costumes today. Let’s gather at the animal farm.

└(A picture of each person wearing animal headbands at the fan showcase) Blossence, this is an animal farm!

└(A picture of Ji Dong-hwa smiling subtly) Our farm is a bit difficult to manage.

As a matter of course, there were as many pledges as there were fans, so instead of reaching a consensus, Blossence’s worries only grew, but even so, the fans were happy.

However, that was a story limited to fans. Those who never wanted Blossence’s dominance were watching the scene with very disapproving eyes.

―Ah, seriously, every time I see them say something, it’s like they’re several years into their debut. What’s with the pledge? It’s so arrogant and obvious that they only know themselves, which makes me sick.

└I’m sorry, but the comments smell rotten, so please delete them.

―The supernova rookie idol Blossence will not only get 1st place on music shows this time but also show that they’re super talented and break the initial sales record ^^.

└That’s right lol.

└That’s right, that’s right ^^.

―So who is Blossence?

└You’ve been away from the idol scene for at least 6 months!

└ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋNo, who said that if you’re in the idol scene, you’ll definitely know Blossence ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Your pride is amazing…

└The number of haters attached to rookies is number 1, so it’s not easy not to know them in the idol scene!

―I knew it when they were doing media play with Jun-sung ㅅㅂ [swear word].

└I’m a passing timer! When you curse at junior idols, please don’t let my baby’s name be heard, you bastard.

―Humility is a virtue that Rafflesia [corpse flower] should learn ㄹㅇ ㅅㅂ [swear word]. You’d think they’re world-class if you saw them.

For reference, Rafflesia (corpse flower) is a name created by those who saw Blossence being called flower boys to mock them.

While reading the slanderous posts with Lee Hyun-jae, Ji Dong-hwa saw this expression and said with a smile, ‘If they had used that creativity elsewhere, the history of that field would have changed.’

Anyway, in the burning entertainment industry, Blossence was subtly becoming a hot topic, for better or for worse.

* * *

The members gathered in the conference room that is often used to film in-house content at Nietzsche Entertainment’s building. Surrounded by several cameras and many staff members, they were filming something strange today.

‘…Why are we filming an MV reaction?’

We’re the ones appearing in it, though.

To be honest, it’s still overly awkward and embarrassing for my face to be on TV.

Besides… ridiculously, the job of an idol is a job where you inevitably have to do something called ‘facial acting.’

When I see my not-so-handsome face on TV making expressions as if I’m so great, I feel like I want to get rid of the TV. But to film my reaction to watching that and upload it… a huge wave of embarrassment washes over me.

Yes, it’s okay to be swept away, so come like a wave, embarrassment. Let’s endure it for now for the sake of Luminous-nims’ amusement.

“Hello! Luminous! Do you know what we came to film today?”

Ryu Iden starts the proceedings in an unnecessarily cheerful voice.

“That’s right, our 2nd album! The title song of ‘Snake in Me’ is…….”

“It’s the music video reaction for ‘The Last Beginning: the First Last’!”

Lee Hyun-jae named the title song. The fact that he wrote ‘Last Beginning’ in the title and then put it in like a translated word means ‘First Last’, so people who don’t know the inside story might tell you to study English again. In fact, there was talk in the agency about changing it to another title.

However, I didn’t want to change the title because Lee Hyun-jae named it himself.

“The content is slightly connected from the last MV! But actually, we haven’t heard anything about it either.”

Ryu Iden says with a smile.

“In the last one, Dong-hwa woke up at the end, and the MV ended, right?”

“That’s right― Everyone was tired of playing― but Dong-hwa hyung―nim was the on―ly―one― who woke up and it ended.”

And then what follows is probably the same kind of ghost story I saw on the set last time. That incomprehensible piece of paper with the snake written on it.

In that way, we have a conversation among ourselves as if briefly summarizing the contents of the previous music video. Ryu Iden and Chae Ha-min mainly lead the conversations, and when I and Lee Hyun-jae add footnotes, Seok-jun makes nonsense.

“Then, let’s stop talking about the last MV and watch it now?”

Thanks to Lee Hyun-jae’s mediation, we were fortunately able to move on to the next part. Perhaps a significant portion of the conversation in the front will be edited out. And with a large laptop prepared by the company in the middle, we played the music video that has not yet been released anywhere. The logo of Nietzsche Entertainment quietly appeared on the black screen.

“Wow, this is the first time we’re seeing it too, Luminous!”

Chae Ha-min’s cheerful voice. Anyway, this idol job is excessively often the case that even the people involved don’t know what the result will be like. Even before, I didn’t see the actual product of the 1st album until before it was released.

The video that continues with great enthusiasm in front shows a ‘me’ standing still as the black screen splits horizontally and opens up and down. It is a scene that directly follows the last scene of the ‘Cloudy Blue’ MV.

The ‘me’ in the screen gets up from the seat, looks around, sits near a ruin, and closes my eyes.

A black snake subtly crawling out of the ruins, from the cracks in the debris. The snake climbs onto ‘my’ hand and slowly approaches my neck.

“Wow… Dong-hwa, you have a great atmosphere.”

“No, but how did you endure that? It must have been very ticklish.”

Let’s ignore the useless noise.

In the meantime, ‘I’ slowly open my eyes and look at the sky. And ‘Lee Hyun-jae’ approaches such ‘me’ and sits next to me, hugging my knees.

Pause.

Lee Hyun-jae, who stopped the screen, says quietly.

“It was very cold when we filmed that scene. The air conditioner was so strong that my nose was tingling.”

I immediately nod my head. If you look closely, Lee Hyun-jae’s nose is a little red, and it’s all because of that.

“But so what scene is this anyway?”

Ryu Iden mutters with an incomprehensible expression. He doesn’t seem to know well because it’s a scene he didn’t appear in. I guess it’s okay to say about what I roughly guessed. I quickly scan the faces of the staff and immediately open my mouth.

“Maybe… this seems like the backyard.”

As I look at the screen and say that, I hear a sound of deep breathing from the staff side. Hmm? Did someone swallow water wrong?