Becoming An Idol Wasn’T On My Plan [EN]: Chapter 90

90.

Monday, the end of the first week of our second album promotions. We gathered in the conference room. Jang Hae-jin clapped her hands first and then shouted loudly.

“We’ve received an offer to appear on ‘Composition Trip’!”

At Team Leader Jang Hae-jin’s words, Lee Hyun-jae’s eyes widened.

“Huh? Don’t they… not usually invite idols, Team Leader?”

I don’t know much about it, but the old-fashioned name ‘Composition Trip’ suggests a serious broadcast. Maybe it’s the kind of show that old people watch around 6 AM.

“I’m happy that I still want to listen to the song I heard last fall in the summer of this year.”

I hear Ryu Iden muttering next to me. Why is he muttering such nonsense during a serious meeting? It’s a moment of lacking focus as a leader. I poked Ryu Iden’s thigh. It’s a sign between Ryu Iden and me to get his act together.

“…Huh?”

Confusion, then injustice. He probably wants to argue that he never lost his mind. …Now he seems confused about what he’s even doing. It’s a pity for such a young friend.

“That’s right, Iden! They invited us on that show. It’s probably because of Dong-hwa’s composing skills, right?”

I slowly grasp what kind of flow this conversation is following. So… the only clear interpretation is that the nonsense Ryu Iden muttered is the name of the program… No way.

“…Team Leader, is that ‘Composition Trip’ an abbreviation of that sentence from earlier?”

“Yes, haven’t you heard of it before?”

Beyond never hearing of it, it feels like encountering something that shouldn’t exist. It would probably feel like opening the door to your house and seeing a dog walking on two legs and drinking coffee.

“…Yes.”
The answer is simple, but it contains countless questions and emotional turmoil.

“The name is a bit… much, right? I’ve talked to the PD [Producer-Director] of that show personally, and to put it mildly, they’re a bit… crazy.”

Well, it doesn’t seem like a program name that one would commonly think of.

“Anyway, they must have liked Dong-hwa’s composing skills, so they suggested a collaboration with another artist.”

Then Jang Hae-jin uploads the personal information of someone on the tablet.

“Here… Nesquik, cough, with someone named… pfft.”

Team Leader Jang Hae-jin starts to laugh while saying the name. This time, a singer with the name of a product that you have to mix with milk has appeared. The entertainment industry is truly an amazing world.

“They’re not famous, but it’s unusual for an idol to be cast on ‘Composition Trip,’ so it’ll be moderately topical, and if the work is good, they’ll gain some popularity. So the planning team recommends appearing on the show.”

Jang Hae-jin then tilts her head slightly and adds a word.

“But… I’m a little worried that there’s not much information about this Nesquik, pfft, person? They’re a woman, a rapper, and there’s only their work… So I don’t know what kind of person they are.”

Well, whatever. I looked at Seok-joon, who was drawing ‘Fruits World’ characters on the meeting paper with a pencil and grinning. It’s unlikely that there’s a more serious human being than that dinosaur, so it’ll be fine.

* * *

We’re moderately busy with music show appearances, and in the meantime, ‘Composition Trip’ filming is scheduled to be interspersed.

And today is the first day. It’s the day to film the first meeting with the mysterious existence called ‘Nesquik.’ After listening to their work, I don’t know much about hip-hop or rap, but it was clear that the beat should be in the recycling bin.

…Or is that the taste of the general public these days? It’s worth cautiously suspecting. If that’s the case, I’ll have to correct my prejudice.

Anyway, the filming location is a conference room in HBS. Cameras are installed everywhere, and the plan is to film the entire process of a natural ―that is, awkward― meeting.

“I’m ner―vous be―cause it’s my first time mee―ting some―one who’s a ra―pper in pri―vate.”

…Well, if you really want to be picky, aren’t you a rapper too?

I really don’t know hip-hop well, so I didn’t think Seok-joon’s rap was particularly lacking compared to those people.

“I’ve heard Nesquik in a cy―pher [a freestyle rap session] be―fore!”

No one asked, but he goes on to explain even the rapper he respects. This appearance is probably being filmed, so it’s not bad.

“But, Joon.”

“Yes, hy―ung [older brother/male friend].”

“…Why did you start rapping?”

This is one of the questions I’ve been curious about for a long time. Why did a guy who likes Wizny so much choose the genre of rap instead of animation production? Since the flow of the story has been created, I should take this opportunity to ask.

“Um… ac―tually, when I was you―nger, I saw a sce―ne where a Wizny cha―racter was rap―ping, so that’s why.”

He’s really a consistent human being. I wonder if there’s a reason why Seok-joon’s birth flower is a pine tree. It’s a fidelity that wouldn’t abandon Wizny even if a knife was held to his throat.

“Since then, my bu―cket list has been to suc―ceed with rap! And to have a dream of ap―pearing in Wizny with my voi―ce!”

“Wow, Joon-hyung [older brother/male friend]… you’re overly serious about Wizny……”

I can hear Lee Hyun-jae muttering with a disgusted expression.

After muttering like that for about 10 minutes, 5 minutes before the scheduled meeting time, the door opened.

My gaze automatically shifts, and the hem of a dress flutters… wait a minute.

…A dress?

“Hello? I’m Nesquik. Sweet yet fluttering!”

Is it really okay for a human to introduce themselves with such a greeting without any problems?

Nesquik, who comes in with a bizarre greeting, is wearing a blue dress. Looking closely, she’s even wearing a crown on her head. She seems to be wearing some queen’s costume that was once popular in Wizny. …Why, though?

‘Ha… why, though… everyone around me is like this.’

She gathers the hem of her dress and sits down, taking off her bag and placing it next to her. The bag design is… a hot pink bag with Wizny princesses drawn on it.

“…Good―ness.”

Seok-joon’s muttering echoes from next to me. Anticipating the upcoming commotion, I bowed my head and secretly sighed.

‘Call for the Crisis Response Team.’

[Yes?]

‘The probability of me working with a human being with a normal sense of reason.’

[Surprisingly, it’s about 17.3 percent!]

‘Then my connection with the agency people is the end of the line, I guess.’

[That’s a great deduction!]

…Damn it.

* * *

“Wow! I also really like the ‘Fruits World’ series! I’ve seen them all! Have you seen them all too, Joon-ssi [Mr./Ms.]?”

“Yes! It’s a great masterpiece! The emotion when they sing and run into the castle at the end of the most recent episode!”

“Maybe, maybe, Joon-ssi [Mr./Ms.]! With our collaboration song this time!”

“‘Fruits World’!”

Humans filled with madness. Creatures with Wizny engraved in their brain cells. Mickey Mouse or Snow White must be performing flashy tap dances in their depths.

And the camera is capturing every detail of the scene. But calling it a filming of the first meeting is a nice way of putting it; it’s more like secretly filming a small gathering of Wizny fans. Of course, the four humans playing the role of a backdrop are a bonus.

Ryu Iden is laughing in vain, Chae Ha-min is listening intently trying to understand something, and Lee Hyun-jae seems to have given up and is dozing off on my shoulder. Heavy, damn it.

In the meantime, I was enduring the stiffness in one shoulder and wondering if it was okay to proceed like this.

“…Is this okay.”

Ryu Iden laughs again at my quiet question and answers.

“Wow… I thought the PD [Producer-Director] cast us because of you, but it looks like it was because of Joon?”

In other words, it’s okay. It seems reasonable to interpret this as meaning that such scenes could be broadcast.

“It’s… been a long time since I’ve seen Joon talking so fast and having fun.”

Ryu Iden smiles contentedly. I wish he would stop making such an old man’s smile, but I don’t think he would understand if I told him.

“The concept this time… seems to be half decided.”

Lee Hyun-jae mutters, as if he’s already woken up. If you’re awake, can you move your face, it hurts, you fox.

“Right? It seems like the Wizny concept has already been confirmed.”

Chae Ha-min smiles brightly.

I guess I have no choice but to work on another bizarre song. It’s a satisfactory conclusion.

* * *

In the ‘Composition Trip’ editing room, the assistant director smiled as he checked the first filming.

“…What, these otaku [people with obsessive interests, often in anime or manga].”

More than half of the filming was a conversation between Seok-joon and Nesquik about their otaku interests, and the other half was about the first greeting and introduction, and a conversation about what kind of work they would do.

The costume of Nesquik, who was having that conversation, was the highlight.

“Is this the angle the PD [Producer-Director] was aiming for?”

The PD [Producer-Director] happens to put down a cup of Americano next to him and says.

“How was it, did a crazy scene come out?”

It was a tone as if he could predict it even without seeing the filming.

“Yes, PD-nim [term of respect for the Producer-Director]. Where did you get the information about the member Seok-joon?”

Then, this time, the assistant director made a puzzled voice.

“Huh? I didn’t look up that friend’s information separately, why?”

“Yes? Then who is the ‘crazy’……”

“Of course, it’s Nesquik and Ji Dong-hwa, those two friends. Who else would it be.”

Only then did the assistant director burst into laughter. Director Lee Young-hwa’s senses are usually never wrong. In other words, there is a very high probability that Ji Dong-hwa is also ‘crazy.’

“We might be able to get a lot of interesting scenes this time.”

“Oh, I want to see the filming quickly too.”

At the time when both the director and the assistant director were all smiles, in a certain dorm, one member was receiving intensive training from another member.

* * *

“Hyung-nim [term of respect for older brother/male friend], can you see it!”

“…I don’t want to see it, Joon.”

“Don’t say that! I’ll explain the world view of my favorite ‘Fruits World’ now!”

I’m learning about the world view of children’s animation during this golden time when I should be resting after work.

Good heavens. I sighed. Nesquik, you. Why did you have to have the same hobby as Joon?

“I already know, Joon. We went to the movie theater together last time.”

I recall the memory. Was it ‘Fruits World: The Pancake Operation’? I clearly remember being embarrassed because Seok-joon was crying while watching the children’s movie. The content was definitely…….

“Bizarre things that are fruits but act like humans claim that food recipes are a way to save the world and wander around causing trouble.”

Seok-joon’s expression distorts in proportion to my words.

“I, it’s not a nuisance! And! That’s only a part of ‘Fruits World,’ Hyung-nim [term of respect for older brother/male friend]!”

Seok-joon’s point is valid. Judging an object based on only a part of it is likely to lead to errors.

“…Explain it.”

And then a lengthy explanation followed. From the story about the numerous fruit tribes that make up ‘Fruits World,’ to the stories of love, friendship, and betrayal of the people who represent those tribes, to the sad backstory of the witch who appears as the villain.

…Things that are labeled as children’s these days seem to far transcend something we imagine.