Asian Music Awards (2)
The hotel KM Media had arranged was the Hankyu International, a name that carried real weight even in Osaka. The moment Kim Se-jun stepped into the lavish room, the impeccably made-up space met his eye.
He unpacked, then flopped onto the bed, and the plush give of the mattress tickled along his back.
"A bed really is the best..."
He muttered it to himself, feeling sleep steal over him in slow, gentle waves — when someone rang the bell.
He had been a breath away from drifting off. Rubbing his eyes, he opened the door to find Lee Jin-ah standing there.
"Noona?"
"What are you doing?"
"Ah — I was just about to fall asleep."
At that, Lee Jin-ah let out a small laugh and pointed a finger toward the floor above.
"You know there are other singers upstairs, right? They're all getting together for drinks. What do you think? Want to come?"
Unlike Kim Se-jun, who was only in his first year since debut, she had a wide circle. She was on familiar terms, one way or another, with the other artists invited to this year's awards.
"Besides Yu-na, you don't really have connections with singers from other companies yet, do you? Building some rapport while you've got the chance wouldn't hurt."
Hmm...
Kim Se-jun turned her suggestion over for a moment.
There's nothing to lose, really.
Connections with other singers. Sooner or later, they would almost certainly come in handy. They might work on a song together — or someone might pick up one of his tracks down the line.
"Sure. I'll come along."
Lee Jin-ah smiled at his answer. Kim Se-jun ducked back into his room, threw on some clothes, and stepped out again.
"Who all is going to be there?"
"Beats me. I don't really know either. Suho's the one who invited me."
"Suho? B.ONE's Suho?"
"Yep. My connections are insane, right?"
She said it with unmistakable pride. Kim Se-jun nodded without protest. It was a network well worth bragging about.
B.ONE. A five-member boy group that could fairly be called Korea's top idol act — a group that had already pushed past Korea, across Asia, and out into the world. And among them, Suho was one of the members with the largest fanbase.
This noona really... first Kang Yu-na, and now Suho...
While he was still marveling at her connections, they reached the upper floor, and she pressed the bell at one of the doors.
"Ah, come in."
After a brief wait, a handsome man with soft, gentle features opened the door with a smile. Noah, another member of B.ONE.
Wow...
He privately marveled at Noah's face — and then an even greater marvel awaited him once he saw the room.
A presidential suite. It was less a hotel room than a house. At a glance there appeared to be more than five bedrooms, and the living area even had sofas.
It's almost embarrassing to compare this to my room.
His own, by contrast, was a standard. This is the gap between me and B.ONE. The difference between a singer reaching for the entire world and Kim Se-jun, who was only just beginning to take flight.
A lesser man might have felt a sting of inadequacy. Kim Se-jun only huffed a quiet laugh. That position of theirs — it was the very summit he himself would be standing on before long.
"Ah, Jin-ah noona's here! Come on in, noona."
The man who had been at the center of the group sprang to his feet and welcomed Lee Jin-ah.
So that's Suho.
If Noah, who had greeted them at the door, gave off a warm, gentle impression, Suho had the feel of a mischievous boy.
"Yeah. This is Se-jun. I brought him along. That's okay, right?"
At her words, Suho raised his voice as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Of course. Come on in, Se-jun."
"It's a pleasure. I'm Kim Se-jun."
Kim Se-jun bowed his head toward the people in the room. A mixed group of about ten, men and women. Five of them were the members of B.ONE, three were from a girl group, and the remaining two men were rappers.
Everyone seemed glad to see him. His overseas recognition was still lacking, but domestically he was steadily building a solid position — and there was nothing to lose by getting close to a guy like that.
Young people of similar ages, full of vigor. Once the sweet liquor started flowing, the atmosphere turned warm and lively in no time.
"Can I call you hyung?"
"Ah, of course."
"Feel free to drop the formalities, hyung."
"Sure. Thanks."
At Kim Se-jun's words, Suho offered a bright smile and a glass of champagne. The two of them took the glasses and drank together, and Kim Se-jun couldn't help but be impressed by Suho's social gifts.
A natural-born social butterfly.
He wasn't just talking comfortably with Se-jun — he was chatting easily with everyone in the room, steering the entire atmosphere. Sasaeng fans, dating, next year's activities — whatever topic came up, he melted into it without the slightest hesitation. And on top of that, a smooth way of speaking that never made the listener uncomfortable.
This guy's got it all. A handsome face, and he talked beautifully too. A born talent who would be loved wherever he went. In fact, in the distant future, he would become a fixture on countless variety shows.
On the other hand...
Kim Se-jun's gaze, which had been on Suho, shifted slightly.
"Is there something you wanted to say?"
The man shook his head at the question. A member of B.ONE, and the one who, along with Suho, commanded the largest share of the group's fanbase.
Se-hyun. B.ONE's main vocalist, an idol of genuine skill. His singing was of a caliber that even seasoned vocalists acknowledged — and that vocal talent, combined with a cold, sculpted appearance, had won him countless female fans.
Compared to the lively Suho, he was a remarkably taciturn man. Even in this warm, convivial atmosphere, he barely spoke. And this particularly quiet man's gaze had followed Se-jun throughout the entire gathering.
What's this about?
Whenever their eyes met, he would smoothly look away — only to be staring at Se-jun again before long.
"Is there something you'd like to say?"
He asked carefully, given the repeated glances, but the only answer he got was a slow shake of the head.
"It's nothing..."
What on earth...
It was Suho who resolved Kim Se-jun's confusion.
"Ah, hyung. Se-hyun's a huge fan of yours, that's why. The first time he heard your song, he completely zoned out."
Suho put a hand on Se-hyun's shoulder as he spoke, and Se-hyun's face went rigid. Like a child whose secret had been found out, the color drained from his face.
"He's just so bad with words that he can't show it, so he's been like this. Cut him some slack, hyung. I bet he's even joined your fan club."
Suho said it with a burst of laughter, and Se-hyun hung his head low. He couldn't lift his face, as if mortified. Only then did Kim Se-jun understand, and he let out a small laugh.
"Ah, thank you, Se-hyun."
"It's nothing... Would it be all right if I called you hyung too?"
"Of course, of course. Then I'll speak comfortably as well."
At Kim Se-jun's answer, Se-hyun nodded and offered a faint smile.
"Haha. This guy really wanted to go to the Ares Music concert, too. But we couldn't because of our schedule, and he was depressed about it all day. It's amazing. This is the first time I've seen him get this into anyone."
Suho rattled on at length, his face flushed red from the alcohol. Se-hyun's face stiffened once more, and Kim Se-jun could guess at the nature of their relationship.
Suho really loves teasing Se-hyun.
Every emotion showed plainly on Se-hyun's face. He didn't talk much, but he was the perfect type to pick on.
"Ah, thanks. Next time, I'll come see your concert."
But Se-hyun shook his head.
"We'll invite you as a guest."
"Oh, that sounds great. If hyung came as our guest, I think it'd be amazing."
"Me? I don't even have a song with you guys. If you just called the artists who've featured on your tracks, you'd fill the stage."
At Kim Se-jun's words, Se-hyun voiced a firm resolution.
The next day, Kim Se-jun headed to Osaka's Nagai Stadium. It was a performance being held at an outdoor stadium, not an indoor venue. For December, Osaka's climate was like late autumn in Korea, so it wasn't much of a strain.
"It's seriously huge."
Looking at Nagai Stadium, Kim Se-jun marveled at its scale. A capacity of fifty thousand — ten times the size of Olympic Hall at Olympic Park.
"Se-jun, who are those people?"
Lee Jin-ah came over and pointed at a group, asking.
"Ah. They're the people performing with me today."
"Huh?"
Lee Jin-ah's follow-up. But Kim Se-jun didn't particularly explain, just offered a small smile.
The Korean Cultural Promotion Agency. Kim Se-jun had accepted their proposal, and today's stage would not be his alone. Those people the agency had sent — today, he and they would be putting the stage together.
Not bad. No — actually, it's great.
Watching them bustle about with preparations, Kim Se-jun nodded in satisfaction. If they had come at him with some ridiculous proposal, he had been prepared to turn down the ambassador role as well. But their plan... it was an idea perfectly suited to dressing his stage.
"What? What are you cooking up now?"
Lee Jin-ah shot him a look, and Kim Se-jun shook his head.
"You'll see."
"Se-jun-ssi! We're going into rehearsal!"
"Yes!"
The rehearsal — a final check of the stage. Kim Se-jun looked at the group following behind him and spoke.
"I'll be in your care today."
"Not at all. We're the ones who should be saying that."
They answered with beautiful smiles. Kim Se-jun nodded and made his way up onto the stage.
The moment he stepped onto it, he instantly captured the attention of the other singers who had just finished their own rehearsals.
"What is that?"
"Whoa. That's insane."
Some ten-odd people following Kim Se-jun up onto the stage. Dressed in elegant hanbok, their appearance set people murmuring. And then the stage began.
At center stage, he plucked the gayageum and sang. And around him, they adorned the stage in brilliant splendor.
If Kim Se-jun's stages until now had been poignant and moving — this one was beautiful beyond measure.
"Wow. This is a lethal dose of national pride."
At one singer's mutter, the others found themselves nodding along.
"This is cheating."
"The way he puts a stage together is on a whole different level."
The Asian Music Awards. A ceremony where lavish stage production was a talking point in itself, and their stages were on a different dimension from ordinary performances. Lighting and lasers were used twice as heavily as on other stages, and special makeup and backup dancers had been given more care than usual. And yet not a single person felt their own stage was better than Kim Se-jun's.
B.ONE had also finished their rehearsal and were watching Kim Se-jun's stage, and Suho let out a laugh at the sight of a transfixed Se-hyun.
"Hey. You're going to start drooling."
He was so completely absorbed in Kim Se-jun's stage he hadn't even thought to close his mouth. At Suho's scolding, Se-hyun shut his mouth — but his gaze never left the stage.
"It's so good."
A simple mutter. But Suho knew that was the highest praise Se-hyun was capable of. Even when he had first heard the title track of the mini album that had instantly transformed them into popular idols, Se-hyun had simply uttered that one phrase.
"Yeah. It really is."
Suho readily agreed. There were no flashy lights or lasers like on their own stage. But a stage that brought Korean beauty to life in abundance. Any Korean watching would find themselves murmuring that it was beautiful.
Kim Se-jun's stage. Suho knew that whenever it appeared on broadcast, the internet would explode. Watching that stage, he muttered quietly.
"There's going to be another uproar."