Because That's Entertainment!!!
That's why it's entertainment!!! It's commonly known as the Rift—a 5v5 competitive game where you smash the enemy's base. Sure, it turns toxic later on and becomes a madhouse for the mentally unhinged, but it's still rock-solid as the national pastime. I was already struggling to sleep and planning to game a bit before crashing—talk about perfect timing. A chance to bond with a future superstar. A Rift date with Ji Soeun? You couldn't buy that for billions down the line.
So, quick reply to snag the dip.
A quick back-and-forth, and I fired up the PC without hesitation.
Discord connected. Soon, two nicknames popped up side by side on screen.
Your idol (Silver II)
I'llJustGameQuietly (Gold IV)
"Ah. Ah. Seryeon-ssi, what's your position?"
"Mid or ADC for me."
"I'm good at support—let's duo bot."
"Normal game?"
"Nah, boring. Ranked or bust. I'll carry you."
Can we not fight? Anyway, duo turned into ranked right off the bat.
Ban-pick phase. Total scam champs that counter deep-sea picks got banned. When Ji Soeun's turn came, her pick screen lit up.
Chaeng!
A champion portrait locked in without hesitation. It was this furry badger-looking abomination that spiked your blood pressure just looking at it.
"But hey, Soeun-ssi."
"Yeah!"
"You're an idol trainee—sure you should be playing this?"
Her voice came back over voice chat, sounding baffled.
"Do idol trainees not get to game?"
"It's not the game—it's the support champ."
"I'm a pro with it. Trust me."
Haa. Guess I have to trust her. I sighed and picked Nasus.
Laning phase kicked off. As expected, our bot lane was hell from the jump. Enemy ADC moved like it was a smurf, flashy as hell, while their support hunted airshots on me. Meanwhile, Ji Soeun's champ? Sat in the bush doing jack squat.
"Soeun-ssi! Help!"
Ji Soeun seemed lost in her own world. Poke the enemy ADC with an auto, then laugh.
"Hahaha!"
Infuriating laugh #2.
"Hehehehe."
Thumbs-up emote spam.
"Ha! Hahaha!"
The enemy ADC and support finally snapped, diving recklessly.
"Eek!"
Ji Soeun screamed, but her hands flashed a perfect flash-counter.
"Seryeon-ssi, now! Ward ahead!!!"
Her blind debuff nailed them perfectly in the chaos, and I landed free damage.
"See? See? That's mind games."
Her play stayed pure troll after that. Tilting enemies to the brink while somehow farming insanely well. Too annoying to ignore, but too awkward to all-in. Perfect distance and timing.
Why is she cracked on this trash pick?
The little demon grinned mockingly on screen.
"Hahaha! Hehehe! Hahahaha!"
Boom! Boom boom! (Mushroom explosions.)
This was back when all-chat still existed. Enemy tilt doubled instantly.
In the end, we won on Ji Soeun's non-carry carry.
Happy ending.
"Ahh, that was fun. You?"
"Rough start, but yeah, fun."
Victory screen up, back to lobby, and Ji Soeun casually probed.
"But Seryeon-ssi. I saw the video on your channel. That girl next to you—is she from your school?"
"Ah, Kang Saero?"
"Yeah. Super pretty. Great voice too. Hmm."
Her tone dripped with curiosity.
"You two dating?"
"Nah, just school friends. Teaming up for the project."
"Hmm. Really?"
"Really."
She double-checked a few times before getting to the point.
"Truth is, I didn't message just for games."
"Then?"
"Broadcast writers asked me. Star's Birth. Your buzz is still insane. They're calling you a ratings cheat key. Writers are dying to get you back on air."
"I already got eliminated."
"Exactly! So they begged me to lure you."
"Lure...?"
Lure a guy? An idol trainee like her? What?
Her explanation cleared it up.
"Contests have those participant interviews, right? Family and friends cheering. They want you there."
"Aha."
"But we gotta look close. Fake besties vibe from now on."
Her pitch was detailed. Network gets hot topic Kim Seryeon back on screen. She builds narrative with you. Win-win.
Win-win for them.
"What do I get?"
"Me, Ji Soeun, obviously?"
"Hm."
"Kidding. You're working on new tracks, right? Buzz matters. Do the interview with me, drop updates, tease your new comps. Natural promo."
"Using the show, huh."
"That's why it's entertainment!!!"
Guess being a JK Entertainment trainee paid off. Far more calculated than her airhead vibe suggested.
"So, drop formal speech from now? Profile says I'm your noona."
I'm high school first-year, she's second—technically yes. But my mental age is 20s. Call her noona?
Plus another issue.
"Idol trainee with a guy bestie on shows? Company will freak. You're an idol."
"Real bestie concept looks chill and relatable. People will buy it. You're hot anyway."
Then she dropped a bomb casually.
"And idk if I'll stick with idols."
Oof.
"This solo stage thing? Fun. Solo artist path ain't bad."
Butterfly effect? Hard to imagine from a future national idol, but her talent made it believable.
"Anyway, help a girl out? Wanna get closer personally too. Deal?"
Not bad for me. Exposure's promo gold. Ji Soeun's a skyrocketing stock—no downside.
"If your company's cool, sure."
"Yes! Practice casual now. Hey, Kim Seryeon!"
"What. Ji Soeun."
"Too stiff. Soeun noona. Like that."
Suck. But can I really?
Mouth won't move.
"Seryeon-ah! Kim Seryeon!"
"......"
"Seryeon-ah!"
"Sorry, can't..."
A few tries, but awkwardness won. Back to formal.
"Needs practice."
"Yeah. Seryeon-ah."
Awkward silence again.
"Erm."
She felt it too.
"Seryeon-ssi, few more Rift games? It'll loosen up."
Next round locked in. She whipped out even trollier clown support.
Even nastier trash talk utterly wrecked the game.
"Ahh, fun. How was my support, Seryeon-ssi?"
"Terrifying."
"Hehehehe. PUBG next time. I'm cracked at that too."
Before logging off, she tossed out casually.
"But Seryeon-ssi."
"Yeah?"
"You and that Kang Saero girl—really not dating?"
"Nope. Why?"
"Just thinking, for bestie vibes, maybe need a real girlfriend for people to buy it."
"Told you, no."
"Just asking! Later!"
Ji Soeun signed off with a cheery wave.
"Euuucha."
Clean sky-blue room. Ji Soeun yanked off her headset and flopped onto the bed.
Staring at the ceiling, a grin slipped out.
"Fun."
Games, chat—everything. Had she ever had this much fun hanging with others? Maybe she'd never really goofed off purely with peers before.
The writers' request? Maybe just an excuse. She just wanted to get closer to Kim Seryeon.
That brief Star's Birth waiting room moment. His gentle voice easing her nerves, that unreal visual haunting her thoughts.
First impression: cold, prickly genius. Sharp ice shard vibe.
But getting closer revealed more. Warmer than expected, with subtle derp moments.
Serious face at her support pick. Awkward "noona" attempts. All kinda cute.
My main's Master.
The account with him was her intentional Silver-anchored smurf. Main hidden tight, so yeah—that's why she kept giggling.
Kim Seryeon... Thought he'd be cold, but he's soft? Like mochi ice cream.
Ji Soeun hugged her long-torso cat pillow. Modeled after a cat's stretchy waist when picked up—adorbs.
Clutching it tight, that question resurfaced.
'You and Kang Saero—really dating?'
Just curiosity? Or testing?
She buried her face in the pillow. Even her own heart confused her.
One thing clear: his "no" felt pretty good.
"Dunno. Sleep time."
She pulled the blanket over her head. But the smile lingered.
A few days after recording, morning commute. Alert buzzed on arrival.
The final master of Blue Lemon Sky.
Break time, pulled Kang Saero aside, shared earbuds. Hit play—crisp band sound filled the air.
Park Jincheol's skills exceeded expectations. Perfect instrument balance, preserving raw flavor just right. Not overdone, not under. Texture alive.
Vocals mixed precisely. Kang Saero's voice: pure summer youth, sea, sky.
"Whoa."
Song ended; she gaped.
"This really me singing?"
Even she couldn't believe it. That's pro mixing.
Park Jincheol spoke through the music.
Mixing and mastering—mixma for short. Crucial. Even pros catch flak in comments; industry pours fortunes into it. No ceiling in sound tweaking.
Result thrilled me too. Grinned at her.
"Good, right?"
"Insanely good. This blows up for sure."
Her eyes sparkled. I felt it too.
Song primed. Now, spread it.
"Just uploading to streaming sites gets buried. Visual music era now."
"So what?"
"Shoot an MV."
Her face stiffened.
"MVs cost a fortune. We broke."
"Don't sweat. High-quality on the cheap."
I stood, beckoning.
"C'mon."
"Where?"
"Our school. Hanseong Arts High Film Production department."
Great schools overflow with talent. Why connections rule everywhere.