Chapter 134: All-Company Workshop (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 134: All-Company Workshop (3)
The Idol Dynasty Annals Baekjung Festival continued for quite a while.
In the main event, the ssireum wrestling match, Choi Je-ho flaunted his thigh muscles and snatched the final victory. After devouring all that meat earlier, he certainly earned his keep.
During the campfire, a short segment was held with the theme of burning away past hardships and moving forward anew...
"I was so happy to get close to such great juniors! Though there was some friction at times, I want to maintain a good relationship and grow together in the future!"
...Song Min-il ruined the mood again.
What friction? He was the one who came at us head-on. That selfish prick.
As if reading my inner thoughts, the Berion guys glanced at me, gauging my reaction. I worked hard to maintain a virtuous smile.
Other than that, there were minor incidents like someone nearly starting a fire while roasting marshmallows or someone suddenly bursting into tears while venting about how hard the competition was. Perhaps because they were still kids, the atmosphere turned soft much faster than I expected.
Watching them, I was suddenly reminded of the campfires back during my days at Hanpyeong Industry, where everyone except the executives just wanted to go home.
What was I thinking back then while staring at the pillars of fire?
I want to go home?
Why am I living like this?
I’m sure I was swept up in a very intense longing back then...
It was Park Ju-woo who broke my train of thought.
"...It’s nice, coming here together like this."
"Huh?"
"It feels like a real trip."
Park Ju-woo smiled faintly. It was a rather jarring sight.
The fact that a face that rarely showed emotion was wearing a smile, and that flames were flickering over his usually cold impression.
The fact that a guy who hated noise was enjoying this loud, chatting atmosphere, and that a guy who used to be busy hiding everywhere because of his shyness was saying he liked having many people gathered...
"I guess so."
I gave a short reply and turned my head. I felt strange.
Has the kid changed a bit?
I didn't want to exert too much influence over Spark. Aside from doing my job or preventing accidents, I didn't want to change the individual members.
But seeing this makes me feel guilty.
"Let's come again with everyone from UA next time!"
Lee Cheong-hyeon shouted in an excited voice.
I wanted to ask if he was trying to tank the company's rating on Occupation Planet, but I held back because of the cameras.
"Where do you want to go?"
"Isn't the beach the easiest choice?"
Jeong Seong-bin, a true leader who never ignored a member's words, and Choi Je-ho started dreaming big.
"Right. If we all come together, we'd need to rent at least the two buses we took today, right? I wonder how much that would cost."
Even Kang Gi-yeon added a word.
"If we go to Incheon, it's about 400,000 won round trip per bus. For Gangwon, it's about 600,000 won. But usually, they charge by mileage rather than region."
"When did you look that up?"
"Actually, didn't you want to go on a trip with everyone too, Hyung?"
As if. If the UA ratings drop because of a regional workshop, it's all your fault.
While watching the burning flames, we had a heated debate over "UA Employee Unity Workshop: Is the Mountain Better or the Sea?"
Idols planning a company workshop while wearing matching mosquito repellent bracelets. I sincerely hoped this part wouldn't make it to the broadcast.
Variety-style communal living was harsh.
From the crack of dawn, the Idol Dynasty Annals cast had to perform a wake-up mission: doing cute choreography to a trendy aegyo song.
Idols who could barely open their eyes engaged in a fierce battle to learn the moves and dance daintily... I don't know who would want to watch this, but everyone gave it their best.
Of course, doing your best didn't always yield results.
I sank miserably, showing off my disastrous ability to pick up choreography.
"I need at least a day to learn this."
"Iwol-ssi, you're an idol!"
"There are always mutants in this world!"
Why is the world so cruel to idols? Sorrow welled up and I bit my lip hard, but nothing changed.
"Hyung, you still haven't passed?"
"I'm just going to skip breakfast today."
Kang Gi-yeon gave me a look of pity. Having already visited the catering truck early on, he reached out a helping hand.
"Look. This hand gesture here is supposed to be rabbit ears."
"Oh, it wasn't Maltese ears?"
"That's not the point, but anyway... next..."
Kang Gi-yeon danced the cute dance perfectly even in the early morning light.
Beside him, I was stiff as a board, fumbling endlessly.
No, how can a person just watch a dance and follow it in the first place? I went to school for sixteen years, but I never learned anything like that.
"Iwol Hyung, are you still on the mission?"
"Can't I get a Black Knight for this...?"
Even Jeong Seong-bin and Park Ju-woo, who had also enjoyed a full meal, pitied me.
Gathering over forty idols just to grind down one office worker—I will never forgive this cruel modern society.
In the end, I barely passed by glancing at the five Spark members dancing in front of me and following along from the very back row. Tears flowed in my heart as I received my food portion.
While I was eating the meal I had struggled so hard to obtain, Cha Se-han, sitting diagonally across from me, spoke up.
"Hyung, did you get bitten by mosquitoes? There were so many in our room."
"We slept with the vaporizer on. Want some ointment?"
"You carry that around?"
Of course. As long as I'm with this team, I have a duty to protect their faces from all sorts of disasters.
And a mosquito vaporizer is a summer essential.
There were so many mosquitoes in the Hanpyeong Industry office that I used to keep a personal vaporizer at my desk every summer. They wouldn't even buy those with company expenses.
I handed the medicine case to Cha Se-han and finished my meal.
That was when a small number in the corner of my vision caught my eye.
The number, which had definitely been '3' until yesterday, had changed to '2'. I had been so busy dancing as soon as I woke up that I only noticed it now.
Is it a countdown?
I tried to think of what was on the schedule for two days from now, but there was nothing special other than filming the Idol Dynasty Annals final competition meeting.
I didn't think the system would go out of its way to show such a minor schedule like that.
During the break given after the meal, I asked Jeong Seong-bin.
"Seong-bin, do we have any schedules the day after tomorrow? Other than the Awangsil filming."
"There's nothing else besides that for the day after tomorrow."
Then it's not a schedule. Is a new task coming out? Just how grand of a task are they going to give me?
Hey, you should at least tell me what it is so I can prepare.
I complained, but the system didn't appear. Lazy bastard. Just you try mentioning my attendance management after this.
Aside from my field of vision being slightly narrowed by the countdown, the communal stay ended smoothly.
Since the cameras weren't rolling inside the returning bus, we could sit wherever we wanted.
However, unlike when we departed, everyone was dropped off at the broadcasting station when we disbanded. Why did even this part have to feel like a real workshop?
On the way back to the dorm, the manager who came to pick us up spoke during a red light.
"Guys, are you coming to the office later?"
Even though we just finished a two-day, one-night shoot, we had to go to the office. We had to practice.
When Jeong Seong-bin said yes, the manager said "Good" and started the car again.
"Then stop by the office before you go to the practice room."
"The office?"
"Yeah. A lot of fan letters came in. Since there's some time before the next competition, I thought it would be good for you to read them now."
Come to think of it, it had been quite a while since we last picked up fan letters.
It reminded me of the first time we received them. Even when I was the one going to the post office to mail things, I thought, These guys are going to get so many letters... but seeing the actual volume and the sincerity put into them was surprising.
Sure enough, there was about one box of fan letters for each person this time as well.
For someone like me, whose only mail in life had been utility bills and health checkup notices, I still couldn't get used to it.
Somehow... it makes my heart feel heavy.
If my first impression upon receiving fan letters was 'surprise,' the next was a feeling of gratitude.
At the same time, I felt sorry. I was only working for purely materialistic reasons; I wondered if I deserved such pure support.
This batch of fan letters was even larger than usual.
Judging by the many stickers and messages of encouragement on the envelopes, it seemed many people had sent letters after the personality controversy broke out.
I found a spot in the corner and began opening the letters addressed to me.
As always, out came stationery filled to the brim with affection, leaving no blank space.
【It’s my first time sending a letter to an idol.
I don’t know if you’ll read this, Iwol, but I’m writing a few lines hoping my support reaches you!
.
.
.】
【I can’t believe this is already my fifth letter, haha.
While stanning Spark, I’m often surprised by the fact that I’m someone who can like something this deeply.
Whenever I see stationery with fireworks on it, I buy it immediately to write to you. My life is so full of Spark that it’s both painful and joyful. ^^】
【Iwol-ah, it’s Noona.
.
.
.
The world is too harsh for our twenty-one-year-old tuxedo kitty to live in, isn't it? That’s why Noona wants to blow up the Earth, but it’s not easy...
Still, trust the Sparklers, who are human powder kegs, and hang in there a bit more. Sparklers are always on your side.
Ignore the mouthy commenters who don't spend a dime or a second on Spark, and only look at the pretty words. Our Iwol is an adult, so you understand what Noona is trying to say, right?
You look like a sea urchin but your personality is as soft as a dust bunny under a wardrobe. I love you. Take a warm bath, cover yourself with clean blankets, and just get some sweet sleep!】
【To. Iwol
Iwol-ah, you’re very busy filming Awangsil lately, right? Are you eating well?
I’ve lost my will to live since the cafeteria vendor at my office changed. Why did they change it? The only welfare at this company was that the food was delicious.
Even though you guys only eat chicken breast and salads to diet, today of all days, I want to see you eating something delicious. I think that would make my heart at least a little bit happier.
Management is good, but eat what you want to eat sometimes. Isn't eating what we live for, after all? I feel a thrill every time I see your jawline, but I still prefer you being happy.
Don't just tell fans to eat a balanced diet of carbs, protein, and fat; you have to eat well too. Got it? Spark with killer abs is to die for, but Spark getting sick because they didn't eat well is a felony. Keep that in mind.】
About half were kind and gentle letters, and the other half were letters where I could feel a determined will and affection. It was hard to take my eyes off any of them.
Only after a long time had passed was I able to finish reading and organizing all the fan letters.
The other guys were also almost done reading their share.
Back when I was a fan at Hanpyeong Industry, I thought idols wouldn't read all their fan letters or would only read a few, but these guys read every single letter that came to them, every single time.
When they were too busy to find time, they read them in the moving car, and if even that wasn't possible, they used their break times.
This was one area where I didn't have anything to nag them about. They were already good at reading their letters on their own.
So, why couldn't they have shown this side of themselves to the fans sooner? Why on earth were they like that in the past?
Just as I was about to get furious, Lee Cheong-hyeon drew everyone's attention.
"How do you guys store your fan letters?"
"I usually put them in a box and keep them under my bed..."
"I store them like Ju-woo. It’s hard to take them out and look at them, so I’ve been wanting to move them somewhere else."
There probably wasn't anywhere else to put them, but it seemed Park Ju-woo and Jeong Seong-bin were storing them relatively neatly under their beds.
"I got a storage box. What about you, Hyungs?"
"In the bottom drawer of my closet."
"In a suitcase."
As soon as we finished speaking, Choi Je-ho and I looked at each other. We both had looks that said, You really are something else.
What's wrong with a suitcase? It's the only thing in this dorm that I actually cherish.
"That's all fine, but everyone, watch out for humidity. When the rainy season comes, mold can grow on the walls or on paper."
At my words, Jeong Seong-bin and Park Ju-woo’s faces turned pale. It seemed they hadn't thought that far ahead.
"Or we could buy a 6-tier drawer unit and each keep our letters in our own drawer. We can just buy one that fits in the living room."
"That’s a great idea. It’ll be easy to see if it’s in the living room!"
Lee Cheong-hyeon chimed in excitedly.
Since the company will probably upgrade their dorm once these guys get a bit more famous, I should buy a plastic drawer unit so it’s easy to move. I’ll put a container of moisture absorber in each drawer, too.
Practice that day had a slightly higher tension than usual. Smiles never left their faces.
Come to think of it, it’s quite mysterious. Why did these guys, who loved their fans enough to enjoy a practice schedule even after a two-day shoot just by reading a few fan letters, disband like that?
It was something I couldn't understand. Because even I found myself looking back every time I received this kind of affection.