Chapter 174: Symposium (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 174: Symposium (3)
“Was it you who stole Kang Gi-yeon’s pillow when we went to the countryside for volunteer work?”
“Was it you?”
Kang Gi-yeon, who had been listening quietly, glared with narrowed eyes. He must have suffered quite a bit sleeping without a pillow back then.
Lee Cheong-hyeon’s eyes went wide.
“When did you even see that?!”
“Do you think there’s anything in this team I don’t know about?”
Kim I-wol was brimming with confidence. He was so self-assured that one might think the only thing he didn't know about the members was the last seven digits of their resident registration numbers.
“It doesn't look like this battle is going to end anytime soon.”
“Are they just spending all their time looking for each other’s weaknesses…?”
Jeong Seong-bin and Choi Je-ho expressed their amazement in their own ways. Regardless, the fans were enthralled.
“I really wasn't going to bring this up, but…”
Lee Cheong-hyeon placed his hands on his hips. A sense of grim determination emanated from him.
“Hyung.”
“Yeah.”
The two men exchanged relaxed glances.
This combination’s visuals are actually really good. Just as Won Chae-hee thought this and pressed the record button on her camera—
“Hyung, you have Seong-bin hyung saved in your contacts as ‘Mental Pillar Jeong Seong-bin,’ don’t you?”
“Pffft!”
A massive crumb had just dropped. Screams erupted from all directions.
Kim I-wol, who was busy trying not to choke on his water, had a face as red as an apple. Jeong Seong-bin’s face was no different.
“You… when did you see that?”
He even admitted it was true. Kim I-wol’s face cycled through shades of red and blue.
Then, starting from beneath his shirt collar, his skin began to flush. Eventually, even his ears were crimson; there wasn't a spot on him that wasn't red. It was a rare sight for Kim I-wol, who was usually as pale as an Arctic dandelion.
To think I’d live to see the day Kim I-wol, who always acted like such a pro in front of the camera, would crumble like this.
“Remember when you asked me to send out the video conference link for you? I saw it then.”
“Ah…”
“I guess our Seong-bin hyung was a leader you could really lean on, huh? Right? I love our leader so, so much too!”
Won Chae-hee’s intuition screamed that this was an incredibly rare moment. She worked hard to capture Kim I-wol, who was failing miserably at controlling his facial expressions, on camera.
“First of all, to clarify for everyone, I was absolutely not spying on hyung’s private life! Hyung was the one! He asked me to send something using his account! Since we don’t have phones yet, we share the common laptop, so things like this happen occasionally.”
“Don’t you usually log in with your tablet?”
“We didn't have our devices then because we were on vacation in Busan.”
The members of Spark then took a moment to vent about the hardships of communal life without personal electronic devices. It was a harrowing tale for modern people who can't live without their phones.
“We’re always logging in and out of accounts on the laptop or spare phones to talk to each other.”
“Or Seong-bin hyung tells us instead.”
“Right. That’s why if you look at Seong-bin hyung’s messages, half of them are ‘Ju-woo confirmed it too!’ or ‘The maknaes have confirmed!’”
I didn't think UA was like that, but they’re such boomers. Still, it’s better than having dating rumors or controversies break out because they did something stupid on their personal phones. I wonder when UA will finally allow them to have their own.
“For the record, since it was sent to the group chat, I saw everyone’s contact names. Mine was ‘Cute Pretty Visually’?”
Laughter broke out everywhere at the name, which seemed to reflect a deep love for beauty. Kim I-wol buried his face in his hands.
The subject himself, Lee Cheong-hyeon, was shameless. He looked like he was living up to the name. Making a flower cup with his hands under his chin, Lee Cheong-hyeon approached Kim I-wol while wiggling his fingers.
“Hyung, am I really that cute?”
“…”
“Cheong-hyeon is on the prettier side, isn't he?”
“…”
“Am I truly the one destined to be the visual of this team?”
“Sigh…”
Kim I-wol let out a deep sigh. His head had been hung low for a long time.
Lee Cheong-hyeon casually slung an arm over Kim I-wol’s shoulder.
“Well, it’s not strange that you think of me that way.”
“…”
“You do compliment my face a lot, hyung. Even if you are strict about my grooming. Actually, I think I would’ve been a bit hurt if you’d just saved me as ‘Spark Lee Cheong-hyeon.’”
Lee Cheong-hyeon joked playfully.
“But what you thought of Kang Gyeon was a bit unexpected.”
“…!”
“Don’t tell me Kang Gyeon’s contact name is ‘King Cute’…”
“Let’s stop. I lose.”
Kim I-wol declared his defeat while stuffing an antibacterial tissue into Lee Cheong-hyeon’s mouth to silence him.
The unfortunate thing was that his sabotage was delayed because he had to take the time to pull out a tissue. It must have been his complacent thought that he couldn't touch Lee Cheong-hyeon’s divine face with his bare hands that caused the delay.
Kang Gi-yeon muttered while covering his mouth with his hand.
“King Cute?”
Hearing Kang Gi-yeon’s faint voice, Lee Cheong-hyeon broke through Kim I-wol’s tissue barrier and shouted.
“He said it’s ‘King Cute Kang Gi-yeon’!”
Kang Gi-yeon’s face flushed like a boy who had just received a confession.
The fans went wild. Pleas rained down for him to reveal the contact names of the rest of the members.
“Everyone, are you curious?”
Kim I-wol, soaked in shame, asked with an expression of total resignation.
“Totally!”
There are several ways an idol can respond in this situation. First, a battle of nerves. Second, pretending not to hear and changing the subject. Third, scolding the member who started it and ruining the atmosphere.
However, Kim I-wol did not let go of the microphone. The fans also had faith that Kim I-wol would do whatever they wanted.
“Then I suppose I have to tell you.”
His voice sounded completely defeated. It sounded like someone submitting to fate.
“Ju-woo hyung’s was really funny. Tell them what it was quickly, hyung.”
Lee Cheong-hyeon stood cockily with his arm still around Kim I-wol’s shoulder.
Hadn't it been said that Spark never hangs their heads for long in front of their fans? True to those words, Kim I-wol raised his head shortly after. However, his hand remained pressed against his flushed cheek.
“2019 Vintage Metal Jade Bead Park Ju-woo…”
Now Kim I-wol was practically sobbing.
“Then are you going to update Ju-woo hyung’s nickname every year? 2020 Vintage, 2021 Vintage, like that?”
“Please don’t ask.”
With a look of misery, Kim I-wol gently pushed Lee Cheong-hyeon away.
Even as he was being pushed back, Lee Cheong-hyeon looked radiant. Won Chae-hee passionately captured that image in her camera.
“But hyung, I’m truly happy.”
“Why? Because you’re ‘Cute Pretty Visually’?”
“No.”
Lee Cheong-hyeon gave the most innocent smile in the world.
“Because our oldest members get along so well.”
“…!”
“Who would have known? That you saved Je-ho hyung as ‘Center Emperor Choi Je-ho.’ I guess Je-ho hyung is number one in your heart, right? I’m so moved by your friendship that I’m about to cry.”
Through the lens, she could see Center Emperor Choi Je-ho frozen in place. Kim I-wol had gloriously self-destructed.
She found out after the fan meeting ended that ‘Center Emperor Choi Je-ho’ had been trending in real-time since the middle of the event.
It was a wonderful friendship.
After Kim I-wol’s spectacular parade of embarrassment, Jeong Seong-bin settled the room.
The atmosphere didn't calm down easily, but soon the audience was orderly again.
“Actually, everything up until now was just the appetizer. Right?”
Jeong Seong-bin threw the comment toward the members.
If that was the appetizer, I’m already full. Perhaps because she hadn't held her cannon camera in a while, Won Chae-hee’s forearms were starting to ache.
“We thought you might be tired from taking photos, and it would be a shame if you only saw us through a lens. So, we’ve prepared some content where you can put down your cameras and phones for a moment and heal your eyes and ears!”
The so-called ‘no-leak zone.’ Won Chae-hee had enough experience to understand exactly what that meant.
Of course, there were some who didn't put their phones down.
But it was a meaningless gesture. Every light in the hall was extinguished.
Then, the beam projector flickered to life.
Is it like a fan VCR?
If it was something like that, everyone would probably want to film it even more. They’d at least try to record the audio.
Still, she didn't want to get scolded by security for doing something forbidden at a fan meeting for a group she was just starting to get into. Won Chae-hee decided to just watch the video they were showing.
On the screen, someone’s hands appeared, pressing piano keys in a sunlit music room with green leaves visible through the window.
『I remember you,
Who always watched over me』
A warm melody that matched the colors on the screen took the lead.
The screen transitioned to a hand writing something small with chalk in the corner of a classroom blackboard.
The sound of the chalk tapping against the board joined the accompaniment along with the sound of an acoustic guitar.
As the person turned around, a name tag reading ‘Park Ju-woo’ was visible on their clothes.
Park Ju-woo’s whispering voice, tinged with his signature rasp, added a sense of depth.
『At the end of my drawings,
You were always there
To meet you,
I drew and drew, even in my dreams
You, and us』
A hand bouncing a basketball, a hand solving a workbook, a hand fiddling with a pen held in the mouth, a hand locking a classroom door…
The surroundings, which had briefly become noisy thinking it was a new song, quickly fell silent.
The lyrics appearing in the subtitles made it clear that this was a fan song.
『Wondering if someone would take it,
This hand I held out
Carefully,
With a trembling heart』
Jeong Seong-bin’s falsetto flowed simply yet elegantly.
Jeong Seong-bin, who had been solving the workbook, turned his gaze toward the window.
『You held it back,
That hand was so warm
I wanted to hold it forever
And run with you』
Kang Gi-yeon’s hand, which had been about to lock the door, gently gripped the old padlock.
Even though he wasn't a member primarily focused on vocals, Kang Gi-yeon’s singing was smooth. It sounded that way even to Won Chae-hee, who didn't have fan-filters on yet. It was a part that allowed one to guess the amount of practice he’d put in.
The screen transitioned again to a gym where shoe soles made friction noises.
Choi Je-ho, wearing a simple white T-shirt and gray sweatpants, filled the screen as he focused on basketball.
『Erasing and erasing again,
I took a long way around
But you know,
Won’t you listen?』
It was a melody so low it was hard to tell if it was a question or a statement, but that only made it feel less like a request and more like he had carefully seated the listener in front of him.
Choi Je-ho’s basketball bounced on the floor once more. Along with the rising ball, a bottom-to-top transition effect was applied.
The lips holding the pen were emphasized again. As the camera zoomed out, Kim I-wol was revealed looking at a notebook.
Kim I-wol bit the pen, rested it on his lip, and twirled it with his fingers.
Then, hesitating, he wrote something down.
『Tell me it’s okay
To offer this heart
Let me give it a name』
The notebook was shown in a close-up.
It was a page with the word ‘Like’ written on it.
『Let me call it love』
The drum beat kicked in a bit stronger. As the instruments decorating the melody increased, the music became rich in an instant.
And at the end, it gradually faded away.
『Let’s sit side by side
And watch the bright night sky together』
In the space where the guitar sound vanished, the crackling of a lit sparkler filled the air.
The sound of crashing waves and the sound of a few piano keys being pressed blended together like paint.
『Let’s never forget
This moment, forever』
Two lit sparklers burned down on the screen.
Soon, the screen went dark.
I’m doomed.
In the darkness, Won Chae-hee had a premonition.
She realized that right now, she had just been struck by the fan-bolt.
—
Profile
Name: Park Ju-woo
Birthday: September 22
Birthplace: Daejeon Metropolitan City
Height: 181cm
MBTI: INFP
Nicknames: 2019 Vintage Metal Jade Bead, Human Dawn Mountain Mist, Fluffball, Sloth, Time-Limited Sniper
Likes: Bands, microfiber blankets, clean things
Dislikes: Stimulating/spicy food
Motto: Let’s all be happy together
Favorite Food: Yogurt
Preferred Scent: Unscented
Favorite Music Genre: Rock
Favorite Sport: Billiards
Body Part He’s Confident In: …Arm muscles?
Personal Habit: Wearing headphones without turning on any music