Translator: RaidenTL

Chapter 334: Side Story. [LIVE●] Iwol’s ‘Ask Me Anything’ (1)

『Hello, everyone! I’m Spark’s Iwol. As I announced on our official SNS, today I’m going to take some time to answer the questions you Sparklers have sent in.』

『I’ll do my best to answer them so I can be a good companion for your mealtime. Well then, let’s get started!』

『First question. Someone asked if I have the members’ ID photos or photocards in my wallet.』

『When we’re filming, I often leave my belongings with the managers, and there’s a high chance of losing things in the waiting room, so I don’t keep them in my wallet. Cheong-hyeon and Gi-yeon gave me a copy of the photos they took for their ID card applications, so I have those stored in a drawer!』

『You also asked if the members’ contact names ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠are still the same.』

『They’re all the same, except for Ju-woo, which changed from "2019 Vintage Metal Jade Bead" to "2020 Vintage Metal Jade Bead." I’m thinking of supporting the "Ju-woo is an Elf" theory so I don’t have to change it every year.』

『If we were to go on tour, which member would I want to share a room with and why?』

『Ju-woo is the only member I haven’t shared a room with just the two of us, so if we were to use a double room, I’d like to try sharing with him. I’ve shared a room with Je-ho and Cheong-hyeon when we went on vacation together, and I’ve been in a small room with Gi-yeon at a comic book cafe!』

『Iwol’s favorite member… I’ll pick them by category!』

『For atmosphere, it’s Cheong-hyeon; for personality, Seong-bin; for voice, Ju-woo; for acting, Je-ho; and for cuteness, it’s Gi-yeon. Gi-yeon is cute in the strangest ways. All our members would agree.』

『Watching an hour of the members’ aegyo videos vs. watching an hour of the members’ NG videos—which is better?』

『An NG is a mistake at work, but aegyo is an exercise of professional ethics, isn’t it? I’ll choose watching the aegyo videos.』

『There are a few more similar balance games, so I’ll group them together. First, there’s "Roughly washing a powerless Choi Je-ho" vs. "Choi Je-ho roughly washing me"…』

『If I have to choose one, I’ll be the one doing the washing. Instead, I might nag him about what he was doing to be so exhausted he doesn’t even have the strength to wash himself.

But does it really have to be "rough"…? The bath towels in our dorm are very soft! I’ll wash him carefully so his skin doesn’t get irritated.』

『Members not wearing sunscreen vs. members walking around in private clothes that even fans would find questionable.』

『I’ll go with the latter. You can take off clothes, but you can’t take off your skin…』

『"Five Choi Je-hos vs. a 5-year-old Choi Je-ho" and "Five Lee Cheong-hyeons vs. a 5-year-old Lee Cheong-hyeon." Are these also in the same vein?』

『The comparisons are different, but no matter the member or the situation, I’ll choose five of them. I’ll make one do a pictorial, one do a fan meeting, one do a recording, one prepare reverse fan gifts, and one do a signing event.』

『Between Dark Cheong-hyeon, Gold Cheong-hyeon, Serenity Cheong-hyeon, and Rose Quartz Cheong-hyeon, which one do I like best?』

『That’s hard… Personally, I think Dark Cheong-hyeon is the best. You know what they say: the end of all tuning is the original factory setting, right?』

『There was also "Sleeping vs. Not Sleeping." Is "Sleeping for 3 days straight vs. Not sleeping a wink for 3 days" a similar question?』

『I’ve gone without sleep for three days, but I’ve never slept for three days straight, so I’ll choose "Not Sleeping," which I’m more confident in!』

『Calling the members "Jagi" (Honey) vs. "Jagi" (Sleeping) on time…? I don’t know if it’s okay to say this to someone I’m meeting for the first time, but your rhyming is incredible…!』

『In terms of difficulty, calling the members "Jagi" is easier, but since I don’t think they’d appreciate it much, I’ll choose sleeping on time.』

『Me washing Cheong-hyeon from head to toe vs. Je-ho washing me from head to toe. …Um, do we look dirty by any chance? Another shower-related question…』

『Just like my previous answer, I’ll choose to be the one doing the washing! And we… wash well. Really.』

『Between a happy memory and a happy 7.1 billion won… "I’ll make happy memories with a happy 7.1 billion won. Won’t you join me? I’ve prepared the marriage registration papers, just bring your seal"…?』

『Then I’d just be receiving. Please take your time to think if there’s anything you want from me, and I’ll see you in front of the district office soon.』

『Last question for the balance game. "Flashing abs while dancing on stage" vs. "Dancing on stage wearing shorts"!』

『It’s better to choose something I haven’t shown before, right? I’ll go with "Showing my abs while dancing on stage."』

『I’m curious about how you ended up going to play basketball with Je-ho late at night! Who wins more when you play together?』

『There’s an outdoor basketball court near our dorm. We were passing by when Je-ho asked if I knew how to play, so we go out together occasionally. Je-ho really likes basketball.

Since we go at night, we can’t stay long—at most two hours! If we bet on three games, I win two of them. Recently, Gi-yeon has been joining us if it’s not too late.』

『Do you subscribe to the members’ Bubble Pop?』

『I think Bubble Pop is a space for each member to communicate with fans, so I don’t watch it! Instead, I get a general sense of the atmosphere of the members’ Bubble Pop through the news you all share… haha.』

『A question about my left ring finger size came in. They say it’s an unavoidable question…』

『First making happy memories with 7.1 billion won, and now a ring? I feel like I should be the one getting the ring! Anyway, my ring size is 20.』

『Eyesight, eye size, dark circle length, clothing size… Wait a second, can I measure all of this right now?』

『My eyesight is 1.8 in both eyes, and I wear between size 100 and 105 in clothes. I’ll measure my eye size and dark circles with a tape measure and post it on Bubble Pop!』

『Someone asked, "Iwol, give us some info on your lip product."』

『The one I’ve been using most frequently lately is "My Daily Life, Daily 01" from Indenia. It’s the product with the lightest tint among color lip balms, but people seemed to like it a lot on the days I wore it, so I settled on it. I’m wearing something else today because I just came from the shop… is it okay?』

『Someone also asked what small animal I think I resemble. They also asked if I think I’m more like a dog or a cat.』

『I’ve heard a few times that I look like a tired eagle… Since you asked for my thoughts and not just a small animal, let me think… Hmm… well, there’s a snake called a Black Kingsnake. It’s black and has a small face… What? They can grow up to 2 meters?』

『How do I style my hair at the dorm? I’ll also answer the question about whether I prefer hair up or hair down!』

『It’s not so much that I style it, but I have a habit of brushing my bangs up when I’m looking at a monitor, so by the time I get back to the dorm, my hair is usually half-swept up. It stays that way from after I wash my hair until I go to sleep. I think having my forehead exposed looks clean, so I try to show that look as much as possible.』

『Next is a question about when I realized I had perfect pitch.』

『I found out during vocal training! They praised me for hitting the notes well, and I remember the A&R Team saying I had perfect pitch during a recording.』

『"Honestly, don’t you know you’re handsome? Do you know you have a face worth 850,000 won per unit area…?"』

『Even if I knew I was handsome, I think my opinion would change just by looking at my members. When you see the members up close, they are truly… amazing. I wish I could show them to you Sparklers from right next to them.』

『There are also questions about whether there’s a hair color I want to try, if I have plans for long hair, and how I manage my hair texture after bleaching.』

『I make sure to get ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠plenty of nutrients and use treatments diligently. If I dye my hair next time, since my birthstone is Pink Opal, it might be nice to try pink! If the fans want to see it, I’ll try growing it long too.』

『There’s a question asking for my skincare routine, and this will be the same for all our members.』

『Assuming all makeup has been removed, we apply toner, essence, lotion, moisturizing cream, and nourishing cream in that order. I add eye cream in between, and Ju-woo doesn’t use cream because he can’t sleep if his face feels stifled.』

『"There are many rumors that you sleep very little; how many hours do you sleep?" There are a lot of questions like this. Who leaked this? Was it Cheong-hyeon?』

『I don’t check how many hours I sleep every time, so I’m not sure, but I try to sleep at least 3 hours a day! If I go two days in a row with less than 3 hours, my condition gets bad. I hope everyone watching the live gets a good night’s sleep. They say sleep is the best medicine!』

『Next question! What’s your 50m sprint time?』

『It’s in the low 8-second range. I’m on the weaker side when it comes to short distances.』

『There’s a question about whether I have moles on my face or neck, but since I can’t see any, I got some help from the stylist for this one.』

『They said there’s a small mole on the back of my right thigh. They said it’s hard to see unless you’re looking closely.』

『"Iwol, show us your abs?"』

『Wait a moment. …Is this being caught on camera?』

『A question came in asking me to describe myself as if my face were Cheong-hyeon’s face.』

『This… a description has to come from the heart. Hmm… Kim Iwol has clean skin? Chalk-white skin with no blemishes?』

『Whether I have plans to film another drama or movie! You asked what kind of work I’d like to do if the opportunity arises. You also asked if I’d be willing to do it if I were scouted as a radio DJ.』

『I’ll do anything if I’m given the chance. I’m not picky. If I had to state a goal for acting, I’d like to play a role that doesn’t stray too far from the image Spark pursues.』

『I also got many questions about my favorite and least favorite foods. Whether I eat greasy or spicy food well, and what kind of snacks I like. You asked me to answer excluding chewy cold noodles… Did I talk about chewy cold noodles that much? How embarrassing.』

『I like omurice. I prefer it with demi-glace sauce rather than a strong ketchup taste! I prefer mild flavors, but I can handle greasy food. I enjoy spicy food if it’s at a moderate level. I don’t eat them often, but I occasionally have vitamin jellies as a snack. I don’t really have any foods I dislike, I just avoid drinks with caffeine because I can’t drink them.』

『The most difficult or happiest thing that has happened since debut!』

『Choreography practice… it’s been difficult from before debut until now. It’s the most difficult. Every day is a series of hardships and adversity. Still, I’ve been getting a lot of praise lately!

The happiest moment was when I thoroughly read the first complimentary comments left by fans. I think it was during "Idol Dynasty Annals" (A.Wang.Sil); I still can’t forget how I felt then. Someone asked about something that would stay in my memory for a lifetime, and similarly, I think I’ll remember this forever. This was also when I thought I was really glad I became an idol.』

『There’s a question about what ignites my passion the most.』

『Anything related to Spark is fun! But the thing I put the most effort into is definitely album production. Because it’s the foundation of the group.』

『Coincidentally, there’s a question asking if there was a particularly memorable event while planning an album, so I’ll answer that as well.』

『When I’m planning items, I stay cooped up in a room or meeting room and only come out briefly to practice. Because of that, my days and nights got flipped, and I once completely mistook the day of the week. I once woke Cheong-hyeon up on a Saturday asking if he wasn't going to school, and I got scolded for it…』

『There’s also a question about how I come up with inspiration, and I can answer this clearly.』

『When the deadline approaches…! A revelation descends from the heavens!』

『If I were to go abroad for travel or a performance, where would I want to go most?』

『I’ve never been abroad even once. So I think anywhere would be fun! I think a place with a good view of the sea would be nice. Like Santorini in Greece.』

『You also asked for study tips…』

『I’m not very good at finding shortcuts. I remember just trying to cram everything into my head. I don’t think it’s an effective study method, sorry.』

『The question asking what rank I was in the whole school must be based on my GPA, right?』

『The best I ever did was 14th. I guess the number 14 has a deep connection with me.』

『Next is the question, "If you were to take the CSAT again, which department would you go to?"』

『If I were to go to college, it would be best to go for a major related to my current work, right? Since I could use it in my actual job!』

『You also asked what I want to learn.』

『It’s a bit embarrassing since I just answered that it should be something I can use in my job, but until recently, I was looking into a heavy equipment license. Every time our sets are built or I go back and forth from the studio, I feel that a person needs to have a technical skill.』

『Among many nicknames like Polite Ruffian, Fortune-telling Octopus, etc., which one is your favorite?』

『I like Afterlife Cool Tone the best. Because it’s a nickname the fans gave me. But I look lively today, don’t I?』

『A concept I want to try or a concept I want to make the members do! This is a good question!』

『I want to show you the ultimate visual show. Like a phantom thief jeweler who possesses the world’s greatest gems. As you all know, Seong-bin’s birthstone is Angel Skin Coral, right? Showing him cherishing and loving the gems unchangingly with only pure affection in a materialistic world… (×3 speed)』

『"I’m curious about Iwol’s favorite Iwol fancam!" is the question. A similar question asked which of my selfies is my favorite.』

『My favorite fancam is the one for "End." It’s the fancam where my dancing improved the most. You can think of my favorite fancam as ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠always being the most recent version. My favorite selfie is the "With List" photocard where I’m winking. It was my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠first time winking… so I think it was full of a spirit of challenge.』

『Which role was your favorite among the ones you played in music videos?』

『I liked the fairy role in "Winter Night." While filming, I wondered, "How on earth will this look in the video?" I was very surprised because the result was so wonderful.』

『Next is a question asking for my most memorable lyrics among the songs we’ve released so far and the reason why.』

『My part in "The Third Letter." I’m not good at writing lyrics, so it’s embarrassing, but I wrote it with all my heart. I think all the members, including myself, would give the same answer to this question.』

『There’s also a question about which stage outfit has been my favorite so far.』

『It seems everyone is very curious about what I like. I should have talked about it more often. I like the "MISSION" outfits. It looked like an ordinary office worker, but I liked how small points gave it uniqueness.』

『The next question is how far I’ve read "Kingdom Cafeteria ~Another~" and who my favorite character is.』

『I’ve finished Part 1! So far, I liked Blanche the best. I saw a little spoiler for Part 2, and they said Blanche’s screen time increases in Part 2, so I’m looking forward to it.』

『I guess someone is curious if I sleep facing the ceiling or lying on my side.』

『I lie down straight, but when I open my eyes, I’m facing the side. I think my body turns little by little while I sleep.』

『What if I could go back to three years ago?』

『Then I’d be nineteen… if I go back, I’d have to study again. Even if I were given the choice, I don’t think I’d go back. I like it now!』

『I’ve worked hard to answer like this. Did you know, everyone?』

『We haven’t even reached the halfway point yet…! We still have a long way to go! Is anyone tired?!』

『You’re full of energy because it’s Saturday night?』

『Then please stay with me until the end. I’m counting on you!』