Translator: RaidenTL

Chapter 336: Side Story. [LIVE●] I-wol's ‘Ask Me Anything’ (3)

『Everyone, are you following along well? If you're too tired, you can go to sleep! I won't take the video down!』

『You're going to watch until the very end? Thank you, I'll work hard too.』

『A question just came in: "Who is the best at acting in SPARK?"』

『It’s Je-ho. I feel like Je-ho’s facial acting is in a realm that can't be reached through effort alone.』

『Someone asked about the power ranking within SPARK. How should we define the criteria for "power"? Assuming we're arm wrestling?』

『For these kinds of questions, we have to leave Je-ho out of the discussion. That guy is on a different level. If we exclude Je-ho, I think I’d be number one in terms of physical strength. Next would be Ju-woo, Gi-yeon, Seong-bin, and then Cheong-hyeon, right?』

『There’s also a question about the order of hair thickness and eye color! Since the colors of our hair and eyes are mostly similar, I’ll only talk about the members with unique traits.』

『First, should I say Je-ho has thick hair? His hair is incredibly thick. His eyebrows are very dark, too.

And for those who have seen close-ups of Seong-bin’s photos, you’ll know that his natural eyes are light brown with a very slight hint of green. So when he wears green lenses, they don't look out of place; they suit him perfectly.

Ju-woo is always a hot topic regarding whether he's wearing lenses or not... but his actual pupils are dark gray! He sometimes wears brighter gray lenses or darker ones, but even without color lenses, they are dark gray. Those who have seen our lives probably know.』

『A question asked, "Which Sponge finishes recording the fastest?" Does this "Sponge" expression mean who absorbs feedback the best? That’s a metaphor that really rolls off the tongue!』

『Ju-woo is number one in this area. Ju-woo almost never has to re-record. He ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠practices to perfection and knows exactly how to sing the song. He comes prepared so perfectly that there’s nothing for Cheong-hyeon or me to even give feedback on. At most, we might say, "Should we try singing it with a slightly different feel?" But when we listen back, we realize the version Ju-woo sang is better. He’s a member who produces results beyond what the composer expects, so Cheong-hyeon is amazed every time.』

『"No one in SPARK has pierced ears, right? Is anyone planning to?"』

『As far as I can see, no one. Everyone seems perfectly satisfied with ear cuffs or clip-ons. Once you pierce a hole, it leaves a mark. I think they worry it might interfere when they want to try a different image.』

『Since you were curious about the order of who sleeps in the most, I’ll break it down.』

『Ju-woo has the hardest time waking up. We wondered if it was because of low blood pressure and had him checked, but fortunately, that wasn't it. Next is Cheong-hyeon, but rather than having a lot of sleep, he’s more affected by staying up late because he has so much work. The rest of us wake up quite well.』

『A question came in about what perfume each member uses, so I went and got answers from them in advance.』

『First, Je-ho and Ju-woo are on the side of not using any. Je-ho said he finds it too bothersome to spray, and Ju-woo said he dislikes artificial scents. It’s a relief those two became roommates, right?

Cheong-hyeon often uses floral perfumes. Seong-bin occasionally sprays a calm perfume that gives off a very gentle, masculine image. I only wear citrus or herb-scented perfumes during fan meetings. Since the fan meeting space can get stuffy, I want to give off even a slightly refreshing feeling! Of course, I constantly check the ventilation at the venue too.

Gi-yeon is a bit unique... he walks around with book perfume sprayed on his clothes. Sometimes they come as free gifts when you buy books, and he uses them because he says it’s a waste to throw them away. I told him to make sure it doesn't touch his skin just in case, so he sprays it on his pant hems and sleeves.』

『"The members' favorite choreography!"』

『This answer is based on me seeing them and thinking, "Oh, they probably liked this~" so please don't take it as too official!

I think Je-ho liked the choreography in 『Flowering』 where he does a back turn and goes down while doing a wave from his back. Gi-yeon really took care of the details there. Seong-bin liked the group choreography for 『MISSION』. I remember him complimenting the members so much on how cool they looked every time we practiced that part.

In Cheong-hyeon’s case, it’s not exactly choreography, but... there’s the performance of 『Starlight』 we did during ‘Idol Dynasty Annals.’ It’s the scene where he opens the lightbulb, and he looked so happy then. I think he might like that part.

I think Gi-yeon would also like 『MISSION』, but a different part. The intro is Gi-yeon’s part, right? It’s a part with a unique impact, and since he revised the choreography many times to make the feeling of a flower blooming as natural as possible, I think he has an affection for it.』

『"There are many people requesting a detailed description of SPARK’s body types...?" I assume you mean more detailed characteristics beyond what’s visible? I’ll answer focusing on the members with distinct traits!』

『Je-ho has the widest shoulders. He has a basic frame, but muscle has been added to it, and since he consistently does back exercises, his back is always spread wide, so the width and angle are on another level.

Cheong-hyeon is rising as a new powerhouse here. As he grows taller, his frame seems to be getting larger, and his shoulder bones are expanding. Right now, he looks thin because he lost weight from a sudden growth spurt, but I think he’ll look perfect if he eats well and exercises. Even now, his shoulder bones ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠drop straight at a right angle, so they are quite pretty.

Je-ho’s waist is actually quite thin. He has a complete inverted triangle body, so his waist is thin compared to his ribcage. Gi-yeon also has a thin waist, but his waist, back muscles, and abs are so tightly held that the impression is more of being solidly filled rather than just being thin.

Am I talking too much right now? Should I cut it down a bit...?

Someone asked about hips, so I’ll just mention one more thing before moving on! None of us really have hips, so the stylists love it. They say any pants they give us look great. Among us, many say Seong-bin’s legs look the prettiest when he’s put in leather pants.』

『"Many people are also curious about what kind of conversations we usually have in our group chat."』

『Since things like schedule announcements are discussed in the chat with the managers, we only have private conversations in the group chat with just us. Yesterday, it seems someone knocked over one of the Hoya Bella flowers Ju-woo is growing while passing by the veranda. It was noisy while we were trying to find the culprit, but once Gi-yeon confessed, Ju-woo forgave him.

Other than that, there are posts recruiting for the gym squad or for duet members for cover songs, and squabbles between the maknaes demanding the older members' votes.』

『You also asked about each member's favorite season, but I don't know that for sure.』

『Answering as much as I know! I remember Ju-woo saying he likes winter and Seong-bin saying he likes spring. I think everyone was a bit reluctant about summer. The members are weak to the heat.』

『You said you were curious about each member's zodiac sign, and since we have members of the same age, we can divide them into exactly three groups.』

『Je-ho and I are the Year of the Tiger, the Main Vocals are the Year of the Dragon, and the maknaes are the Year of the Snake.』

『So the Hanja for the members' names hasn't been revealed yet? I should take this opportunity to tell you.』

『I use the characters for "Two" (二) and "Month/Moon" (月). It’s easy to memorize, right? Je-ho uses "Pull/Lead" (提) and "Name/Call" (號). They say this "Ho" can also mean "to shout." Doesn't his name sound like a center from the start?

Seong-bin uses "Achieve" (成) and "Radiant" (彬), Ju-woo uses "Island/Continent" (洲) and "Great/Dawn" (旴), Cheong-hyeon uses "Clear" (淸) and "Bright" (炫), and Gi-yeon uses "Jade" (琦) and "Grind/Study" (硏). I think they all suit their owners well.』

『"What are you going to eat on the maturity date of the group savings account!"』

『Actually, the maturity date is a little over three months away. Among ourselves, we were talking about a beef dinner, but could you recommend other menus as well?』

『Next question. You asked for funny anecdotes about the members or memorable fan sign event episodes.』

『The kids do such strange things without warning that I don't know where to start... Je-ho and Gi-yeon went to a deserted island, right? They brought back ocean trash they picked up there. But they said they had nowhere to put the trash, so they wrapped it in banana leaves. I really don't know why they did that.

I also remember one fan sign episode. Seong-bin once received fairy wings as a fan sign item. He forgot to take them off and wore them all the way to the parking lot. Seong-bin has a tendency to get so focused on one thing that he becomes a bit weak in other areas. It was cute from an observer's perspective.』

『In that sense, I’ll also answer the question, "The moment when the members were the cutest."』

『Personally, I think Ju-woo is very cute. When he has a complaint or feels regretful, he can't say it in words, but his eyebrows drop just this much. That expression is cute.

I don't know if Seong-bin is aware of it himself, but when a big project or something important is finished, he sometimes has a proud expression as if he’s accomplished it. He’s like a farm owner looking at a granary filled after finishing a year’s harvest, so it’s cute.

Cheong-hyeon has often clung to my back since we were trainees. At those times, I think, "Ah, he really is younger than me." He doesn't piggyback as much as before lately, but I have enough strength to carry you, so feel free to hop on whenever you're bored.

Gi-yeon is cute when he eats tteokbokki. It came out once in our self-produced content, right? That was the first time I saw Gi-yeon look so excited. Since he’s naturally mature, there aren't many times he shows a childlike side, but at that time, he really seemed like a younger brother.

There’s exactly one ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠time when Je-ho looks cute. Je-ho’s eyesight isn't very good, right? When he’s not wearing glasses, he sometimes asks, "What’s that?" But if the thing he asked about is something trivial like a banana or a desk calendar, it’s quite cute.』

『"The member who takes the best selfies in SPARK!"』

『Everyone will agree on this. Je-ho is number one. He’s probably received the blessing of the God of Cameras... He seems to just snap them casually, but the results are always good. He must know exactly which angle makes him look best.』

『"Please tell us the members' heights, leg lengths, and weights!" Everyone is quite confused about this, right? Because the members grow almost every day.』

『Je-ho is 187, Ju-woo is 184, Cheong-hyeon and I are 183, Seong-bin is 181, and Gi-yeon is 178. Hand size, foot size, and leg length aren't exact, but they’ll be similar to this order. Or is it? Is Cheong-hyeon’s hand bigger than mine? His fingers are long, perhaps because he plays the piano. Conversely, Ju-woo’s hands are a bit small, similar to Seong-bin’s. As for leg length, I’ll go to the dorm, measure them with a tape measure, and post it on Bubble Pop.

Weight actually changes almost every day. Especially during promotion periods, it drops rapidly. So rather than numbers, I’ll tell you the order of who weighs the most—is that okay? It’s Je-ho, me, Seong-bin, Gi-yeon, Ju-woo, and then Cheong-hyeon! Gi-yeon weighs a bit more because of his muscles.』

『"Should I also answer the order of skeletal muscle mass and body fat percentage?"』

『Skeletal muscle mass is highest in the order of Je-ho, me, Gi-yeon, Seong-bin, Cheong-hyeon, and Ju-woo! Body fat percentage is lowest for Gi-yeon, followed by Ju-woo, me, Je-ho, Seong-bin, and Cheong-hyeon. Gi-yeon’s body fat percentage has never exceeded double digits. Cheong-hyeon’s figure is relatively high because he’s loosening his diet to grow taller. Je-ho once lowered his to 5% when shooting the Neydas pictorial.』

『Other than that, there are questions about the members' eyesight, which hand they primarily use, and what their IQs are.』

『For eyesight, everyone except Je-ho seems to be around 1.3 to 1.8. Cheong-hyeon was 1.9 but said it dropped by 0.1, so I gave him a huge earful. I plan to watch whether he manages his eyesight well for the time being.

And everyone in SPARK is right-handed! As for IQ, there are members who have never been tested, so if we get the chance, we’ll all get tested together in our self-produced content.』

『There’s also a question asking which part of the members' faces I think is the prettiest.』

『Seong-bin has pretty corners of his eyes and mouth. From afar, you don't really think Seong-bin has a cold impression, right? But the corners of his mouth are slightly turned up, and the corners of his eyes are also slightly raised from 90°, so when you see him up close, he gives the feeling of a cold but faintly smiling handsome man. It’s very charming.

Ju-woo’s pupils. I really like them because they’re like a snowy field with shadows. They have the power to keep holding a person’s gaze.

Gi-yeon’s nose bridge! Gi-yeon’s nose is truly a work of art. His eyebrows and gaze are so intense that many people miss it, but his nose bridge when he turns his head slightly and looks down is like a blade. I wish he’d take more selfies from that angle.

It’s hard to pick one pretty spot for Cheong-hyeon... The harmony of his features? The combination itself? If I had to pick a point of differentiation, it’s his eyelashes. I think half the reason Cheong-hyeon’s face stands out is in his eyelashes.

For Je-ho, I debated between his eye sockets and his lips, but I’ll go with his eye ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠sockets. The shadows under his brow bone are very deep. When he looks at the camera in that state, it feels like he’s piercing through the viewer. Since he’s a guy with a unique gaze, I think his eye sockets are his charm, including that aspect.』

『A question asked if I could name each member's legendary song and outfit. It was emphasized that I must include myself.』

『Maybe because 『Flowering』 is our debut song and like our identity, it fits Seong-bin’s vibe well. He was the leader, and the school uniform suited him too. I think Ju-woo’s legend was during 『With List』. Wasn't the amusement park staff outfit cute?

For Cheong-hyeon, I think it’s 『Third Letter』. Even among us, he was famous as the guy who manipulates your memories of your first love... For Gi-yeon, the training version of 『On A High Note』 where he wore a black short-sleeved shirt and baseball pants; for Je-ho, I’ll pick the time of 『End』 when he wore techwear. For me, I’ll go with the 『MISSION』 crop jacket outfit that the fans liked the most.』

『You asked what kind of concept would suit each member, including me, if we were to release solo songs. It might be a bit intuitive, but I’ll give it a try.』

『Personally, I think Ju-woo has to be a rock star at least once. I’d like Cheong-hyeon to do a mad artist concept.

I want to let you hear a ballad that Seong-bin melted deeply for 480 hours, and I also want to show a stage where Je-ho does an unconventional performance with many dancers. As for me... what would suit me? A computer repair shop owner left alone in a dying commercial district?』

『This time, it’s a question about who I’d want to do unit activities with.』

『I’d pick Gi-yeon. Since I’ve learned a lot from Gi-yeon, I want to put together a stage with him to show how much I’ve improved.』

『"I want to know the books Cheong-hyeon usually reads!"』

『Cheong-hyeon hardly discriminates when it comes to books. Though he reads encyclopedias or classic literature more often. He even reads his favorite books in their original language.』

『You asked who the biggest scaredy-cat in SPARK is.』

『Is there one...? When I thought about it, it seems Cheong-hyeon is a very little bit of a scaredy-cat. Just a tiny bit!』

『There’s also a question related to the plants Ju-woo is growing. It’s asking if the plants being grown in the SPARK dorm have names.』

『I only know Brilliance and Fragrant, but I heard they all have names! I didn't ask about the origin of the names, but I’ll be sure to ask Ju-woo when I get the chance.』

『"Do you think Seong-bin still uses his Death Note these days?" you asked...』

『I am... working very hard not to be written in it. Seong-bin, are you watching? I love you.』

『The next question is, "Seong-bin and Ju-woo’s alcohol tolerance"!』

『I heard Seong-bin drank one bottle of soju when he drank with his family. Ju-woo said he hasn't tried alcohol yet. We haven't even drank among ourselves... I’m sorry I can't give you an accurate answer.』

『Next, I’ll say who I’d want to change into if I could become one of the members and the reason why.』

『I want to try living as Je-ho once. He’s a friend whose thought process is completely opposite to mine. I think if I lived as him, I might be able to understand Je-ho.』

『"What would it be like if Je-ho was the maknae and Cheong-hyeon was the leader?"...?』

『Je-ho being the maknae might be okay. I don't think he’d be very stressed himself. Though the older members might suffer a bit...

Conversely, wouldn't the burden be too heavy if Cheong-hyeon was the leader? Cheong-hyeon works on all our songs, and that is absolutely not an easy task. It’s beyond the level of not being easy; he’s making the impossible possible, so if he were to be the leader on top of that, Cheong-hyeon’s burden would grow too much, so personally, I’m against it.』

『Next is a question asking what news Seong-bin enjoys watching!』

『Seong-bin watches a lot of social news. He often watches economic news too. And after watching all the news, he always stops by the "Good news that makes our society warm" category. He says he needs to calm his complicated mind by watching that.』

『"What do you think the members would have done if they hadn't become idols?"』

『I don't know if it’s okay to say this, but don't our members suit being idols well? Even so, if I were to think of other jobs!

I think Seong-bin would have been a good teacher or counselor. Ju-woo, a vocal trainer? A flower shop owner would suit him too... Je-ho might have gone straight into street dance.

I think Cheong-hyeon would suit being a scientist, but what do you all think? Because he likes and is good at exploring things. I think Gi-yeon would do well as a PE teacher.』

『This time, it’s a philosophical question. "Is a body without organs better, or an organ without a body?"』

『I think an organ without a body is better. While a body cannot function without organs, an organ existing alone without a body can perform a new positive function if transplanted into someone’s body. Did I understand the question correctly...?!』

『There’s also a question about whether I’m interested in baseball. You’re asking if there’s a team I’m interested in.』

『I like baseball too. Ever since I saw a Hanhwa fan at the Kaisuit festival, I’ve found myself looking up the KBO League rankings whenever a baseball broadcast comes on. It would be nice if Hanhwa could make it to the post-season...』

『This time, I’ll pick three things I’d definitely take if I were to go to a deserted island.』

『Thinking about what I saw on "Unmanned Rest Stop," fire is really important. I’ll take a lighter, toiletries, and the essential item, Je-ho.』

『A unique question came in, so I’ll read it as is! "I-wol, I’m Je-ho’s older sister. Je-ho isn't picking up his phone! I have a package to send, could you send me the dorm address?"』

『Rather than going through the trouble of mailing a package, if you let me know a nearby cafe, I’ll send Je-ho there directly!』

『"What is the price of gold today?"』

『It’s 0.00274 Cheong-hyeon. You all know that Cheong-hyeon is used as the currency unit for gold within SPARK, right?』

『You asked me to call out seven favorite numbers so you can buy a lotto ticket, but since I am an idol, I make it a principle not to make remarks that encourage speculative behavior...!』

『If you promise to use them as random numbers because you need to do meaningless scribbles in your diary or change your password, I’ll tell you! 6, 9, 12, 24, 29, 38, 45. That is all!』