Chapter 363: Phone Connection
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 363: Phone Connection
Filming for the drama and A.Wang.Sil alternated on my calendar like stepping stones. There wasn't a single day to be bored.
Still, I think variety shows are better.
Last night, I’d returned to the company looking like a dishcloth that had been washed a hundred times. Playing the role of a wealthy, high-strung chaebol heir had been far too exhausting.
But A.Wang.Sil? I could say whatever I wanted, do what I had to do anyway, and get paid an appearance fee on top of it. My mindset was becoming increasingly positive.
In the meeting room, the members were locked in a heated debate over the tracklist of Onde, the group we were covering.
Unsurprisingly, the most intense clash was between the "Sapodungi" duo.
"A calm vibe is for Self-PR... No, we already did that during the Half-formal. We need to show a different side this time."
"Do you know how many steps are in that choreography? And you call that 'calm'?"
"That’s only for the latter half! It didn't even feel like an idol dance."
"Does the genre even matter? As long as it’s dancing."
"It’s the Idol Dynasty Annals!"
As the two busied themselves shouting, Lee Cheong-hyeon wiped under his nose with a finger.
"Haha, this is a mess."
I suddenly felt like we shouldn't aim for first place with this stage. I can't let the fans see this disaster.
"Let’s do a quick mid-way check. We’re choosing between 『Memory』 and 『Ground』, right? Ju-woo and Cheong-hyeon are going with whatever the members decide."
Jeong Seong-bin diligently checked the current status.
"Cheong-hyeon, are you really okay with anything...?"
Park Ju-woo asked, looking at Lee Cheong-hyeon. He knew his younger teammate was usually quite opinionated.
However, Lee Cheong-hyeon remained nonchalant.
"I’m going to strip the hyungs of their right to speak when it’s time for our actual stage. This is just a tactical retreat for the sake of the future."
"You’re plotting your conspiracy quite openly."
At my remark, Lee Cheong-hyeon gave a wink. I politely held the camera pointing at his side with both hands, signaling him to do it toward the lens if he was going to do it at all.
"We can't seem to reach a consensus..."
A look of distress was evident on Jeong Seong-bin’s face. With a mountain of work ahead and being stuck at the very beginning, he seemed overwhelmed.
Besides, Seong-bin was the "nice guy" type of leader. He likely wanted to make a choice that satisfied everyone if possible.
"Let’s change our starting point. We had that idea note we organized, right?"
As soon as I finished speaking, Park Ju-woo pulled up a new window. It was the 'Spark Idea Note (For Filming)' page, created after hearing rumors that Parte was copying Spark’s concept.
"Let’s pick the concept we want to show the fans first, then select a song that fits it. Both are masterpieces, so let's go with a genre we haven't tried yet or a song that suits a new concept better."
At my words, the members' eyes turned toward the large monitor.
"Jewelry Shop... I-wol hyung wrote this, right?"
"I did, but save it. It’s not time to pull that out yet."
"He’d probably wrap three layers of lace around his neck."
Lee Cheong-hyeon teased. Just you wait. The day I open that jewelry shop, I’m putting only you in the solo showcase.
"How about this...?"
While everyone was busy talking over each other, Park Ju-woo’s cursor circled one spot.
"Teacher?"
"It’s a concept we haven't done, and it’s a style fans have frequently requested at fan meetings..."
"Who wrote that?"
At Choi Je-ho’s question, the proposer shyly raised his hand. It was Jeong Seong-bin.
"Because the fans liked the daycare teacher episode so much...!"
So that was the reason. And here I thought you wanted to wear a daily Hanbok and carry a bamboo flute.
Kang Gi-yeon, who had been quietly observing the keyword, also showed a positive reaction.
"I like that it can show a more mature side compared to the student concepts in 『Flowering』 and 『With List』. Does 'Teacher' here mean subject teachers? Like Korean, Math, and so on?"
"I haven't thought out the details, but I think Je-ho hyung would make a great PE teacher...!"
Choi Je-ho started to make a face like he’d chewed on something bitter but caught himself. He seemed to think he was being subtle, but I could read his mood if even a single eyebrow hair twitched. Once filming is over, you’re booked for a 100-hour nagging session.
"If we’re going with a teacher concept, 『Memory』 would be good. I think we’d only need to change the lyrics slightly. Should we ask the seniors for permission?"
Lee Cheong-hyeon pulled out his phone with great initiative. Since we were doing a mutual cover, permission for rearranging and changing lyrics had technically already been granted, but each group was told to make a phone call to create footage for the broadcast.
The call was answered before the ringtone could even finish.
— Yes, Spark friends!
"Hello, seniors! This is Cheong-hyeon from Spark!"
— We’re not doing well. Spark’s songs are too energetic.
"We feel like we’re going to pass out singing your songs too!"
Onde has two more members than we do. By utilizing the advantages of a large group, Onde’s songs had a very high vocal proportion, with many parts being traded rapidly or sung together. It was a harsh task for Lee Cheong-hyeon, who handled almost all of Spark’s rap alone.
— So? Why did you call? We’re in the middle of a meeting. Don't tell me... information gathering? A psychological game?
"Hey, we aren't a group so tactless that we’d act so shamelessly toward our seniors!"
— Well, we are the shameless type. What song did you pick?
A heavy preemptive strike came from the seniors who clearly knew their way around variety shows. Lee Cheong-hyeon’s eyes went wide. I quickly snatched the phone from his hand before the momentum shifted.
"Seniors, it’s I-wol! We weren't making any progress, so I called to brazenly spy on you."
— I’m a bit scared of I-wol-ssi... Anyone else want to take the phone?
These people, seriously. Where else would you find a junior as respectful to his seniors as me?
It was noisy on the other end for a moment before it quieted down.
— Ah, these hyungs treat the youngest so poorly.
The one who picked up was Do-a. In our team, the younger you are, the higher your rank. Just look at Lee Cheong-hyeon and Kang Gi-yeon. How confident and bold they are.
Since both sides were filming their meeting scenes and had plenty to do, the necessary conversation ended quickly. We even received encouragement to change things up as much as we wanted.
— But if we wear school uniforms, I feel like people will throw stones at us. Can we change the outfits?
"If you go with a 'Land of Dreams and Adventure, Everland' concept, everyone will understand!"
— No. We’ll just sneakily swap them out.
The call ended with a hint that they would perform a song with a school uniform outfit. I waited for the senior to hang up first and only returned the phone to Lee Cheong-hyeon after the screen went completely dark.
"There, all problems solved."
"I think the seniors just got more troubled, though?"
Kang Gi-yeon protested, but I didn't respond. Their business was for them to handle.
"Now then... shall we decide on the subjects?"
The exciting time for role distribution had arrived. We pulled up 'photos of teacher outfits by subject' and engaged in a heated discussion over who would wear the middle-aged man's dress shirt.
Anyone who has gone through school probably has one or two teachers they liked—whether they were respectable or just funny.
Spark had unforgettable teachers as well. We decided to recreate these teachers as realistically as possible. Thanks to that, the dorm was in chaos as soon as we arrived, with everyone flipping their wardrobes upside down.
The level of perfection was, by far, highest among the actual high schoolers.
"Behold, my coordination."
I thought I was going to faint when Lee Cheong-hyeon walked out of his room. Square silver-rimmed glasses, a golf wear top, dress slacks, and a thick leather belt created a rift in time and space.
He even had a black watch on his wrist. A brown leather belt with a black leather watch. I felt dizzy.
"What is with those clothes?"
Kang Gi-yeon asked in horror. There are so many golf wear brands with nice necklines these days. Where on earth did he find that ambiguous polo shirt that was neither a dress shirt nor a T-shirt? It was maddening.
The pants were just as bad. They were clearly part of a wide-fit retro luxury setup when worn with the jacket, but with slippers underneath, he looked exactly like someone you'd find in a faculty office.
"Did you buy those second-hand?"
Choi Je-ho, who had become a Hongdangmu App expert by hanging out with Park Ju-woo, chimed in.
"Don't be surprised. These are... my 'original' private clothes."
"Oh my god..."
Park Ju-woo covered his mouth with both hands. To a pioneer of all-white fashion like him, Lee Cheong-hyeon’s color combination must have been excessively radical.
Still, it was fascinating. That guy had never come out looking like that before. I learned then that how you combine clothes can either make a person shine or kill their vibe entirely.
"That’s not all. I’ll do an impression."
"You’re truly the worst."
Encouraged by Kang Gi-yeon’s passionate "support," Lee Cheong-hyeon nudged his glasses up.
"Hey! Who’s that sleeping in the back! Wake him up!"
"Is the sleeping one by any chance Choi Je-ho?"
"Your class is the slowest! If you don't want supplementary lessons, let’s focus today. Got it?"
Lee Cheong-hyeon roamed the living room, tapping shoulders with an imaginary 30cm ruler. I felt like I needed to find a non-existent textbook and open it.
Choi Je-ho, thanks to Jeong Seong-bin’s active support, was assigned the role of the PE teacher. When he asked if he should just wear practice clothes, I told him to shut up and wait.
Then, I left a comment on Dotion asking them to find a pretty anorak set. We couldn't have the team’s center playing a 50-year-old male PE teacher. He had to be the young, handsome teacher who became a teacher after ending his career as an athlete.
I wanted to give Park Ju-woo the role of the Home Economics teacher, but due to a sudden opinion of 'Park Ju-woo suits being a school nurse...' that popped up out of nowhere, he was put in charge of the health office. Even though he only matched a cozy knit turtleneck with clean slacks, it suited his aura perfectly.
"But why am I the Korean Literature teacher?"
"There’s no one among us who reads texts with as much heart as you."
Lee Cheong-hyeon resolved his friend’s curiosity. Kang Gi-yeon still looked like he didn't understand, but we all thought there was no better subject for him.
The fact that he consistently used periods in the group chat also hinted at his teacher-like side. His sharp personality also fit the image of a Korean Literature teacher.
Jeong Seong-bin took on the role of a Social Studies teacher. Specifically, he became the Sociology teacher.
'Seong-bin hyung just looks like a Sociology teacher.'
With that, Lee Cheong-hyeon had tossed the subject to him. He said Seong-bin was the epitome of diligence while also having a kind side, and seemed like he would gently but firmly lead the students. Having received such high praise, Jeong Seong-bin happily accepted his role.
And finally, as for me...
"Hyung, you don't even need to find clothes. You’re already complete."
...I became the Student Dean.
A terrifying young "boomer" teacher who had been in the profession for over five years, whose nickname was 'The Viper,' and whose subject was Technology.