Chapter 424: New Year's Greetings
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 424: New Year's Greetings
≫ It’s a tale as old as time—the team that wins the Grand Prize and the team with the highest stage views are never the same.
Considering how Spark’s stage was the longest, the fact that their views are overwhelmingly high despite all the trashy paid voting sites says a lot.
Basically, this year’s Music Grand Festival was just a Spark solo concert.
└ 1st place…… they’re 1st!
└ When the cue sheet first dropped and showed 11 minutes, there were so many damn fandoms talking shit, but they all vanished the moment the stage aired hahahaha
└ I mean, why wouldn’t Spark get 11 minutes?ㅠ The kids were voted the "Best 1 Minute" on Idol Dynasty Annals, and both their double titles and Hideout hit #1. Don't they deserve it??
└ For real. Didn't they realize what was coming when the official NBC MeTube channel was busy spamming Cheon Yun-seong fancams and Choi Je-ho behind-the-scenes compilations? hahaha
└└ And that’s even though the exclusive report was done by TVm hahahahahahahaha
≫ I think the final song, Non-on, is going to stay stuck in my head for a long time.
I thought everyone already knew how good their live vocals were so there was no need to brag anymore, but I take it back. I’m going to scream about it until I lose my voice.
└ I’m not even an idol fan, but seeing comments from people saying they keep rewatching it makes me so proud ㅠㅠ
≫ Music Grand Festival in one sentence: Was there really a need for SMI to be the center……?
They called him the "Genius Center" and "Visual Center" and said he was the entrance to the temple, but you can’t even tell he’s gone. MI, what happened?
└ A Naos here who’s thrilled that Ga-un was rediscovered thanks to Min-il’s parts being redistributed (1/10,000,000)
└ A thrilled Naos (2/10,000,000)
└ A thrilled Naos (3/10,000,000)
└ Min-il! You can’t sing for shit, yet you threw such a tantrum for a killing part, and this is how it ends! I don’t feel sorry for you at all. Goodbye!!!
└└ hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
≫ People on SNS were trying to gatekeep by saying Spark are the "Sons of NBC," but the actual venue was just a party…… hahahaha There’s a reason Hideout stayed #1 on the year-end charts from their comeback until their last broadcast, except for one week.
There wasn't a single person not singing along hahahaha Not to mention Speaker.
└ I’m a total dance fanatic, so I was a bit disappointed when I saw "Acoustic ver." next to Hideout on the cue sheet…… but it was so hype and good. My emotions are fully recharged.
└ I’m so jealous of the people who were there…… I could’ve done the fanchant so well……
└ In all the videos uploaded from the fan seats, the decibel level of people singing along to the chorus is insane hahaha It looks like it was so much fun ㅠㅠㅠ
≫ A guy in his 30s here watching the Music Grand Festival for the first time in a while.
I stopped watching a long time ago because I knew fewer songs and the stages weren't fun anymore, but I happened to turn it on today, and Speak is really good……
I’ve been looking up their songs ever since I saw them performing as a band.
Anyone my age would probably feel pretty nostalgic.
└ Spark?
└└ Oh, right. I got the most important name wrong;;;
└└└ Maybe it’s because the song title is Speaker?? I just looked it up, and the song Speaker is a band track haha
└└└└ Why do they name things so confusingly?
└└└└└ Just be grateful it’s short. Don’t you know the trend for titles these days???
└ I feel you on not watching because I know fewer songs, plus there are no stages worth watching.
└└ When those CG sets come out, I don’t think "Oh, that’s cool," I just think "What is that……" I guess I really am getting old.
*
Spark wrapped up the year amidst high praise. And, as they welcomed the New Year, they underwent several changes.
First, the maknaes turned twenty. With this, Spark became a group where every member was an adult.
Accordingly, the team rules became more detailed. Previously, there was a belief that they would behave themselves because of the younger members; now, the regulations were renewed to emphasize that everyone must take responsibility for their own actions, as no one else would do it for them.
Second, the members' workout preferences began to diverge. After the "reporting the intensity of the concert workouts" issue, everyone became more honest in expressing their opinions.
There were those like me and Choi Je-ho who only did weight training, while others wanted to enjoy sports, and some managed their fitness out of a sense of professional duty. I won't specify who was who.
Third, we closed out our second friendship savings account. Previously, the young idols had used the interest for a team dinner, but this time, they added a portion of the principal to the interest and donated it. With companies adopting ESG management, we discussed how idols should also constantly think of ways to exert a positive influence.
The annual schedule also received final approval. With two comebacks a year and an overseas debut, we set three major activities as our primary schedule.
From this year, we decided to add a slight image transformation. Since we had concluded the school concept with the Season’s Greetings, it was time to show a fresh side. This was the reason I was currently wrestling with Web Cell files, pointlessly applying and removing filters.
In the second half of last year, objectively speaking, I barely participated in the work. But now that my personal affairs were mostly resolved, there was nothing left to hinder me.
Since the encore concert was confirmed, I also had to plan the detailed content. While encore concerts usually keep a similar setlist, we couldn't do the exact same rolling paper or skits, so I spent a week deciding on games that would be good to play on the fly.
"Hyung, do you think it would be better if I took one more semester off?"
Jeong Seong-bin, unable to watch everyone being ground down physically and mentally, had hesitantly made the suggestion. Fortunately, my condition improved quickly, so it was decided that Jeong Seong-bin would return to school this year along with Park Ju-woo as planned.
These details were……
"The number of rules suddenly dropped significantly?"
"The previous rules have already been internalized…… Everyone probably has the habits down even without them being written."
"Seong-bin is good at badminton. Did you decide to keep doing it?"
"No, I’m putting it on hold for a bit……!"
"Seong-bin Hyung checks my messages later than usual ever since we started going to the gym together."
……all shared in detail during the New Year’s Live, except for the encore concert and comeback schedule. The main content was wearing hanbok and slicing rice cakes for soup, but we spent more time chatting.
The rice cake soup was completed once Jeong Seong-bin added the egg garnish, which was as yellow as his own hair. The dumplings Choi Je-ho made had all burst, as if they wanted to assert their presence, so it didn't look great, but thanks to that, the broth was rich and deep.
"If I eat three bowls of rice cake soup, can I join the oldest line?"
"It’s possible, but can you burn off all those calories today? You know it’s 400 kcal per bowl, even if we lowered it, right?"
At my words, Lee Cheong-hyeon shut his mouth tight. As if in rebellion, he sprinkled a ton of pepper. Throughout the meal, there was never a moment of silence.
Due to our busy schedule, we didn't get a separate holiday break. I myself was at the point where my brain was about to check out from trying to decide Spark’s next concept.
For someone like me, a schedule came up that didn't require much brainpower but wasn't exactly "comfortable" either, as it involved broadcasting with veteran celebrities.
I received an offer to appear on Let's Eat Together, a healing observation variety show where viewers request interesting combinations of people to gather at a small country house by the mountains or sea to cook meals and talk about life.
"The other people appearing with me have been decided, right?"
Except for unusual cases, the cast members were usually acquaintances. To get high ratings, they had to create a lineup that would interest viewers. Representative examples were the well-known "Line XX" or "XX-ers" based on birth years.
And I was……
"It’s a 'Villain Trio' concept!"
"Excuse me?"
……set to appear on a special broadcast under the title "The Unusual Daily Life of Villains." Cheon Yun-seong was a role, not me, so I had no idea why even the human Kim I-wol had become a villain.
The other guests were also familiar.
"……Mr. I-wol, you’re early."
"Not at all, I just got here!"
Mr. Woo Yun-jae, who had performed passionately as Cheon Yun-seong’s partner, entered first. I planned to express my deep regrets with a heartfelt handwritten letter to Mr. Woo Yun-jae, who had earned the dishonor of being a villain just for being in the same boat as me.
The last person appeared, radiating an unusual aura from a distance.
"It’s been a while, Sunbae-nim."
"Indeed. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you on a broadcast, hasn't it?"
Mr. Gu Ja-han greeted us with a nonchalant face. He was so friendly that one might have thought he was a neighborhood neighbor.
"It’s been…… a while."
"It has. I received your gift well."
Mr. Gu Ja-han also exchanged awkward greetings with Mr. Woo Yun-jae. To avoid showing that I was sitting on pins and needles, I broke into a sweat saying things like, "Oh, Ja-han Sunbae-nim was so surprised!" and "You wanted to see Yun-jae Sunbae-nim, didn't you!"
"I did. It’s been a long time since our last project together……"
"We didn't have many chances to run into each other. Still, I guess we were fated. Seeing as we’re doing a show together like this."
Fortunately, the two of them saved my face. I was tearfully grateful for the seniors' sincerity in playing along instead of refuting my words.
After the awkward introductions, we took some time to look around the filming location. After seeing the harvested rice paddies, the vegetable garden covered in plastic, the chicken coop wrapped in bubble wrap, the yard with a large dog, and the warehouse, it was already time to prepare our first meal. For smooth work, we decided to change our clothes first.
"Sunbae-nim, is that…… your work clothes?"
"Yeah, why?"
I then proceeded to nag Mr. Gu Ja-han, who had brought slim-fit training pants as "work clothes." How could an older man be more obsessed with style than the active idol Choi Je-ho? Looking at either Gu Ja-han or Choi Je-ho made my blood pressure rise, and I could only thump my chest in frustration.
Only after finishing "Dressing up Gu Ja-han" with the extra padded pants I had brought just in case could the Villain Trio head to the kitchen.
"Do we really have to cook rice in a cauldron?"
"There wasn't an electric rice cooker inside, was there, Sunbae-nim?"
"No…… but I know how to do it, so you don't have to worry."
Mr. Woo Yun-jae dispelled Mr. Gu Ja-han’s worries in one go.
"So, if Mr. Ja-han could wash the cauldron……"
And get a bit of revenge for the past, too. Mr. Gu Ja-han ended up scrubbing a real cauldron lid with hands that fans used to adore for being "as big as a cauldron lid."