Chapter 83: Our Company's All-Round Entertainer (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 83: Our Company's All-Round Entertainer (2)
The full story I heard from the manager over a short phone call was this:
Polo, a member of the group Hellas and the DJ of Midnight Conversation—the show I had appeared on recently—was heading out on an overseas tour.
Consequently, the broadcasting station had been reaching out to various people to find a substitute for him. The candidates were all personally selected by Polo himself, who had a deep affection for his radio show.
However, there was one problem.
Hellas was such a massive global star that their overseas tour was scheduled to last quite a long time, leaving too many empty slots to fill.
As a result, even after calling upon all of Polo’s acquaintances, one spot remained vacant...
— I heard Polo recommended you?
It turned out he had put my name down for that spot. I didn't think Polo was that kind of person, but he clearly has no eye for talent.
I don't have time for radio. I’m busy.
In the morning, I have to toast bread; in the forenoon, I have to sing until my throat tears; at lunch, I have to go pick up and carry salads; in the afternoon, I have to dance until my body breaks; in the evening, I have to prepare low-sodium lunch boxes; and at night, I have to wrestle with the system, agonizing over how to snatch a cowardly #1 win for Spark on a music show...
Even if I had six heads, I wouldn't be able to keep up with the mental processing. The makeup staff even begged me to get plenty of sleep during the off-season. At this rate, I’m going to get scolded again when we make our comeback.
— Besides, the group appearing as guests that day is Parte. The ratings shouldn't be too bad!
The manager spoke in an excited voice. I suppose it’s because this is an unparalleled opportunity for an idol without any connections.
In contrast, my mood was plummeting to the floor.
Putting me in Polo’s vacant seat instead of other idols from MYTH?
And on an episode where the guest is a rookie group that MYTH needs to push with everything they've got?
If I were a Parte fan, I’d find this situation incredibly bizarre. It’s as clear as day.
The moment the radio station and Parte’s schedules are posted, the online communities will be like...
≫ It feels like the guest and the DJ seats should be swapped ^^; lol;;
└ For real... our main dancers do the work of ten people every time they go on the radio... T_T
≫ Hey, MYTH.
Do you seriously not know who you should be looking out for right now??? ^^^^^^^^
...It’ll be exactly like that. The future looks bleak.
I do think that having all the members of Parte—who finished their promotions before us—appear on the show was enough of a benefit for the labelmates.
But giving a solo hosting gig to me, a total stranger? That’s just wrong. If I were Parte, I’d be salty too.
However, a "hole" member of a rookie idol group only three weeks into his debut didn't have the right to kick away a solo DJ opportunity.
If anything, I was in a position where I should be bowing down in gratitude for the chance to get our team’s name out there.
I shouted energetically so that my resolve would reach the manager through the phone.
“It’s truly an honor! I’ll do my best!”
Endure it, Kim I-wol. Just think of this as the foundation for that #1 win.
Seriously, this was one of those moments where I truly missed my small, precious studio apartment that would be sitting empty without an owner nine years from now.
The day of the showdown arrived sooner than expected.
It was because I had been insanely busy in the meantime.
Not only did I receive additional Labor Support Services, but I almost asked if they offered loans too. Is this really supposed to be an off-season?
“I-wol, are you sure you’re okay with those clothes?”
The manager, who was driving, asked as he looked toward me while stopped at a red light.
By "those clothes," he meant my top—a black base covered in dark red geometric patterns.
“Of course.”
Do you know how long I wandered through the underground shopping centers to find this?
Dark red patterns on a black background were Parte’s official colors.
The patterns weren't exactly the same, but after days of legwork, I found something that would look close enough on screen.
“And you’re going to wear that bracelet too...?”
This time, the manager glanced at my wrist.
It was a temporary bracelet made of fake thorns that I had wrapped around myself this morning with Jeong Seong-bin’s help. I made it by buying fake roses from a dollar store and pulling the heads off.
“Naturally!”
I said with a bright smile. To recreate the eerie vibe of Parte’s music video, I had to go at least this far.
I’m already in a position where I’m hosting a radio show over seniors who debuted months before me; there’s no benefit in getting on their bad side.
So, my goal for today is to promote Parte diligently and then sneakily play a Spark song during the commercial break.
Wait for me, guys.
I’ll make sure Flowering gets played on the radio.
My fashion, which completely abandoned any sense of sophistication, brought great laughter to the radio writers.
“I-wol, is that... actually your own clothes?”
“It’s a custom outfit designed to show respect for the guests!”
When they asked where I got such a thing, I told them I bought it for 12,000 won at an underground mall, which triggered another round of laughter. From today on, I’m the "happy virus" of this area.
While I was receiving a brief explanation from one of the writers in such a friendly atmosphere, the studio door opened.
When Spark appeared as guests, we would each arrive at the waiting room early, give our greetings, and listen to the briefing.
But this time, because Parte arrived almost exactly on time, we ended up exchanging frantic greetings inside the recording booth. Well, it’s not like the location matters for a greeting.
“Hello! I am Kim I-wol of Spark. I look forward to working with you today!”
“Ahaha. Right.”
Parte’s leader patted my shoulder with a pleasant-looking smile.
Was it just my imagination that I could sense his "boomer energy" just from his laughter?
My vibrant boomer-radar was telling me this guy was suspicious, but I decided not to care for now. I had to focus on doing my job properly first.
Just then, I heard someone snort in mockery from behind. It was Song Min-il.
Seeing my outfit, he muttered, “Trying hard to stand out, aren't we?”
He was covering his mouth with his hand, but that bastard was definitely laughing his head off.
But think about it, Mr. Min-il.
If I wanted to stand out, I would have come out wearing a golden crown. Would I have worn the thorns that appeared for two whole minutes in your music video?
More importantly, if you have time to watch me, look at the expressions of your members behind you. The poor kids look like they’re shriveling up from the shock.
I wanted to say, ‘I came dressed like this for the sake of your team, so why are you throwing shade?’ but I decided to hold back because the kids behind Song Min-il looked as withered as boiled bracken.
I was waiting to see how long Song Min-il would keep running his mouth when the leader stepped in.
“Min-il, don’t say things like that. You’ll discourage our junior.”
Kim I-wol, who debuted about two months later than Parte, almost shed tears of emotion at the senior’s consideration. Though I questioned if that could even be called "restraining" him.
“If you get nervous, you might make mistakes even in things you’re good at, so just relax,” Parte’s leader said.
He seemed to be trying to hide his true feelings and act like a nice guy, but I could already see through him. The subtext of those words was: ‘Keep your head straight and don’t mess up.’
‘I’m not keen on making mistakes either, so that works for me.’
The dozens of presentations I did as a business major. The hundreds of (completely useless) PTs I did at Hanpyeong Industry.
The countless Spark radio appearances I listened to while taking transcripts.
On top of that, I had even monitored Polo’s past shows for today’s stint as a one-day DJ.
Sorry, but you guys are the ones who need to worry about not tripping over your words.
I’m already fully prepared.
After the final performance in Hong Kong.
Inside the van where the members sat exhausted after the after-party, Hellas’s main rapper, Polo, took out his phone.
Seeing Polo then reach for his Bluetooth earphones, Hellas’s leader, Yur, turned around from the passenger seat to look at him.
Yur looked at the phone in Polo’s hand, then at Polo, and asked, “Monitoring the radio?”
“Yeah. The latest episode should be up by now.”
At Polo’s words, the other members added worried comments, asking if he wasn't tired or telling him to rest since the concert had just ended. These were words that could only come from people sharing a murderous schedule.
Polo replied to his members’ concerned remarks with an energetic voice.
“Does everyone still not know my stamina? I’m still fresh!”
“Yeah, yeah, you’re great...”
Everyone burst into laughter at a certain teammate’s resigned tone.
“Chae-jun has a lot of affection for Midnight Conversation. Especially since the gap is so long this time, he must be worried.”
Only Yur stood up for Polo’s position whenever situations like this arose. Polo liked this kind side of the leader.
“Jun, go ahead and listen to the radio. The rest of you should sleep until we get to the dorm.”
“Yes, sir.”
As soon as the leader spoke, the van quickly fell silent.
It was only natural. It wasn't unusual to lose several kilograms after a single overseas tour.
But for Polo, there was an affection that surpassed that fatigue—an affection for the radio show he had hosted for years.
Even when the agency that booked the job said, ‘Only idol fans listen to shows hosted by idols,’ Polo had thought:
Are idol fans not listeners too?
That very day, Polo set a goal.
He would create a channel that anyone who liked idols or was interested in celebrities would tune into at least once, regardless of who the guest was!
In the world of idol radio, where ratings fluctuated based on the guest, Polo’s determination seemed meaningless. As everyone knew, the success of a broadcast was usually determined by whether or not they could invite big-name guests.
However, Polo worked truly hard.
That effort bore fruit as Polo’s channel completely shed the insulting label of being "guest-driven" and established itself as a long-running program.
Through many ups and downs, Polo couldn't help but grow attached to the radio.
That was why, whenever an unavoidable circumstance arose, Polo personally selected and even recruited his own substitutes before leaving his seat.
In that sense, the rookie group member who would be the DJ for this episode was an unusual choice for the lineup.
When his leader first saw the list of DJ candidates...
‘You sent a recruitment call to someone who just debuted?’
‘Yeah. I hope he said he’d do it!’
‘I’m sure he will. But it’s unexpected.’
...That’s what he had said.
Polo knew that Yur had almost added, ‘I thought you wouldn't recommend anyone without a certain amount of experience.’
As Yur said, Polo’s choice was unprecedented. Even the radio writers he worked with had been surprised.
However, unlike Yur, who hadn't listened to Spark’s radio appearance, the writers who were on-site that day soon took an interest in Polo’s choice.
‘You felt it too, Polo? He has that sharp image, right? He spoke well, too.’
‘He picked up the interview sheet really early. There was no dead air at all; it felt like the kids prepared a lot.’
‘For rookies, their audio didn't overlap much either.’
Leaving such an impression on writers who work with different idols every week isn't luck—it’s talent. That’s what Polo thought.
So, he took a shot.
Among those six who all spoke well, he was exceptionally articulate and stood out the most.
He reached out to Kim I-wol, the eldest member of the rookie group, who possessed a bold heart that didn't falter even during his first radio appearance.
As the replay started, the empty studio appeared while commercials played. Polo put in his earphones one by one and turned up the volume.
‘I wonder if he wore that funny headband again today.’
If he was going to wear one, since he was coming as a DJ this time, it would be better to make one with Parte’s group name instead of his own.
While Polo was having such idle thoughts, he couldn't hide his shock as he watched Kim I-wol enter the studio holding a script, his upper body wrapped in a shirt with a garish printed pattern.