Debut Preparations (5)
“Huaaa! Manager, I’m gonna hate you!!”
“Haha! There are already too many trainees who hate me, so your words don’t faze me at all.”
Ki Uyeon glared at the manager who was piling on the pressure, but she brushed it off with her usual carefree attitude and flicked his forehead as if he were being cheeky.
“Aaaak!”
“You little punk. So cute.”
“It hurts!!! Look how red it is!!!!”
“Don’t be a baby, you brat.”
The other trainees must feel a ton of pressure too, even if not quite as much as us on the cusp of debut. The uncertainty of their futures weighs heavily on them. In that sense, the manager’s tough love might actually help.
She doesn’t hold grudges.
She’d scold them fiercely, but forget it the moment she turned away and shook it off. That’s why the trainees feared her but didn’t hate her.
As expected from a major agency.
Dealing with hormonal minors requires delicate handling, sure, but sometimes a rough, tough push is what’s needed.
“And a dedicated team has been assigned to you guys. Starting tomorrow, someone else will come handle your schedules and escort you around instead of me.”
“Gasp!”
“Why?!”
“You’re ditching us?!”
“Ditching? I was always in charge of trainees. You’re out of my jurisdiction now. You’ve been handed off to a dedicated team. Phew~ What a relief.”
“That’s too much~! After all the time we spent together! And you just toss us aside like this?!”
Uyeon stepped up as the representative, whining and clinging to the manager. Given the long trainee period, their bond with her ran deep, so it made sense.
A dedicated team, huh. Debut really was right around the corner.
“Won’t you introduce us to the team?”
“Want me to?”
“Yes!”
“Ooh! Really? I’m curious too!”
“Then let’s all go say hi. Follow me.”
We trailed behind the manager like ducklings. Our group name, Airplane, was boldly posted on the office door.
“Gasp! Our group name’s on the door!”
“Your dedicated team works in there, so they marked it.”
Knock knock knock—
“What is it?”
“Sorry to bother you. The kids heard they got a dedicated team and wanted to come say hi, so I brought them.”
“The kids?”
We filed in, lined up in order, and bowed together.
““Hello!!””
“Oh~ Hey, hello.”
“Nice to meet you~”
Some staff faces were familiar, others not. But these were the people who’d support us going forward, so we bowed politely, aiming to make a good impression. Building rapport meant they’d go the extra mile for us. No matter where you go, greetings are the foundation of social life.
Ahyun?
The biggest surprise was spotting Ahyun among our dedicated team. As I looked her way, our eyes met. She gave me a subtle nod of greeting, and I dipped my head slightly in return.
Didn’t expect Ahyun to be on our team. Guess we’ll see each other a lot now. Gotta text her later and find out what’s up.
Boksun noona would flip if she knew. She’d never hesitated to show her jealousy, convinced Ahyun was after me. And that jealousy was probably still simmering.
What’s Boksun noona up to these days? Thought I’d run into her at the company, but no classes means not even a glimpse of her hair.
Poni better hurry up with those 4,000 coins. My libido, sated thanks to Jua noona, was building back up fast.
Should I hit her up?
When you’re thirsty, you head to the well yourself. Boksun noona was my only option for relief at the company, so I needed a meetup spot.
♣ ♣ ♣
The day the cameras finally left after tormenting us for the reality show filming. We celebrated our freedom with a secret late-night snack party.
That’s when the truth game came up casually. Living together, resentments build up inevitably. This was our chance to air them out before debut and start fresh.
I wasn’t sure it’d work at first, but the guys spilled without holding back.
“What do you all think of Kang, our new manager instead of the old one?”
“Uh… isn’t that a dangerous thing to say?”
“This truth game’s for spilling our honest feelings, right? Let’s get it all out now.”
“Yeah, true.”
“Uyeon, we agreed no formal speech. Use casual.”
“Urgh, got it.”
“Good. So, what’s the verdict?”
“Not bad, I think.”
“After all that time with the old manager, Kang feels off.”
“Kinda cold, right?”
“What about you, hyung?”
“Yeah. Super stiff and authoritarian. Doesn’t sit right.”
“So what’re we gonna do?”
“Nothing. Just saying it bugs me. This is for honest talk, right?”
Gripes about Kang, our first team manager, bubbled up.
“Honestly, I wasn’t feeling the debut track. I like it now that it’s grown on me, but did it have to be the title?”
“Gasp! If even Jeki hyung doesn’t like it, that’s serious! Should we ask to change it?”
Even complaints about our debut song surfaced.
“But they said it’s from a famous composer, and we shelled out big for it.”
“Expensive doesn’t guarantee a hit.”
“Truth is, I’m bummed my track didn’t make the album. Why’d I even learn composing? I wanted my own song on my debut album. But they just said no, and it sucked. What’s wrong with mine compared to this?”
Jeki was already a pro composer with a smash hit under his belt. No wonder he was salty about not getting any of his tracks on his own debut album.
“But why’d the company reject it?”
“Didn’t fit the concept.”
“Jeki hyung’s style is kinda intense. You like those explosive beats.”
“Hate the concept. ‘Refreshing’? Cringe.”
Resentments poured out one by one until the room was full of them.
Everyone’s been bottling up a lot.
I had no clue. They’d all seemed thrilled about debut, grinning like idiots.
“Why not speak up sooner? Shouldn’t we tell the manager?”
“Debut alone is joy enough. Swallowed the rest.”
“What if complaining gets us kicked out? Scary, right?”
Still kids, they were timid. If it were me, I’d have voiced it diplomatically.
“No gripes for you, hyung?”
“Just happy to tag along. No complaints.”
Complaining takes some leeway and know-how. Right now, dancing when told and singing on cue was my best.
“Really none? C’mon~ Spill it.”
Fine, whatever. Everyone else shared, so skipping me would be weird.
Complaint… ah!
“Can’t make personal time? Even one day a week would be nice. Schedules non-stop all week is too much, right?”
“Haesol hyung’d just chase girls if he had free time! No way!”
“Right! Dangerous. Nope.”
“But Haesol hyung could use some girl time.”
“How many times he pokes through the blanket…”
“Ahem!”
I heard Uyeon and immediately wrapped my arm around his neck, choking him.
“You little shit, embarrassing me.”
“Aak! But hyung, it’s too much. I freak out every morning.”
Sharing a room with me was hell for Uyeon, thanks to my morning wood standing like a tent pole. This world’s guys had zero libido—too zero. Stuck with a sex fiend like me, it was herbivore vs. carnivore; he jumped every time.
I didn’t want to drag it out, so I shifted topics.
“Any more gripes?”
“That’s all for me. Everything else is bliss! Debuting with hyungs I click with feels like a dream.”
“I got more. Someone turns socks inside out—cut that out. And towels? Change every two days at least. Laundry piles up huge with so many of us. Sun-dried, two days is fine.”
Nam Eungyu unleashed dorm complaints like a flood. At 18, he hated mess and things out of place. Toughest roommate style, especially tormenting Kyungtae in the same room.
“I got something too.”
Kyungtae spoke up amid Eungyu’s rant.
“Eungyu! Gotta say this. We all have our habits. But forcing everyone to your standards is uncomfortable.”
“Uh…”
Eungyu panicked at Kyungtae’s words. He thought he was right, and clean living is better.
“After slaving outside all day, we should unwind at the dorm. But you impose your rules, so we can’t relax. I get you mean well, but life isn’t always pristine. At first, I followed since you were right, but it built up. Wouldn’t it be easier if you adapted to us?”
““…Everyone agrees with Kyungtae hyung?”
Not even Uyeon denied it.
“Yeah… I messed up. Didn’t know you felt that way.”
“We know cleaning your way is right, but you’re too by-the-book.”
“Got it. I’ll watch it. Thanks for speaking up now.”
Kyungtae’s hesitant start, laced with apology, landed better than expected. Seeing Eungyu accept it eased everyone.
“Good call making this happen!”
“Anything else? Let’s clear it all!”
After that, even petty stuff got aired and resolved. Could’ve turned messy, but I smoothed it, and they opened up right there.
Don’t wanna fight right before debut and cause issues.
Debut wasn’t the end, but to trainees peering into the unknown, it felt like it—a massive milestone.
As the guys goofed off in the living room, a moth caught my eye.
“!!!!”
I bolted up and fled to my room. They called after me, but I claimed sleepiness.
Click! Locked the door, sat on the bed—and the moth popped out like it’d been waiting.
“The guys can’t see you? Scared me popping up like that.”
How can a normal human see me? Obviously not. Not just anyone can.
“Anyway, what’s up? You didn’t show till I called.”
I tossed the question at Poni to avoid its smug vibe.
Got 4,000 coins.
“Oh!! For real?”
Such great news!
Just remember, I’ve done all sorts of crap for you.
“Thanks. You little rascal, you’ve got some conscience after all. Didn’t think you’d actually deliver.”
I said I’d get it!
“Then let’s buy it now.”
Open your status window.
“Okay.”
I opened the status window as Poni said and accessed the shop via its credentials.
The shop items were insanely pricey. Most over 10,000 coins, with thousands-level stuff being kid toys. Come to think, my purchase was a doppelganger “doll” too.
“No way to earn more coins faster?”
Why ask that suddenly?
“Ways to earn more means I can repay your loan quicker.”
These items aren’t for you to use! It’s illegal!
“Already broke the law. What’s it matter? Any ways to earn more coins? Spill.”
We’d crossed the Rubicon. No women without the doppelganger doll.
No methods right now. But if you impregnate a woman, maybe ask for a bonus upstairs.
“Impregnate? I’m an idol—how do I handle knocking up a girl?”
Just impregnate first. I can fix anything after.
No fast coin farms for me, apparently. I searched for the doppelganger doll, hit buy, and Poni deposited 4,000 coins into my status wallet.
Your coins have increased by +4000.
The doll purchase deducted 4,000 coins.
Jingle! A keychain doll appeared in my palm with a chime. But it looked faulty.
“This the doppelganger doll? No eyes, nose, mouth?”
Smear blood to sync. Needs your body data to copy you perfectly.
“How much blood?”
Just prick with a needle?
“Ah~ That’s easy. Thought I’d need buckets—scared me.”
Grabbed a needle, pricked my thumb, smeared the keychain. It absorbed the blood flawlessly.
“Whoa, insane. Perfect copy!”
The creepy wriggling blob soon morphed into an exact mini-me doll.
Use it whenever you want now.
“Whoa~ Gonna test it tonight!!”
Hm, good attitude. Use it tons and pay off the debt fast.
4,000 coins well spent—time to get my money’s worth.