The New Song Is Revealed

Why the hell is this guy grabbing my hand all of a sudden? Cathy stared at Rembrary, utterly dumbfounded.

But the sheer absurdity of the moment crushed all the tension out of him. To be precise, it was Rembrary's Divine Power that had melted his nerves away — though Cathy had no way of knowing that.

The reporters were just as bewildered. But being professionals, they interpreted Rembrary's "holding a member's hand" with a bit more strategic imagination.

He wanted to stage a show of teamwork — a member lending strength, Wild Animal's closeness! That was the conclusion the reporters drew.

But when Rembrary, having apparently comforted Cathy enough, went and switched seats right back to his original spot, the reporters fell back into confusion. Weren't you playing the "consoling member"? Why are you going back to your seat?

Cathy himself looked stunned too, as if this hadn't been part of any agreed-upon plan.

Still, he quickly pulled himself together, grabbed his microphone, and answered. "We haven't revealed it to anyone yet. The song drops at midnight tonight, and I'm sure our seniors, juniors, and friends will share their thoughts then. I hope the response is good."

Despite the chaotic atmosphere caused by one reporter's sharp attack and Rembrary's erratic behavior, the articles that came out after the showcase were, on the whole, friendly.

Of course, a few articles fixated on Rembrary's outburst, and a couple took a sensationalist angle on Cathy fumbling whenever Yuli O came up.

But the public no longer batted an eye at anything as mild as Woo Yeon-woo holding a member's hand.

Some people sneered that Rembrary was only putting on a show of looking after Cathy, but Wild Animal's small band of devoted fans scurried all over the internet, dutifully defending his every move.

The claim that Wild Animal was a close-knit group had absolutely nothing to do with the truth, but the fans insisted on it all the same.

Still, the moment at the showcase had, if only briefly, fanned a warm breeze through Cathy's heart.

That evening.

"Hey."

Cathy approached Rembrary, who was toweling the water out of his hair after a shower, hesitated, then blurted it out.

"Thanks. For earlier."

"Earlier?"

"...When I was losing it. Grabbing my hand like that. Scared the living hell out of me, honestly. But it brought me back to my senses."

"Ah, that."

"You creep. Why of all things your hand?"

Cathy avoided his gaze out of sheer awkwardness, then forced out the words in an exaggeratedly annoyed tone.

"Whatever. Thanks."

But apparently the thanks had come out too brusquely, because he fidgeted and asked again.

"You did it to cheer me up, right?"

"Where are you looking when you say that? I'm over here."

"Ugh, come on!"

"It wasn't to cheer you up. It was to snap you back to your senses."

"That's the same thing."

Cathy stared down at the floor, stiff with embarrassment, then muttered, "Whatever. Thanks," grumbled a bit more for good measure, and fled to the bathroom.

Rembrary cocked his head, then calmly dropped the damp towel into the laundry basket.

That night, all the members gathered in the living room, phones in hand, sitting shoulder to shoulder as they waited for the song and music video to drop.

Rembrary was tired and simply wanted to sleep, but with the whole team out there, he had no choice but to sit in the row with them.

But sitting idle was boring, so he took a few selfies, posted them on social media, and amused himself watching the reactions roll in.

The phone rang. It was Sunwoo Sil.

"Hello?"

"Ah, sunbae, that's not what I—"

While Rembrary was on the phone, earnestly trying to explain himself to Sunwoo Sil—

a sudden cheer erupted right beside him.

Startled, Rembrary looked over. The members were clutching their phones to their chests and dancing.

Even Jungseo was hugging his phone tight, wearing a dazed expression.

"I'll call you back."

Rembrary hung up and asked Jungseo what was happening.

Jungseo turned his phone screen toward him, still pressed against his chest.

Next to the title of Wild Animal's new song, marked NEW, the number 10 was glowing.

"Oh, this is—"

"We broke into the top ten!"

Rembrary asked, dubious. "Isn't that awfully low?"

Hye-gyeol burst out beside him. "It's an incredibly high ranking! I guess you forgot, hyung — we've never once debuted inside the top hundred!"

"Ah... right."

So we did well.

Before he knew it, Rembrary was nodding along with them, and he broke into applause.

So did this bump up that "grade" Maeng Woo-shin had been talking about?

On Friday, Wild Animal woke before dawn to prepare for their first music show comeback stage.

After a stop at the salon for hair and makeup, they gathered their costumes and headed to the broadcasting station — where the crowd of fans who had turned out to cheer for Wild Animal was far larger than usual.

Even a rough eyeball estimate put it at five times the norm. When Wild Animal greeted them, the fans screamed loud enough to rival the fandoms of far more popular idols, and the members flushed with delight.

Among that crowd, Rembrary spotted several faces he distinctly recognized, and waved along with them, swept up in the excitement.

He had been meticulous about managing his believers since his days as High Priest, so unlike yesterday's bewilderment, today a genuine sense of pride and joy welled up in him unmistakably.

Seeing the growth in his flock with his own eyes delighted him immensely — so much so that, for the believers whose names he knew for certain, he called out his greetings at full volume.

"Guan Yu!"

The believer who had publicly earned the nickname "Guan Yu" waved back with a sound that could have been either laughter or wailing.

Rembrary wanted to talk with his believers longer, but pressed by the constant reminders that time was short, he had to hurry inside to the studio.

After two rehearsals, the comeback stage finally unfolded before an expectant ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠audience.

The response to the stage was as hot as the one for the track itself.

The moment the members returned to the company, CEO Im was so overjoyed he hugged each one of them in turn, and Jong-woo finally let a few tears slip.

Sunwoo Sil, who had been fuming ever since his photoshop habits were publicly exposed the day before, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠seemed to be in a better mood today — he promoted Wild Animal's title track and Yeon-woo's solo song on social media, tagging them as his most anticipated juniors.

It was only a handful of throwaway lines, but Sunwoo Sil was a widely respected vocalist of proven skill. For a man like him to openly praise their ability carried enormous weight. At a single word from Sunwoo Sil, everyone who trusted his judgment would shed their prejudice against idols and give Wild Animal's new song a listen.

Saturday's Power Idol music show stage went off beautifully, without a hitch.

At Friday's Sing Sing Sing Sing they had performed the title track and a group B-side, but today, as a special treat, they performed the title track and Rembrary's solo song.

Granted, Rembrary got a little carried away by his believers' fervent response and briefly went wild with his Holy Power — but the matter was written off as the camera director's and lighting director's mistake on Power Idol and quietly swept under the rug.

In the meantime, the song climbed all the way to number seven, and the agency spent two full days in a festival atmosphere.

Better still, Rembrary's solo track sat at number nine, and another B-side at eleven.

Jong-woo kept sniffling, insisting that the moment the money settled they were moving out of the dorm first thing.

"We should start an official fan club too. And the fan club motto should be 'Defeat Oh Jung-shin.'"

Then Sunday arrived, and with it, preparations for the final comeback ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠stage.

It happened while they were waiting for the live broadcast to start after rehearsal. Cathy and Hye-gyeol had been fooling around together, and eventually Cathy went, "Ah," and clutched his hand.

When he pulled it away, blood was welling up across the back of it.

"Good grief, you troublemakers."

Jong-woo clicked his tongue, but he couldn't bring himself to scold them too harshly.

Ever since the song charted for the first time, the members had been walking on air. It had been quite a while since he'd seen them come to a music show and just play around among themselves, and it almost felt too pitiful to yell at them.

"Anyone have a bandage? Anyone? ...Guess not."

But he couldn't send them on stage like this, so Jong-woo sent Sa Gam-jae on an errand to buy some.

"There's a tiny little pharmacy behind the broadcasting station. It's minuscule, but it has everything, and it's not far. If you hurry, we won't even be pressed for time. Could you go grab one?"

Sa Gam-jae said he understood and left.

But ten minutes passed, then fifteen, and Sa Gam-jae did not return.

"We need to head backstage soon."

Anxious, Jong-woo called — no answer.

By now the bleeding on Cathy's hand had already stopped.

"Is that guy buying a bandage or sewing one from scratch?"

Jong-woo grumbled on and on, resolving to give CEO Im a piece of his mind about Sa Gam-jae.

He felt bad badmouthing a new hire, but going radio-silent right before such an important schedule? For a manager, that was absolutely unforgivable.

Sa Gam-jae finally showed up five minutes after the live broadcast ended, when everyone was already back in the waiting room.

"Hey, Gam-jae! What the hell were you doing out there?"

The moment Jong-woo saw him, he exploded.

"You pull stunts like this and you expect me to leave the road manager duties to you alone? Is this how you'd act when you're watching the kids by yourself — slack off, ignore calls, the whole nine yards?"

But the answer that came back was deeply baffling.

"A person collapsed. They were dying."

Jong-woo flinched at the terrifying non sequitur. "What?"

"I was delayed because I was watching them. My phone battery drained right then, from its final use."

"Seriously? No — good lord, so you were late because you called 119? Did you go with them to the ER? Good work, good work. You save a person when you can."

"No. I only watched. I am not permitted to intervene."

"What? Then the ambulance?"

"None was called."

"What? Hey, you lunatic! Then what happened to the person? What happened to them?"

"Ah. They safely became a soul. Rest assured."

"!"

"I was a bit late because I went to confirm that."

When Sa Gam-jae smiled serenely, Jong-woo's mouth flapped open and shut before he hastily stammered, "Where? Where is this?"

"In the alley between the back of the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠broadcasting station and the pharmacy. A path humans rarely walk."

The moment he heard the location, Jong-woo bolted for the door.

As he ran, he heard someone chasing hard after him from behind. He turned — and leapt back with a shriek.

"Woo Yeon-woo! Why are you following me?"

— The End of Chapter 68: The New Song Is Revealed —