Chapter 120
Chapter 120
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 120
Chapter Title: A Sea of Speculation
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Our promotions continued smoothly.
‘LIKE’ was breaking RE-V’s records day after day, not once missing the number one spot since our comeback.
The second week of promotions.
Having achieved six music show wins, we were only a few days away from the release of our next song.
“Phew…”
Park Ji-ham let out a series of sighs, his face tense as he stared at his phone.
“Ji-ham, are you that nervous?”
“Yeah.”
Park Ji-ham answered Haru’s question instantly.
“I told you, it’s fine. There’s a reason the company is pushing it as the title track. You don’t have to be so anxious.”
“I know. I know, but I can’t help it. Back during RED CUBE, you were nervous even though you knew you wouldn’t be eliminated, right?”
“Huh?”
Caught off guard by Park Ji-ham’s directness, Haru couldn’t answer right away, blinking rapidly.
“Honestly, I can’t say that’s not true…”
It would have been stranger for Haru to claim he thought he’d be eliminated when he was safely within the debut lineup throughout RED CUBE.
“It’s the same for me. I’ll be fine once the song is out and I see the reactions.”
At Park Ji-ham’s words, Haru nodded and left.
There was a reason for his behavior.
Today was the day the teaser for our title track, composed by Park Ji-ham, was being released.
*Ring, ring, ring.*
An alarm went off on Park Ji-ham’s phone.
“Hyung, you even set an alarm?”
Park Ji-ham responded to my question with a nod, focusing all his attention on turning on the TV.
We sometimes watched teasers or music videos together when we had free time, but this was the first time someone had waited with an alarm set.
‘Looks like Ji-ham is really on edge.’
It was my first time seeing him like this, so a small laugh escaped me.
‘Then again, if it were the teaser for the first song I ever composed, I’d be waiting with bated breath too.’
The thumbnail for ‘OWN’ soon appeared on the TV screen.
It was the ocean.
Not even a shadow of us could be seen.
“I’m playing it now, okay?”
“Yeah.”
Haru and Jung Eun-woo weren’t in the living room yet, but I couldn’t bring myself to tell him to wait.
I felt that making him wait any longer would only worsen his anxiety.
“I’m really playing it.”
“Go ahead.”
With a trembling hand, Park Ji-ham pressed the button on the remote.
The ocean appeared, waves gently rolling.
The screen transitioned to a sandy beach.
Someone stepped onto the sand with bare feet.
Clear footprints were left on the sand.
All the while, the main beat of the song played on a loop.
The screen cut rapidly, showing tight shots of parts of our bodies—a hand, a shoulder, a leg.
[I won’t be shaken]
The video ended with all of us running into the ocean together.
‘They didn’t show our faces at all.’
It was clearly a deliberate choice to pique curiosity.
“What? Is it already over?”
“That was fast.”
As Haru and Jung Eun-woo, who had just entered the living room, replayed the video, Park Ji-ham picked up his phone again.
He was probably going to check the comment reactions.
↳How did you know I love the ocean and decide to bring it to me in the middle of winter like this?
↳The lyrics are so good, right? ‘I won’t be shaken.’ Ji-ham said he wrote about the ideal he aspires to. So you wanted to be unshakable. That’s why you worked so hard to become an idol, unwavering despite all the hardships.
↳The lyrics hit harder because Ji-ham has been through so much. And we know his whole story.
↳No, but why was our boy so quiet about being this good at composing? I’m genuinely upset.
I snuck a peek, and just as I’d expected, the reactions were good.
↳A composing genius has appeared.
↳I’m so excited for the song.
↳We don’t have to worry about RE-V’s music anymore. With Park Ji-ham composing this well, what’s there to worry about?
I could clearly see the corners of Park Ji-ham’s mouth rising.
* * *
[Are you serious? You’re not going to show our boys’ faces at all? Wow. I’m seriously dying of curiosity.]
↳For real… So what exactly is the concept? Why the ocean in the middle of winter? And why is it so clear and transparent for a winter sea?
↳The ocean was so pretty. I wonder where they filmed it.
↳I admit I might be overreacting, but just seeing the ocean makes me think of our Yoon-seul, so I love it. His mom had a conception dream about the ocean when she was pregnant with him. She said Yoon-seul was so dazzling she couldn’t look away. That’s how he got his name, Yoon-seul.
↳How did you know that?
↳It’s in a video from the GANGSTER-M fan meeting. A fan complimented his pretty name, and Yoon-seul explained it.
[The fact that they’re not showing their faces makes me think, are they changing their hairstyles? Or is it a really unique outfit or makeup concept? I’m so curious.]
↳I know, right? What can we guess from the ocean?
↳The ocean. The ocean… hmm.
↳There are too few hints.
↳It’s hard to guess because our boys are the type to come out with unimaginable concepts like gaslighting and guardian angels.
↳But isn’t it about time for a hair change?
↳Yeah, I think so too. Their hair hasn’t changed much, so I think it’s definitely time.
↳But normally, wouldn’t they have started promoting with the new hair color from the beginning of this promotion period? The boys must be busy.
↳They seem to film most of their schedules in advance. I heard JR never packs their schedule like that because they say the boys will make mistakes on stage if they’re overworked.
↳They’ve got their heads on straight. Not many agencies are like that.
BRAVE watched the teaser video over and over, trying to deduce the new concept.
[This is too hard. Guys, please give us a hint. A spoiler.]
↳Give up. Our boys are goody-two-shoes who think they’ll be in big trouble if they give spoilers.
↳Hahahaha, true. Our boys are too timid to give spoilers. Unless it’s by accident, there won’t be any. And even if they did it by accident, they’d probably be trembling, thinking it’s the end of the world.
↳It’s sad in moments like these that our boys are too nice.
↳They’ll probably be more comfortable giving spoilers once they have more experience under their belts.
↳Looks like we’ll have to wait a few more years to get spoilers from RE-V.
But it wasn’t easy.
There were very few clues to go on.
[First, they’re barefoot. And just from the shoulders, it looks like they’re wearing rash guards. The material has a sheen to it, so it’s definitely a rash guard or a swimsuit. (Screenshot of the tight shoulder shot from the music video)]
↳I think it’s a rash guard. I had the same thought. Most swimsuits have a sleeveless design, right?
↳Well, we saw them jumping into the ocean, so they’re definitely swimming.
↳A maritime rescue team? Is that the concept? They’re pushing the savior-dol narrative, you know.
↳Oh, that makes sense! The company even said they’re making Baked Stone dolls and to wait for them. Since they’re pushing the savior-dol thing, a maritime rescue team would be perfect.
↳Wow, a maritime rescue team? Where is that beach? I can’t swim, but I want to go to the ocean.
As it was all speculation, there were both right and wrong guesses.
But BRAVE was simply happy.
After all, they would be able to see the answer with their own two eyes in a few weeks.
[But RE-V really doesn’t sing cliché love songs.]
↳That’s why I like them. Love songs have their merits, but sometimes, I don’t know… I get tired of songs being filled with nothing but love.
↳Me too. I like that RE-V sings about themselves.
[Park Ji-ham is a certified genius. I’m serious. When he was with his previous agency, he got vocal cord nodules and suddenly changed his position to rapper. He quickly started practicing his pronunciation and focusing on rap. But is that even possible in just a few weeks? Everyone would be a rapper then. So while practicing rap, he decided to work on his lacking dance skills. Then the group’s contract was terminated. He immediately auditioned for another agency and passed. He went back to being a trainee and then joined RED CUBE. While on the show, he got treatment for his nodules and changed his vocal method. And in the midst of all that, he even managed to write lyrics and compose?]
↳Wow. Now that’s what you call grit.
↳Park Ji-ham is living this hard… and what am I doing with my life?
↳…That’s some serious grit. Come to think of it, everyone in RE-V has insane drive. They’re all grinders.
↳That’s true.
↳So that’s what it takes to succeed.
↳In that case, I don’t want to succeed. It’s too hard.
↳Hahahaha, RE-V’s life, as rough as a stormy sea, crushing even the desire to succeed.
[The title is ‘OWN,’ right? Like, ‘of oneself.’ So, if you interpret it a bit freely, it could mean ‘my own thing.’ Or just ‘me.’]
↳Ooh.
↳Everyone in RE-V is a genius, and I feel like an idiot. I’m just here gaping at the teaser, lol.
↳Same here. It’s okay. Let’s be in charge of reactions. It’d be weird if everyone was a brainiac.
↳Hahahaha, I’m so curious about the next song.
* * *
BRAVE’s speculation was partly correct.
We had worn wigs during the music video shoot.
But it took way too much work to make them look natural, so we couldn’t possibly do that for every music show performance.
In the end, we were all sitting in salon chairs, getting our hair bleached.
“Isn’t all my hair going to fall out?”
Haru said with a grimace.
It hadn’t been long since he’d gone from platinum blond to black, so it was only natural for him to think that.
“That’s why you have to take good care of it.”
The hair designer said to Haru.
“I don’t think just ‘taking care of it’ will be enough.”
Haru’s shoulders slumped.
“Yoon-seul, your natural hair color is light, so one round of bleach should be enough for you.”
That was welcome news.
“I’m so jealous.”
Haru, sitting next to me, looked at me with envious eyes.
“Many female idols have their hair break off so much they’re suddenly forced to get a bob cut.”
At the hair designer’s less-than-comforting words of comfort, Haru squeezed his eyes shut.
“But it’s quite something for a whole group to bleach their hair.”
“I think so too. Though it does suit the concept well.”
A group-wide bleach.
This was something the company had strongly pushed for as soon as the concept was decided.
It did fit the concept well.
So everyone accepted it right away.
‘Though I didn’t know it would be this painful.’
For the first time in my life, I was grateful for my naturally light hair color.
“So, what did you say the concept was again?”
“Ah, this time, at the sea…”