Chapter 76
Chapter 76
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 76
Chapter Title: First-Place Candidates
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“Let’s meet today’s first-place candidates.”
“One, two. Hello, we are RE-V!”
The first-place candidate interview.
Until this morning, I had no idea.
I was just getting my hair and makeup done like any other day, and when I came out of the dressing room after changing, I saw the corner of our manager's mouth twitching.
“Did something good happen? You keep smiling.”
At my question, the manager nodded his head vigorously.
“Something good? You bet. Something very good.”
“What is it?”
Park Ji-ham, sitting on the sofa drinking coffee, casually asked as well.
“You guys, get ready for an interview.”
“An interview? What kind of interview?”
Haru, who had just finished changing, jumped into the conversation.
“A first-place candidate interview.”
“First-place candidate?!”
Jung Eun-woo, who had been dozing off in the corner, asked with a start, completely shocked.
It was certainly surprising enough to jolt him awake.
“Yep. You guys are nominated for first place. That’s why you’re doing an interview today.”
“No way.”
None of us had ever expected to be nominated for first place this quickly, so we were all completely stunned.
“Doesn’t this mean we’re nominated for first place right after our debut?”
Lee Ho-jun pinched his own cheek, as if he couldn’t believe it.
“Don’t! You’ll ruin your makeup. Pinch the back of your hand instead.”
The stylist, alarmed, stopped him.
“It’s just so hard to believe.”
“The interview is in thirty minutes. Here’s the script. If you don’t believe it, you can see for yourselves.”
The manager grinned and handed the script to Haru.
As if on cue, everyone crowded around the script.
[One member of RE-V will give a statement on behalf of the group regarding the first-place nomination.]
“Don’t be too nervous about the interview. Just be comfortable. Do it naturally, alright?”
“Yes.”
We answered the manager’s words with bravado, but I could see the members’ eyes darting around, their focus lost at the mention of being first-place candidates.
“Shall we meet today’s first-place candidates?”
The MC said, then subtly stepped aside so the camera could focus solely on us.
“Hello, we are RE-V.”
I was so nervous.
I think I was more nervous now than I was before the first filming of RED CUBE.
The other members were also pretending to be calm, but they were blinking faster than usual or restlessly fiddling with their fingers—all signs that they were anything but.
‘I’ve done countless interviews before.’
During RED CUBE, I’d done so many interviews I was sick of them.
I’d be pulled away for an interview in the middle of practice, called in right before bed, and interviewed again right after coming off stage.
It felt like they grabbed me for an interview whenever they had a spare moment.
I had asked if they couldn’t just do them all at once, but they said it was best to do them immediately to capture the emotions of that specific moment.
After that, I never let my guard down for a second, determined not to be played by the production team’s schemes.
But this was a completely different kind of nervousness.
‘In the RED CUBE interviews, I was tense about avoiding evil editing. This time, my heart is just pounding so hard I can’t calm down.’
Controlling my expression was harder than ever.
“A huge congratulations on being nominated for first place right after your debut. Could you please share a few words on how you feel?”
At the MC’s question, I raised the microphone.
Thank goodness we had decided beforehand which member would answer which question and what they would say. Otherwise, we might have all just stood there stammering “Uh… um…” until the interview was over.
“We believe this is all thanks to our BRAVE. We’ll take this first-place nomination as a sign to always work hard and promise not to disappoint you. Please continue to watch over us for the rest of our promotions. We love you.”
Just as we’d practiced, we all made finger hearts at the camera.
But unlike on stage, we all looked incredibly stiff and awkward.
Even I could feel how unnatural it was; I could only imagine how bad it must have looked to everyone else.
“Yes. RE-V is currently receiving a lot of love for ‘MESS.’ Could you please tell us about the song’s charms?”
“Our title track, ‘MESS,’ is a song that captures your eyes and ears at the same time with its powerful music and choreography. It also tells the story of someone who, after suffering mental abuse from a lover, finds the will to break free. If you watch the music video, it carries a story about believing in yourself to escape difficult moments. So, when you watch our performance, it would be great if you listen closely to the lyrics.”
This time, Park Ji-ham was the one who answered.
“Then, could you tell us your encore pledge if you win first place?”
“If we, RE-V, win first place! To be honest, we never thought we’d be able to win, so we haven’t thought of anything. So for now, we’d appreciate it if you’d let us keep it a secret. We’ll have a meeting about it after the interview.”
At Jung Eun-woo’s answer, the MC glanced at the staff for a moment.
It seemed like he was asking for permission to let it slide.
“The fact that it’s a secret makes me even more excited.”
It looked like the staff had given the okay.
What a relief.
If he had told us to just throw something out there, we would have all frozen up without a word.
“Lastly, if you win first place today, what will you do afterward? I heard a rumor that on your debut day, you had a live stream with your fans while eating delicious food.”
At the MC’s comment, we all managed an awkward smile.
“Hahaha. Has that rumor already spread?”
“Of course. Whatever RE-V does, articles are pouring out nonstop.”
“Honestly, I’m not sure, but I think we’ll probably be at our dorm, celebrating together. Just like that day.”
As we came down after the interview, the tension suddenly evaporated, and my mind felt even more dazed.
The other members seemed to be in a similar state, as they all collapsed onto the sofa the moment we returned to the waiting room.
The manager burst out laughing at the sight of us.
Then he took out his phone and started filming us.
“You guys went through RED CUBE, and you’re getting nervous over something like this.”
“This is different from RED CUBE.”
“But don’t you think that at some point, RED CUBE has become the benchmark for everything we do?”
“Ho-jun, you’re right. I think we’ve really been consumed by it.”
Haru strongly agreed with Lee Ho-jun’s words.
It was inevitable.
At some point, RED CUBE had become our standard for everything.
‘It can’t be helped. It was something we all went through together, so we can relate without needing an explanation, and it was a major turning point in our lives.’
“Manager, why did you take a picture of us just now?”
“To show the fans. In fact, there’s a gift for the fans today. This is like a little bonus, you could say.”
“A gift?”
“Yep. If you’re curious, check social media.”
At the manager’s words, we all picked up the phones we had left in the corner.
[What? What is this? (Photo of a coffee truck for BRAVE) ‘BRAVE, come have a drink.’ Where would our boys get the money for this? If they had money, they should be buying themselves good food or new clothes. Why spend it on us?]
↳I saw this and couldn't believe it. I rubbed my eyes, pinched my cheeks, I did everything. But it's real.
↳?Did RE-V get paid already? It hasn't been that long since they debuted.
↳I doubt it. It hasn't even been a month since their debut. Plus, there haven't been any articles about them getting paid. They had some activities before the debut album release, but isn't it too early to receive payment?
↳It says in small letters at the bottom that it's from the company. ‘A treat from JR for BRAVE and RE-V.’
↳The company sent a coffee truck for us. Thanks, JR. We'll try to be generous and let it slide the next time you mess up.
↳Yeah, right... Let's not make promises we can't keep.
A coffee truck.
Fans of other idols would come to the music shows and receive what’s known as “reverse support,” getting coffee, pastries, and even expensive gifts.
But our fans always left empty-handed.
That was because RE-V hadn’t been paid yet.
‘We couldn’t even bring up the idea of pooling our own money because none of us had any to spare.’
Debuting itself was such a huge benefit that we didn't receive any prize money from RED CUBE.
“What is this?”
“The company prepared it.”
I was so grateful.
‘I never expected the company to do something like this. This is a gift I never once received, not even from Stunning, which was a huge corporation. And of course, not from LM either.’
“It’s a gift. You guys are nominated for first place, so the company had to do something for you. Should I call it a little bribe for the fans? A gesture asking them to please take good care of RE-V.”
Suddenly, I felt that I could truly trust this company.
Their attitude of not looking down on the fans, and the fact that they didn’t treat their artists as mere money-makers—that alone was enough.
“Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. We’re the ones who are more thankful.”
As he said this, the manager’s eyes curved into a gentle smile.
“Let’s go for first place today.”
***
Thanks to being nominated, we got to stand in the center of the stage, right next to the MC.
After the interview and with the manager hyping us up, I was starting to get my hopes up a little.
The slowly rising anticipation made it difficult to control my expression.
‘The bigger the expectation, the bigger the disappointment.’
I had to slowly compose myself so that I could smile nonchalantly even if RE-V’s name wasn’t called.
‘Just being nominated is something to be happy about. Let’s smile and wave to the fans. That way, they’ll be less disappointed too.’
It wouldn’t just be us who were disappointed if we didn’t win; the fans would be too.
“Today’s winner is…”
I felt like my heart was about to leap out of my mouth.
“Congratulations.”
I turned my gaze to the MC, waiting for the next words to leave their lips.