Chapter 48
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: Keyword Music Rose Special (1)
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Inside the DIEN practice room.
How many times had we run through the dance break section? My whole body was throbbing.
Even so, we couldn’t rest. We practiced over and over, drilling the moves until they felt right.
Even with the dance buff skill in my pocket, I couldn’t let my guard down.
‘Let’s refine the details again.’
As I counted the beats to sync the choreography, I sensed someone behind me.
I whipped around in a hurry, and there stood none other than Eun Hae-sol.
“Phew….”
I let out a sigh of relief and ran a hand through my hair.
Eun Hae-sol watched me with a curious look on his face.
“What’s got you so jumpy? You looked like you were running from a serial killer.”
I flinched at his words.
I kind of was.
‘From that bastard X.’
Caught off guard by his sudden appearance, I caught my breath before speaking.
“Why are you here? Practicing too?”
“Nope. Just checking if you were okay.”
“So you came all the way here just to see if I was fine?”
“…Yeah.”
I couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief.
“Then I’m fine. What, you think I’m gonna drop dead somewhere?”
At my response, Eun Hae-sol smirked, one corner of his mouth lifting.
He wasn’t seriously worried enough to come all this way.
‘He’s got some other agenda.’
That’s when I noticed the watch on his wrist.
The one I’d given him before.
“You’re wearing that.”
He glanced down at his wrist, an inscrutable smile playing on his lips.
“Yeah. Pretty much like a shackle these days.”
“You’re something else. Calling the watch I gave you a shackle? If that’s how you feel, give it back. It’s valuable.”
But Eun Hae-sol showed no intention of handing it over, hiding his hand behind his back instead. Then he muttered in a quiet voice.
“Do you think we can win?”
“Against who? Oh, Black Dice?”
“Yeah. I passed by their practice room in the hallway last time and saw them rehearsing….”
He trailed off, then continued in a low voice.
“Their stage setup was no joke.”
As expected. I’d figured Black Dice would be prepping seriously too….
‘How intense is it, though?’
They were a senior group, so the company had probably put more resources into them than us.
It nagged at me, but I tried to play it cool.
“Let’s just focus on our stage. Comparing ourselves to others is endless. We just need to nail what we’ve prepared.”
“Okay.”
Even as I said it, my throat felt dry for no reason. I chugged some water and looked at Eun Hae-sol.
“You want to win?”
He nodded silently.
For once, the guy who always acted indifferent about everything showed some real fight in his eyes.
That meant he was serious.
“Because of what happened last time?”
“What do you mean?”
“That thing in the music show waiting room. When Hwang Tae-seok was making you apologize.”
A brief silence fell.
I’d brought it up, but I hated even thinking about that day.
Every time I remembered Hwang Tae-seok casually disrespecting people just because he was a big-shot idol, rage boiled up inside me.
Amid all that, one lingering question remained.
“Why’d you do it back then?”
“Do what?”
Eun Hae-sol, staring blankly into space, looked up like he didn’t get it.
I pressed on.
“In the waiting room, you were about to apologize to Hwang Tae-seok. That’s not like you at all. I was surprised.”
“…….”
“Why’d you do it?”
He averted his gaze, like he didn’t want to revisit it.
“Forget it if you don’t want to talk.”
Just as I was about to change the subject, Eun Hae-sol spoke up.
“It felt like apologizing would end it right there. And I didn’t want to stay in that room a second longer.”
He clenched the hem of his sleeve after he finished. His face was tense, clearly still hating what happened.
“Got it. Anyway, I’m gonna keep practicing, so head back now.”
As I turned to go, his voice stopped me.
“Fighting.”
Before I could say anything, he was already out the door.
For some reason, Eun Hae-sol felt strangely unfamiliar.
“Phew….”
Black Dice. A group with way more public recognition and a thicker fanbase than us. Could we really beat them?
No way to know….
‘Win or lose, let’s make a stage we won’t regret.’
I steeled myself and dove back into practice. We kept at it until 3 a.m.
* * *
4 a.m.
Rubbing my sleepy eyes, I stared at my smartphone screen. A compilation of Manwol’s Boys stages popped up in the YouTube algorithm—my current obsession—and I was about to click when a popup appeared at the top.
[Notification]
WheneverFullMoon-nim! Heard the news? Our boys are on Keyword Music!
I bolted upright.
“What?”
[WheneverFullMoon]
No way. For real?!!
[YourMoonRabbit]
Yes yes yesㅠㅠ Official announcementㅠㅠ Article just dropped, it’s chaos.
“No way….”
Keyword Music was huge news for diehard fans.
‘Our boys are already on Keyword Music. Amazing.’
Grinning, I checked the community forum. It was blowing up with reactions to Manwol’s Boys’ appearance.
[Title]
Manwol’s Boys Keyword Music Appearance Confirmed
[Comments]
- Manwol’s Boys on KeyMusic?
- Wonder what the keyword is this time
- KeyMusic’s known for not booking rookies, this is wild
└ PD Shin Ho-jeong must really like them
- Other guests not announced yet?
As I refreshed with a smile, a new post caught my eye.
[Exclusive] Black Dice · Manwol’s Boys Joint Keyword Music Appearance
I froze.
‘Black Dice too?’
Unease washed over me.
This wasn’t good.
Clicking the post, the comments had already doubled from around 50 to 100.
[Comments]
- Whoa insane lololol
- Black Dice on KeyMusic?
- What’s DIEN thinking?
- Black Dice and Manwol’s Boys together? Lineup is stacked ㄷㄷ
- Why would Black Dice do a show with no upside?
└ They’re the sacrificial lamb to promote the rookies
└ What bullshit, Black Dice is too big to turn down company schedules? No way they pull that
└ CEO Seong-sik must’ve pushed hard lol Heard he wrecked some agency celebs in stare-downs? Y’all naive~
└ Where’d you get that juicy tea? Name the celebs lol
└ Not tea, it’s facts lol And I don’t owe you shit~
└ Don’t owe shit~ Agreed lol So chill, it’s crazy haha!
I knew it.
‘Pulling so much aggro.’
I’d been thrilled at first about Manwol’s Boys on Keyword Music….
But seeing the comment war made my chest tighten.
‘Gotta watch live anyway.’
With that thought, I turned off my phone.
* * *
Day of the Keyword Music shoot.
A blaring alarm yanked me from sleep. I stretched, squinting against the blinding sunlight streaming through the window.
In the living room, the members were hustling to get ready for the schedule.
“Keyword Music shoot day, finally.”
“Hands up if you’re nervous.”
Eun Hae-sol and Song Yu-bin, quietly on the couch, shyly raised their hands.
I sat between them, giving Song Yu-bin a long look.
“What?”
“How’re you holding up?”
“I’m good today.”
“Ankle any better?”
“A lot better than the first day.”
“Once this stage is done, you focus on recovery. Got it?”
Song Yu-bin had to perform despite his torn ligament, and it worried me.
Sensing it, he grinned mischievously.
“How’s your condition, hyung?”
“Eh, so-so.”
“You need peak form for the dance break! Want me to rub your shoulders?”
“Nah. Can’t make an injured kid do that.”
“It’s just my ankle. Wrists are fine.”
As I laughed and turned away, my eyes met Eun Hae-sol’s—he’d raised his elbow, staring at me.
In the silence, Baek Si-woo clapped a hand over his mouth and yelped.
“Eek!”
“What, what.”
“I thought Eun Hae-sol was gonna elbow Jeong Eun-ho.”
Eun Hae-sol snapped indignantly.
“Do I look like trash? I was just gonna loosen your shoulders….”
Amid the chaos, Cha Jae-hyun spoke up with a serious face.
“Think those scrawny arms can even massage?”
“Pfft!”
I burst out laughing.
“I’m out.”
Eun Hae-sol stormed off, annoyed, and the chatter continued.
“He was teasing you.”
“I was genuinely curious.”
“I really thought he was going for an elbow.”
“Both of you, quiet.”
Watching them eased the tension knotting my shoulders.
I took a deep breath and muttered.
“Fighting. Fighting….”
* * *
Inside the Keyword Music studio.
We bowed to the production staff and stepped onto the set.
“Hello.”
It was empty—no one else had arrived yet.
As I looked around, a staffer approached.
“Clip on your mic and take a seat here.”
After attaching the lav mic, I sat where directed.
It finally hit me: we were on Keyword Music.
I whispered to Baek Si-woo beside me.
“Nervous?”
“A, a little?”
He hadn’t been this shaky at the debut showcase or first music show….
Baek Si-woo added softly.
“My little sister watches this show a lot. Kinda stressful.”
“Why? What’s that got to do with it?”
Gone was his usual cool vibe; he wore a faint, anxious smile, leg bouncing.
Cha Jae-hyun asked hopefully.
“So your sister’s a fan of ours?”
“Nah. Black Dice fan.”
The mood sobered instantly.
My eyes met a staffer’s across from us.
Cha Jae-hyun, stone-faced at first, let out a booming laugh.
“Haha! Got it!”
We all laughed loudly along with him.
…Camera-aware laughs.
“She’ll be watching live too, then.”
“Ask her later how our stage was.”
That’s when the other guests started trickling in.
‘They’re arriving.’
Tension thickened in the studio as the final guests entered.
Black Dice.