Chapter 41
Chapter 41
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: Things Not to Miss
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That day, the recording for PBS Midnight Music Show wrapped up successfully.
Was it because of the joy that the song we made together had become the title track? Our performance naturally had more energy than usual.
The audience reaction was great too.
At the post-recording greetings, even the PD complimented our stage, saying it was fantastic and that it would be great if we could perform it again sometime.
“Good work, my little ones.”
At the final round of greetings, So-won Sunbae pulled us into a hug.
Her eyes were misty even though we weren’t parting forever.
Jang So-won, looking at us like a big sister watching over her siblings, suddenly remembered something right before we parted.
“Oh, right. I’m starting as the DJ for HBS’s evening radio show this time.”
Music Cafe hadn’t just been good for us.
It had brought a great opportunity to a singer-songwriter who’d been scraping by on drama OSTs after her group disbanded.
For So-won Sunbae, it was a chance that came after years of hardship.
The DJ slot for HBS radio station’s top-rated flagship program.
There was Something’s success, of course, but the radio station had seen how she smoothly guided rookie variety newbie New Black through the show and led the talks, judging her perfect for the role.
“When you debut, I’ll nag the PD to stuff your Fireworks into the playlist big time. And if schedules allow, I’ll push for you as guests too. Sound good?”
“Of course. We’d come even if you didn’t invite us.”
Her face was full of smiles as she waved goodbye.
And just like that, we wrapped up our happy time from February to May.
Of course, the most disappointed person was, naturally, our road manager.
Min-gi Hyung waved wistfully, like someone seeing off their actor spouse heading out on military dispatch.
Everyone bit their lips to stifle their laughter.
* * *
Not long after, our debut date was finalized.
June 19th.
Just as we’d heard when signing our trainee contracts.
The investors were hounding about when the kids would debut, so they’d set it for June 2014.
We had about a month and a half left.
We adjusted diets for weight loss, took Japanese and English lessons, hit the gym for PT sessions, got skin care at the salon, learned variety show coping skills—time was tight.
But no one complained about the schedule.
No matter how tough it was, we all knew this time wouldn’t come again if we missed it.
Regular trainees just want to debut first.
They think once they’re on air, things will work out after that.
We were the same before promotions.
But after experiencing it, we realized the truth.
Music shows fly by in a flash, and even with events or schedules crammed in, the day vanishes.
Having been through this, we saw how foolish it was to think we could practice during promotions.
It’s like a working adult knowing how naive a job seeker’s “I’ll get the certification after I’m hired” really is.
That’s why we threw ourselves into practice, determined not to miss this time.
And.
I had one more thing to do.
“This is a song made last year by a composing group called OK Ranch. Listen and give me your thoughts. We think it matches the vibe of Fireworks, so we’re considering outsourcing this as a B-side track.”
In the A&R Team’s dedicated office, packed with gear that made my eyes light up just looking at it.
I was sitting with the staff, working on our debut album.
Soon, the play button was hit, and a cool melody tickled my ears. Like Fireworks starting with Junghyun’s rap, this one kicked off with a fresh rap too. Scarlett’s song, huh.
Was this from their second album?
After the track ended, starting with rapper Daisy’s voice, I spoke up.
“It’s from Scarlett’s second album. Summer Nights, right?”
“Oh, you know it?”
“I listen to pretty much all idol songs to study trends. Yeah… it does match Fireworks’ color. Cool summer vibe, nice.”
“Right?”
I added to the pleased staff.
“But if I may be cautious, if we’re commissioning, I’d want something different from Summer Nights. It matches Fireworks too perfectly. The B-side might get overshadowed by the title. Something with a slightly different vibe.”
I recalled and said.
“There’s a track on Teen Spirit’s third album called A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Future house vibe with a dreamy feel, and it’s by OK Ranch too. Something like that, themed around summer nights but different atmosphere, would be good.”
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream? Was there a song like that?”
Most staff except a couple looked clueless. Soon, someone pulled it up on a music site, listened briefly, and nodded.
“This is good too. Yeah, we were thinking of commissioning something a bit different since Summer Nights is too similar.”
“You know so many songs. You study these too?”
“My hoped-for career was A&R. I prepped for college entrance aiming for music school too.”
The staff burst into laughter.
Felt familiar—it was like the laugh I let out at the bus stop during break, with that kid I met.
He saw me in uniform and said he wanted to be a soldier too.
One staffer wiped a tear from laughing and asked.
“How’s it feel doing it yourself?”
“Every day’s new. Love working with music, but man, living off someone else’s dime ain’t easy.”
The staff laughed again, faces full of empathy.
Couldn’t tell if they were laughing or crying.
One thing’s sure: if I picked a dream again, A&R’s off the list.
PR, management, A&R—this damn entertainment biz grinds people into work.
I knew PR and management were tough from watching Manager Hyung and the PR team daily.
So I thought A&R was a relatively chill utopia, but nope, another hell.
Workload aside.
With no boundaries between song selection, planning, composing, album design, etc., every “Do we have to do this too?” turns into “Yep.”
And if the album flops, other departments point fingers first: “They messed it up!” Stress city.
The staff I saw were more stressed salarymen than free-spirited musicians.
“Sorry. Schedule’s tight already, and now album concept shifted, piling on work.”
“Yeah, you should’ve made a decent B-side.”
“Right? We said make a B-side, you bring a title.”
I bribed the joking staff with late-night snacks.
It worked.
Seated in the fourth-floor break room, snacks spread out, one staffer snapped chopsticks and asked.
“Hey, you’re off tomorrow, right? Plans with the kids?”
“Nah, we’re doing our own things. Thought about hanging out, but Ri-hyeok was like, ‘We see faces all week, why on a day off?’”
“Classic Ri-hyeok,” everyone laughed.
Tomorrow was Buddha’s Birthday.
New Black’s first official holiday. No lessons, no work—pure rest.
Just thinking about it made my heart race.
Back at dorm, wash hair and crash. Fall asleep to a movie—perfect day.
That’s when it hit.
“Woojoo, didn’t the kids say they’re at the dorm?”
“Yeah.”
“I just saw Bijoo?”
“No way…….”
Mid-sentence, chopsticks pointed—yep, Bijoo walking there.
Beyond the glass corridor.
Bijoo stared at the floor, serious-faced.
Didn’t notice us through the break room glass. Then he knocked on the door, still grave.
“Isn’t that the executive director’s office?”
Staff murmured, then asked me.
“Something up? Woojoo, what’s going on?”
“Dunno.”
Even if I knew, I’d deny, but really clueless.
What’s with Bijoo?
He acted weird first a month ago. Tried probing, but stopped.
He seemed back to normal, figured whatever, it’s resolved.
But now, looks like not.
Sudden thought.
He seemed fine starting the day after I grilled Junghyun: “What’s up with him?”
Fits perfectly if he heard from Junghyun and acted normal on purpose.
Have I been too oblivious?
As leader, should’ve checked members’ conditions and thoughts daily.
Been lost in composing fun.
Only heard from Bijoo that the dongsaengs were worried.
Truth is, aren’t our members more important than practice or composing career stuff?
I glanced at the office door beyond the glass.
Door shut, glass-walled—no way to know what’s said.
Bad thoughts kept swirling.
Waited for Bijoo to exit, timing a talk, but he didn’t come out till I left the break room.
* * *
“What’re you thinking so hard about?”
“Bijoo.”
“That’s too much. Such a cute dongsaeng right here, and you think of someone else?”
“Quit the creepy talk.”
I shoved the beaming maknae’s face with my palm. Passersby laughed at our bickering.
Sinchon’s complex shopping mall.
Around Music Cafe live airing?
Came due to promise with maknae who dissed fashion terrorist hyung.
“My noonas drag me out shopping annoyingly too. But it’s for hyung’s clothes, and you sulk? Your face is like Ri-hyeok Hyung’s now. Total grumpy Nolbu vibe.”
“Hey, Ri-hyeok’s too much. Make it Junghyun level.”
“Junghyun Hyung doesn’t make that face.”
Bag-laden, he chattered like spilling held-back stories.
“Told hyung warm brown tones suit. Picked carefully, he grabs tracksuits. Thought gone, buying grandma clothes in women’s section. And who pairs jeans with hiking boots?”
Last bit’s the killer.
Holiday, sneakers washing—only hiking boots left.
Junghyun’s feet too big, Bijoo and Ri-hyeok too small.
White tee, jeans, boots—maknae slunk away head-down each step.
Heading to shoe store, Ji-ho asked.
“So, why bring up Bijoo Hyung?”
“Feels off lately.”
“Really? Seems normal to me.”
Yesterday, Bijoo came dorm late.
Asked what’s up—smiled, nothing, just met executive director. End of story.
Probing seriously awkward.
“Oh, right. Suspicious thing happened.”
“What?”
“Bijoo Hyung and Junghyun Hyung said basketball today.”
“Yeah.”
“Junghyun Hyung always wears black tops for workouts. Says it makes him look strong like burnt sweet potato.”
“And?”
“Wore blue today. Weird. Pattern doesn’t change, so either that or not working out.”
Sharp kid. Then maknae serious:
“Maybe sneaking tasty food without us?”
“Sherlock Holmes much.”
“Don’t talk like Ri-hyeok Hyung. Hurts feelings.”
But Ji-ho had a point.
Junghyun definitely knew something.
Panicked and dodged when I asked before.
Thought serious issue, but all nonsense.
Pondered, decided.
Settle it today.
Debut a month away.
Don’t care what, gotta know today.
Skipped privacy so far, but if it affects team, need to know.
Talk when they return.
Decision eased my mind a bit.
“Well, since we’re out, let’s shop fun, just us.”
Grinned, playfully slung arm round maknae’s neck.
Yeah.
Don’t miss these small joys around us.
* * *
We finished shopping, headed out.
May’s warm weather?
Spring we missed poured in everywhere.
Walking couples, kids smelling of spring.
Cheerfully strolling, hunting eats.
“You bought clothes, I buy food. Say anything—expensive ok.”
“Not big on fancy.”
“Then what. That chicken place?”
“Hyung.”
Ji-ho straightened.
“Ate chicken every dad’s company new product test. Smell oil, wanna puke. Second noona dumped bf for loving chicken too much.”
Chicken vetoed.
“Hold on. Asking classmates.”
Ji-ho opened messenger.
Overwhelmed by hundreds contacts briefly, typed group chat—replies instant.
Heartwarming.
Like watching popular kindergarten kid.
“There’s a ramen and pork cutlet place nearby. Handmade burgers, sushi too. The gyudon is famous. And… what? Why is Gil Chae-kyung suggesting pufferfish?”
“Pufferfish?”
“Definitely kill spot. She’d poison me given chance.”
“Funny, you two talk.”
“Act close front, trash back.”
Maknae shook head, recalling nemesis. Hated bad.
Scolded phone-buried maknae.
“Ji-ho, don’t walk staring phone, trip.”
“Neh.”
Still buried.
“Put phone down.”
“Replying Ri-hyeok Hyung.”
“Oh? What’s he up to?”
“Watching robot vac with new tech at Coex. Why send video.”
Our main vocal at international vacuum expo.
No clue why exists or why go.
But left humming Fireworks chorus, seemed happy.
As Ji-ho checked phone:
“Hey, Ri-hyeok says dinner all together toni— UGH!”
Sneaker caught sidewalk gap, Ji-ho tumbled forward.
My body reacted instant.
All nerves firing.
Everything slo-mo. Body pulled perfect move.
Reflexively grabbed his collar back.
One sec from face-plant, collar choke aside, maknae fine.
“Hey! You ok?”
“G-gonna be fine.”
“Really? Why head down?”
“Embarrassing. People staring?”
“Nah. No one looking.”
Actually, all gawking past.
Finally, Ji-ho looked around, relaxed.
“Thanks, hyung.”
“Be careful. Without me, dentures at debut.”
Checked long, seemed no issue.
Resuming walk.
“Huh?”
Turned at puzzled sound—Ji-ho walking weird.
Limping……
Bad feeling chilled spine as Ji-ho called blankly.
“Hyung.”
That face—I knew one more headache.
“Think I twisted ankle.”