Chapter 35
Chapter 35
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: Ladies Closet Interview (4)
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Flipping open the page, the first things that caught my eye were the group pictorial photo positioned at the top center and EverPlanet's logo.
The group shot, with four in the back row and three in the front, came out exactly as expected—clean and uncontroversial.
Right below that photo was the logo.
A circle symbolizing the sun, encircled by a ring with a planet orbiting above it, and light streaming out from there. Surrounding the logo, the interview title was written in huge bold letters.
[Seven Planets Dreaming of Eternity, EverPlanet]
Looking at the individual pictorials of Park Su-rim, Han Tae-hee, and Lee Jae-oh placed below that, I thought to myself.
'They turned out great.'
That photographer had given off such a pro vibe, and the results were outstanding.
Park Su-rim, wearing a crown and holding a staff, exuded a very dignified air. Han Tae-hee, with the top button of his white dress shirt undone and water droplets scattered on him, had a somehow dangerous allure. And Lee Jae-oh, with his hair tousled by the wind, looked incredibly fresh and pure.
I wondered how I came out. I was dying to know, but first, I scanned the interview.
[Star composer Oh Woong-jae, who boasts countless hit songs, has ambitiously prepared his rookie boy idol group, 'EverPlanet.' Championing seven planets dreaming of eternity, they boldly declared their entry into the entertainment industry. In an era overflowing with idol groups like waves crashing in, EverPlanet stood out as something special. Seven boys running around tirelessly to make their name known. We sat down with them for a chat.
Q. How long has it been since your debut?
Su-rim: It's just entering the second week now.
Tae-hee: We're fresh sprout idols.
Q. That's spot on. How does it feel to have debuted?
Teddy: Everything's spinning so fast, it's overwhelming.
J-O: Busy. But happy. Happy that we're busy.
Su-rim: I've actually been waiting for debut for so long. So debuting as EverPlanet makes me incredibly happy.
Lee Jae: It's weird. It doesn't really feel real. That I've actually debuted. But when I stand on stage, I think, 'Wow, I really debuted.'
Q. I heard you had your first stage and fansign a few days ago. What were your thoughts on facing fans for the first time?
J-O: My heart swelled. That so many people came to see us.
Su-rim: It was just moving. Some came from so far away just to see us. I had no idea receiving fans' living, breathing love could feel so overwhelming.
Lee Jae: When I first made eye contact with the fans, I felt the unconditional affection in their eyes. It was a strange feeling. But one thing's for sure—my heart was racing too.
B-light: We're grateful beyond words that they took the time to cheer for us nobodies with barely any fame. It makes me want to work even harder from now on.
Eun-young: Why are we nobodies?
Tae-hee: Yeah, you're the only nobody.
B-light: ……Are you really doing this?
Teddy: What's a nobody?
Lee Jae: It means a little mouse.
Teddy: Ah.
Q. The group vibe seems super friendly.
Su-rim: We've been together since trainee days for a long time. So we're all really close.
Teddy: All our members are great. The best.]
The interview came out cute and well-done too. Smiling, I turned the page.
My eyes met Ha Jae's pictorial, and I blinked quickly. It was a bit disconcerting.
'Isn't this too good? This is practically Ha Jae's best shot ever.'
He was crouched down, cradling a vase of yellow freesias close to his chest, gazing at the floor.
It was my face right now, but not quite, so judging as objectively as possible, it really was a great photo.
It gave off the vibe that there was some sad backstory, like I needed to hear it right away.
Maybe I'm the biggest beneficiary of this pictorial shoot.
Meanwhile, the following pages featured not just my pictorial but everyone else's too.
Teddy, against a dark background, used a lighter flame for illumination, highlighting his sharp features in a mysterious aura. Thanks to his exotic looks, it felt like a still from a foreign film.
Kim Kwang-myeong and Go Eun-young were striking appropriate poses as well, with what looked like CG added.
Unidentifiable shapes were drawn in the palms they held open.
From the white orb's glow to the blue energy enveloping moving props—it was completely faithful to the album concept.
'Fans must love this.'
Even people who don't know us might take interest after seeing these. Every member looked fantastic.
After fully appreciating the members' pictorials, I finished reading the interview on the next page.
[Q. Where are all the members living right now?
Su-rim: We have a dorm near the company. All members live together in one dorm.
Lee Jae: So mornings are war. Everyone's rushing to get ready. Having only one bathroom makes it chaos.
Tae-hee: Can't deny that. CEO Oh Woong-jae, are you listening?
Q. Seven people sharing one bathroom is bound to be chaotic. Now I'm curious about EverPlanet's dorm life. Describe dorm life briefly.
Eun-young: The dorm inside is no different from a regular house. The living room has a TV, sofa, and shared computer. The kitchen has an eight-person dining table and fridge. There are two rooms: one for four, one for three. Four in the big room, three in the small one.
Tae-hee: Big room is me, J-O, B-light, and Eun-young. Small room is Su-rim, Teddy, and Lee Jae.
Lee Jae: Honestly, the dorm is a bit cramped for seven grown men living on top of each other. Still, we've made rules we must follow in the dorm and stick to them as much as possible, so we maintain peaceful living.
Su-rim: Right. And since we've lived together since trainee days, we're all used to group life now.
Q. What are the must-follow rules in the dorm?
J-O: We have the EverPlanet Ten Commandments. We made them ourselves.
Su-rim: Things like always be humble, do your chores properly, greet well—ten rules we must keep while active as EverPlanet. We wrote them on paper and stuck it on the wall.
B-light: Without rules, peace breaks, and huge explosions happen. That's group living for you.
Q. True enough. Is that why? EverPlanet's debut album is named BIG BANG, meaning a big explosion. One word each about the debut album.
Su-rim: EverPlanet's debut album BIG BANG is like the universe at its birth, and us showing ourselves to fans for the first time, so that's how it was named.
Tae-hee: Track 1 shares the title, and 'BIG BANG' blends heavy bass, gritty guitar riffs, and drum rhythms to really feel like a new universe being born.
Teddy: Especially track 5, 'BOMB'—that explosive energy is awesome.
B-light: But it tires you out after one full run. The rap part is so long, and the song's tension is high……
Q. Great. Finally, as EverPlanet members, what's your goal going forward?
Su-rim: I'd love to hold a solo concert in a big arena for the fans.
Tae-hee: No.1 on music charts (laugh). Huge dream, but I'll work hard so it can come true.
Teddy: First, master Korean perfectly. I'm still lacking a lot. And create a special choreography just for EverPlanet.
B-light: Break past prejudices against idol rappers and be recognized as an artist. Also, get a track I fully produced on the album.
Eun-young: Just want to sing my heart out on any stage.
Lee Jae: For the fans who always shine on us like the sun, I'll work hard and strive to become a small joy in their lives.
J-O: Above all, I hope everyone who sticks with us is happy.]
They really wrote No.1 on music charts as a goal. It was like Han Tae-hee's joke……
Still, this was excellent. For a first interview.
Satisfied, I closed the magazine.
Then, ding! A system alert popped up.
[Monitored EverPlanet's first magazine pictorial and interview. Intelligence +1]
An unexpected bonus.
My satisfaction level got an upgrade.
* * *
The van pulled up at JBS broadcasting station's radio studio.
The radio show we were on today was 'Midnight Hug, X.Y.Z.', shortened to HanbamOng.
HanbamOng aired on JBS Love FM every night from 10 PM to midnight, a total of two hours.
Our Sunbae idol group X.Y.Z's member Bae Joo-yong was the DJ.
'No wonder the ratings are so good.'
X.Y.Z fans tuned in, keeping ratings consistently high.
Plus, the program's segments were great for promoting guests' new songs and groups, to the point where every idol aimed to appear as a guest at least once.
Thanks to that, even as radio listenership declined with the rise of video platforms like L-Tube, HanbamOng steadily maintained its popularity.
Clutching various things, we entered the studio and took in the bustling scene at a glance.
PD, writers, technical directors, and other staff moved efficiently.
Probably because recording was about to start soon.
Normally a live broadcast from 10 PM for about two hours, but we were pre-recording for the visual radio format.
Hence, more prep than usual, it seemed.
While waiting, we handed out drinks the manager hyung had prepared earlier to the staff, greeting them.
"Hello, we're EverPlanet! Please have one each while you work."
"Oh, thank you."
Word was this was customary.
For your first time on a broadcast, you always passed out small gifts to the staff.
'These things are everywhere you go……'
Thinking that, I sat in my spot for a bit when a refreshingly handsome man, like a wild stallion, entered the studio.
"Hello! Good evening!"
"Joo-yong, you're here?"
"Yes, PD-nim. Oh, those guys are today's guests?"
Our eyes, waiting in the empty seats, turned to him.
After greeting the PD familiarly, he spotted us and approached with a big grin.