Sensei

A top-tier idol's personal schedule is brutal.

Sometimes even more chaotic than group activities.

Commercials, pictorials, brand events, YouTube shoots—the whole works. The calendar was packed so tight I barely slept properly, and power-napping had basically become a lifestyle.

So when my manager unnie said, "We're gonna start taking personal schedules again soon~," I squinted a little.

"Ah~ but it won't be as crazy as when we were in full promotion mode. Like that Fashion Week trip you and Seohae did last time—I'm only planning to take the must-do schedules."

Whew.

The follow-up put me at ease. That meant I could keep streaming.

Honestly, even during this so-called break I'd been handling a decent number of personal gigs anyway. A little busier than now? Streaming hours getting irregular? That was about the extent of it.

"In exchange, the comeback might be earlier than planned. The company's aiming for six months from now."

The real problem was that the company wanted to push HYPE's return ahead of schedule.

Sure, they said six months—but factor in choreography practice and recording, and from the three-month mark onward I'd be so busy I wouldn't even have time to blink.

And once the comeback hit, would things get easier?

Not a chance.

I'd be living the two-hours-of-sleep-a-day challenge for months straight. Pure hell.

"Then what about my stream…"

"Ming-chan. Daijoubu?"

"…I'm fine."

Well. Future problems were Future Me's job.

Right now, as part of that personal schedule, I was at the company with ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Haruka. Specifically, sitting in on the trainees' monthly evaluation to offer advice as a senior.

Did they really need to drag a resting idol into something like this?

"Thank you!"

"Alright, that was trainee Lee Haneul's solo stage. Judges, please share your evaluations."

There was a reason for it, as it turned out.

"Ooh, that trainee's definitely good. Handsome, too."

"Got a crush?"

"Eh? I only know Ming-chan, though?"

"Gross."

"Hidoi!"

Apparently a premium-grade male trainee had joined RM—someone being hyped as my successor.

Which was why I'd been stuck behind the judges for a full four hours, watching team stages and solo stages.

Anyway, I just wanted this over so I could go home and stream.

"Before we hear from the judges, let's get some thoughts from our HYPE members first."

"Eh."

"Huh. Us first?"

"Yes—I'm most curious about what industry seniors have to say right now."

The director looked at us as he said it.

Hmm. That was a curveball. I'd been planning to just coast along with whatever the judges said.

"Mm… Ming-chan, you wanna go first?"

"Nope. You take the first pick and get it over with."

"So hidoi."

Haruka puffed out her cheeks in a sulky pout—then launched into calm, collected advice.

"I thought… mm, it was good. Dance, vocals—nothing really to pick apart? If I had to say, the facial expressions ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠were a little lacking. You can fix that by practicing in front of a mirror."

"Thank you, sunbaenim!"

"Yep yep! Work hard! Fighto~"

"Alright, next—Jimin."

After that inoffensive review, it was naturally my turn.

"Hmm."

Sorry, Haruka—but feedback like that barely helps a trainee.

So.

"I think there was a lot that needed work."

This was the place to tear him apart properly. I'd waited four hours for this; he was going to pay for it.

"There's a lot of unnecessary tension in your body that really stands out. It doesn't feel like dancing to the choreography so much as repeatedly going, 'How about this? Aren't I sick as hell?' You need to find a groove that actually fits the song."

"Ah…"

"And like Haruka said, the expressions are overdone. You were center for the team stage—if the center is making cringey faces the entire time, it's genuinely exhausting for the people watching."

"……"

"And another thing…"

I kept the roasting going for nearly three straight minutes.

"Ugh…"

Whether it was frustration or pure intimidation, our once-in-a-generation trainee Lee Haneul had his head bowed, fists clenched tight.

It's all for your own good. Take notes, kid.

Still, though.

"Ah—but your raw individual skill was excellent."

I'd beaten him up enough. Time for a little carrot.

"How long have you been with the company?"

"…About a month."

"Ah, so this is your first monthly evaluation?"

"Y-yes."

"That's impressive. If you just put in a little more work… mm."

I trailed off.

What was I supposed to say here? I needed something that would hit like a shot of pure motivation.

I absently touched the side of my hair, thinking it over—then beamed.

"You'll probably surpass me, won't you~? Haha."

That ought to light a fire under him out of sheer spite, at least. Not that he'd actually surpass me.

"That's all from me. Good work out there."

"Ming-chan, you are seriously the worst."

"Deal with it."

I jabbed Haruka in the side with my elbow and checked Haneul's face.

He stared at me blankly for a second, then—

"Th-thank you!"

—bowed his head.

There we go. Work hard, kid. Advice from an ultra S-tier aidoru like me doesn't come easy.

Anyway, the endless monthly evaluation finally wrapped up.

"Ming~chan. What are you doing when you get home? Streaming?"

"Hey, don't bring that up here."

"Heh heh… just gonna leave it at that?"

"Are you blackmailing me right now? You're an accomplice too, you know."

"Eh. Atashi?"

"Yeah. You duo'd Rell with me."

"Uso! Ming-chan, did you ask me to play Rell together just so you could hold it over me?"

"Yep."

"Hidoi!"

We were bantering our way past the waiting room when—

"S-sunbaenim!"

A voice called from behind. I turned around to find Haneul panting, staring right at me.

"What is it?"

"Th-there's something I wanted to say… about the advice you gave me…"

"Ah."

Was he here to argue?

"I felt like I needed to thank you again properly."

Apparently not.

"Honestly, I… I'd been thinking I was pretty great this whole time. Everyone around me only ever said I was good. B-but this time ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you clearly pointed out exactly where I was lacking, so I'm really grateful."

Listening to him talk, it clicked.

Haneul was one of those arrogant genius types straight out of an anime. The kind who gets completely destroyed by the protagonist and then has his awakening arc.

So did that make me the protagonist? Heh.

"Don't mention it. Just doing my job. Was that everything?"

"Ah! And there was something else I wanted to say… wh-what was it again. Haha."

"……?"

Suddenly our Haneul was stammering all over the place.

Couldn't even meet my eyes. Scratching the back of his head for no reason. And were his cheeks a little red?

I was starting to wonder what exactly he was trying to pull, when—

"Hmph."

Oh. It was that.

Yeah. That.

"Haa. Listen."

I sighed and fixed him with a hard stare.

"Are you aware that trainees are banned from private conversations with the opposite sex?"

"Ah… excuse me?"

"Earlier was official business, so I let it slide. But this feels inappropriate."

"Th-that's not what—!"

"And you might want to look behind you."

"Huh…?"

At my words, Haneul turned around—and his face went rigid.

Because—

"What exactly is going on here?"

—our director had been watching the whole thing from behind us since midway through.

"I-I'm sorry!"

"Of course you are. Come with me."

"Ugh… yes, sir."

Go get re-educated, kid.

Back in my day—at twenty-one—I couldn't even breathe in the same room as a guy, and here he was trying to pull a crush move.

Kids these days, I swear.

Ugh.

After the monthly evaluation ended, I headed straight home and fired up the stream out of pure habit.

"Hiya. Why would I be mad? Want me to cool you off a little?"

"Just kidding. Anyway, you all see the title, right?"

I opened Notepad and typed the same thing out.

"Today we're skipping solo queue for some one-on-one coaching. I think I may have discovered an unexpected talent besides Rell."

After the monthly evaluation, I'd thought it over carefully.

Even I had to admit I'd looked pretty cool today. Spitting venom one second, then handing out the carrot at ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠just the right moment.

Maybe… I actually had a gift for teaching people?

"Of course. Gotta hop on Xcode and teach you properly."

Xcode. In other words—voice chat. The chat exploded at that. I mean, you can't exactly coach someone through text chat, right? Obviously you talk them through it.

Anyway, the chat seemed to freeze for a second, and then—

Chat messages flooded in all at once.

Hmm. I hadn't expected this many applicants. Well, no helping it.

"Guys, if you could apply via donation instead of chat… ahem heh heh hemm."

Honestly, I deserved to get paid for this. A working aidoru and celestial-rank player giving one-on-one tutoring?

Ahem ahem.