Chapter 115
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 115
“Hey, you know my reception lately has been insane, right?”
I knew.
In Kings, which was released around the same time as Kill the Lights, Ju Woo-seong was a standout madman. I still vividly remembered getting pissed off while watching his performance in the music show waiting room.
And regardless of my personal feelings, I couldn't deny that Ju Woo-seong alone was practically a syndrome at this point.
He said his dancing had improved after going to California, and he wasn't lying. The views on his music show fancams started at five million as a baseline, and his dance videos filmed in professional studios easily surpassed fifty million in no time.
I knew all that. But apparently, Ju Woo-seong felt the need to brag to me about it again at this specific moment, repeatedly brushing his hair back in a way that was bound to irritate anyone watching.
“Did you see how popular I am?”
“Yes, I saw.”
When I readily admitted it, Ju Woo-seong let out a silly smirk, looking satisfied. Conversely, my expression crumpled.
‘Ju Woo-seong... I can’t tell if he’s simple-minded or complicated.’
“I really worked my heart out... Ah, I wondered if this was what people meant by ‘des.per.a.tion.’”
“…….”
“I felt that way for exactly two days before the debut lineup was finalized... Ahahaha!”
Never mind. He’s just a bastard...
He brought up something that would make any unknown idol incredibly pissed off, and then successfully sent me into a state of extreme rage by adding, “They say you can’t beat a genius who enjoys what they do.”
To suppress my anger, I pulled a candy out of my pocket and crunched down on it. Ju Woo-seong chuckled beside me.
“Oh? You two got here early.”
“Ah, hello, Senior~.”
“Hello, Senior.”
Yoo Ji-ah walked in, tilting her head with a smile as if she’d sensed the atmosphere. She clearly didn't know what was going on, but she also clearly didn't care.
“We’ll begin Yoo Ji-ah’s Yoo-ja-yoo-ja. For today’s Best Friends Special, we have... Ju Woo-seong-ssi from Black Call and Seo Ho-yun-ssi from The Dawn!”
“Hello~, I’m Woo-seong.”
“I’m Ho-yun.”
Fine.
If you really want to pick a fight.
Let’s go, Woo-seong.
I straightened my posture and put on a gentle smile. Yoo Ji-ah skillfully moved the show along, swapping the script cards in her hand.
“So, I heard you two are very close?”
“We’re not.”
“That’s what he says.”
“……Hmm?”
Yoo Ji-ah laughed at Ju Woo-seong’s blunt answer and my retort. She decided to be generous and move past it.
“Yes, so, how are you two close?”
“…….”
You two are best friends right now, her eyes seemed to say, gently forcing the narrative. Ju Woo-seong flinched for a moment.
He had forgotten the concept.
‘Get it together, Ju Woo-seong.’
Ju Woo-seong eventually turned to me, seeking confirmation.
“…Were we neighborhood friends?”
“Yep, that’s right.”
It seemed he’d completely forgotten what kind of person I was since it had been a while since I last blackmailed him. It was obvious he was trying to screw with me.
Yoo Ji-ah’s eyes stopped smiling, perhaps sensing that this footage might not be suitable for broadcast.
“It seems like you’ve forgotten a bit?”
“So many things have happened in the past year that I can’t really remember what happened before that.”
However, Ju Woo-seong smiled smoothly, bringing back his "senior" persona. I turned my head and let out a smirk.
“I’m glad... that I’ve made so many memories with Woo-seong hyung over the past year.”
“…….”
“Shall we make even more in the future?”
It was a warning to behave if he didn't want to be blackmailed again.
Ju Woo-seong, who had plenty of skeletons in his closet, flinched. Yoo Ji-ah, a true professional, even picked up on that comment.
“…Yes, there have been many memories over the past year, right? From Over-immersion Master to Victory is Mine. Is there an episode that stands out the most?”
“Ah, for me, I think it has to be the ‘I’m so upset, it’s so hard’ series.”
But even that couldn't stop Ju Woo-seong. Seizing the opportunity, the guy brought up that disgusting topic again.
“Our Ho-yun is really good at aegyo. I was so impressed when I saw Yi-chae-ssi’s exposé broadcast.”
“…….”
“Hyung is a little curious. Do you still practice in front of the mirror by yourself, Ho-yun?”
Unfortunately for Ju Woo-seong, I had long since cast aside all my pride regarding this subject.
I could see him poking at me, but I simply maintained a calm smile and spoke.
“Should pretty Ho-yuni give it a go?”
“…….”
“Could you play some music? There’s something I’ve been practicing in front of the mirror lately.”
“How can you be so shameless?”
“You don’t have to do it.”
They wanted to see a dark past, not my actual aegyo. Yoo Ji-ah and Ju Woo-seong flatly rejected the offer.
Even in this situation, Yoo Ji-ah managed to lead the conversation toward normal answers and secure enough footage.
The problem, however, was Ju Woo-seong.
Q. Please introduce Seo Ho-yun-ssi’s charms!
“I’d say it’s his tendency for mutiny….”
Actually, I wasn't much different.
Q. What is Ju Woo-seong-ssi’s appeal point?
“Isn’t it his resilient mental strength in any situation?”
Ju Woo-seong’s lips trembled at my implication—asking if he didn't feel a reality check whenever he ran into his ex-girlfriends at music shows.
Yoo Ji-ah, who had been watching this quietly, lowered her cards, rested her chin on her hand, and asked in a low voice.
“Is life just really fun for you two lately?”
“…….”
The atmosphere in the studio turned ice-cold in an instant.
“I’m sorry!”
“I’ll do better.”
…Anyway, Ju Woo-seong continued the filming while walking on eggshells around the slightly angry Yoo Ji-ah, until she dropped a bomb.
“Since you’re both idols~ it’s a bit late to call them new songs, but why don’t you promote them?
“Pardon?”
“I’ll play each of your songs. Try dancing to them together.”
“……!!”
I was horrified.
Dance live on a broadcast? And next to Ju Woo-seong, who had an EX- rank in dancing? When I was only B-rank?
“Ah~!!”
Ju Woo-seong, quickly noticing my pale complexion, sprang up from his seat.
He let out a smirk and stretched.
“Ah, I’m not usually the type to just go along with this kind of thing. But since it’s Senior Yoo Ji-ah’s program, I’ll do it as a special favor!”
“…….”
Ju Woo-seong, you bastard….
But there was no way a rookie could refuse.
I was bound to look pathetic next to Ju Woo-seong, but I had to grit my teeth and dance. Yoo Ji-ah watched with a satisfied smile.
True to his EX- rank, Ju Woo-seong breezed through the highlight of Kill the Lights perfectly, smiling all the while.
Setting aside The Dawn’s song, I won’t bother discussing how I looked during the Black Call song since it’s unproductive. I’ll just add that Ju Woo-seong was laughing his head off next to me.
“Ahahaha, our junior is good! Fighting!”
“…….”
I am definitely! Going to raise this dance stat no matter what….
Already exhausted, I thought the broadcast would wrap up around here and was planning how to screw over Ju Woo-seong next. Suddenly, Yoo Ji-ah pulled out a new card from behind her chair.
“Then, as we move into Part 2, shall we talk a bit about the lyrics?”
“……?”
“Let’s bring out our guest!”
Part 2? Guest?
There was no mention of this beforehand.
“Words are unnecessary! Let’s welcome the genius composer, Blue Tiger!!”
Yoo Ji-ah, who had been maintaining a calm demeanor, called out the guest’s name with an expectant face.
‘…Ah. Im Hyeon-su.’
I suppose it made sense for Im Hyeon-su to appear on Yoo Ji-ah’s show, given her public recognition and wit.
But a combination of Ju Woo-seong and Im Hyeon-su….
‘Isn’t this just a club for people who want to talk shit about me?’
I turned around, bracing myself for the impact... but unlike Yoo Ji-ah’s grand introduction, the studio was silent. Usually, Im Hyeon-su would come in making a fuss about the "descent of a genius composer" or something.
“…I’m here.”
“Whoa!”
“Aaaah!”
Everyone screamed and backed away. There, in the corner...
Im Hyeon-su was sitting limply.
“Hi….”
Blue Tiger, who was always full of confidence, looked like a wilted piece of green onion today.
.
.
.
“…Th-then, we have to hear about Second Chance. Composer-nim, how did you end up giving them the song? The reaction was incredibly hot.”
“Ah….”
The genius composer Cheong-beom sat in her chair, chin in hand, with an expression that just said ‘lol.’
This was about Second Chance, of all things. Since it was a song I’d extorted from her using her weakness, normally she would have mocked me with a sneer. But Im Hyeon-su looked like she’d lost her mind.
“Uh… Seo Ho-yun asked for it.”
“……??”
“So I gave it to him….”
……Wh-what?
And then Im Hyeon-su shut her mouth. We stared at her blankly.
‘…That’s it?’
“…Um, since we have a personal friendship, I was contemplating it, and the composer-nim stepped up to help me first.”
Thanks to her, I had to wrap up the story of my hard work blackmailing her into a pretty package and explain the behind-the-scenes. Im Hyeon-su, who would usually have ranted about how "stepped up to help" was a load of crap, just nodded and tapped her fingertips.
‘What’s wrong with her?’
As a judge on my cutthroat survival show, Im Hyeon-su was someone with a tongue like a blade. This was the first time I’d seen her so dejected. Yoo Ji-ah glanced at her and tried her best to save the already failing broadcast.
“It’s amazing that you stepped up to help. It’s usually so hard to get a song from Blue Tiger. You’re famous for not giving them to just anyone.”
“…….”
“…Right, Composer-nim?”
“Huh? Oh? Ah… yes. I’m famous as a composer.”
Im Hyeon-su, who had been spacing out, gave a completely random answer.
“I’m famous, ha…….”
“R-right….”
It felt like Im Hyeon-su had swallowed a curse word at the end. Yoo Ji-ah was quite flustered by the reaction but moved on to the next question. However, Im Hyeon-su’s answers remained like this the whole time—
“Yes….”
“Ah, well, I guess….”
“The meaning of the lyrics? Uh… I just wrote them.”
—She was a total mess.
Even Yoo Ji-ah, who had steadily pushed through Ju Woo-seong and my bickering, stared at Im Hyeon-su, lost for words.
Still, since Im Hyeon-su was a composer she’d known since her rookie days, she couldn't even scold her like she did to us….
‘…Wow, is she really having a reality check?’
‘I don’t know….’
I whispered to Ju Woo-seong, both of us wearing faces full of question marks. Yoo Ji-ah was trembling, but she stubbornly squeezed out anything that could be edited for the broadcast.
She was a true professional.
“…Great work, everyone. We’ll end Yoo Ji-ah’s Yoo-ja-yoo-ja here~.”
“Is there enough footage to use?”
“Part 1 of the Best Friends Special was fun and we got plenty of footage. We’ll edit that part so it doesn't cross the line, but Part 2….”
“……Hmm.”
Hearing the staff whispering as soon as the filming ended, I looked back at Im Hyeon-su while saying my goodbyes.
Was this the first time I’d seen her since our last phone call?
Surprisingly, instead of being angry, Yoo Ji-ah was looking after Im Hyeon-su first.
“Composer-nim, is something wrong?”
“No, I’m fine, Yoo-ja-yoo-ja….”
“Hmm.”
“I’m sorry, you invited me on purpose….”
“A-are you apologizing to me right now?!”
Yoo Ji-ah was genuinely horrified. I crossed my arms and watched, wondering how many more times in my life I’d see Im Hyeon-su this discouraged. Beside me, Ju Woo-seong tilted his head.
“Noona, what’s wrong?”
“Uh….”
“Why are you so low on energy? Cheong-beom noona looks best when she’s overflowing with arrogance.”
“What is with his tone?”
Ju Woo-seong’s passive tone when dealing with the opposite sex was a bit annoying, but I agreed with the sentiment. Im Hyeon-su looked best when she was moderately full of herself.
But whether it was burnout or something else, Im Hyeon-su rubbed her eyes and spoke.
“I don’t know, just…. Everything’s annoying lately. Nothing’s going right.”
‘…Hmm.’
Could this be…
Because of Kang Yi-chae?
It was true that Im Hyeon-su was jealous of and acknowledged Kang Yi-chae’s talent, but was it really enough to shock her this much? I mean, she’d just produced that insane track for Black Call.
When I narrowed my eyes and looked at her, Im Hyeon-su slowly avoided my gaze.
‘Wow, I guess I’m right.’
Looking at her with a bitter expression, I thought of another talented brat who was probably lying down in the dorm right now, tormenting the leader and the maknae.
Honestly, in my eyes, they were two of a kind.
I wondered if I should comfort her. It seemed right to comfort her if I wanted to use her later, but while I was debating, Ju Woo-seong let out a smirk.
“Noona, I’ll give you a solution.”
“Huh?”
He leaned in and whispered.
“How about some financial therapy in Cali?”
“……Cali?”
“Yeah, it’s great there. The sun is nice, and the people are bright. Should I tell you which hotel I stayed at?”
‘What is wrong with him, seriously?’
People are the same wherever they live….
I clicked my tongue at Ju Woo-seong, who was still high on his California trip. Im Hyeon-su seemed to share my thoughts as she let out a faint laugh.
“Is it really any different there…. I’m just going to rot in Korea, smoke, and die.”
“I’m serious! It’s so good to get some Vitamin D. Go spend some money.”
“What’s so special about Cali? All I can think of is 2Pac’s California Love.”
“…Pardon?”
Not just Ju Woo-seong, who gave a blank reply, but Yoo Ji-ah and I also had question marks over our heads.
“…You guys don’t know this?”
“What is that?”
“…Wh-what…?”
Realizing our reaction, Im Hyeon-su finally regained her energy (though it was through anger) and suddenly started ranting.
“Hey, wait, even if I’m out of it, this is wrong. How can you all not know this masterpiece?? It’s the song that plays constantly when someone hits a home run in the States! It plays in California when they change pitchers?!”
“Ho-yun, do you know it?”
“No, I don’t.”
I don't care about baseball.
“Cr-crazy…. This is a total god-tier masterpiece….”
Im Hyeon-su grumbled and fumbled with her phone, saying she’d show this young generation the spicy intro of a true masterpiece immediately... then she paused.
“…Huh?”
“…….”
“Wait, California Love? Love?”
Im Hyeon-su whipped her head toward Ju Woo-seong. She grabbed the arms of Ju Woo-seong, who had been ignoring her to check his phone since he wasn't interested in the song.
“Did you go there to find love, Woo-seong?!?”
“…Whaaaat?”
“Pfft!!”
Yoo Ji-ah remained calm... but I, who had been listening while off-handedly drinking water... choked and started coughing.
“A-ahahaha…. Love, he says, pfft….”
Ju Woo-seong, who had been talking about being a "genius who enjoys what they do" earlier, had now become a guy who flew eleven hours to find something like love. He gaped before denying it.
“Wh-what are you talking about? No, I didn't.”
“Wow... no wonder you’ve been going ‘Cali, Cali’ since earlier. So that was the reason….”
“I’m telling you, it’s not! I really just stayed in the studio and practiced dancing my heart out!!”
But there was a reason Blue Tiger was a genius composer and lyricist. Im Hyeon-su blinked after hearing Ju Woo-seong’s words.
“—You danced?”
And then she was purely impressed.
“Wow, damn... that is a reeeeally cool metaphor….”
“……!!”
“W-Woo-seong. You have to listen to California Love. There are lyrics similar to what you just said.”
“Wh-wh-what….”
“You have a talent for songwriting, kid….”
“Aaaah!!”
“Ahahaha!!”
In the end, Ju Woo-seong was properly pissed off, but I was doubled over, clutching my stomach and laughing.
Nothing has been going my way lately, but seeing the talented Ju Woo-seong get clowned on so hard was just too funny!
“Ah, she says you have a talent for songwriting~!”
“Seo Ho-yun, you seriously, stop laughing!”
Whether Ju Woo-seong screamed or I practically sobbed beside him, Im Hyeon-su clenched her fists as if she’d made up her mind.
“Y-yeah!! Woo-seong, thanks. I’m going to go get some love therapy in California too!”
“Wow... have a safe trip, Composer-nim~.”
“Seo Ho-yun, thank you! Yoo-ja, you want to come too??”
“No thanks, you go by yourself, Composer-nim.”
Im Hyeon-su’s eyes were sparkling for some reason. Leaving behind one pissed-off guy, one sobbing guy, and one skeptical woman, she brushed her hair back roughly and strode out, saying she was going to look for plane tickets right away. I could hear her humming from outside.
“Caal~ifornia Loove~!! Doo-roo-roon bam-bam-bam-bam!”
“When is she ever going to grow up…?”
Yoo Ji-ah, who was muttering while looking pityingly at the genius composer who seemed to be aging backward, shook her head and left as well.
Left alone with Ju Woo-seong, I still couldn't stop snickering.
“What’s going to happen to my image? I—I really worked super hard this time!”
“Pfft, haha….”
“…Seo Ho-yun, I told you to stop laughing??”
After laughing for a long time, I finally calmed down through deep breaths, rested my chin on my hand, and asked kindly.
“Ah... you said you were going to seduce all the noonas, hyung.”
“…….”
“Why couldn't you do it? Is it okay that Cheong-beom noona is going to California to find love and leaving you behind?”
Ju Woo-seong stood up, trembling with maximum rage. Seeing that face, which had taken a direct hit, I burst into laughter again.
“I should listen to it on the way back, California Love….”
“Hey! You, don’t you dare listen to that!”
“Yes~. I’m going to listen to it right away~.”
Ju Woo-seong glared at me and walked out grumbling. With a much lighter heart, I returned to the van and immediately put on my earphones to play the song.
It was a track with a hip-hop beat and a powerful intro. I could see why Im Hyeon-su liked it, but honestly, it wasn't my style.
Still, I hummed along, thinking it would remain a good song to me, and checked the quest completion.
[Quest ‘Let’s Go on a Variety Show!’ Complete!
Where did PD Seo Ho-yun’s variety sense go?
You just had fun teasing someone….
Anyway, you succeeded and are awarded 8,000 points.]
I have to find joy where I can. I chuckled and picked up my phone, only to see a B-Live notification at the top. I turned on the video….
“……Hmm?”
I discovered something strange.
[…Ah.]
Seong Ji-won, who had been talking softly to the fans, looked at his phone and his face went stiff.
[…Ah, haha. Sorry, it’s nothing.]
Seong Ji-won soon continued talking as if nothing were wrong, but….
Throughout the B-Live, Seong Ji-won’s phone rang incessantly.