Chapter 31
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 31
“Oh, I’m just joking.”
I gave a playful wink. But Yoo Hyuk, knowing full well it wasn't a joke, turned beet red from his ears down to his neck.
Even when a conglomerate pours in massive capital, some things just don't work.
Idiots. They couldn't see the big picture.
In fact, the fact that White Cherry’s song was so famous actually worked against them. Even with the Little Mermaid concept mixed in, they stuck too close to the original song’s direction, failing to show anything truly unique.
The members of Today were talented enough that they might trend for a moment, but the original song’s performance was far superior.
“You, you...!”
“The Dawn, moving to the stage!”
I nodded to the staff, and as all the members of The Dawn headed out, Yoo Hyuk once again missed his timing to talk back.
Seeing his face—looking as if he’d swallowed a mouthful of honey and couldn't say a word—put me in a great mood as I stepped onto the stage. Seong Ji-won also looked as refreshed as if he’d just chugged a whole crate of cider.
As the brilliant stage lights enveloped the members of The Dawn, I could hear the flustered voices of the staff.
“Is their concept really Peter Pan?”
“Uh, yeah, it is...”
“Then why are their outfits pirates?”
These were the costumes we had intentionally hidden during the rehearsal. At those words, I saw the corners of Kang Yi-chae’s mouth curl up beside me.
I recalled the conversation we’d had among ourselves before asking Im Hyeon-su for this arrangement.
‘Peter Pan isn’t just about Tinkerbell. There’s one character that fits our concept perfectly.’
‘Captain Hook? A pirate?’
‘Exactly. There’s actually a theory that Captain Hook is a very charming character. He hates Peter Pan for cutting off his hand, but they say he’s actually quite kind to Wendy.’
Seong Ji-won had added his own opinion.
‘So the story is about a pirate who’s obsessed with the other person?’
‘Right.’
Like Girls’ "Want You."
A fresh, bubbly song about a one-sided crush, where the narrator is anxious because the other person won't look at them, so they slowly approach to confess. Originally, it had a bright American cheerleader concept, but depending on the perspective, it could be rearranged in any number of ways.
Tick-tock, tick-tock.
The sound of a clock’s second hand echoed.
The pirates, traumatized by the crocodile that bit off their captain's hand, crouched down and covered their ears in fear of the ticking.
In an instant, the stage brightened.
Boom!
As everyone’s eyes widened at the sound of a cannon, Kang Yi-chae leaped over the members and burst to the front of the stage.
[My fellow pirates, this is our show time!]
Swoosh—Splash!
With that, Seong Ji-won stood up. Instead of the ticking clock, the sound of fierce waves crashing against a ship filled the air. The once-cheerful song had transformed into a sharp, upbeat rhythm laced with the wail of a siren.
[Hey, let me try to say hello again
You, passing by over there, why won’t you look at me?
Right now I’m giving you the message]
The American high-teen vibe had shifted into a tempo that smelled of something dangerous yet alluring.
As expected of Im Hyeon-su, her sense for rearranging tracks was incredible.
Kim Seong-hyeon stepped in front of Seong Ji-won and smiled at the camera.
[Look at me, not that kid next to you,
Don’t you think we’d look pretty good together?]
Kim Seong-hyeon placed a hand over his eyes, gesturing as if looking out at a distant sea. Simultaneously, he made a motion with his other hand as if turning a ship's wheel to the right.
We tilted our bodies in unison, as if riding a ship sailing across the ocean.
[I told you, it’s not that kid, how many times do I have to say it?
He’s so selfish, I only have eyes for you
I’ll make sure you don’t regret it, Trust me]
Jeong Da-jun pushed forward with intimidating energy. It was hard to believe this was the same guy who had been trembling while playing the recorder earlier.
The "kid" referring to Peter Pan, and "I" referring to the pirate.
As Jeong Da-jun raised his hand, the camera panned up before zooming in sharply on me.
[Hey, let me try to say hello one more time]
Leaning against the set, I swept my hair back while looking into the lens. I approached with the characteristic swaying gait of a sailor and let the corners of my mouth curl up.
[I know you’re wavering
You’re bound to come to me anyway
But don’t make me wait too long]
Kang Yi-chae, holding a pocket scope and pretending to doze off, suddenly tilted and "fell" downward. Simultaneously, the sound of something plunging into water echoed.
Thump!
With the sound of bubbling foam, the song reached its highlight. The lighting turned a deep, watery blue, as if submerged in the ocean. Seong Ji-won walked forward with staggering steps. He clutched his throat as if drowning, his brow furrowed.
[I think I might be going crazy
From your smile, from the way you talk
I’ve already fallen for you]
At the same time, Kim Seong-hyeon slowly picked up a tricorn hat¹ from the floor, perched it loosely on his head, and began to sing.
[Maybe I can’t do it anymore
Maybe I’ve already lost
But I’ll take courage and walk toward you once more]
His gaze met Seong Ji-won’s.
The final highlight. Leaving the sound of bubbling foam behind, we rose above the sea.
[I really want you]
In Like Girls’ original version of "Want You," the final note drops, but we pulled it as high as it could go.
As the stable doubling between Seong Ji-won and me ended, the sound of refreshing water splashing signaled the ship reaching land, cutting the tension of the stage once more.
Under the brightened lights, Kim Seong-hyeon tossed his hat.
[Well,]
Kang Yi-chae caught the hat by piercing it with the sharp tip of a sword, spinning it around with a mischievous smirk.
[It looks like I don’t need fairy dust.]
Simultaneously, Jeong Da-jun burst in to sing the chorus perfectly.
[I told you, it’s not that kid, how many times do I have to say it?
He’s so selfish, I only have eyes for you
I’ll make sure you don’t regret it, Trust me]
All that brutal training from Seong Ji-won really paid off.
As we moved into the group choreography, sirens blared, and a flashy dance performance unfolded.
The beat slowed down gradually, and the members spun in sync with the rhythm.
[Hey, let me try to say hello one more time]
Our bodies swayed left and right again to the sound of the ticking clock.
[we can do this together.]
Bang!
At the sound of a gunshot, everyone collapsed, and the lights cut out.
It was the end for the supporting character who loved the protagonist. The story, told through the lens of the side character, had come to a close.
“....”
The surroundings were silent.
I wondered if it was because there was no audience, but since I couldn't even hear a reaction from the assistant director or the PD, the members of The Dawn held their ending poses for a moment, glancing around before lifting their heads one by one.
Every staff member staring at the stage looked shell-shocked.
I guess it went well.
“Good work, everyone.”
“Yeah, good job.”
I was the first to bow and greet them aloud. I shook out the hat I was wearing and exchanged light greetings with the members.
Then, my eyes met PD Kim Hee-yeong’s. She was standing below the stage with her mouth agape in shock, yet her eyes were sparkling intensely, as if she had just discovered a hidden gem.
“Thank you.”
This was only the beginning.
* * *
“To celebrate the first filming of Shining Star, may we hit a one percent viewership rating! Cheers!”
“Cheers!!”
Everyone laughed boisterously. The manager had said we didn't have to attend such gatherings, but how could I miss the program’s first after-party? Absolutely not.
The manager had been sipping his drink, saying he had to be careful in places like this, but now his eyes were brimming with tears, clearly drunk.
“I, uh, when I saw your stage today, I really... hic, I started tearing up like an old fool. To think I... I left such talented kids like you guys neglected!”
“Manager, are you okay?”
“Waaaaah!”
He looked like he’d cry no matter what I said. I tried to comfort him briefly before passing him off to Kim Seong-hyeon, who was silently consuming nutrients to my left. Seong-hyeon looked bewildered.
“Why are you dumping him on me?”
“Because you’re reliable.”
Kim Seong-hyeon sighed, patted the manager’s shoulder, and even got him some water. Mm, I knew he’d do that. Beside them, Jeong Da-jun, who was only sipping Coke, laughed loudly as if he were drunk on the atmosphere alone.
“Manager, don’t cry~!”
“Don’t cry, don’t cry.”
Seong Ji-won comforted the manager while clapping his hands rhythmically.
We had rented out a restaurant, and the staff were divided by group. Suddenly, another idol group approached The Dawn hesitantly. It was Nightmare, the only group among the participants who were juniors to The Dawn.
“A-Ah, hello!”
“Greetings!”
At the juniors' greeting, all of The Dawn stood up to return the gesture.
Nightmare’s leader stepped forward tentatively.
“I’m Lee Han-seong. Your stage earlier was so amazing that I really wanted to come say hello.”
“We enjoyed Nightmare’s stage as well.”
One of our members spoke up, and hearing a relatively warm response seemed to give the rest of them courage. The other members flocked over and gave us deep, 90-degree bows.
“It was truly incredible. Oh, and your latest single was so good too!”
Hmm.
I decided to leave this to Seong Ji-won. I nudged him forward slightly; he looked panicked but couldn't run away.
“N-No, not at all. You guys are much more impressive.”
“What are you talking about! The Dawn is way, way more amazing!”
“No, Nightmare is more...!”
I needed to get out of this conversation quickly.
Leaving Seong Ji-won behind, I slipped away toward another table. I had something to say to PD Kim Hee-yeong.
As I walked, I saw the group Today chatting happily with some staff members.
I tried to ignore them and pass by, but their main vocal suddenly grabbed my arm.
He’s drunk.
“Ooh? Aren’t these the guys who did the last stage? The pirates!”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Wow~! I was really surprised. The stage composition was so good. You should have a drink with us to celebrate! Don’t you think?”
“Exactly!”
Doing this in front of the staff was a blatant attempt to screw with me.
I was debating whether to play along when Today’s center gave a nasty smirk.
“Or what, you don't want to drink with us? Are you scared you can't keep up?”
Look at this guy...
The staff, sensing the unusual tension, looked back and forth between us with wide eyes. I glanced toward the staff's side. Behind them stood Kim Hee-yeong, her expression sour as if thinking, ‘These bastards are acting up again.’
My mind raced. I could just ignore this kind of provocation, but...
Hmm.
It wouldn't be bad to liven up the atmosphere a bit.
Having made up my mind, I gave a bright smile.
“Not at all.”
Fine.
“But can you handle it?”
Let me show you a little entertainment.
.
.
.
I shook the beer bottle in front of the glasses.
I could hear someone gulping.
Numerous glasses were lined up in front of me. I took the beer bottle I had been shaking and aimed it at the glasses.
Fizzzzzz!
“Waaaaaaa!”
“Seo Ho-yun! Seo Ho-yun!”
The beer poured perfectly into the glasses, completing the bomb shots. When I gave a smirk and shook the glass, the room turned into a frenzy of excitement.
“What the! Even I can’t do that!”
“How does an idol know how to do that?!”
“Seo Ho-yun! Show us the next one! The next trick!”
“Do you want to see it?”
“Yes~!”
“Ah... your voices are a bit quiet.”
“Woooo~!”
“Do you really want to see it?”
“YEEEEEES~!!”
The staff were going wild.
They must have seen all sorts of tricks in the entertainment industry, but seeing a total rookie idol doing this was blowing their minds.
“....”
“Seo Ho-yun! Seo Ho-yun!”
The members of Today, now completely sidelined, sat bitterly in the corner. An excited Kang Yi-chae stood beside me, cackling and further hyping up the crowd.
“Here comes the next one.”
I stood up, popping a bottle cap with a spoon.
The staff members held their glasses, waiting with sparkling eyes. I intentionally kept my distance and used my wrist to snap the bottle, filling their glasses from afar.
“Whoa!”
“Me too! Fill mine too!”
“I’ll go in order of who’s been the kindest.”
“Ho-yun! I think I was pretty nice to you!”
“No, I took care of you more!”
Seo Ho-yun’s still got it.
With a sense of pride, I worked the bottles hard. I figured this was enough to completely crush the spirits of the Today members.
Kang Yi-chae, bouncing around in excitement, asked while stifling his laughter.
“Hyung, how on earth do you do that?”
“You just have to learn like your life depends on it.”
“I’m asking where you learn stuff like this.”
Where else? I learned it at the broadcasting station while sucking up to the Bureau Chief.
I also learned how to secretly dump soju into a bowl of rice or a soy sauce dish. But I couldn't tell that to a growing sprout like Kang Yi-chae.
“I’m going to step out for some fresh air.”
“Ho-yun, you have to come back quickly. Mix a drink for me.”
“No.”
“Hahaha, so prickly~.”
The staff laughed and let me go. Thanks to the atmosphere I’d built, it seemed like the members of The Dawn were being treated with extra care.
As I stepped outside, my body shivered. It was surprisingly cold.
Normally, I would have come out to smoke a cigarette, but I couldn't do that now.
Ding!
[Why did you come out? It’s not like you’re drunk.]
“I am drunk.”
[I saw you dumping it in the rice bowl earlier.]
Oops.
“There’s a reason for that.”
My mind was perfectly clear, and part of it was because I was tired of dealing with people, but the main reason was something else. Looking out, I saw a ponytail over the wall.
As I thought.
I slowly approached, pretending it was a coincidence.
“...Oh.”
“Hello.”
It was PD Kim Hee-yeong. She was holding a bottle of liquor in one hand, gulping it down like water.
Same as ever.
Kim Hee-yeong gave a smirk without a hint of embarrassment.
“You were quite impressive in there.”
“Thank you.”
“Where did you learn that? It couldn't have been at your agency.”
“It’s talent.”
“Good grief...”
Perhaps because she was buzzed, Kim Hee-yeong let out a few chuckles.
“Anyway, Seo Ho-yun, you’re going to be very popular among our staff. I don’t know about the other groups, though.”
“I suppose so.”
“The stage earlier was great too. I’m only saying this here, but honestly, it was the best out of all the performances.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
Kim Hee-yeong sighed.
“That’s why it’s more... ah, damn it. Never mind. Just forget it.”
“....”
It’s bittersweet, is what she meant. Our stage was the best, but we couldn't be made number one regardless. Shining Star was a program where Today was already destined for the top spot.
Kim Hee-yeong swallowed the rest of her words and tilted the bottle to finish it.
“PD-nim.”
“Yes.”
“You’re the one who changed our slot to the last one, aren't you?”
“...I didn't do that. The filming flow just got tangled up.”
“Is that so?”
When I gave a small smirk, Kim Hee-yeong froze. She looked anxious, as if worried her true intentions had been exposed.
“Anyway, thank you.”
“...For what?”
“Just, thank you. That was exactly the picture I wanted.”
“....”
It was the moment Kim Hee-yeong’s eyes wavered with a look that said, ‘Could it be?’ Suddenly, a sharp, cold voice came from behind us.
“What the hell is the deal with Seo Ho-yun and those guys?”
It was Today.
*
¹ A hat worn by European men from the late 17th to the late 18th century. Also famous as a pirate hat.