translation by mourningmoor
The response to <Hotel Ohana> was quite good.
The fact that it was a new variety show by the trusted Jeong Haeseong and Yeon Hojin team played a part, but the combination of Yoo Noah and Kang Ichan had an even bigger impact.
The airport two-shot of Yoo Noah and Kang Ichan, which was the last scene of the first episode, even recorded the highest viewership rating at that moment.
"Damn, why do people love this kind of thing so much?"
A sudden wave of irritation rushed over me.
What was even more annoying was that a group chat for <Hotel Ohana> had been created.
It was a room made by Cha Juhyuk, the host, and included all seven cast members, the writers, and the PD. All nine members were active in the chat, constantly chatting away.
Now, it was rivaling the 'Loots' group chat in terms of notifications, so I ended up turning off the messenger alerts altogether.
That's when it happened.
A personal message came in from Yoo Noah.
 2000-Year-Old Trash
Is the preparation for the fan meeting going well? You should aim for 5 circles.
I ignored it.
2000-Year-Old Trash
I just boarded the plane. See you in Korea, hoobae-nim.
Ha, just what I needed.
Yoo Noah is coming to Korea.
Then people will be dragging me around everywhere, causing a ruckus.
Before that, I'll make sure to hit 5 circles first.
"Ga Yuna sunbaenim. Let's stop resting and start practicing."
At that, Ga Yuna, who had been lying on the floor chatting with the Dinaple members, suddenly sat up.
"You really..."
She walked over with a pout, crossed her arms, and then let out a frustrated sigh without finishing her sentence.
"Practice bug, is that it?"
"No, a drill sergeant."
What, just because I said let's practice, she calls me a drill sergeant. Lazy 4-dimensional idiot.
But I don't want to waste energy on Ga Yuna over something like this.
"Whether it's a practice bug or a drill sergeant, let's just practice."
Funny enough, among the Dinaple albums this time, the song with the second-best response after the title track was the one Ga Yuna and I sang together.
The ranking kept rising, and eventually, Music City requested a stage performance.
For that reason, in between fan meeting practices, I was working on a stage performance with Ga Yuna.
We created a story out of thin air, choreographed it, and practiced diligently to match the timing.
Why? Because I'm determined to hit 5 circles before the fan meeting.
To do that, it's crucial to capture the hearts of the Dinaple fandom on stage.
But this lazy girl isn't helping at all.
She only sparkles in front of the camera, but her laziness surpasses even Han Junyoung's.
In times like these, shock therapy works best.
"Don't get complacent just because this album did well. This week is the last chance for Dinaple to shine. Next week, ARCHE is making a comeback, right?"
At the mention of ARCHE, the sparkle that only appears in front of the camera returned.
Finally, it seemed like she was ready to practice, as she stretched her arms and bent her waist.
But as if she had a motor attached, Ga Yuna's mouth didn't stop.
Lazy as she is, her lips were quite diligent.
"Hey, I sent texts and even called Yoo Noah sunbaenim a few times, you know?"
Ah, now that I think about it, I had forgotten.
I had sent the 4-dimensional idiot Ga Yuna as a gift to Yoo Noah.
"Just like the rumors, he's cold and indifferent to girls who approach him first."
"Really? He doesn't look like that kind of person."
Then, "Exactly," she said, hitting my arm painfully.
How dare she touch me so casually? Anyway, she's an annoying one.
"But, when you were in Japan, you got a sudden call, right?"
"That sunbaenim?"
"Yeah. Then out of nowhere, he asked for the phone number of any L.I.T member."
Ah, that must have been when he showed up at the hospital.
I wondered how he got the maknae's number, but it turns out Meerkat1 was the culprit.
But the conclusion took a strange turn.
"So Jaewon gave him his number, and they agreed to have a meal together."
"Huh?"
"They agreed to have a meal."
She made a face like she was about to die of happiness, then let out a scream.
This time, she slapped my arm again.
Noisy, lazy, and with bad hand habits.
"Thank you?"
"Ah, yes."
At least she knows how to be grateful, so she's not completely shameless.
Well, that's why I put up with her.
"Don't just say thank you with words, let's practice, shall we?"
I brushed off the arm that Ga Yuna had hit and subtly frowned.
"I don't like mistakes on stage. Not at all."
"Okay. I'll try my best too."
"This is your song, sunbaenim. Your stage."
"I know. That's why I'm trying my best."
* * *
Music City.
Dinaple's fandom, Dinaz, watched the stage with tense faces.
The last mini-album was a huge failure, so this album came with a lot of pressure. Two consecutive failures would lead to a drop in name value, so the fandom couldn't help but be nervous.
Amidst that pressure, the full album that was released was truly 'beyond expectations.'
The title track finally took first place on a music show, and the sub-title track was also consistently ranking high on the Piman chart.
But a completely unexpected song made it onto the charts.
It was the duet between Dinaple's leader, Ga Yuna, and the leader of Dinaple's brother group, L.I.T, Kang Ichan.
It was said that Ga Yuna chased after Kang Ichan to get the song, and the song was quite something.
In the end, this song was loved not only by Dinaple's fandom but also by L.I.T's fandom, successfully securing a spot in the rankings.
And then, it finally received a call from a music show, leading to today's first stage performance.
L.I.T. Not bad.
At the end of last year, at Dinaple's concert, Dinaple and L.I.T performed ARCHE's together, and that stage was amazing.
It felt like a fresh breeze blowing through Dinaple's somewhat stale stages. So, expectations were high for this stage as well.
Finally, the MCs introduced .
"Yuna of Dinaple will decorate the stage like spring rain."
"Shall we all get drunk on the ticklish spring rain?"
"Music, start."
Seon-ah, who has been following Dinaple for three years, is the self-proclaimed godmother of Dinaz.
She became a fan of Dinaple because she liked their unique color, but everyone else was turning their backs, saying it was getting stale.
What gave Dinaple artificial respiration was the performance at the concert.
But Seon-ah wasn't quite satisfied with that.
It felt like they were losing their original color.
So, she didn't like L.I.T either.
No, she even resented them a little.
Even though they're a brother group, they're constantly being compared to Dinaple in terms of treatment.
To receive a song from a member of such a group and even perform a duet stage was something her pride couldn't allow.
Seon-ah tightly gripped her lightstick and watched the stage closely.
If Kang Ichan caused even the slightest inconvenience to Ga Yuna, she was determined not to forgive him.
As she watched the stage, she ended up falling deep into it.
One bench, one streetlight.
Ga Yuna, sitting next to Kang Ichan on the bench, started singing.
Her bouncy voice and lively melody matched perfectly.
But the lyrics were sorrowful.
Have we been together too long? The way you look at me isn't the same as before.
Boring and cold. Indifferent and bland.
Do you not love me anymore?
You're by my side, but we're not together. (Ga Yuna)
Then Kang Ichan took over the song.
The kid's voice is quite captivating.
He wrapped Ga Yuna's bouncy voice in a deep, husky tone.
Have we been together too long? Your feelings for me aren't the same as before.
Stiff and cold. Prickly and sharp.
Do you not love me anymore?
You're by my side, but we're not together. (Kang Ichan)
The two, who took turns singing, stood up from their seats.
With consistently expressionless and cold faces, they created harmony.
Hey, where are you looking? I'm the one by your side.
Hey, don't let go of my hand, I feel uneasy when you drift away.
Can we go back? To when we were one, not two.
With a languid face, they shrugged their shoulders and urged each other while looking at one another.
Hey, if you come this close to me, I'll come that close to you.
Hey. If you lend me your ear, I'll lend you mine.
No. No. No. No.
Hey, I'll come to you, you stay there.
Hey, I'll listen, so whisper to me.
I want to go back. To when we were one, not two.
Both Dinaple's fandom, Dinaz, and L.I.T's fandom, Filament, were slightly uneasy. Even though there's a three-year age difference, it's still a male-female relationship.
They were worried that if they sang about the feelings of long-time lovers, romantic feelings might arise, but it was just a worry.
Seon-ah, a fan of Dinaple, also felt relieved.
This was more like a sibling relationship than a romantic one.
And that thought solidified at the end of Music City, when all the performing artists took the stage to announce the first place winner.
After giving a brief congratulatory message, Kang Ichan tried to leave the stage, but the Dinaple members grabbed him and placed him in the center of the stage.
When they forcibly handed him the mic, Kang Ichan, with a stiff expression, shook his head, and Ga Yuna, who had clenched her teeth at him, urged him to sing quickly with her expression, which was caught on camera.
In the end, Kang Ichan, who coldly looked at Ga Yuna, took the mic and sang a verse of the first-place song.
Ga Yuna, who was rolling on the floor laughing while looking at Kang Ichan.
That sight made not only the other artists but also the audience go wild.
And they came to a conclusion. These two are like siblings.
Not just Dinaple's brother group in name, but a real sibling group.
For the first time, Seon-ah thought about stanning a boy group.
* * *
ARCHE has returned.
<The Return of the King>
With grandiose words, ARCHE's arrival scene took first place on NewTube videos.
"You guys really like the return of the king."
I closed my laptop and focused on the mana hall.
Then, I pulled the mana into my heart.
"Test start."
Teleport.