translation by mourningmoor
Eventually, it was decided that we would appear on <King of the Jungle>.
SBC responded that they plan to group the five of us into one team and the remaining participants into another team, creating a rivalry dynamic.
The jungle filming is scheduled for one month from now.
Until then, we are determined to give our best at K-KON to attract overseas fans.
“Isn’t our schedule just murderous?”
Jaewon, who was sitting on the sofa looking at the schedule, grumbled.
“Today marks the end of our music show appearances, but we still have ad shoots, fan sign events… It feels like even having ten bodies wouldn’t be enough.”
“Right. We also have to go to Gapyeong for the walnut ambassador shoot.”
Roa nodded in agreement.
We were indeed busy.
Last Friday, we made our comeback stage on M-Start and ran through music shows until Monday. Then, we immediately flew to Thailand.
We returned on Wednesday, shot a pictorial, and flew to Tokyo early on Thursday for a performance.
We appeared on music shows on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and today, we finally performed on the last music show.
We were able to wrap up our music show activities with a light heart after winning first place on SBC’s <Trend Music>.
And tomorrow, we have to fly to France. Right after that, we’ll head to LA.
After returning, we’ll have three days of rest before heading to Jeju Island.
Following that, there’s a fan sign event and a coffee ad shoot.
That leaves us with about two weeks until the jungle filming.
We need to build up our stamina and prepare in various ways.
“Wow. If we manage to get through this schedule, we might just die from overwork, huh?”
Jaewon shook his head vigorously. Even Jaewon, who’s known as the energizer, finds this schedule overwhelming.
“Yeah, we might die.”
I, who had been packing in the corner, finally chimed in.
“So, everyone, make sure to build up your stamina and take care of yourselves thoroughly. Unless you want to end up in the grave.”
The similarity between being an idol and a wizard is evident here too.
You have to be harsh on yourself to the point of grinding your body down. If you get injured or sick, it’s only you who suffers, so you have to take care of your body. Even if you might die tomorrow, you have to give your best today.
It’s truly a profession where ending up in the grave is a real possibility.
But that’s also what makes it more appealing.
“If we manage to get through this schedule safely, L.I.T’s position will have changed a bit.”
I think we might be able to lay the groundwork to enter the top-tier idol group.
“By our third year, we should aim for the top tier.”
Then Jaewon excitedly shouted.
“No problem. The top tier is nothing.”
The youngest member continued with a very proud face.
“We’re L.I.T, the group that just hit a million sales with our third mini-album.”
As the youngest said, our latest album <또 다른 세계: Another World> has become a million-seller. That’s why the company is in a festive mood.
The kids are in a similar state.
They’ve been puffing up their shoulders and flaring their nostrils more often.
This is when we need to be more careful.
After closing the suitcase, I looked at Hanjoon, who was sitting at the table playing a game.
“Hanjoon hyung.”
Then he glanced at me.
His expression was fierce, as if asking why I was interrupting him while he was focused.
“Let’s all have a talk.”
* * *
The kids ordered delivery food, saying we couldn’t have a meeting empty-handed.
Fifty minutes after ordering, three boxes of soy sauce chicken arrived.
As we emptied the three boxes of chicken, we had a heartfelt conversation.
We talked about how we debuted, how much we struggled before debuting, what kind of treatment we received before debuting, and how things changed for us after gaining fans.
We took turns sharing our thoughts.
It wasn’t just a bunch of nagging.
We asked each other for their thoughts, listened, and shared our own.
After about an hour of meeting, Jaewon bowed his head deeply.
“Wow. I’m really embarrassed.”
After all, he wasn’t a completely thoughtless kid.
He was just young.
“Listening to you guys, I think I was too carried away.”
Recently, Jaewon’s attitude had changed the most noticeably.
His chin was tilted about five degrees higher than usual, and his eyes were brimming with confidence, bordering on arrogance. His tone had also subtly changed, which was slightly worrying.
“I guess I thought like there was no tomorrow, as if this was the peak.”
But he was the one who quickly grasped the situation and bowed his head.
“The van we ride in got upgraded. Our dorm too… it has CCTV, card keys, and hot water that comes out instantly. So I thought, ‘Wow, we’ve made it,’ and got arrogant.”
Siu patted the youngest on the back.
“No. Anyone in this situation would naturally feel a bit puffed up. I also thought we’d made it when we moved dorms.”
“But everyone was careful, right?”
Everyone was careful.
Especially Hanjoon, who became more fearful as his popularity rose.
Having gone through the school violence incident before, he might have understood better. He knew that popularity and fans’ love are like a double-edged sword.
“We were careful with our words so we wouldn’t seem arrogant.”
The other members weren’t much different.
Siu is naturally timid and doesn’t raise his head often, and Roa is smart.
And I’m skilled in these matters.
“Even though it’s our second year, it’s barely been over a year, and we still have a long way to go.”
“I found Ichan hyungnim’s words very impactful.”
Roa nodded at Jaewon’s words and shared his thoughts.
“We’ve only crossed one small ridge.”
“Right. Me too.”
Siu, with a serious face, nodded.
“We’ve only just crossed one small ridge, and who knows what deep valleys, dark ravines, and snow-covered hills lie ahead of us.”
Siu’s face turned redder as he spoke without missing a single word.
“That’s why we need to lower our bodies and prepare.”
Now his eyes were sparkling and shaking.
“I was genuinely moved.”
“Yeah, right, hyungnim. It sounded like something out of a fantasy movie.”
“As expected of our leader.”
At Siu’s words, Roa and Jaewon joined in, nodding vigorously. Then they took turns continuing.
“We live off the love of our fans, so we can’t let them down.”
“I think I understand why Ichan hyungnim always focuses on fan service.”
“I also think I understand why Siu hyung stayed up all night baking those tasteless brownies.”
At the mention of brownies, Siu’s face turned beet red.
“Hey, let’s not talk about that.”
“Why not? It’s a compliment. A compliment. No matter how I think about it, it’s cool.”
Jaewon, who poked Siu’s elbow with a grin, smiled brightly.
Then Siu tapped his face with both hands to cool down his heated cheeks.
After a while, Siu seemed to have calmed down and straightened his back again.
“I’ve come to think again that every step I take constitutes L.I.T.”
This might be the core of it.
“Ultimately, while I’m part of L.I.T, I can’t just be an individual. It’s a team.”
“Being an individual while also being part of a team.”
I nodded and added to his realization.
“If you do your best and are happy, the team will shine that much more.”
Then the two youngest members saluted and shouted energetically.
“We’ll work hard, hyungnims.”
“We won’t mess around.”
Hanjoon, who had been silently listening to the members, casually threw in a comment.
“Jaewon, I’ll bet tteokbokki on you messing around.”
“No, messing around here is different.”
Jaewon immediately got defensive.
“When I say I won’t mess around here, I mean I won’t get cocky just because we’ve gained some popularity.”
“It’s the same thing.”
“Ha, this hyung.”
Jaewon let out a small laugh and teased sarcastically.
“How do you write lyrics with such poor comprehension?”
“Hey, you’re messing around again.”
“This and that are different, okay?”
“Yes, yes. They’re different. Very different.”
As the two, who are roommates and the oldest and youngest in the team, bickered, Roa and Siu quietly leaned back.
They might keep going at it for a while.
Being the oldest and youngest, they rarely give in to each other.
But surprisingly.
“Okay.”
Jaewon, who I thought would argue till the end, surprisingly backed down quickly.
“I guess I was messing around.”
He admitted it readily and stood up with a bright smile.
“So Joonie hyung, you owe me tteokbokki.”
“Huh?”
“You bet tteokbokki on me messing around.”
I knew it. He wouldn’t back down so easily.
“You said you weren’t messing around?”
“Yeah. I was messing around. So buy me tteokbokki. Quickly.”
At this rate, Hanjoon would pretend to lose.
“The halmeoni’s tteokbokki place near the dorm. Deal?”
Hanjoon, who let out a small laugh, stood up.
“Alright, let’s go. Let’s go.”
The two, who seem different but share many similarities, put on their hoodies simultaneously. Roa’s eyes widened.
“Now? It’s 9 PM.”
“Then when should we go? We’re flying to Paris tomorrow, so we have to go now.”
“Right.”
At Hanjoon’s answer, Jaewon nodded.
They fight all the time, but in moments like this, they get along perfectly.
“Let’s all go together.”
Then Roa and Siu, who had been in spectator mode, got up and put on their clothes.
Watching the kids like this made my chest swell with pride.
The issues that started to surface were caught early, and even though they bicker, they care for each other, which is nice to see.
It’s like the joy of seeing the growth of the Parapara rabbits you’ve raised with carrots.
As I quietly watched them, Jaewon came over and took my hand.
“Hyung, you’re coming too.”
Ah, I’d rather not.
I need to do some media research about Paris.
“Do I have to?”
Then Jaewon immediately frowned.
“What are you talking about? You said teamwork is the most important, didn’t you?”
Then he quickly signaled Hanjoon to say something.
Hanjoon, who furrowed his brows as if annoyed, finally added a word.
“Hey, leader. Are you saying you won’t follow when all the members are going?”
At Hanjoon’s words, the rest of the kids all nodded.
Wow, looking at them now…
They’re unmistakably Parapara rabbits.
I let out a small laugh, stood up, and picked up my hoodie.
“Alright, let’s go. Let’s go.”
Teamwork, members, it’s all good.
Today, since you’re all so special, I’ll do as you wish. I will.