translation by mourningmoor
The NewTuber, Juhee, sat in front of the computer with a doubtful heart.
It was because she had received a call from her best friend, Yoojung.
The Yoojung on the other end of the receiver was extremely excited.
Her trembling voice brought back memories from long ago.
[Hey, Park Juhee. I've decided to start fangirling again. I'm telling you, I've discovered a new dark horse to succeed the Graphstar oppas.]
Yoojung and Juhee were elementary school classmates who became best friends through fangirling over the second-generation idol group, <Graphstar>.
At the time, Graphstar was an untouchable presence.
They were a standout among second-generation idols, a boy band that paved the way for K-POP to gain global love and recognition.
It seemed like they would last forever.
But then, several members made headlines on the social section of newspapers, which led to their disbandment. Now, no one speaks their name anymore.
But Juhee was different.
She discovered Graphstar back when they were insignificant nobodies, recognizing their gem-like potential. She became the evangelist who introduced them to the world.
Her friendship with Yoojung began for that very reason.
Yoojung had been one of the few who appreciated Graphstar's charm when no one else did.
Annoying as they might be, they were still impossible to hate.
Now, they existed only in the memories Juhee shared with Yoojung.
“Ugh, why am I tearing up all of a sudden?”
Juhee dabbed at the corner of her eyes with her fingertips before adjusting her posture properly.
[The studio where I work part-time shot a music video recently, and wow―these guys are no joke. Especially the leader. Oh my gosh. He’s got this stoic expression the whole time, and then he gives this little smirk, and bam. I’m melting. MELTING. Juhee, I’m literally melting away here.]
Yoojung, who had once carved out her place in the fangirl world alongside Juhee, was calling her in such a flustered and excited state?
Then it would be worth checking out.
Just how good a raw gem this was. Whether it was something worth her attention or not.
[They haven’t performed on stage yet, and there’s no official music video. But their NewTube channel just launched recently? Go watch it. It’s insane. Park Juhee, go dig up that gold mine already.]
Juhee clicked on the link Yoojung had sent her.
And then, she stared intently at the white letters etched on a black background.
“L.I.T, huh.”
A rookie idol group that hasn’t debuted yet.
“They’ve been promoting for quite some time now, but if they still haven’t gotten on stage, isn’t that basically a countdown to disbandment?”
And yet, such a group has a NewTube channel?
“Well, fine. Let’s just give it a shot. I’ll trust Kwon Yoojung’s instincts.”
Juhee selected one of the five videos, <Music Video Shoot Rehearsal>.
With a nervous heart, she pressed the play button.
The mint-haired one standing in the center was clearly the main vocalist. Still looking a bit young and immature, but with a face that seemed destined to grow into a strikingly handsome figure.
Next was the pink-haired one on the left. That must be the main dancer.
Judging by the fluidity of their movements, could they have majored in dance?
If the mint-haired one had the strong features of a classic handsome type, the pink-haired one had delicate lines, giving off the vibe of a fragile beauty.
The brown-haired one was clearly the visual of the group. Could probably even act in dramas.
Though, maybe because they’re still young, they don’t exude much charm yet.
The black-haired rapper, on the other hand, was impressive. A ruggedly handsome type, tall, with a solid build, and above all, a husky voice that was incredibly captivating.
And then, the last one.
"...What."
Juhee paused the video at exactly 28 seconds in.
"This is the one Kwon Yoojung was talking about, right?"
Black hair, large eyes without double eyelids, and a straight nose that gave off a slightly cold impression. In contrast, the plump lips were endearing.
"What is this?"
Overall, there's something very urban and cold about him, but just like Yoo-jung said, the way he glances at the camera and flashes a slight smile is no joke.
On top of that, the aura radiating from his eyes...
This, this is it. A gem.
An unpolished gem. Yoojung got swept up in an instant.
"Eureka. Found it."
* * *
It was the first week of May.
Just as I was about to head back to the dorm after finishing my morning workout,
I got a call from PD Pyo Cheonhee.
This guy, why has he been calling so often lately? It's making me uneasy.
Every time he calls, it feels like another new task gets added to my plate.
My expression automatically scrunched up.
"Hello?"
―Kang Ichan, should we meet for a bit now?
Why does he want to meet? Can't we just talk over the phone?
"Why?"
―……
It seems like he didn't expect me to ask why, as there's a sudden silence from PD Pyo on the other end of the line.
"I'm busy. I need to feed the kids breakfast and send them to school."
My hands were full with ingredients that the locals had given me.
Even if I went inside right now to wash, prepare, and cook, time would be tight, and I didn’t even have the time to hold the phone.
"Please tell me now."
―You're going on M-Start tomorrow.
M-Start? What's that?
I don't know what it is, but I guess I have to accept it. It's not "Do you want to go?" but "You're going," after all.
"Ah, okay."
Suddenly, PD Pyo shouted in a disappointed voice.
―Hey, is that all you can say, "Ah, okay"? Do you realize how great this is?
Ah, so that's why you wanted to meet in person to share the good news?
You asked to talk face-to-face, but now you're telling me to do it over the phone?
When I think about it, PD Pyo, the head of Blade Entertainment, is kind of cute. Maybe it's because he's only in his forties, but he has this childlike side to him.
I chuckled, and then responded with a bit more enthusiasm.
“Wow, yes.”
That should be enough, right?
―...
It seems like he’s so moved that he's fallen silent again.
―Do you even know what that means, or are you just happy?
If I’m moved, he’s the type to keep digging deeper.
"Do I need to know?"
―You’re debuting. Debut. Finally, you’ll be on music shows. Your song is finally going to be released.
Hmm, debut.
"I’m really happy to hear that. But I’m a bit busy right now, so I’ll hang up."
I replied without much emotion and immediately stepped up the stairs to the third floor.
Every time I looked at this blue iron gate, my chest tightened.
I was six years old then.
When it became known that I had magic, I was led by the hand of the orphanage director to the city of magicians, Parapara.
A low-ranked magician, with a shaved head, handed me an apprentice uniform that resembled a monk’s robe.
Wearing that, when I found the apprentice house located on the outskirts of Parapara, I immediately felt this way.
"Do I have to live here forever... or should I escape?"
Lying on the attic bed in the apprentice house, I gazed at the towering Magic Tower in the center of Parapara and dreamed hopeful dreams.
That Magic Tower, which I would conquer, becoming its master, and live for 290 years.
It was boring, boring, and oh, so boring.
“So, you got tired of it, and then you were sent back? To another world, no less?”
Now that I think about it, the goddess didn’t love me, she just played a prank on me.
Huffing a long breath, I opened the door.
From the crack of the door, loud noises poured out.
It seems the kids have woken up.
As soon as I stepped inside, as usual, the youngest and Roa came running out.
"Hyung-nim."
"Hyung."
They each took the black bag from my hand.
The two of them, who are now more accustomed to discipline than before, feel a bit cute to me now.
"Both of you, go wash up quickly. Put your dirty clothes in the laundry basket."
"Yes."
I could hear the sound of water from the bathroom, so it seems like Siu is the one washing up.
"Wake up Hanjoon hyung. We're busy today."
A single phone call from PD Pyo caused a shift in today's schedule.
Originally, I had planned to send the three kids off to school and then practice dance with Hanjoon. Although he had improved compared to before, Hanjoon's dance was still a little slow.
"Doesn't Hanjoon hyung wake up at 8?"
It seems like the kids have already gotten used to our daily routine.
Wake up at 8, start a game immediately, Hanjoon's miserable defeat, head straight to the practice room at 10, and then continuous practice, practice, practice.
The kids call it ‘The Human Transformation of Beast Han Junyoung.’
"You’re not going to school either," I replied.
Jaewon's lips puffed out, clearly envious.
"You guys aren’t going today either."
It seemed like that was the routine for today.
On days with a schedule, the kids don’t go to school the day before.
Since it’s a pre-scheduled event, it seems that active idols have their attendance excused.
"I’ll call the school from the company."
They’ll probably keep us locked in the practice room all day today for camera rehearsals. Since we need to prepare two songs, it’s going to be even busier.
"We're going out tomorrow, so we’ve got a lot to do."
"Yes?"
For a moment, Jaewon and Roa’s eyes grew wide.
"M-Start?"
Then, with ear splitting screams, the kids started jumping up and down in place.
Finally, debut.
* * *
The writer Jeong Haeseong had been watching NewTube on her phone since earlier.
It was the NewTube channel of the rookie idol group L.I.T.
Her senior, writer Kang Jihoon, was going to appear on a pilot variety show, and he asked Jeong Haeseong to take a look because the kids would be appearing on it.
Apparently, the team was specially requested to appear by HS Entertainment, but they had never been introduced on TV yet.
All that existed were their official SNS and six NewTube videos.
[It seems like HS has some other intentions behind having them appear, but from what I can see, these kids are pretty good. You should take a look, too, Jeong.]
Kang Jihoon, the writer, was originally a documentary specialist, not a reality show producer.
Naturally, he wasn't very experienced in this field, so he asked Jeong Haeseong for advice.
[See if there's anything we can work with from them. Take a look and let me know.]
At first, Jeong Haeseong's only intention was to help his senior, Kang Jihoon.
But as she watched the videos, she found herself strangely intrigued by these kids.
Their looks were the same as any other idol group these days, good-looking faces.
Their dancing and singing were well-polished, just like everyone else.
But there was something oddly captivating about them.
The two youngest members had that "beagle-like" charm, the playful and mischievous vibe that made them stand out.
One of them, the one with a saintly aura, was strikingly handsome. Almost too good-looking to be a singer. What's more, it seemed like his main role in the group was to be teased by the beagle-like members.
"This one's a keeper."
And then there were the other two.
Personally, the dynamic between these two caught her attention.
The leader seemed to have a certain dominance over the other, almost like he was "training" him.
It was hilarious that they even uploaded such a video.
While other idols usually post slick, carefully curated content, these kids did the opposite.
"Why would you even film yourselves cleaning?"
The video showed the so-called leader furiously scrubbing the sink, completely irritated, and it was the sixth video on their channel.
It was so funny that it instantly lifted her bad mood from earlier, when she had been scolded by her mother-in-law.
"Interesting."
Looking at the five kids, there was definitely a picture forming in his mind, but...
"Let's see them in person first and make a decision."