translation by mourningmoor
ON THE DAY OF THE SHOOT
At 6:30 in the morning, the car stopped in front of the Sangam-dong M&E Center.
This is already the third time coming to work early in the morning for a music show.
Of course, the previous two times, I didn’t even get to stand on stage and had to turn back.
"Listen carefully."
Gyuhyung, sitting in the driver's seat, turned around with a highly excited expression.
"This is your first stage."
I heard that the kids have been shedding blood, sweat, and tears for this first stage for over a thousand days.
They really must have been trained to the point of exhaustion during this time.
"This isn't a substitute, nor a fill-in, but the first stage where you've been officially booked."
At Gyuhyung's clear words, Siu's eyes became red.
Roa sniffled as well.
Hanjoon, on the other hand, just threw his gaze out the window.
Only the youngest, who didn’t understand the gravity of the situation, was grinning happily.
It must mean they've all worked hard to get here.
"Yesterday, the music video and the single were officially released. We also informed the fans through the official website."
As I observed the kids' reactions, I narrowed my eyes at Gyuhyung's words.
What is he talking about?
"We have fans?"
Those who revered me, the great wizard.
It seemed that they were calling those people "fans" here.
But, do these underdeveloped kids, who couldn’t even debut easily, really have fans?
"There’s a handful, but yeah, there are some."
Gyuhyung whispered in a small voice, a slight smile on his face.
"Siu's a former 'ulzzang'."
T.N.: It refers to individuals, often young people, who are admired for their exceptionally attractive looks, particularly in an internet or social media context.
What’s that supposed to mean? ‘Ulzzang’?
Maybe my furrowed brows gave it away, because Gyuhyung added an explanation.
"He was the best looking around here."
He then subtly pointed at Siu.
"That kid, he used to ride on his looks. Well, it was back in middle school, but he still has a few fans left."
Well, Siu is the type to convince everyone just with his face.
If we took him straight to Armania and dropped him there, his looks would definitely work.
I nodded as I gazed blankly at Siu’s face along with Gyuhyung. Siu, whose ears were now red, dropped his head low.
Sigh, that kid with the innocent look.
Muttering quietly, Gyuhyung then pointed at Roa.
"That kid has people cheering for him because of his dancing."
I had already heard all about it from the youngest last night.
How Roa, a ballet prodigy, fell into street dance and came to the city without a plan. How Director Seokho picked him up while he was performing breakdancing on the street. The story was that at least thirty people gathered whenever he performed on the streets. Something like that.
Thirty people... Well, it's still a small number, but there was a moment when I felt proud of the little guy.
This time, I nodded at Roa, and he scratched his head with a shy grin.
"Anyway, don't worry. The NewTube reactions are good too."
Ah, now that you mention it, I think I heard they started NewTube. The youngest and Roa kept filming something, so I guess they actually went through with it.
Well, it's good that they're putting in the effort.
It's been almost two months since I started watching them, and maybe I've grown attached. They really do seem quite admirable.
As I looked at each of them with affection, Gyuhyung gently tapped my back.
"You're going to do well."
Anyway, this big guy is fearless.
Does he know who I am and still keep poking at me like that?
I frowned and turned to look at him, and Gyuhyung opened his mouth with a worried tone.
"You know, just do your best, okay? Take some deep breaths, and if you need it, take some medicine."
Please.
I didn't say the last word out loud, just mouthed it silently.
The way I looked must have seemed quite serious, so I decided to forgive the rudeness of poking at me.
Without answering, I turned my gaze, and Gyuhyung, noticing my reaction, pointed at the woman sitting in the passenger seat.
"We'll park the car and go in, so Hyerim, follow us inside."
Hyerim. In other words, the first of the additional personnel provided by the company.
Apparently, additional personnel 2 and 3 had already arrived at the venue.
Since this time it was an official invitation, the company had assigned quite a few people to assist us.
According to Gyuhyung, this would be the standard team accompanying us going forward, though I wasn't particularly fond of the arrangement. What kind of support is it to just assign a few people from the styling team?
"Alright, let's shout the cheer together."
At Gyuhyung’s energetic shout, the kids extended their hands forward.
"L.I.T. L.I.T. Fighting!"
I wasn’t particularly fond of this either.
A cheer? How childish.
The kids all stepped out of the car, and I was the last one to follow.
But in the next moment, the discomfort in my heart vanished completely.
As the car door closed behind me, I witnessed a remarkable sight.
'What is this? This... the flow of mana...'
It was nothing short of shocking.
The movement of mana here was incomparable to what I encountered during morning exercises or even at the music video shoot.
Brilliantly colored mana swirled and drifted chaotically.
On both sides of the path leading from where I stood to the filming site, mana surged wildly. It was the first time I had ever seen this type of mana.
People with cameras, people holding brightly colored papers, and others wielding uniquely shaped lightsticks.
These diverse individuals lined the sides of the path, and from each of them flowed mana in different colors.
'Here, mana exists more abundantly in people than in the earth or air.'
It was laughable.
In Armania, mana—the source of all power—flows from the earth.
People are divided into those who can convert mana into magical power and those who cannot. That’s how commoners and mages are distinguished, with their magical strength varying based on their abilities.
But here, mana emanates from people.
The fact that each person’s mana has a unique shape and color, constantly shifting and writhing, was nothing short of bizarre.
At that moment.
"Roa!!!!"
People holding blue scraps of paper called out Roa's name.
"Roa-ya!!!"
Then, with a bright smile, Roa waved at them.
The mana emanating from them seemed to swirl around Roa pleasantly before moving past him.
This time, another strand of mana brushed lightly against Siu.
"Kyahhh!! Yoon Siu! Siu oppa!"
However, neither Roa nor Siu noticed the mana or absorbed it.
The mana that had brushed past the two began to whirl and gradually drifted toward me. It seemed curious that I could perceive its presence.
It was at that moment.
“Kang Ichan!!”
Unexpectedly, someone called out Ichan's name.
Could it be a family member who had come to see him?
As I turned to glance around, an ear-splitting scream followed.
“Kyahhh!!!”
At the same time, the continuous sound of cameras clicking filled the air.
“Kang Ichan, do well today.”
“L.I.T, fighting!”
It was only natural for the movement of mana to grow more frantic.
They didn’t seem to be family. No, they were closer to what this world called "fans."
《Anticipation,》 《Excitement,》 《Admiration》...
The same emotions I had encountered in the girls during the music video shoot were pouring out here. But this time, it wasn’t just a few girls—there were countless of them.
“What the heck? How do they even know my name?”
“Your profile is up on the homepage and NewTube, hyung-nim.”
Roa stepped in close, standing right next to me.
Then, Jaewon followed suit, almost like a set.
"Hyung, the NewTube reactions are really good."
"What?"
Am I up on NewTube too?
Last night, I checked the music video uploaded on the homepage, but I hadn't gotten around to checking NewTube.
"Our practice scenes and the rehearsal footage for the music video. Stuff like that is getting a good reaction."
Jaewon's eyes are full of mischief. This is making me uneasy...
"People are feeling catharsis from the footage of you cleaning."
W-What?
* * *
"Wow― it's the waiting room."
"Yay, it's the waiting room."
Finally, a waiting room was created, and Jaewon and Roa hopped around me.
Yeah. Finally, L.I.T has a waiting room.
It means we no longer have to line up at the end of a narrow hallway and eat our meals with caution.
But that doesn't mean the place we've entered now is a typical waiting room.
As I glanced around, narrowing my eyes slightly, Gyuhyung whispered quietly.
"They only give personal waiting rooms to popular singers, and for rookies or unknown singers like us, they make us wait in places like this."
Places like this.
In other words, it's a large hall that has been partitioned into smaller, temporary waiting rooms.
In a place like this, where there aren't even separate doors, I have to change clothes and eat. Naturally, there aren't proper chairs or mirrors either.
Me, in a place like this...
"Sigh, this is unbelievable."
At this point, I can't help but feel resentful toward the fate that connected me to Kang Ichan.
The dorm is cramped and tiny, the bed creaks, the house turns into a garbage swamp almost every three days, and the noisy rabbits running around are a nuisance.
On top of that, this noble body personally cleans up, and they should be grateful, yet they film it and spread it around the world?
These ungrateful dungeon rabbits.
And to think they feel catharsis from watching such a video...
Are they all perverts?
At this point, I started to think that it would be best to leave this place and these people behind.
With a decent body, the powers of a god, and the ability to control mana, why the hell should I be treated this way and stay here?
How could such a pathetic excuse of a dormitory be even remotely suitable for me?
I should just leave these people behind right now...
"Hey, Kang Ichan."
At that moment, Hanjoon suddenly approached.
He tilted his head sideways and looked at me before grumbling in a sullen voice.
"Got any spare change?"
"Why?"
"To get cocoa."
Cocoa.
I saw it in a TV commercial. It's a thick, brown tea that both kids and adults supposedly can't resist...
"Is it good?"
I asked out of sudden curiosity, and strangely, Hanjoon's expression softened a little.
"Of course it's good... Do you have any spare change?"
Looks like it’s tasty.
Seeing the great Han Junyoung lose his usual composure and smile for a moment...
"I have some leftover change from the shopping. But, I'll go with you."
At the end of the hallway outside the waiting room.
The machine, called a 'vending machine,' dropped a cup with a thud, and soon enough, the thick, brown tea filled it.
And so, I experienced a whole new world.
The child in the television commercial, who took a sip of cocoa and smiled sweetly as if they were going crazy from happiness, was spot on—it really tastes like that.
A sweetness that drives you to the brink of happiness.
But this tiny sip, less than a single gulp, cost a whole 500 won.
Thieves.
Once again, this place proved to be the kind of harsh world where, without money, even the smallest bit of sweetness is out of reach.
This is also the reason why I can’t escape the dungeon.
First of all, I don’t have any money...
Kang Ichan’s financial situation was an absolute mess. My allowance from home had been cut off long ago, and I had to do part-time delivery jobs in between just to afford the bare necessities.
The Kang Ichan I read about in the diary was on the verge of starving, and the bank account under his name showed a balance with only three digits.
In other words, Kang Ichan was a beggar with assets under 1,000 won.
It was then.
"Want to drink one more?"
A white hand inserted two 500-won coins into the vending machine.