#21

I dragged Hanjoon into a place 10 minutes away from our dorm: Blade Entertainment, our company.

I immediately called Gyuhyung.

“Hyung, there are women… camped out in front of the house.”

With just that one sentence, Gyuhyung hung up, saying he’d come right away.

Following his instructions, we went into the practice room and flopped down onto the floor with a thud.

What on earth happened overnight for things to turn into this mess?

[Hey, hang on. I had a bad feeling the past few days just watching the reactions. I figured it would happen eventually—those sasaengs trying to claim their spot.]

If you were feeling uneasy, you should’ve come up with a plan earlier. What the hell is our manager even doing?

Recalling Gyuyung’s words, I turned my head to look at Hanjoon.

Lying on the floor in the exact same pose as me, Hanjoon’s chest was still heaving.

"Hyung, are you okay?"

Instead of answering, Hanjoon just raised his hand.

We had sprinted at full speed without even warming up after waking up, so his heart must have been pounding like it was about to burst. Of course, he wouldn’t have the breath to speak.

I got up from the floor and approached Hanjoon. Giving his shoulder a firm pat, I sat down leaning against the wall.

When I patted his shoulder, I infused a little mana into him, so he’d feel better soon enough.

I took out my phone and immediately checked L.I.T’s official social media account.

No wonder Gyuhyung’s voice had been so worked up during the call.

The follower count had skyrocketed.

It wasn’t like this just last night, but now the reaction was nothing short of explosive.

This time, I tried searching for “L.I.T.” to see what came up.

A flood of posts appeared, far more than I had expected.

#LIT #L_I_T #리트 #리트_출근길 #LIT_출근길 #L_I_T_출근길

#리트_OnlyOne #LIT_OnlyOne...

T.N.: 리트 is L.I.T. and 출근길 is “way to work”?

There were even posts with hashtags for each member’s name.

“…Oh, even this got uploaded?”

One photo caught my eye.

It seemed to have been uploaded by a young girl who recognized us at the samgyeopsal restaurant and asked for a photo.

Under the title 《L.I.T Debut Celebration Party,》 there were four photos grouped together.

One was a group shot with the girls.

Another was a photo of just the members.

And the other two were...

“Ha, damn it.”

I couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief.

“What? What is it?”

Hanjoon, who had been lying on the floor, finally seemed to have calmed down. He sat up and approached me.

I casually held out my phone in front of Hanjoon.

“You and I... got paired together as a set?”

On the phone screen was a photo of Hanjoon accepting a pork belly wrap I was offering him, his expression stoic as ever.

Below the image were hashtags and captions that read:

#한준 #HANJOON #JUNE #Supporting_Your_Spring_Like_June_Sunshine

#이찬 #강이찬 #ICHAN #OurLeader #LITLeader

T.N.: 한준 is Hanjoon with 이찬 and 강이찬 being Ichan and Kang Ichan respectively.

<Kang Ichan wrapped a ssam (Korean lettuce wrap) himself and fed it to HJ. That’s so freaking sweet ㅠㅠ. Truly, #Trainer....>

<Ah, their relationship is insane lol #Ichan-ah_Cheering_on_Your_Taming_of_Joondeng>

As I alternated between reading the captions and looking at the photos, Hanjoon’s face gradually turned pale. His reaction made the situation slightly amusing.

"Let’s keep running with this image, shall we, Mr. Hanjoondeng?"

T.N.: 한준댕 (Hanjoondeng): A playful nickname that combines the character's name (한준) with 댕 (deng), often used for endearing nicknames, like "puppy" or "dog-like."

* * *

Siu, Roa, and Jaewon seemed to have safely made it to school with the addition of extra security.

Hanjoon and I, after hearing the news, had breakfast in Director Gong Seokho's office, who had rushed over to help us. We decided to rest a bit while waiting for PD Pyo.

[Just hang tight. The CEO said he’ll be here in 10 minutes, so we’ll talk again when he arrives.]

The PD, Pyo Cheonhee, who was supposed to arrive in 10 minutes, was nowhere to be seen even after 30 minutes.

So, using the company laptop that Director Gong provided, I meticulously browsed the internet again.

The responses weren’t bad.

No, as Director Gong Seokho mentioned, the responses are above average.

The music streaming is going quite smoothly, and the music video views are exceeding expectations. The number of followers on SNS is surprisingly high, and the discussions in the community are also quite positive.

The best response, however, has been on NewTube.

There are six videos on the official account.

Two choreography practice videos and behind-the-scenes footage from the music video shoot. These three videos are relatively standard.

The problem lies with the other three videos, two of which feature me.

The one without me is a video of Jaewon teasing Siu.

As usual, Jaewon teases Siu, and Roa scolds Jaewon in a calm voice, which somehow makes it funny.

The youngest teasing Siu stays within a reasonable level, and Siu’s reactions are not over the top. The real laugh point, though, is Roa.

Though Roa looks much younger than the youngest when you look at their face, it was amusing to see Roa gently scold Jaewon.

The comments were similar too.

<So who are these guys?>

└LIT

└ㄾ

└The one in the blue shirt is Jaewon, the youngest; the one in the white shirt in the middle is Roa; the brown-haired one getting scolded by Roa is my ultimate biasㅠㅠㅠㅠ Total face genius, his name is Siu, and he's the visual and the lead rapper in LIT! He's amazing at both dancing and rapping!

Clearly, K-pop is all about hitting it big!↓

(Link)

If you want to see Siu's insane dancing, check this out!↓

(Link)

Make sure to watch the video above, his dance lines are so on point, seriously!

<Is the maknae on top here too? ㅋㅋㅋㅋ His way of talking is so cute, it's hilariousㅋㅋ!>

└Yeah, definitely a maknae-on-top. Out of all the youngest ones around, this one seems the most 4D.

└I think he's totally my type, he's got this bunny face and a pine tree vibe, ㅋㅋㅋㅋ! But what’s his personality like?

└They’re funny, just really 4D, ㅋㅋ.

T.N.: 4D: Slang for someone eccentric, quirky, or unpredictable. & Pine tree vibe: Indicates a steadfast, reliable personality.

<Watching Roa being so serious is both funny and cute ㅠㅠㅠ. After that, he goes off and plays with the others ㅠㅠ. He seems all serious, but deep down, he's just a dog... but like, a sexy dog…>

└Siu couldn’t even say anything, it’s freaking hilariousㅋㅋㅋ

<Siu, I love you, the greatest visual genius in the world.>

└Just looking at his face makes me feel grand.

Reading the comments was a task in itself.

The hardest part was realizing there’s a language that couldn’t be purified even with authority.

What on earth is K-poppo, and what is maknae-on-top? Don’t tell me it means something like “that trippy rabbit is the best”...?

Completely baffled by the incomprehensible comments, I scrolled all the way down before clicking on the next video.

The title was just as childish: 《Focus on the 4:21 mark.》

“Is this seriously the best they could come up with for a title?”

My brows furrowed instinctively.

This video seemed to lack any particular theme.

It was easy to understand why the title ended up that way.

Jaewon and Roa were running around the practice room with carefree energy. Hanjoon was off in a corner, robotically repeating the same movements over and over. Siu was receiving individual instruction on camera work from Director Gong.

It was, quite literally, a glimpse into their ordinary daily lives.

“When did they even film this?”

The video transitioned to a scene of them sitting in a corner of the practice room, eating lunch.

“Oh, wasn’t this the day before the music video shoot?”

PD Pyo Cheonhee had sent Korean lunch boxes as a gesture of support.

Roa, Jaewon, and Siu each took their lunch boxes in turn, their faces lighting up with happy smiles.

The lunch boxes were lavish and abundant, almost excessively so.

I should have realized it was meant for filming when stingy PD Pyo sent something like this.

At that moment, my voice played from the video.

―Gyuhyung hyung, where's the salad lunch box?

Gyuhyung then rummaged through a white plastic bag and pulled out a slightly different container.

―Here.

The next thing shown was my hand taking the lunch box and placing it right in front of Hanjoon.

―Hanjoon hyung, you should eat this. You're only 0.5kg away from reaching your first goal.

At that moment, Hanjoon's face was captured in a close-up shot.

He couldn’t hide the disappointment on his face, his appetite fading in resignation. His long, monolid eyes darted back and forth between his lunch box and the children.

―I’ll only eat half of it. Isn’t that okay?

―No, it’s not.

―Hey, but still…

―Hyung, you lost in the game yesterday too. I already reduced the twenty times of solo choreography practice down to five for you. If you don’t stick to the diet as well…

And then, for the first time, I appeared on the screen.

―Should we add ten more rounds of choreography practice?

Ah, looking at it like this, my expression seems a little sinister.

In contrast, Hanjoon looks somewhat pitiful.

The moment I said that, the corners of Hanjoon’s eyes slightly drooped.

Even the corners of his mouth quivered faintly.

Hanjoon, unable to argue a single word, turned his back and sat down to eat the salad lunch.

Maybe it was because the kids were enjoying their hearty meals, but it felt even more pitiful in comparison.

Then, I made the final appearance in the video.

I picked up a large sausage from my lunch and held it out to Hanjoon.

―I’ll let you have just one bite. Take a big one.

And at that moment, Hanjoon took a big bite of the sausage.

It was exactly 4 minutes and 21 seconds.

I take back what I said about the title having no sense. The PR team really knows what they’re doing.

And Hanjoon, seriously.

“Ah, seriously, you’re such a mess.”

I let out a chuckle and shifted my focus to the comments.

At that moment, the laptop was suddenly closed with a thud.

“Is it funny?”

It was Hanjoon.

His face, which could easily look intimidating, scrunched up, and he really really looked like a Doberman.

“Did you watch it too, hyung? The video?”

From his expression, it seemed like he had.

I flashed a mischievous grin and asked a bit more playfully. 

“Do you think it turned out well?”

The sharp line of his nose twitched, with his nostrils subtly flaring at the end.

It looked like he was about to say something, but instead, Hanjoon just left without a word.

* * *

About 20 minutes later, PD Pyo Cheonhee arrived at the company.

He immediately called for an urgent meeting.

The meeting room was filled with key personnel: PD Pyo Cheonhee, Performance Director Gong Seokho, Choreography Manager Ji Youngjun, Music Director Yang Jaecheol, Manager Lee Gyuhyung, Style Manager Kim Hyerim, A&R Team Leader Park Jiwoo, Public Relations Team Leader Jang Yujin, as well as Han Junyoung and me.

A total of ten people gathered to start the meeting.

The first piece of news was that the road manager and style manager would be teaming up right away.

"The style manager was supposed to bring someone over from Dinaple, but Team Leader Lee Gyuhyung thinks Hyerim would be a better fit."

No wonder Kim Hyerim, the manager, entered the meeting room.

She had been in charge of our team's outfits since the last music video.

Well, she's quick to catch on and quick in her actions.

More than anything, it seems like she has a good eye, so it doesn't seem like a bad choice.

"I think Hyerim will be able to handle the style well because the L.I.T. universe is about 'dimension shifting,' and the concept is 'nobility.'"

As I casually listened to what Director Pyo was saying, I suddenly furrowed my brows.

I understood the concept being 'nobility.'

After all, it was something Manager Hyerim had been drilling into our ears since the last music video shoot.

But suddenly, the universe? What universe?

Moreover, the universe being about 'dimension shifting'? Is he even aware of what he's saying?

The pencil I was holding snapped with a loud crack.

PD Pyo, who had been glancing at me cautiously since earlier, let out a brief sigh.

Then, with a wistful look, he gave a faint smile.

"Ichan-ah, there's no need to force memories that aren't coming to you."

There was pity in his voice.

But that was purely personal sentiment.

In business, however, there was no room for sympathy, as his gaze shifted in an instant.

"Instead, you need to understand the worldview of LIT properly. That way, it'll be easier to shape the characters."

Yeah, but what exactly is that worldview supposed to be?

It seemed that, judging by the looks around the room, I was the only one who didn't know about this.

"Listen carefully. You,"

In an instant, PD Pyo's eyes narrowed, and his voice became serious.

A strange tension filled the air, sending a chill down my neck.

Then, slowly, PD Pyo continued.

"You’re a wizard from another world."