translation by mourningmoor
Three photos were uploaded to L.I.T's official SNS.
"Oh my, Kang Ichan. Did you just hit Gwanghwamun today?"
Ichan, wearing a black T-shirt and a black cap, took a selfie in front of the Gwanghwamun subway station billboard.
One photo was in front of his own billboard, and the other had all five members in it.
Juhee covered her lips with both hands and let out a silent scream.
"Ichan-ah. The one who collected the funds was me."
The popular NewTuber, thinking about what she could do for the lovely fans, planned the billboard.
Her thought was that, to ensure a smooth start, Filament 1st generation had to be properly recruited. So, she mobilized her fellow homepage managers to capture the best photos and create the billboard.
However, she never imagined he would actually show up and take a verification shot.
"What is this, what is this. Kang Ichan. Did you go to HitTracks too? To check the fan sign-up?"
The last photo was a selfie taken at HitTracks in Gwanghwamun.
Through the black hat and black mask, his dark eyes sparkled.
"His eyes are really mysterious, you know? They're so dark, but they almost seem to have a hint of blue, like there's a glow to them. Anyway, he's so charming."
And beneath the photo, the hashtags #ICHAN #ThankYou #SeeYouAtFanSign were attached.
"Ugh, how is it that everything he does is so cute?"
It was then. A push notification came through on NewTube.
<Listen one more time, and it’s 100 times. Promise to be with me even if your ears rot (Promise)>
The title of the video was quite long, and Juhee clasped her hands tightly.
"Guys, no way, no way, right?"
No way, no way, they’re not going to play it live, are they?
"Oh my gosh, guys. If they do, I’ll die. My heart will explode."
With trembling fingers, Juhee pressed play on the video.
* * *
Kang Ichan was playing the guitar.
It was the intro of <Promise>, but the tempo was slower than the original.
The acoustic vibe started, but it seemed like they rearranged the addictive electronic pop into a more relaxed, comfortable style of music.
What surprised me the most was how skilled Ichan’s guitar playing was.
Focused on playing the guitar, Ichan slightly lifted his head to look at Jaewon. At that moment, Jaewon, who had been tapping his foot to the rhythm, began the first verse.
The moment I first saw you, I knew. I recognized you at once.
That I’ll wander beside you like fate.
The fate that came to me like a joke, now feels a little scary.
And then it’s Roa who responds.
Park Roa. Was his voice always this sweet?
It feels just like that.
A mere satellite orbiting around your planet.
Yeah, maybe I'm such a being to you.
And then, Siu’s rap...
It’s amazing.
How did a wandering star meet you?
The remnants of a soul drifting through the far reaches of the universe.
Meeting you, finally a masterpiece created by the gods.
I promise. That you’ll stay by my side forever.
I promise. That I’ll become your star.
So please, remember too.
That the star called me is watching over you.
You, who have become distant like a star, shining from afar.
I can’t reach you. I can’t be with you.
But remember. The promise from that day.
The promise of the day when I was you, and you were me.
Breaking through the hazy dawn,
I’ll come find you. I’ll reach you. I promise.
Promise.
One by one, the members flawlessly carried out their parts, perfectly blending into the arrangement. Even the rap, though slow in tempo, was delivered with style and precision.
No, in fact, as the tempo slowed down, the voices of the rap line members became even more impressive.
After the song ended, a brief silence followed.
Then, the quiet chat exploded.
Ahㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ what did I just hearㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
└I’m overwhelmed, seriously.. There’s never been a prouder day than this.
ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ I’m losing it.... I love you guys, even if we’re in the farthest parts of the universe, I’ll remember the star called you. Even on the day when not a single piece of my soul remains, when the scraps burn and vanish...
Chan-ah, you're pouring honey into my ears, how could my ears rot...?
└But who wrote the title for the live stream? Even if it’s official, how can you say your ears will rot, haha;
Channie’s voice is like natural preservatives, propolis, hyaluronic acid, vitamin ABCDEFG.
I wish the guitar Channie touches was me.
└I wish the guitar neck that Channie grabs the chords on was my neck.
└I wish I was hanging on the guitar strings that Channie’s playing.
└The girl hanging on Ichannie’s forearm.
Really sorry, but aren’t these people causing trouble? New idol? I’ve never seen them, I’m just seeing them for the first time today.
└Yeah, same. Never seen them before, what are you even doing here? Just go on your way.
└(Poster) I really didn’t know, sorry if it seemed like I was starting something; I just asked because I liked the song.
└Hello, future filament! Our kids are the new idol group 리트 the original name is L.I.T, but we also shorten it to 리트, 맅, or 릿!!
└Seat in order: Kang Ichan, Park Roa, Kim Jaewon, Yoon Siu, Hanjoon. The song’s good and they’re rising stars, so listen to them while you’re here, ㅋㅋ.
└ㅇㅇThanks for teaching me, they really sing well.
Man, when I was in Korea, why didn’t I notice them? Now that I’m in the US, they’re having fan meetings.
Ah, I thought all these members were picked just for their looks, but... wow, their vocal technique is amazing.
Hah, Kang Ichan, I’m going to sue you, you’ve stolen my heart.
Wait, why is there no music video for this banger? Is PD Pyo not doing his job?
└Does Pyo even work? Even if he tries to capitalize on this, there’s no music video; how are we supposed to promote?
└Whether it’s Pyo or someone else, stop just pushing Dinaple and actually create something... Don't leave the fans hanging.
The community was flipped once again.
People rushed back to the music streaming site to double-check if the song was always this sweet.
Some even joked they’d sue Kang Ichan for not making their ears rot, even after listening to the song 101 times.
“You might get sued.”
Roa said, smiling as he observed the reactions.
Then, this time, Hanjoon chimed in.
"Then I’m suing this guy too."
"Why are you suing me?"
"For abuse."
"When did I ever abuse you?"
"Earlier, you were making a fuss about being a little late, and now you're making a fuss about being a little early," Hanjoon said.
Laughter erupted from all around at his words.
In the tiny, cramped room, the kids, glued to their phones, had no intention of falling asleep.
SNS, fan cafes, and various communities... Fan letters were flooding in, and they couldn't sleep because of it.
"But there are also some hate comments."
Of course, there were also people who spat out nasty words.
"They're calling us unknowns."
But even the youngest, Jaewon, had gained the composure to laugh while reading the hate comments.
"But, it's actually true, so I'm not even mad," he said.
Everyone burst into laughter at his words.
Right. Taking a step towards a dream felt like this.
Laughing together, feeling together, sharing together.
That was it.
Suddenly, a bitter taste filled my mouth.
"Let's sleep early. They said we'll be busy again starting tomorrow."
I covered my eyes with the back of my hand and tried to fall asleep, gently patting my heart, which was reacting strangely.
* * *
They said it would get busy, and it really did.
First, we started getting booked for the major music broadcasts without fail.
On top of that, we were included in the K-POP Summer Concert lineup, which is organized annually by the three main broadcasting stations.
There were even rumors about a CF deal in the works.
But above all, the best news was the decision to shoot the music video for <Promise>.
"It’s all thanks to God-chan and Jatjaewon," Gyuhyung said, laughing as he relayed the A&R team's words.
"They say they can't leave out Meok-Hanjoon either."
That day, Hanjoon had been sitting like a screen behind the others, devouring food on the broadcast. In just 20 minutes of airing, he polished off two bowls of Jaet-guksu. He ate it so deliciously that fans watching the broadcast posted updates saying they had noodles for dinner afterward.
On the other hand, Siu, who sat in front of Hanjoon, was eating his noodles slowly, with perfect visuals, once again drawing attention.
In front of the kid who was eating so heartily, it was bound to look petty when someone was picking at their food. But Siu’s face covered it all, and praise posts started flooding in.
"Siu's handsomeness and Roa’s cuteness both played a part."
Roa, true to his role as the administrator in the L.I.T universe, held up the Jaet set with a serious expression throughout.
But the squirrel hat pulled her cheeks so tightly that the puffed-up cheeks turned even the serious expression into a laughing point.
The conclusion was that, in those short 20 minutes of the live broadcast, they showed everything they had to offer.
"And above all, your live video did all the work."
A few days ago, the NewTube video we posted had caused quite a stir.
Thanks to that, the number of SNS followers had quadrupled, and album sales were skyrocketing.
Gyuhyung kept talking for a while.
He said he would talk to the PR team to try to get more live broadcasts, and now that they'd be performing at the K-POP concert, maybe they could aim for the Rookie of the Year award at the end of the year. He was lost in dreams of a hopeful future, all by himself.
"Well, it's not impossible."
As long as this body is the leader of L.I.T, it might be a natural step, after all.
Still, leaving it all to the company makes me uneasy.
"Hyung, about the music video..."
"Hm? What about the music video?"
"Are they going to make the music video look cheap again, like the last one?"
In an instant, Gyuhyung lost his smile and his eyes trembled with confusion.
"Uh... did it look cheap?"
"Yeah, really."
It looked cheap.
Even though we're a small agency, how could they make such a half-hearted music video? They made Dinaple's music video all flashy and grand, but ours?
In L.I.T's case, the world-building was so vast, but the music video didn’t live up to it at all. Plus, the members didn’t understand the world well either. Naturally, the fans didn’t get it either.
"Can we attend the story meetings?"
As I saw it, these kids were still like wild rabbits that hadn’t been tamed yet.
But if trained right, they'd definitely make amazing rabbits...
Yeah... Well, they're still just rabbits for now.
Anyway, I was thinking that with the right push, they'd become much better idols than they are now.
To do that, though, I’d need to instill a sense of responsibility in them.
"Hmm... I'll ask the A&R team."
Gyuhyung scratched his chin and nodded.
Sure, I can do that much. The problem is the next one.
"And one more thing, please."
There’s something I need to clarify right now.
"Our contract. Can I see it?"
* * *
This world is more complicated compared to Armania.
In Armania, divine providence and magic harmonize, and everything is decided by power. Because of that, politics, economy, laws... everything was simple.
But this world is different.
Perhaps because the line between good and evil is blurred, the gods did not grant humans abilities.
As a result, humans strive desperately to reach higher positions.
It seemed truly pitiful, yet in some ways, it felt beautiful.
The way humans long for what they cannot have and run after it... how beautiful it is.
A human longing for what they do not possess.
Yeah, maybe I should try to become such a being too.
There was something I realized while wandering alone around Mapo and Gwanghwamun this time. This world is full of beautiful things.
In the world over there, having something was nothing at all. But in this world, I can't even buy a cup of cocoa freely.
That's why.
I devoured books on economics and searched for materials on laws.
I activated my full power of media acquisition, and even used time extension magic. Since I had become more familiar with the mana of this world, using that level of magic was not difficult.
Read, read, and read again.
And I gained a deep realization.
“…So, you’re wondering when you can receive your settlement?”
“Yes.”
PD Pyo, who had accepted my request for a meeting, furrowed his brows in apparent difficulty.
“Why?”
“I want to escape this shitty accommodation.”
At the mention of “shitty,” PD Pyo’s face seemed to freeze in shock.
“Shitty... to say that, that place is worth quite a bit. How much do you think it costs?”
“About 200 million, right?”
By now, I know enough about the currency and the value of money in this world.
“200 million? Ichan, this is Itaewon. The rent here is insane.”
The way PD Pyo scoffed made it clear that Itaewon must be a pricey neighborhood. Should I start reading real estate books now, too?
“Forget it.”
It’s rent anyway, no need to show off.
“So when can we escape from that crappy place?”