Free Web Novel"I heard all of that."
"Gah— Iwol!"
Manager Jukyeong nearly jumped out of his skin at my sudden appearance.
Am I really still that scary-looking? I've been getting camera massages for three years already. At this point, doesn't that just mean I fundamentally lack the qualifications to be an idol...?
"We're really not going on it?"
"Of course not. It's our break period. Once we make our comeback, we'll be working hard enough to miss resting, so why bother already...?"
"Even if we don't dance and only have to sing?"
I partly agreed with Manager Jukyeong. Once you live as a salaried worker with no summer vacation, you realize just how precious rest truly is. But now that I'd heard the program name, I resisted with all my strength.
Manager Jukyeong's defense wasn't weak either. Until Jeong Seongbin came to drag me away, the two of us remained locked in a standoff in the hallway.
"Why can't you ever just stay still?"
Choi Jeho clicked his tongue at me.
"I also think I've been too hyper lately. That's why I'm reflecting on myself right now."
"By getting dragged over here and lying facedown against a wall?"
"The longer I lie here, the faster Seongbin's worries get resolved."
Learning 101 ways to calm an angry superior down was an essential survival skill for making it in society. Though that bastard Choi Jeho always treated my crisis-avoidance techniques like a joke.
"Hyung, are you okay...?"
Maybe he thought I looked dejected, because Park Juu came over and spoke to me from behind.
"I'm fine. I'm just sad you guys are letting a good opportunity slip away."
As demand for singers' live performances increased, MiTube channels focused on live music started springing up everywhere. A few of them established solid footing in the brutal MiTube market thanks to strong subscriber bases.
The channel that had contacted Spark, "Living," was one of the pioneers of that live-performance scene. With excellent sound equipment, veteran band sessions, and stylish cinematography, "Living" had enjoyed steady popularity since its launch.
Raw live performances without even a single layer of AR had always been a hot topic for debate in idol fandoms. One side argued, "Are they supposed to dance while doing backing vocals too?" while the other shot back, "It's not just the chorus getting AR — they're blatantly playing AR over their actual parts too."
In that kind of market, live videos that exposed a singer's skills as-is became excellent measuring sticks for ability. Of course, there wasn't a single video free from comments like they edited the pitch, they couldn't show their real skill level, and so on... but regardless, people found it interesting because it still gave them a rough average to judge by.
Almost nobody said Spark couldn't sing. Years of performances had already proven their abilities. Concerts, MR-removed videos, radio lives — every time, Spark showed overwhelming vocal power and machine-polished pitch without fail.
And when idols got too good, there was always a certain kind of backlash that followed. Something like this.
≫ It's hilarious how people overhype ㅅㅍㅋ based on their "skills"
Back in the day, raw live singing was the default, you know,,
The second-gen seniors would whip them into shape real quick lol
What, was I really supposed to ignore a comment like that?
Absolutely not. I could tolerate people mocking Choi Jeho's civilian fashion or my love for all-black outfits, but belittling Spark's abilities was an insult.
'Why do people act like seniors being good means juniors can't be good too?'
"Living" was also a channel where both those "seniors" and newer artists appeared regularly. Trendy idols, nostalgic singers, ballad vocalists who dominated karaoke rankings, indie band stars — famous musicians from all fields showed off their skills there.
There were no interviews or commentary whatsoever. The only sound was the band accompaniment and the singers' voices.
If "My Favorite Workplace" was a crossover experience hosted by the broadcasting industry, then "Living" was basically a front-row listening session in your own home.
Now imagine Jeong Seongbin, Park Juu, and Lee Cheonghyeon going on there. Their dancing overshadowed it most of the time, but Choi Jeho and Kang Giyeon could more than hold their own vocally too.
Where else could possibly suit those idiots this well? They'd already proven their performance ability through dance videos and challenges. It was about time they put on a full-blown vocal showcase.
'I thought it'd take way longer for Spark to get their turn since the existing subscribers weren't exactly welcoming toward idol episodes...'
The more I thought about it, the more frustrated I became. I pressed myself harder against the wall to swallow down my resentment.
"...Should I try talking to Seongbin for you?"
"Really?"
I was startled by Park Juu's sudden offer. It was even more surprising because he almost never voiced opinions that differed from Jeong Seongbin's.
"You just look so pathetic, hyung...."
So it was a pity vote. Still, Park Juu managed to persuade Jeong Seongbin in only thirty minutes. Moments like this really proved how softhearted the leader was.
"What's gonna happen if you just rest for once?"
Choi Jeho clicked his tongue again. I had plenty to say about that. If the last show we'd filmed before entering our break period hadn't been Deserted Rest Stop Island, I probably wouldn't have pushed this hard either.
If Spark hadn't become primitive-jungle idols, I wouldn't have been this desperate. And it wasn't just Deserted Rest Stop Island. Thanks to the bossam marathon and the matching six-color floral shirts, Spark had become those "looks normal on the outside but missing several screws internally" idols from Northern Duke.
I almost snapped back at Choi Jeho on the spot, but stopped myself. I didn't want to say anything harsh to a guy who might've developed trauma... because of me. So instead, I answered as gently and indirectly as possible.
"As idols, we have a duty to regularly share cool sides of ourselves with the fans."
"Saying that while sprawled flat on the floor doesn't exactly help your argument...."
A gaze full of disbelief stabbed into me. I shamelessly stared right back. Choi Jeho shook his head and walked away, leaving me behind.
Until recently, Baek Haewon's life had been unbearably boring. The off-season that arrived in midsummer was cold and merciless.
Baek Haewon and her fellow fans gathered in the Sparkler timeline that was no longer quite so small, sharing warmth through recycled scraps of content boiled down to the bone.
≫ Strange... wasn't content supposed to get richer the more you simmered it?
Why do I keep looking for the next meal instead
└ That's because you roasted, stir-fried, grilled, and deep-fried every single Spark crumb for 24 hours straight the moment it dropped. Have some shame????
└ Ah, that explains it;; how embarrassing
At this point, she should've at least rationed her Bubble Pop messages. The only thing comforting Baek Haewon now was the steady stream of self-produced content uploads. Honestly, it was terrifying wondering just how much content they'd filmed before entering their break period, but those carefully aged handmade videos sitting in scheduled uploads were also the only thing capable of easing her thirst.
Then, just as that lonely and desolate summer began drawing to a close, Spark arrived alongside the autumn rain.
≫ Even if summer fades, the heat doesn't │ 'spArk' BAND Live [Living]
'Wait, when did they film this?'
The latest guest uploaded to Living had been a singer promoting a recent album. Judging by how closely the promo schedule and content release date lined up, it didn't seem like Spark's episode had been filmed far in advance only to be uploaded much later.
Just as Baek Haewon predicted, the members' hair colors had faded slightly. But thankfully, there wasn't a single ugly blond in sight.
The members whose hair had been on track to fade into disastrous bright blond had toned it down into calmer shades. There was no way Kim Iwol would've left dull, lifeless bleached hair alone.
'Blue-violet Kim Iwol is insane.'
The intro hadn't even started yet, but she couldn't bring herself to unpause the screen. She wanted to trap Kim Iwol with his blue-violet hair inside the display forever.
When Sparklers teased Kim Iwol by calling him "All-Black Iwol" because of his casual clothes, it was only half a joke. Black genuinely, sincerely suited someone with Kim Iwol's grim-reaper cool tone coloring. Even people who claimed black looked good on everyone admitted, after seeing Kim Iwol in a black suit with his hair swept back, that there really were people uniquely born to wear black.
And now Kim Iwol was standing there in a black silk shirt and slacks, idly playing with the grip of a standing microphone. Maybe he'd left behind his habit of buttoning even his sleeve cuffs neatly in Animation World, because the sight of his sleeves rolled all the way to his elbows left Baek Haewon deeply unsettled.
Against the harsh lighting, the shadows emphasized the diagonal line of his jaw even more sharply. The shadows beginning at his eyelashes had bound Baek Haewon in front of Kim Iwol for ages now. Kim Iwol, god of shadows, master of shadows, blessed one of shadows....
People said Spark in dress shirts could even bring runaway Sparklers back home, but Baek Haewon, who had never even left home in the first place, still found herself dragged helplessly along with her heart held hostage. Showing them floral shirts just a little while ago and then pulling this was beyond unfair — it was downright evil. His polished shoes gleamed as brightly as Kim Iwol's future.
Taking a deep breath, Baek Haewon finally pressed play.
Then stopped it again two seconds later. There was no way she could continue without fully appreciating every member's styling first.
Choi Jeho with two shirt buttons undone. Jeong Seongbin wearing geek-chic glasses that fit him perfectly. Park Juu somehow finding absurdly hip ripped wide-leg jeans. Lee Cheonghyeon in a simple cardigan whose fit alone made it look expensive. Kang Giyeon with his hair slicked neatly back with wax.
Baek Haewon wanted to cry.
≫ Lee Cheonghyeon's cardigan is ridiculously cute
Bet if I search it up it'll cost like 100 million won
└ Thankfully not 100 million won, just 1 million won :)
└ Wow that's sooo affordableㅠㅠ Cheonghyeon, I'm happy you're a luxury brand muse but also devastated
Appearing on high-quality music content. Becoming models for stylish clothing brands. Baek Haewon could feel from every direction that her idols had grown.
It felt too wasteful to burn through a ten-minute video in a single burst of endorphins. With the same care as savoring the tip of an ice cream first, Baek Haewon clicked open the video's description box.
≫ Neither the flames nor the music will fade away♪♬ Check out spArk's Living setlist right here ▼
chapter 1. 00:10 Flowering
chapter 2. 04:29 On A High Note
chapter 3. 09:37 Bright
It was exactly the lineup fans had been desperately begging to hear in band versions.
Reverently, Baek Haewon put on her earphones. She even raised the volume beforehand, afraid she'd miss even a single note if she started the video too quickly.
After steadying her breathing, Baek Haewon finally — after spending longer preparing herself mentally than the video's actual runtime — pressed play.
A refreshing yet rhythmic sound rang through her ears in a completely new form.
