Free Web Novel"Guys, we’ve arrived. First thing first—do you remember what I said we have to do?"
A familiar sight: the broadcast station’s underground parking garage.
After we arrived at MPlay headquarters’ underground parking garage, Manager Kim Yunsik had the Iam members get out of the car before he parked, and he lectured us again and again.
"Stop worrying, Yunsik. I’ll make us greet even a puppy that walks by."
"Sion..."
Was he moved by my dependable declaration?
With today’s first music show stage coming up, starting with Producer Raon and going all the way to Manager Kim Yunsik, they’d drilled us with thorough advance training.
-When you go to a music show, greet everyone you run into, no exceptions. Bow at 90 degrees. Doesn’t matter what rank they are, and they don’t even have to be station staff. Greeting is the basic minimum, got it?
They said that sometimes there are rookies who pick and choose and only greet the high-ranking people.
And when you see kids like that, people say they’re from some half-baked agency, while the big agencies teach their idols greeting first, so we’d better be ready to ruin our lower backs.
Besides that, they told us not to forget that if we meet senior groups, we should hand over the signed albums we prepared and introduce ourselves.
-Yunsik, make sure you clamp down hard on anyone who tries to mess with the kids.
They said there are beasts living in the broadcast station, and we shouldn’t give even an inch to male celebrities who ask for phone numbers or try to get touchy and familiar for no reason.
Producer Raon had been hitting all the key points and pounding them into us, like a star cram-school teacher’s last special lecture right before the college entrance exam.
And after getting that kind of intensive training, if there was someone among us who didn’t follow it, I was planning to step up and give that person a proper lesson myself.
Maybe he could feel my determination, because when Manager Kim Yunsik looked at me, his eyes looked weirdly moist, like he was moved.
"If you just get through this week’s music shows quietly, I’ll do a duo with you as much as you want. Please. Just behave."
"Me? Ha... Seriously, nobody is as well-behaved as I am... mmph!!"
"Don’t worry, Yunsik. During promotions, the members and I will take turns keeping an eye on Lee Sion."
"Yeah. I’ll help as much as I can too."
So it wasn’t a moved look. fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com
Right as I was about to protest how unfair it was that he was framing me, Seo Ryujin covered my mouth.
They covered it so hard and so mercilessly that even my nostrils were blocked, and I got this flash of panic like, at this rate, the cause of death in my second life could be suffocation.
Lick.
"Lee Sion!!! Are you crazy? Where do you think you’re moving that tongue!"
"Ptah! Hey! Then who’s the one trying to kill somebody!"
I had no choice but to move my tongue to survive, and shamelessly, the attacker got even angrier.
This is probably why good people have a hard time surviving in society.
"Still, it’s a relief our first stage is somewhere familiar!"
"Yeah. We’ve been here a few times, so it feels kind of familiar."
"Since we’re from an MPlay program, it really feels like they’re giving us special consideration! I heard they don’t do pre-recording unless you’re a rookie from a huge agency!"
Even while I was having a life-or-death tussle with Seo Ryujin, the members didn’t even react anymore and just talked about whatever they wanted.
I wanted to tell everyone about murderer Seo Ryujin’s crimes, but I decided to let it go.
'They keep saying they’re not nervous, but it’s obvious they’re nervous.'
They didn’t seem to realize that them insisting they weren’t nervous only made them look even more nervous.
"Don’t try to look too strong."
"Huh?"
"You look weak."
I put my hand on top of Im Yunkyung’s head while Im Yunkyung tried hard to act calm, and Im Yunkyung puffed out cheeks like that wasn’t true.
"If you’re really worried, just trust me and follow me. I’ll carry you."
Even if it was our debut stage, I couldn’t accept our group looking weak when I, of all people, was in it.
Somehow, I was feeling this sense of mission that I needed to lead the kids.
"Trust you and follow you? I’d rather get in the car Manager Jiu drives."
"Ayeon..."
But Ryu Ayeon talked back to me, and Manager Jiu made a face that looked hurt by those merciless words.
"Did you hit somebody again with that vicious tongue, coward Ryujin."
"No... This isn’t me trying to insult Manager Jiu, it’s just..."
Maybe only after saying it did Ryu Ayeon realize it was a mistake, because Ryu Ayeon hurriedly tried to comfort Jiu, who’d already drooped, but it seemed too late.
'Jiu’s driving really was no joke.'
We had two managers, Kim Yunsik and Jiu. Usually, Kim Yunsik driving was the default.
Kim Yunsik was calm enough that his seven years of experience didn’t go to waste, and he found routes so well that once you got in the car, you could relax and sleep.
But—
-Aaahhh!!!
-Manager Jiu!!! Brake!! The brake, not the gas!
For a while now, to prepare for Kim Yunsik being unavailable, Jiu had been taking us here and there and driving, and that was the problem.
Jiu’s driving made me think of a free Everland ticket.
Without even going to Everland, I could enjoy T-Express for free the entire time I was in the car.
All I could do was hope Everland would hurry up and catch this amusement-ride leaker.
"Because of you, me and Seo Ryujin are about to get forced into doing that weird cosplay, and you want me to trust you?"
Anyway, after somehow soothing Jiu, Ryu Ayeon started biting at me again.
"Are you still sulking over something that small?"
"Small? How is that small!"
Tsk.
Looks like Ryu Ayeon was still upset about me making a pledge on my own at yesterday’s showcase.
[Please, let’s get a grand slam]
(Album purchase proof photo)
"Dub-dub cosplay and a fansign in Myeongdong, honestly, don’t you have to see this?"
↳ I’m a Seo Ryujin fan but I drained my emergency cash to see our no-fun one do cosplay
↳ lmao, imagining Ryu Ayeon cosplaying as Ronaldo, Seiker, or Liu Bei makes my wallet refuse to stop
↳ Is Lee Sion a god?
↳ An idiot who only knows Yours TT
↳ From now on, let’s just give all interviews to Lee Sion, feels like she’ll keep setting things off
↳ fr, you should jump in too, a pledge just dropped lol
It did feel like my attempt to save the fans from Seo No-Fun’s clutches might have been a little too much.
After the showcase, edited posts of what I’d said and internet articles went up like crazy.
Because of that, I did get scolded a bit after going back to the company, but surprisingly, the reaction didn’t seem bad.
They said album sales and the real-time streaming chart ranking shot up, after all.
Of course, since Seo Ryujin and Ryu Ayeon became pledge targets without any warning from me, I was still taking their rage, so my side still ached a bit, but at this level, I thought it was a perfectly fine result.
"Ayeon, when did you get so arrogant?"
"What?"
"You think a grand slam is a joke? You’re already worrying about cosplay like you’re assuming we’ve achieved it."
"That’s...!"
"Coward Ryuj— no, now it’s Ryu Arrogant... aren’t you taking the idol world too lightly? Hurry up and apologize!"
"S-sorry!"
Maybe Ryu Ayeon got flustered by my bluff, because Ryu Ayeon blurted out an apology without even ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) realizing it.
Hm.
At this point, it felt like I’d more or less suppressed the rebellion.
'What kind of cosplay should I make Ryu Ayeon do later?'
Thinking it would be funny if Ryu Ayeon put on a Ronaldo uniform and did the "Siuu!" thing, I went into the station with the members.
***
"Director, how come you’re not snapping at people today?"
"What?"
Lee Daeho was dumbfounded when a junior suddenly asked why he wasn’t snapping at people today.
"No, whenever there’s a rookie group pre-recording, you always sigh and say you need to quit this damn job."
But hearing it, it did sound plausible, so without saying anything, Daeho just watched the footage shot during rehearsal and checked today’s camera paths one more time.
'These kids are a little different.'
Honestly, the junior wasn’t wrong.
If there was something veteran camera director Lee Daeho hated the most, it was rookies’ debut stages.
No matter how skilled they were, rookies couldn’t help moving stiffly on their debut stage, so from Daeho’s perspective behind the camera, it was bound to be a headache.
At least with pre-recording, you could brace yourself and shoot until it worked, but if it went out live, you had to stay tense the whole time.
Because hiding mistakes that could pop up anytime, anywhere was the camera director’s job.
But today was different.
"Hello!! We’ll do a great job on today’s stage!"
"Doing a great job is the minimum. You have to be good."
"Hey! It’s my turn to talk right now!"
"You all, stop fighting! You can’t do this in front of Yours!"
"Yours, I love you! Yuri is happy Yours came to see us!"
Pfft.
Watching the Iam members naturally communicate with the fans who came to see them before the pre-recording, Daeho couldn’t help laughing.
'When did they get this smooth?'
Lee Daeho had handled filming for Agbaek’s position evaluation and the last Final Round stage, so he remembered exactly what the members used to be like.
-Director! This is chocolate I stole from a staff guy today while it was still fresh! It’s more precious than gold, but you’re more precious than gold, so I’m giving it to you specially. Film us well!
Maybe because Lee Sion had been so brazenly smooth with him back then, Daeho’s impression of Iam had stayed good even up to today.
Today too, Iam came up first to greet him and the other staff on site, saying please take care of them, and even clowning around, and Daeho found himself hoping they’d do well.
-Shinyu, you look so amazing today!!! Tell the stylist I love them!
'That stylist really did good work. Shinyu fits this song well.'
Daeho surprised himself by agreeing while he listened to Iam fans’ shameless hype lines at the venue.
-Gahyeon!!! Show the dignity of the oldest through today’s stage!
-Just do the stage, Ryujin! You’re built for the stage!
-Baby angel Im Yunkyung!!! I took a day off just to see you!
Beyond that, he understood every cheer from Yours, Iam’s fans, who packed the pre-recording site today.
After he’d gone out to help with filming during Idol Ground 100, he’d gotten hooked without realizing it, and because he’d kept up with Agbaek, their recent self-produced content, and even their reality variety show, this was what he’d become.
-Dad, why are you watching this? Usually when I try to watch, you say it’s boring and change the channel.
It was enough to make his daughter stare and ask.
But—
'Iam is different.'
It felt familiar.
Maybe because he’d watched them from when they were fighting to survive on Idol Ground 100, he felt weirdly close to them.
And unlike other idols, they didn’t try to force a heavy concept or keep a mysterious aura. Instead, he loved how they actively showed their honest, natural selves.
Iam had a charm you couldn’t find in other idols.
"Alright, rolling!"
"Yes!"
"Think of the first shoot as just getting a feel, so relax!"
Now it was time to work.
-Seven stars that shine forever! Iam, let’s go!!!
Lee Daeho had been lost in thoughts about Iam for a moment, but with the fans’ roaring chant, he signaled the start of filming, tightened his grip on the camera, and focused.
'The outfits are good.'
Unlike the provocative outfits from the showcase, on the actual stage the Iam members were wearing stage outfits that fit their debut song, "Something Like It’s About to Start."
A blazer reminiscent of a school uniform, a white dress shirt, and a loosened tie.
The unusual part was that instead of skirts, every member was wearing wide-leg pants.
The air changes
A light I’ve never seen spreads
The lines I prepared like a script
All disappear, funny right?
'It was for the stage.'
At first, Daeho couldn’t understand why they’d come out in loose, school-uniform-like pants instead of the tight pants or skirts that are trendy these days.
But the moment the stage started, he understood immediately.
My toes keep getting tangled
Even if the rhythm feels off
This awkward feeling
Somehow it’s not bad
Onstage, the Iam members matched formations with surprisingly clean precision, doing choreography that looked like running.
And the slightly roomy outfits they wore fluttered with their movements like they were catching wind, and just watching it felt refreshing.
Thinking that with different outfits, this kind of feeling would never come through, Daeho focused even more, pouring effort into capturing that fresh look as much as possible.
(Oh) In that instant our eyes meet
(Yeah) Like the world stops for a moment
A heartbeat that wasn’t in the plan
This moment is vivid
The image of Geum Shinyu caught in the camera lens.
Daeho could clearly understand why fans praised Shinyu’s hair and outfit so much.
A bob cut brushing the neck, swishing along with the choreography, and the contrast of a low-mid tone delivering rap that snapped perfectly into the beat.
Waaaah!!!
The cheers from the audience only grew louder.
'All-black hair isn’t an easy choice.'
And it wasn’t only Shinyu.
Iam had made the bold move of going with black hair for every member, no dye.
In fact, because rookie girl groups still had low recognition with the public, it was common for a few members to dye their hair in noticeable colors to stand out.
But Iam, whose recognition wasn’t lacking compared to established idols, had all members unified with black hair, only with different styles.
And it matched the song and the stage outfits perfectly, so it looked extremely good.
It wasn’t just Daeho’s personal opinion. What the camera was capturing proved it.
The moment we first met, breath in
Even without words, I can hear it all
Through unfamiliar air
A clear tension seeping in
And what made all of that feel secondary was—
"Holy crap... This is their first take."
"Are they really rookies? Why are they so good on stage."
"This feels even better than the audio version."
Iam’s shocking skill.
Watching Lee Sion singing the chorus, Daeho couldn’t stop admiring her in silence.
'Lee Sion is this good?'
She’d definitely improved fast, but back at Agbaek, he’d still thought she had parts that were lacking.
Now she took the vocal portion of the chorus—basically the stage highlight—and handled it perfectly. No, it felt like it was a part made for her.
And Lee Gahyeon and Im Yunkyung, who’d gotten a lot of “lacking skill” evaluations, were performing so steadily that those evaluations felt meaningless.
Seo Ryujin and Ryu Ayeon, who’d already been evaluated as not lacking compared to existing idols, even showed a seasoned side, balancing out the other members who could’ve ended up too much or too little.
The moment we first met, stay there
Like time slowed down
Something like it’s about to start
This feeling, I like that
And Iam’s debut stage, with Kurosawa Yuri’s vocals layered on top to carry the refreshing feel of "Something Like It’s About to Start."
'This is absolutely going to blow up.'
Iam finished the pre-recording of their debut stage in one take, without a single NG.
-Guys, the stage was so amazing!!!
-Let’s definitely get 1st on the music show!!! I’ve been streaming nonstop since the day you came out!
-Cosplay, let’s go!!
As the Iam members ended the stage and hit their ending pose, leaning back-to-back against each other, screams of cheering erupted from the audience.
Even the Music Count staff watching stared like they were possessed, then broke into applause.
Seeing that reaction, Lee Daeho found himself looking forward to what would happen after Iam’s stage aired on today’s Music Count.
Because in his eyes, this was absolutely the kind of stage that would become a hot topic.
