Hard Mode Idol

“Finally…”

“Wow! I want to hear it!”

“I want to see the choreography first.”

I was the first one to be moved, Seoho was the one bouncing around, and of course, Kanghyun was the one who wanted to see the choreography. Yoochan seemed to be struggling to contain his overwhelming feelings with his mouth wide open, and Jung Ilhan was swallowing hard, extremely tense.

I gently patted Jung Ilhan’s back and whispered,

“Hyung, don’t worry, you’re doing well.”

“How did you know I was anxious…?”

“Because I’m always watching you.”

You’re a person of interest. Jung Ilhan’s cheeks flushed as he glanced at me with his head down. Seeing his old habit surfacing, he still seems anxious. I held Jung Ilhan’s hand tightly and comforted him.

“Trust me. You’re doing well, hyung. Your dancing is a bit clunky, but so what? That can all be fixed with practice.”

I have to be honest for him to accept my praise sincerely. Anyone can see he’s clunky, so there’s no point in saying he’s good. What I said he was good at was rapping, and Jung Ilhan knew what I meant. It’s enough if only we know.

“Okay. I’ll work hard.”

“I’ll help you.”

“Thanks.”

Of course, Kanghyun will be the one teaching intensely. I’m just here to be with him. I can at least help with mental maintenance. Hiding that fact, I smiled at him, and Jung Ilhan firmly held my hand in return. Seeing him strengthening his resolve, he’s truly admirable.

“What are you two whispering about? Aren’t you coming?”

Seoho nudged my waist with his elbow.

“Coming.”

I waved my hand as if shooing away an annoying fly and pushed Seoho away. Then I took Jung Ilhan and headed towards the director’s office.

“Hello!”

“Come on in. You guys have been working hard lately. I guess you’re thinking about your debut now?”

Yoochan smiled, showing a hint of embarrassment.

“That’s true, but Haon has to be passionate. I think we’re all influenced by Haon.”

“That’s right. I think I’m the same way.”

Jung Ilhan unexpectedly spoke up first. The director was surprised for a moment, then quickly returned to a poker face disguised as a smile.

“You guys are going to be really busy now. We spent quite a bit of time selecting the songs. We brought good songs, so we’ll apologize for making you wait with the title track.”

The director played the title track. It started with a slow tempo and became brighter and more cheerful as it progressed towards the highlight. The bouncy electronic sounds layered together, giving a refreshing feel. I found myself nodding my head to the beat without realizing it, that’s how exciting the song was. I like this song!

“The hook part is quite high.”

Yoochan spoke with a hint of concern in his voice. Even if I took the highest note, the notes leading up to it were quite high.

We were a group, and I couldn’t handle all the high note parts alone, so it was important to have someone supporting me. In that sense, it was understandable that Yoochan, as the lead vocalist, was worried. We couldn’t afford to waver during live performances.

“Yes. It’s a song I chose believing in you and Haon.”

It was as if he was asking, “Can you do it?” But at the same time, the director was speaking with a gaze full of trust. Saying she believes in us. Hyung must have noticed it too, as he clenched his fist and answered, “Yes, I can do it.” It was a strong tone that could temporarily upgrade his tofu mentality to a firm tofu mentality.

“I’m confident too.”

“Good. Our vocalists are not a problem. Do you like the song? I can tell just by looking at Haon’s expression. What about the others?”

“Haha.”

As I laughed awkwardly, Seoho was the first to answer, “I like it!” Jung Ilhan went into a more technical territory, and I let it go in one ear and out the other. Composition terms are difficult.

As the endless explanation continued, the corners of the director’s mouth, who was smiling, began to twitch slightly. That’s when Jung Ilhan stopped talking.

“Yeah, I’m glad Ilhan likes it too. What about Kanghyun?”

“It’s exciting. The melody of the chorus keeps lingering in my head.”

Baek Kanghyun also gave a positive evaluation. If you ask me what the most important thing in a song is, I think it’s the hook, the chorus. Of course, the climax needs to stick in your head so that you remember, “Ah, this song!” In that sense, our debut song was very satisfactory.

“The title of the song is ‘Dear Friend.’ It tells the story of boys realizing the preciousness of friendship with their friends.”

Friendship. Words that had no connection to me in my past life, but now… I glanced at the members focusing on the director. I think I can sing this well!

Huh? Wait. But why were the doll Polaroids needed for the music video?

“Director.”

“Yes. Haon.”

“When we were shooting the concept photos, I dressed up as a doll and took pictures. I heard they would be used in the music video. Can I ask about the content of the music video?”

The director’s lips curled up into a full smile.

“The details are a secret. Think about it carefully. We’ll be filming a video of you guys watching your music video later.”

“Aha.”

“But among you, did anyone happen to see a camera filming behind-the-scenes at the concept photoshoot?”

We stood there blankly, looking at each other. No one seemed to know. We all shook our heads from side to side, and the director was delighted.

“You weren’t pretending not to know, but you really didn’t know. No wonder it looked so natural. I thought you had a talent for acting. It’s a relief you were clueless.”

What? I’m the king of reading the room! This is a bit unfair. At the filming site, I was busy taking care of the members. That’s why I pushed other things slightly out of my mind.

If it were the old me, I would have definitely noticed!

Realizing that I had unconsciously compared myself to my past life, I quickly canceled the thought I had just had. Even if I’m called clueless, the present is much better. If you ask me if I want to go back, I absolutely wouldn’t want to, to the point where I would say no.

“And your schedule is out too. We packed the schedule tightly…”

Everyone’s faces turned gloomy. Only Baek Kanghyun and I were glowing. The director burst out laughing, seeing our faces clearly showing joy and sorrow.

“It will be less than what you’re doing now. Your passion is above our heads.”

This time it was the opposite. Three of them were glowing, while Kanghyun and I showed a hint of disappointment. Can’t be helped. I’ll have to practice alone after the official practice. Kanghyun will probably join me.

The director sent us the schedule. There was a music video shooting schedule in the middle, and except for that, the rest was full practice. Very satisfactory.

“Ilhan, your expression!”

Jung Ilhan was criticized again. It was due to his energy being drained from the continuous practice. Jung Ilhan wiped the sweat off the back of his hand while panting and forcibly moved his facial muscles. When he focused on his expression, this time his dance fell apart.

“This won’t do. Let’s take a 5-minute break and continue.”

As soon as the break was declared, I sprawled on the floor and picked up the water bottle rolling towards me. I sent a grateful glance to Kanghyun, who has now made it a habit to roll the water bottle to me.

“Hyung, water for me too…”

Seoho, who was wriggling on the floor like a caterpillar, stretched out his arm. Baek Kanghyun lightly kicked a water bottle with the tip of his foot, rolling it to him.

“You hand it to Jin Haon, but for me, it’s with your foot?”

He grumbles anyway. Even while grumbling, he twists the cap off and pours it into his mouth. Drinking while lying down, water flowed down his cheeks.

“Hey, Seoho hyung. What if you slip and fall because the floor is wet?”

As I warned him, Seoho wiped the practice room floor with his clothes.

“Why are you calling me ‘hey’? To your hyung.”

“You need to grow up a bit for me to treat you like a hyung.”

Yoochan took my side, giggling.

“Haon does seem more like a hyung than Seoho.”

“Yoochan hyung! That’s too much!”

Seoho whined and flailed around. He’s overflowing with energy. All that whining about being tired is a lie. He’s just doing it for attention.

I looked for Jung Ilhan. His face, leaning against the mirror, was pale blue. He’s not even drinking water.

I quietly went to his side and offered my water bottle. He looked at me once, then at the water bottle, before taking it. I watched his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down for a moment before receiving the water bottle back.

“Thanks.”

Jung Ilhan, who has now learned to smile quite well, grinned at me. I thought he would be sullen since he’s been getting criticized for days, but there was no such sign. That’s a relief.

I moved to the water dispenser, filled the empty water bottle, and carefully closed the lid. Kanghyun will roll it to me again later, so I have to check it properly. I placed it where we gather the water bottles, and I heard clap, clap, the sound of applause.

“Alright, guys. Let’s get up now.”

The break was over. Exactly 5 minutes had passed, as if he had been staring at the clock the whole time. I’m always surprised by his precision, as if he has a vibration alarm set.

We lined up in formation and started moving our bodies to the accompaniment. I want to sing along, but they won’t let us during the official training time. They say that’s the next step. So I focused even more on the choreography and facial expressions.

After my dance stat rose to A-, the dance teacher was surprised when he first saw me. Asking if I was really the kid who used to be sluggish during the audition. He thought I had only been practicing vocals, but when did I get so good at dancing?

That’s how decent I looked in the mirror. But still, compared to Kanghyun, I was still clunky. I think Kanghyun’s dance stat is probably around S+.

When you focus on practice, time flies by. As the sun began to set, Seoho started getting hungry. I ignored him since he’s always hungry, but when the other members agreed, I had no choice but to acknowledge it. It’s time to eat.

“Teacher!”

Yoochan gave the dance teacher a look. It means let’s continue after dinner. The teacher glanced at us and gave a sparkling smile. That’s the face I usually see when he’s leaving work. Aren’t we going to continue after dinner?

“Okay. Then let’s call it a day here. Everyone, enjoy your dinner, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Yes!”

Huh? Where are you going, teacher? Judging by the members’ reactions, it seems like everyone knew except me.