Hard Mode Idol

After confirming that the microphone pack was securely fixed, I patted his back, which was broader than it looked.

“It’s good.”

“Heh. I can do it when I have to~”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Ah! I’m nervous!”

Seoho, who had puffed up his cheeks, exhaled all at once with a “Phew!” and tapped his chest.

“Arrrrrrr!”

He was even making strange noises. I don’t know if he’s trying to concentrate or distract himself. Kanghyun hyung stretched and took deep breaths, while Yoochan hyung started bouncing on the spot. Jung Ilhan was the most well-behaved, but as expected, he was sticking close to me.

“Yoochan hyung, if you sweat, your makeup will come off.”

“Huh? Ah! Uh-huh. Phew, I’m nervous. Haon…”

“Yes?”

“Can I hug you one more time…?”

“No.”

“Ugh.”

Yoochan hyung’s head drooped dejectedly. It won’t work this time. We got scolded earlier. Instead, I went to Yoochan hyung’s side and held his hand.

“Endure it with this.”

“…Yeah. This seems to help too.”

A tremor was transmitted through our clasped hands. He must be really nervous. What do I do with our hyung being so fragile? It worries me to death. I have to succeed in the sub mission.

“Haon, me too…”

Jung Ilhan tapped the opposite hand that I didn’t give to Yoochan hyung. When I spread my palm and offered it to him, he grabbed it tightly. This side wasn’t shaking at all. Are you sure you asked to hold hands because you were nervous?

Somehow, I ended up holding Yoochan hyung and Jung Ilhan’s hands. Warmth doesn’t seem to be transmitted one-way but shared to become one. I was receiving as much as I was giving to the two of them.

Huh? My stamina is filling up again.

It does fill up even if I just hold hands. There are childish hyungs, and I’m the maknae anyway. I’m even a fresh nineteen-year-old!

Wouldn’t it be okay to go with the image of a maknae who likes holding hands with hyungs from now on? Then there shouldn’t be any problem even when I become an adult next year. I can just say it’s a habit from when I was young.

It’s not filling up noticeably, but still, it’s something. What’s important is being able to reduce the number of times I use the ‘I’ll Die, but FIGHTING!’ skill, even if it’s just once. It would be troublesome if I keep getting framed as weak.

“Now, let me introduce the rookie group DIAS!”

We heard the voice calling us. We made eye contact with each other, shouted “Fighting!” and went up on stage one by one.

“Ah, I was so nervous…”

Seoho groaned as he plopped down on the sofa.

“Guys, what do I do? I don’t remember a single thing I said…”

Yoochan hyung’s complexion was pale. His trembling lower lip was about to be bitten again. I quickly grabbed hyung’s arm and said,

“Hyung, you spoke well. You didn’t make a single mistake. You answered the reporters’ questions clearly and coherently.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Right? Ilhan hyung?”

“Yeah. Yoochan hyung was amazing. You were leader-like.”

Jung Ilhan raised his thumb. Kanghyun hyung quietly patted Yoochan hyung’s shoulder. Only then did Yoochan hyung also put his hand on his chest and let out a long sigh of relief.

“But Yoochan hyung really spoke well! When did you practice like that?”

Seoho made thumbs up with both hands and shook them wildly.

“I just worked hard.”

Saying that, Yoochan hyung looked at me and smiled. I recalled Yoochan hyung mumbling every night after practice. As much as he had a weak mentality, he was a responsible person, so he memorized and memorized until he felt reassured.

“Haon helped me a lot.”

“I only occasionally asked questions pretending to be a reporter, that’s all. Hyung did everything alone. I can’t do that.”

I didn’t help at all. I just threw out expected questions occasionally. He had already memorized it perfectly, so no matter what I asked, the answers would spill out. What’s there to say?

“Ah, I’m hungry! Now that I’m less nervous, I’m hungry. Is there anything to eat?”

Seoho turned into a hungry beast and started rummaging through the waiting room. The ghostly manager brought back some snacks. He kept stuffing us with sweet compliments rather than snacks, saying we did well.

The articles that were released were mostly positive reactions. In the meantime, the manager even monitored them and showed them to us, and I was amazed by his work ability.

Hardly anyone would look up these articles anyway, so I lost interest. What’s important to me is the outdoor stage showcase. There were no unexpected situations during the press showcase, and the sub mission remains the same. Then, it means that something will blow up at the outdoor showcase, if it does.

We were transported in a van once again. Thanks to getting plenty of sleep during the break, my stamina was ample. So I casually looked out the window. Since it was outdoors, I thought it would be a typical plaza, but it was completely different from my expectation.

A huge and tall artificial fountain first caught my eye. An endless stream of water, from who knows where, poured down, creating a spectacular sight.

While I was engrossed in watching the fountain, the van slowly climbed a wide and gentle slope. It was a curved uphill road that reminded me of a snail’s shell.

The waterfall, which wasn’t visible from below, came into view about halfway up. A wooden railing taller than an adult man’s height was placed along the roadside, and between the benches placed at intervals, there were giant alloy sculptures.

Outside the railings, there were only waterfalls and fountains that people couldn’t enter. Since we had climbed a considerable height along the slope, it seemed like a cliff beyond the railings.

“Oh! This place seems cool whenever you come! Yoochan hyung! Take a picture of me later!”

“I wonder if we’ll have time to take pictures after the showcase.”

“We can’t? I want to take pictures though…”

How did they make something like this in the middle of the city? I couldn’t help but exclaim at the majestic scenery created artificially. It must be a famous spot in this world. I tried my best to manage my expression so as not to show that it was my first time seeing it.

There were a lot of people, and there were quite a few foreigners who seemed to be tourists. Because of that, the van’s speed slowed down even more. I heard that normally, vehicles are not allowed to enter here, but we got special permission because of the stage.

The place we arrived at after making our way through the crowd was right next to the stage. It was set up so that we could get out of the van and go straight up on stage. Thanks to that, the stage prepared for us was visible at a glance beyond the van.

The DIAS logo was embedded on a huge electronic display board, and our concept photos were rolling at 5-second intervals. When individual photos appeared, each person’s name was firmly displayed.

The only thing that had been revealed was the concept photos, but in the meantime, there were people who seemed to be our fans. However, they were a very small minority, and most people just glanced at our electronic display board and passed by. Only occasionally, there were people who stopped and watched.

“There’s usually no stage here, right? Did they make all of that? Is it a set?”

Seoho opened his mouth wide and stuck to the window. He looked like he was about to fully capture his face, but Yoochan hyung pulled him back by the scruff of his neck.

“It’s a set. This place is also used for events sometimes. I came here before to support my seniors from my previous agency when they had their first event. But to think that I would hold my debut showcase here…”

Yoochan hyung’s eyes, while he was tightly holding Seoho, were dreamy. As if testing the lighting, sparkling lights made the stage look ethereal.

While admiring the scale of the stage set, I also scanned the surroundings, thinking I might have missed something. If there was a place where a problem could occur. There would be limitations to what I could check from inside the van, but I didn’t stop observing.

“I want to stand on stage quickly.”

At Kanghyun hyung’s sudden remark, Seoho wiggled his butt and shouted, “Me too, me too!” Yoochan hyung also agreed with eyes full of anticipation. This time, Jung Ilhan said he was excited too.

They were so nervous during the press showcase earlier, but what’s with this gap? Because it’s the second time? It’s the same debut showcase anyway. Shouldn’t they be more nervous since there are more spectators here? The reporters are in a kind of business relationship with the agency, so most of them are friendly, but…

These people are not. If we don’t win their hearts, they can be endlessly cold. We’ll be lucky if they don’t shout at us for being noisy. My fingertips seemed to tremble slightly, so I clenched my fists tightly.

“Haon.”

“Yes?”

Jung Ilhan held out his hand to me. Does he want me to hold his hand? I offered my hand as he wanted, and four fingers neatly rested on the back of my hand.

“Is there something bothering you?”

“No? Not really.”

“Your face is stiff though.”

I guess I wasn’t managing my expression. I consciously brought a smile back to my face.

“It’s okay. I feel reassured when you hold my hand, hyung.”

“…Hmm. Is that so?”

What? This reaction is a first. Somehow, it seemed like he didn’t believe my words. Jung Ilhan’s index finger tapped the back of my hand. I couldn’t grasp what signal it was. When I was feeling a bit of confusion, Jung Ilhan suddenly smiled.

“If you say so, then it must be true.”

“…Yeah.”

It’s a bit questionable, but let’s move on. I looked at my hand clasped with Jung Ilhan’s for a moment and then turned my head toward the window. I should keep holding it since it’s good for stamina recovery too.

There was a creaking sound of a seat being pressed. Jung Ilhan was right behind my back. Looking out the window following my gaze, he asked, “What have you been looking for since earlier?” Ah, you startled me.

“What would I be looking for?”

“You seemed to be searching for something all day today. Am I wrong?”

How did he know? Was that the reason he kept sticking close to me? No one else noticed, but only Jung Ilhan realized it.

“That’s right. You’ve been on edge the whole time. Why?”

Huh? Even Kanghyun hyung noticed? No way. Well, that hyung is quick-witted, so it’s possible, but… It was most surprising that Jung Ilhan noticed. Did I show it that much?

“Huh? I had no idea. Haon was like that…?”

Yoochan hyung asked cautiously. He must have had the most burden mentally today, but he feels sorry for me in the midst of it. It’s clear that I couldn’t manage my expression because of the sub mission. I made him unnecessarily worried.

“Huh? Is Jin Haon looking for something? What is it? Did someone you know say they were coming?”

Oh! This is it! I eagerly took the bait Seoho threw.

“Ah, uh-huh. Actually, that’s true, but it seemed like they wouldn’t come. So I just didn’t say anything.”

The moment I answered like that, as if making an excuse, a heavy silence lingered among the four of them. What… The atmosphere is a bit weird?