The Maknae Has to Be an Idol

After achieving Triple Crown All-Kill, we heard people talking about us everywhere. Not only was the fact we achieved Triple Crown All-Kill quite a feat, but it was more shocking that we did that with one of our debut album track songs. There was no team who made that sort of record so far, and all the broadcasting stations focused their attention on us, wondering what other new records we would set.

“Congratulations Siren!”

“Haha, thank you.”

“I keep listening to your song.”

“Thank you.”

“Come out in our broadcast next time!”

“Yes! Thank you!”

As we walked around the broadcasting station, we had to greet every staff member and bow our heads more than before. It was only natural since more people recognized us and tried talking with us. The fourth week of activities continued in that sort of manner: we received people’s congratulations, and we gave our gratitude in return. Then, we went up the stage to do our performance and came back down again.

Some music shows gave us first place even in the fourth week, but a couple of broadcast stations took us off the list of potential candidates to give other groups a chance since at this rate, there was a danger of us monopolizing all the rewards. Truthfully, we also felt sorry for other groups since we did our “Blue Ocean” activity right after “Blue Summer Night” because overall, we almost dominated first place for the last two months.

Since the same group had kept placing first the last two months in a row, it could bring down the morale of the other groups. Thus, we congratulated other groups for winning first place with happy hearts. Then, after we finished our fourth week of activities, we gathered at the dorm and prepared a party with Ms. Seung-Yeon and Ms. Hyuna.

“Congratulations on Siren’s successful debut!”

The diet we had been restricting for our activity period was released at least for today and we were free. The first person who dug into the food was Dong-Jun. There was a mala set on the dining table for his love of mala: mala hot pot, mala xiang guo, and even a guo bao rou [ref] Crispy Sweet and Sour Pork [ref/] as a side.

“I think I’m going to lose my mind, Tae-Yoon.”

“That’s going too far.”

“Then, should I cry?”

“Are you serious?”

Then, Dong-Jun focused on his meal without exchanging a single word with us. He took a bite of the mala xiang guo and closed his eyes to savor, and then, he clutched his forehead and shook his head. He really looked like someone who was intoxicated with his food. Besides mala food, there was a variety of other dishes but the majority of them were high calorie foods like chicken or pizza.

“Everyone worked so hard the last two months. If the activity period goes on for two months, the one who suffers the most are artists. You have to keep restricting your diet and can’t even sleep properly.”

“Not only did you guys achieve Triple Crown All-Kill but I had never seen you guys break down even once in the last two months.”

It seemed everyone only had good things to say on a celebratory day like this.

“Ms. Seung-Yeon and Ms. Hyuna, you both did so much too. You drove us to our designations every day and organized our schedule. Those things aren’t easy at all.”

“I really get shocked that you two come to pick us up at the same time every day. How could you two get up at this time so well?”

“Seriously, I’m so impressed by you two.”

We continued to shower compliments on each other for a while but as expected, conversation about work eventually came up over the dining table. Since managers and artists were gathered in one place perhaps, it was only expected that this would happen.

“We reserved a concert hall because of the pledge you all made for winning the Triple Crown All-Kill. Do you want to see pictures of the place?”

“Oh, nice. How many people can fit in here?”

“A thousand people can use it. You guys went here before. Don’t you remember?”

“Ah! That’s right! I remember. It just felt unfamiliar as a picture.”

We naturally began talking about our Triple Crown All-Kill pledge. At first, we wanted to do live busking on the streets but because of the commotion we could raise with our current state, we decided to cancel the plan. For busking, we would have to deploy police personnel, choose a street to do our busking on, and apply for a permit to a district office.

With all that in mind, the company calculated that reserving a concert hall was actually the less expensive alternative. Thus, we changed our plan to do a small fan meeting/fan concert while we were at it. The schedule would also be two weeks later so we had plenty of time to prepare for it.

“Should we come up with a set list first?” Ms. Seung-Yeon proposed that we come up with a set list for the concert in two weeks.

“But for us to write a set list, the number of songs we have is a bit lacking,” Dong-Jun stopped eating his mala midway and said. It was as he said. We were a group that just debuted. We didn’t have enough songs to fill up our concert.

“I think we could do some cover songs in the middle.”

“Hm…I guess so…”

We didn’t only have to do our songs. Since this wasn’t a real concert but felt more like a fan meeting, we also didn’t need to fill up the time with only songs either.

“Well, since one of our pledge conditions said that we would reveal a remix of ‘Blue Ocean’, I think we need to include it in the setlist for sure.”

“Ahh, yeah. We really need to put that in.”

“Then, how about Yeon-Hoon doing a ballad song? The fans really want you to sing a proper ballad.”

“Really? I, of course, want to do it!”

I thought we wouldn’t have too many things to do, but as people gave their ideas, many came up. While listening to my members discuss the songs for the set list, I thought to myself.

‘It’s about time…’Blue Ocean’ has to enter the billboard.’ “Blue Ocean” had already established itself as the song for the summer season in the past four weeks. I was very proud of this fact.

‘I hoped that it would sneak into the Billboard Hot 100 in the meantime but it didn’t.’ Unfortunately, it appeared the popularity of the song here hadn’t reached all the way to the U.S.. Though “Blue Ocean” was being used as background music for most TikTakTokk videos in the nation, it wasn’t to that level in the U.S. Though many foreigners also used the song, it didn’t go mainstream. In the end, I supposed that I had to use external resources for us to get up to the Billboard Hot 100.

‘Haa…this is giving me a headache.’ First of all, about half of the three-month deadline I had set up for myself had already passed. If we didn’t enter the Billboard Hot 100 in one month, the possibility of us entering the chart dramatically decreased. Meanwhile, my members continued to pour our ideas for the upcoming small concert.

“What if we even go to the audience seats and dance there?”

“I think a lot of people would like missions like doing a funny dance that doesn’t suit them.”

“I think it will be good for us to change and sing each other’s parts.”

“We didn’t get the results for our poll on our outfits yet, right? I hope the result isn’t animal pajamas but something funnier.”

I just sloppily inputted my members’ suggestions into my head and continued to think about the billboard. I wondered what I should do and what method I needed to take to get a response from the U.S. It was then Do-Seung asked me a question.

“Tae-Yoon. What direction do you think our remix should take?”

“…Sorry?”

“What? Were you thinking about something else?”

“Ah, well, about…but the direction of the remix?”

While I was thinking about the Billboard, my members’ conversation topic had shifted to the remix.

“We are talking about whether or not we should go completely acoustic or ballad but since you are the lyricist, I thought your opinion would be important.”

Acoustic or ballad versions? I thought either one sounded good, so I was about to suggest the acoustic version since that appeared easier to rearrange.

‘Ah?’ Perhaps, because my mind was elsewhere, ideas for the Billboard also began to pop out.

“…What do you think about recruiting another singer to feature our song?”

“…Hm?”

“A feature?”

“Are you serious?’

“Yes.”

If we weren’t enough to appeal in the Billboard Hot 100, I thought we could use somebody else who could. Of course, it wouldn’t fit the mission’s condition of our single entering the Billboard if a remix song went up, but if the remix song did well, the original song would naturally do well too. Even if it didn’t garner massive success, it would be able to at least enter the Billboard Hot 100.

“Who do we call for a collab?”

“Is there anyone you can call?”

“Didn’t you bring it up because you had someone in mind?”

“Ah…” I couldn’t bear to say that we should get the person who was currently in first place on the Billboard to feature our song. That would sound too unrealistic. Of course, it wasn’t impossible if I asked Kang Hyun-Sung since he still kept in contact with the Billboard first-place singer on the internet. It was one of his ‘golden connections’ that was also noticed by other people.

‘But is it right for me to ask him for help?’ This thought didn’t leave my head. Getting help from my team members was good since they were in my ‘team’. But Kang Hyun-Sung wasn’t part of our ‘team’.

‘Get a grip.’ This wasn’t the time for emotions like pride to hold me back. ‘Who cares about that?’

It wasn’t important whether or not I was asking for help from someone not on my team. All my plans would go to ruins if I failed this mission. My members would die and their worldlines would get separated. This meant I needed to regress once more. I planned to break out of this loop.

Thus, I asked, “How about Willy Freedman?”

“…?”

“…What Tae-Yoon…?”

“…What did you say?”

Willy Freedman was the Black R’n’B singer eating up the Billboard charts right now. All my members looked like I had lost my mind. Even I knew I was sounding mad and endured their astonished responses.

“Do you have a plan?” Yet, my members seemed to believe that I wasn’t just spewing nonsense.

“…I don’t have one…” I didn’t tell them my plan was to call Kang Hyun-Sung and ask for his help. It was enough for me to be the only one who sucked up my pride. My members didn’t have to know about that.

“…Okay. I guess you can just say your wishful thinking. Then, I want to ask Taylor to feature in our song.”

“Ohh, then I should ask our boss, Yoo Won-Dong!”

“…Are you out of your mind?”

My members simply passed over my statement as a light joke and carried on their conversation. Then, while my members chatted while smiling, I pulled out my phone and messaged Kang Hyun-Sung. I felt a bit awkward since it had been a while since I messaged him. I had rejected his expression of goodwill before. He made a proposal of sorts to develop a closer bond but I had drawn a line that time.

Yet, this time, it was my turn to step over the line.

—Do you have some time right now?

I sent the message and was about to turn over my phone when—

Zing—

…I immediately got a reply.