“Why, what? Why all of a sudden?”
“Hyung, including rehearsal and everything, he has plenty of time until arrival, right?”
“Yeah… right?”
It is, right!
But the Quest Window kept shoving the warning window in front of my eyes. It even brought up another window as if thinking that wouldn’t work.
Q2-1. Toward Completing Music Show Promotions
Upon Success: ‘Go Won’ Vocals, Dance MAX LEVEL increase
Additional Reward: Hoobae’s Respect (+10)
How dare you say there’s still more respect to grow? It should’ve already hit the maximum and then some.
Anyway, I was damned to be dragged along by the Quest Window’s recommendation-like coercion.
“…No. I want to go see Music Ocean for the first time in a while too.”
“Huh? Really?”
The one who asked back was General Manager Park, but I clearly saw it. Go Won who reacted first by widening his eyes at my words.
***
They say hierarchy exists everywhere in arts, physical education, and entertainment, but among them, the entertainment industry can undoubtedly be called the best.
The criteria for ranking are as follows:
- Popularity.
- Seniority.
The third is well… the agency’s power? Or connections?
But all of this becomes meaningless before number 1.
Seniority is maybe like an additional option you get after surviving about 10 years in the music industry? Anyway, in this business, everything from A to Z is decided according to popularity.
For example, in the case of music shows, first-tier idols are not only given good pre-recording order assignments to minimize waiting time, but are also assigned waiting rooms in front for easy stage access.
<Go Won, BigTree Waiting Room>
In the opposite case, being bundled together with people you don’t know well and using the same waiting room was countless.
“Wow, right. There was a waiting room even in this corner.”
As I walked down the long corridor immersed in reminiscence, General Manager Park poked me in the ribs.
“Say it quietly, you punk. Won-ah, give me your outer garment and sit carefully so you don’t mess up your hair.”
“No. I’ll hang it.”
“It’s fine, it’s fine.”
While everyone was busy, I claimed the sofa and sprawled out leaning back.
“Hyung, I’m an artist too, won’t you take care of me?”
“If you came to perform on stage, I would’ve obviously carried you in on a flower palanquin. So why did you follow all the way to the waiting room?”
“Ah, that’s right. Why did I come….”
“Ugh, it’s all showing, you punk.”
“What is?”
General Manager Park who approached from the side narrowed his eyes.
“You came to bully Won and pressure him.”
Are you kidding? On the contrary, I came because I was being bullied and pressured by the quest.
“Yeah, I came to watch whether he does well or poorly with the song I made and scold him.”
“You could watch on broadcast.”
“My intuition says it’s good to watch in person today.”
“That damn intuition talk. You even have a TV the size of a door at home.”
“Why not. Even movies are in the 4D era. You have to feel the vivid live atmosphere for the first viewing.”
“Sunbae-nim, you haven’t watched my stage even once?”
This was what Go Won asked. What, what’s with that expression?
“Yeah.”
“……”
Go Won silently adjusted his clothes and loosened his wrists.
During the silence where I had absolutely no idea of the reason, the waiting room door suddenly creaked open.
“Is anyone here…? Oh, you’re already here. We’re BigTree who’s sharing the waiting room today, uhuhuk! Ah, hello!”
“Why. Why are you doing that?”
“yA, yA, yACE! Henzel. Henzel sunbae-nim!”
“Huh? Waaaah!”
“…Hello.”
Mm… it was refreshing to see a reaction I hadn’t seen from the always bland Go Won, but the hoobae-nims who looked ready to prostrate were somewhat burdensome.
“Sunbae-nim, hello! If your name was omitted from the nameplate on the door, I’ll go right now and inform them!”
“No. I just came for a moment to cheer on my hoobae. Just think of me as staff who came with this kid and be comfortable.”
I gestured toward Go Won. But this bastard smoothly turned his gaze away. Oh my? Watching the other hoobae-nims who are restless looking at me now, doesn’t he feel anything?
“Album. We have our album, right?”
“Hyung, hyung. Don’t we have our album we brought?”
In the midst of that, the BigTree members who moved busily came in front of me and politely held out the album with both hands. At the same time, another member also gave an album to Go Won.
Soon, four of them stood in a row in front of the sofa.
“Grow up! Hello, we’re Big, Tree!”
Matching the resounding slogan, everyone stretched their arms high like branches and then bowed politely like musical actors.
“Wow, you’re overflowing with fighting spirit. Nice to meet you.”
…Sorry I can’t reciprocate the passion, but regrettably… I have no memory. Even the company logo stamped at the bottom of the album was unfamiliar. In the midst of this, Go Won was diligently bowing with a BigTree member as if competing over who was more flexible.
“I have a digital single, so would even a promotional copy be okay…?”
“Oh my, that’s nothing to be sorry about. We’ll receive it gratefully!”
“Wow, but both Henzel sunbae-nim and, um, Go Won… nim are… much bigger in person than on screen.”
“Haha. Thanks.”
I passed over the compliment while opening the first page of the received album.
“Ah, we’re originally six members but one went to the military and one is resting for a bit due to injury.”
“You have the same number of members as us. But you can go and return with peace of mind since the other members are supporting you solidly.”
“Thank you so much for those kind words. Henzel sunbae-nim…!”
The four briefly exchanged glances and then spoke to me again right away.
“In that sense, the yACE sunbae-nims seem truly amazing. To us, you’re practically legends. Maintaining the group for over 10 years while continuing to release hit songs, and while doing that, becoming actors, rappers, and even company executives! You’re truly the role model for male idol groups.”
“That’s right. You even have the nickname Laundry-dol.”
Hearing the burdensome praise pouring out until their tongues wore out, I tilted my head.
“Hm? Laundry-dol? Isn’t that a bad meaning?”
“No, no! Well… there are some who were popular groups in the past but ended with somewhat bad conclusions. When fans who liked those people are asked who they liked during their school days, they launder their past and answer yACE, so they’re called Laundry-dol.”
“Ahahaha!”
A refreshing laugh burst from my mouth.
“Right, it’s an honorable nickname. Wow, I should tell my hyungs this too. Thanks for letting me know.”
And from now on I should tell them to put strength in their brains and live without being on the crime pages.
While the waiting room was quite harmonious, there was someone who couldn’t get a word in. It was Go Won.
“Sunbae-nim, if it’s not rude, could you take one picture with us?”
Diligently finding and gifting albums, somehow continuing to talk to the sunbae, matching their mood, carefully requesting photos.
BigTree was so busy they couldn’t sit in a chair even once despite it being quite a while since they entered the waiting room.
The pictures taken together would be uploaded to their SNS and cause a brief stir. Probably attention received from yACE or my individual fans.
But even that is desperate sometimes. And I didn’t dislike that desperation.
“Of course. Obviously it’s fine.”
I smiled readily and snatched his phone. Then I turned to the side and held it out to Go Won.
“Won-ah, will you take a picture of us?”
“……”
Everything they were doing was what Go Won currently lacked most.
I know Go Won practices quite desperately.
Go Won
Vocals Lv.44 (▲19)
Dance Lv.67 (▲21)
The stat increase happened not only during the debut preparation period but also during the activity period. It meant he was digesting a murderous schedule while also practicing like crazy.
I well understand that his innate talent is excellent and his own efforts back it up.
But right now, like that, acting timidly with the excuse of lacking conversational skills is itself a luxury. If he keeps staying still like this, he’ll easily be pushed aside as a background character like this.
“Take a good picture.”
“Yes.”
Go Won took my phone and stood up from his seat. I went between the four BigTree members pretending to be friendly and took a picture.
“Sunbae-nim, thank you so much!”
“I’m grateful that you like me so much. I think I need to be here a bit longer. Since I’m imposing on the waiting room, if you have any other requests, feel free to say.”
“……”
Interest arose again in the BigTree members’ eyes. Soon after, the member who had been actively talking from earlier clasped both hands and approached.
“Sunbae-nim, then by any chance, could you do a cha, challenge…?”
“Ah….”
When I trailed off, the gazes directed at me also wavered. However, the moment the answer continued, the member’s eyes widened.
“I’m not a dance member so I’m a bit worried, but if you’re okay with that, I’d like to.”
“Waaaah!”
One person screamed and then immediately covered their mouth and jumped up and down. I wore an awkward smile.
“Don’t expect too much.”
“We, we’re so grateful for anything…! H-hyung. Which part should we do? Our company didn’t make a challenge section or anything for us… So, we should do the second verse, right?”
“Ah, hyung, but isn’t the pre-chorus lyrics the prettiest?”
“Don’t we need to get the manager’s permission?”
“Why would permission be necessary!”
The meeting result came out instantly too. The four members played their song and taught me about two verses worth of dance.
‘…Ah, damn. Was this a brain fart?’
It had been a long time since I danced even to yACE songs, so my body had stiffened up. In the midst of that, learning someone else’s dance that had no nutritional value brought on some reality check, but… I regained some exhilaration seeing Go Won’s expression as he captured the five of us including me in the angle.
BigTree discussed when and where to upload it, even with their manager joining in excitedly. When I plopped down on the sofa, Go Won placed his butt in a seat slightly away from me as he had done earlier.
“Oh my, Baek Hanje.”
Among mostly K-dum staff with bewildered faces wondering ‘what did Baek Hanje eat wrong,’ only General Manager Park gave a knowing look.
“Why? It’s because I like seeing hoobae-nims working hard?”
“Suuure, sure. I do the same thing because I like seeing you.”
“…I think we’ve seen each other too long.”
Having my inner thoughts excavated wasn’t such a pleasant thing.
Following that, I glanced at our side’s hoobae-nim and just sighed.
‘Stupid bastard.’
Go Won had taken out and was holding his phone.
He lowered his gaze and rubbed the screen, but in the end, until it became his turn and he was called out, he couldn’t say a single word to me.
