Episode 71. First Day at Work Anniversary (2)
After knocking on Parte’s waiting room door and calling out from outside, “Sunbaenims, may we come in?” a curt answer came back.
“What?”
It was Song Minil’s voice.
The very guy who had nearly run into Park Juu and me on Chuseok, gotten chewed out at MYTH, and taken out his frustration by the Han River.
Only after barely being granted entry could we offer our group greeting.
At that, Song Minil stood from his seat and asked.
“Which agency?”
“We’re from UA, sunbaenim!”
Jeong Seongbin answered energetically.
Despite the unwelcoming atmosphere throughout our time in the waiting room, Jeong Seongbin didn’t seem to lose his spirit. His bold attitude alone was praiseworthy.
On the other hand, the other side had a few screws loose to the point that they needed to be taken down a peg.
Proof being, Song Minil made an incredulous face and said.
“Now they’re producing idols from there too? It’s a bit…… much.”
I thought the same, but it wasn’t something a third party like him should say.
Frankly, we might snap, and who knew where or how we’d rat him out—how dare he act so recklessly?
He didn’t even know our debut article had dropped; looked like groups debuting from small-to-midsized agencies weren’t worth monitoring at all.
So major companies only kept tabs on predetermined rivals? It wasn’t surprising.
While Song Minil had us stand there and chattered with the guys around him, I subtly scanned the waiting room.
Two guys snickered at Song Minil’s words; another two couldn’t care less what he said.
And even a few members who couldn’t bring themselves to stop him but were fidgeting anxiously from a distance.
It seemed Song Minil, with his handsome face and many individual fans, wielded considerable influence over the team.
In Spark, the ones with many individual fans were…….
Choi Jeho and Yi Cheonghyeon. I supposed I’d have to manage these two so they didn’t get too cocky.
No sooner had I started worrying over how to handle the handsome ones on our team than Song Minil swept his gaze over us. Then the guy stopped in front of Yi Cheonghyeon.
“What’s your name?”
“I’m Yi Cheonghyeon, sunbaenim!”
“Where did you train?”
“UA is my first agency!”
“Seriously?”
“Yes!”
Yi Cheonghyeon answered, stiff as a board.
At that sight, Song Minil burst out laughing and patted Yi Cheonghyeon’s shoulder.
“Are you scared? How do you plan on being an idol with such a chicken heart?”
If it weren’t for shitheads like you, we’d manage just fine on our own.
Every word out of his mouth was uncultured. He hadn’t even been debuted a year, yet his personality was something else.
*No wonder you’re making me take Spark’s side.*
I desperately wished for Song Minil’s makeup turn to come quickly.
Fortunately, the disaster of him waiting in child’s pose until his turn never occurred.
Because some Parte member threw a huge fit about wanting to get some sleep.
Thanks to that sleep-deprived person, we were able to escape the suffocating waiting room. It was five minutes that reminded me of my Hanpyeong Saneop days.
The moment we left, I watched the Spark guys sharply, ready to intervene if they started complaining as soon as we got out.
I even had a lecture loaded and ready: *Maintaining a polite attitude when you’re tired is anything but easy, so don’t take manners lightly and work on them in daily life too.*
But such a mishap never occurred.
They exchanged glances, put a finger to their lips in a shushing gesture, and returned to their own waiting room with a grim silence. It was an exemplary attitude.
For some reason, the guys assumed a grave air the moment the waiting room door closed, sitting upright on the sofa for roughly five minutes.
Then Jeong Seongbin stood up, clutching both fists resolutely, and said.
“Let’s practice.”
“Huh?”
“Our turn is coming up soon. Can’t we all practice together for a bit?”
It was a commendable thing to say.
He’d probably been motivated by Parte’s tremendous character. I suppose those guys were the kind of seniors who prove helpful to juniors after all.
“Can we even practice here?”
Choi Jeho asked. The moment I heard that, I picked up my bag from the floor and said.
“I think we can if we clear a little space. Let’s skip the formations and just match our arm and hand angles. Juu-ya, can you help?”
“Yes. I’ll clear this side……!”
“Okay. But let’s get the owner’s permission before moving someone else’s stuff.”
“Yes!”
We moved the luggage in unison and began extra practice.
How much better could guys who were already good get from a few more minutes of last-minute practice?
If this habit helped them, great; it wouldn’t do any harm. For now, that was enough.
And before long.
“Spark, we’re getting ready!”
The time drew near for Spark’s first stage.
* * *
Backstage was chaotic.
Numerous staff members scurried about busily, and lavishly dressed idols went up and down the stage in time.
From afar, the sounds of fans cheering for their respective idols and the director’s filming cues rose and fell.
In the dark backstage, a single intense beam of purple light was visible. It was light seeping from the stage.
*I’m going in there.* Not someone else—me.
I had given presentations and prostrated myself in apology before crowds, but never in my dreams had I imagined the day would come when I’d dance and sing in front of people.
If anything, it proved you had to live a long life to see everything.
However, amid the restrained clamor, a few voices stood out.
“Phew…….”
The sound of Kang Giyeon sighing from afar.
“Kanggyeon, sigh too much and your luck will run away!”
Yi Cheonghyeon’s joke, seemingly meant to ease Kang Giyeon’s nerves.
“Got any water?”
“Iwol-hyung set some aside earlier……!”
Even the conversation between Choi Jeho and Park Juu, the strong-hearted duo.
As I checked who was present by their voices, Jeong Seongbin alone didn’t register.
Looking around, I saw Jeong Seongbin fiddling with his lips, eyes closed, muttering something.
I approached him and called his name.
“Seongbin-ah.”
Jeong Seongbin jumped in surprise.
“Yes, hyung! Do you need something?”
“No, I’m telling you to relax.”
If he were the type to do mind control alone, I’d leave him be, but he didn’t seem to be.
As if my guess was right, Jeong Seongbin scratched his head with an awkward smile.
“Um…… It really is my debut stage, and I guess I’m nervous…… because I feel like I might make a mistake.”
Anyone who had watched Jeong Seongbin would know that his desire not to make mistakes came from having truly worked hard.
But did a capable person really need to feel burdened?
“Don’t worry too much. At the end of the day, it’s just one of hundreds of stages you’ll do in the future.”
“You really have a unique perspective, hyung.”
Then Jeong Seongbin laughed weakly.
This guy must think I’m joking.
He’d probably faint if he heard he’d be an idol for a solid seven years. All the way until right before disbandment, at that.
“And this is just a side note, but.”
I leaned toward Jeong Seongbin and whispered softly into his ear.
“The ancestral gods say our luck is good today.”
This wouldn’t count as leaking heavenly secrets anyway. It was a lie.
“Haha, what a relief!”
It certainly was a relief. With one sentence, I’d raised the main vocal’s spirits without any penalty.
And when each member had a microphone in hand.
“Spark, you’re up!”
From afar, we heard the call.
The stage was hotter than expected. Lights poured down from above like a sun.
The audience seats were much more visible than I’d imagined.
Who was holding which light stick, what expressions they wore, and so on.
Fifty percent of the people here were probably fans of a popular group that had finished recording before us. The next thirty percent would be fans of yet another group.
The members might fear having to perform on a stage where no one was looking at them, but I didn’t mind at all. I was used to presenting alone with no one listening.
I knew everyone had practiced like their lives depended on it, so I thought there’d be no regrets or blaming others.
But if I truly wanted to blame someone, I’d blame the CEO for giving less budget, and myself for draining even the showcase budget into the music video and album. Not to mention the skyrocketing prices made holding a showcase impossible anyway.
Anyway, we were wearing much better stage outfits now, and we had decided to put on new name tags each time, so it was actually fine, really.
While lost in such thoughts and looking around until the staff finished preparations, a few women in the front row caught my eye.
When our eyes met, they were greatly surprised. Then they hurriedly unfolded small slogans they were holding.
[♥Congratulations on Spark’s Debut♥]
[Happy Spark Debut +1 Day]
[Let us walk only the fiery path]
They were actually slogans for this group. The “fiery path” was a bit scary, but…….
I tapped the shoulders of the Spark members—the ones who ought to see those slogans—and respectfully guided them toward the fans with both hands.
Owing to the delay in filming preparations, we—including me—were able to huddle together on one side of the stage where the fans were.
We offered our group greeting following Jeong Seongbin’s cue, and as I waited for the members to introduce themselves one by one, a corner of my heart felt uneasy.
Because I wondered if it was okay to lump myself together with these guys in front of these fans.
Still, I couldn’t greet those who had waited for hours in a worse environment than ours perfunctorily.
I smiled as kindly as possible and said.
“Hello. I’m Iwol of Spark!”
Then the fan holding the “Let us walk only the fiery path” slogan shouted.
“Kim Iwol, you’re handsome!”
“Me?”
For a moment, I thought I’d misheard.
I pointed at myself to give her a chance to correct her statement, but she remained firm.
“Yeah, you!”
“Th…… thank you.”
People with such devoted support spirits, willing to wait hours on site to see an idol, were truly different.
They didn’t hesitate to give even someone like me excessive praise.
But it would be a problem if they didn’t recognize Spark’s true gems.
I still remembered the lamentations of countless Stone Plate Specters—that’s what they called themselves.
≫ F*ck, it’s unfair…… To think I discovered Yi Cheonghyeon so late……
≫ Choi Jeho, you crazy bastard…… How this face was buried until now is one of the world’s eight great mysteries.
If they didn’t take a good look at the other members’ faces right here and now, they would surely regret it.
So I crouched at the edge of the stage and explained in a small voice.
“The visuals are handled by the other members, not me. I think it’d be best if you focused on their faces.”
“You’re handsome too!”
And the fan didn’t back down. Her momentum was like the generals I’d seen in old Three Kingdoms stories.
Still, I felt sincerely grateful. Thanks to her, I felt I could perform today’s stage with at least a little less guilt.