After ending as a huge hit.
The variety departments of every broadcasting station, sensitive to issues and trends, sent Seiven countless offers.
Seiven had also hoped to appear on variety shows, but their debut schedule had been packed into the single month before debut.
Then came the year-end stages and award ceremonies that began immediately after their debut promotions.
Their appearances had been postponed all this time because of their busy schedules.
For this comeback, Shock Entertainment stayed busy contacting not only each broadcasting station’s variety department, but also the PDs of famous YouTube channels under those departments, distributing variety schedules according to each member’s individual image.
Thus, their variety schedules were finalized.
Five group appearances.
Three solo and unit appearances.
And what we were filming today was a group variety show for KBC.
Melody Bank, where we had failed to take first place during our promotions.
Since the reason had been our KBC broadcast score, we were now taking an active part in KBC’s variety programs.
We were going to film two group variety shows for YouTube channels under KBC.
Both were simple programs with straightforward schedules.
First, there was the one where idol members traveled to randomly selected destinations around the country on a day trip and completed missions.
And then there was today’s .
In particular, was one of the most popular YouTube variety programs among idol fandoms.
It was filmed with only the members, without any outside panelists.
Since the format involved the members chatting among themselves and naturally creating little skits, we could enjoy ourselves comfortably without feeling pressured to “be funny” or “make a good impression.”
And, of course, the distinctive narration of Human Theater, like a tasty garnish, was an added bonus.
We gathered in Shock Entertainment’s practice room.
The PD explained the concept and direction to us.
“Today, we’ll be showing you going through practice, but there will be a role-playing element.”
Then he handed us placard cards and told us to hang them around our necks.
“Each member has to act in the way most opposite to her own personality.”
I looked at my placard.
The position I had truly wanted.
The moment I saw it, I felt delighted.
And at the same time, I felt a little sorrowful.
The exact opposite of my personality was apparently a ‘charismatic leader’...
“Dohee unnie, heehee.”
It contrasted sharply with Hana unnie, who was wearing the placard that read ‘Aegyo maknae.’
Hana unnie was sticking out her lips and making a face like a forget-me-not.
“Unnie!”
“My goodness...”
To be honest, Hana unnie had a soft image, at least in terms of her appearance.
If I had to decide whether it suited her or not, it leaned more toward suiting her.
“Disgusting.”
“Hey.”
***
Today, the members had been split into three teams and scattered to carry out their respective schedules.
First, the vocal line.
Sera unnie, our unrivaled main vocalist, and Yeeun unnie, essentially our lead vocalist.
The two of them appeared on , a popular vocal variety show.
was a variety program where contestants sang together with panelists, and it mainly featured skilled vocalists or idol members who served as main vocalists.
They were members who had proven their singing abilities on a survival program, so there was nothing to worry about.
Of course, Yeeun unnie’s ability varied greatly from day to day, but I had encouraged her a lot today, so she would be fine.
“If you do badly, Seiven will be publicly humiliated as a group. You’re the voice of our Seiven! You can do it!”
“I can do it!”
“Good. Now sign this.”
“‘If I ruin it, I will become Dohee’s slave for one month’...? What is this...?”
“I’m going to help improve your skills.”
“...I’m not doing it. I hate it...”
“Ah, I see you still don’t understand the situation. You can’t leave until you sign it, so hurry up and stamp it.”
“...Hana unnie! Dohee’s bullying me again...!”
Sera unnie was enthusiastic too.
“Hehe... Dohee, should I sign a contract too?”
“Sera unnie always does well, so you’re fine.”
“...Hmph.”
Anyway, the two of them seemed likely to put on a decent performance.
Next, the program featuring Hana unnie and Chaerin unnie was a parenting variety show where the children of celebrities appeared.
Hana unnie, strict but lively in her care as the leader.
Chaerin unnie, calm and kind.
Both of them would take good care of the children without any trouble and handle the variety show well.
More than anything, they were pretty older sisters whom children liked. Pretty unnies.
And then there were the remaining three members.
They said they had distributed the variety shows according to our images, right?
“But why am I grouped with the unnies?”
How ridiculous.
“Hey, I’m offended too.”
“For real.”
“Why are you with Harang unnie?”
“For real... Huh? Wait, me too?”
What a bunch of clowns.
Anyway, the variety program we were appearing on was .
Contrary to its name, it was a program on a major YouTube channel where guests lightly tried out part-time jobs or different occupations.
At the location we arrived at in a van, the production crew of Jik.Salm.Hyeon was waiting, along with the program’s host and well-known broadcaster Jang Seungho.
Perhaps he hadn’t known the identities of the guests, because when we arrived, Jang Seungho greeted us with a visibly startled reaction and great enthusiasm.
“Oh, it’s Seiven! Wow, we’re filming with Seiven today? Our channel has really gotten big. I’m seriously a huge fan of Seiven.”
His reaction made my shoulders rise with pride for no particular reason.
“We really like Jik.Salm.Hyeon too, so we watch it often!”
“Oh, really? Wow, that’s amazing.”
The other two might have, but I had watched it for the first time before coming here today.
“Sunbae! If you like us, you know all our names, right?”
Seoyun unnie suddenly asked him that.
Jang Seungho seemed unable to recall our names in that instant, and he fumbled about with flustered hand gestures.
A female PD spoke in an exaggerated tone.
“Wow, you don’t know Seiven? You might have to step down from the program at this rate, sunbae.”
“No, I do! I know them, I do!”
Jang Seungho pointed at me first.
“First of all, this is Dohee! Right? My kid collects Dohee’s photocards!”
“Oh~ That’s right!”
Just as expected.
The pretty, refreshing Ion Sweat girl.
A perfect daughter who excelled at everything from studying and playing the piano to singing and dancing.
First place in the final ranking of Jidols 3.
The most recognizable member of Seiven.
First place in the reporters’ rankings for best real-life appearance.
First place in girl-group individual brand reputation rankings in November, December, and January.
‘Even if he doesn’t know the members, he knows me.’
“And this is Harang, and Seoyun! Look at this, I really like them, I’m telling you!”
Well... in situations like this,
you just had to go along with it by thinking, ‘Ah! Seiven must be famous!’
Our job experience today was working part-time at a Japanese restaurant.
As we walked along chatting about trivial matters, we soon arrived at a famous conveyor-belt sushi restaurant.
When we entered the restaurant, several employees recognized us.
“Wow... it’s Seiven...”
“They’re really pretty...”
“Could I ask for your autograph later?”
“Chef, you don’t know Seiven?”
“Don’t you need my autograph?”
“Ah... Seungho, you’re fine...”
“That really hurts.”
After greeting the employees, we changed into uniforms.
They were proper Japanese chef uniforms.
Seeing them reminded me of a manga I had enjoyed in my previous life.
“I used to read The Sushi King all the time.”
It was practically a rule whenever I went to a hair salon.
“Oh, Dohee, you know The Sushi King?”
“Of course.”
Apparently, the series existed in this life too.
Jang Seungho, who was in his forties, was delighted to find someone familiar with the fairly old work.
“Harang, Seoyun, do you know it too?”
“I don’t.” “I don’t know it.”
They were so young. So very young.
The Golden Mackerel arc had been really entertaining.
Phew.
“Well, it did come out a long time ago. I watched it when I was a student too. Dohee, you have surprisingly old-fashioned tastes, huh?”
I had no idea how he had reached that conclusion.
At present, I was the youngest member, sixteen years old.
The youngest by far.
After we had chatted for quite some time, the employee assigned to train us called us over.
“All right, the customers will be coming in soon, so let’s get started!”
The first thing we learned was how to make a representative Japanese dish: rolls.
“You’ve all made gimbap before, right?”
Come to think of it, I wondered whether I should hide my cooking skills.
Of course, these days I mostly ordered salads.
Even so, I personally prepared healthy meals three or four times a week.
If I wanted to keep eating food prepared by someone else, I had to hide my skills to the very end.
“First of all, don’t expect anything from Dohee when it comes to cooking. She’s really bad.”
“Right, she’s terrible. How should I put it? She’s just clumsy and hopeless.”
Before I could even pretend to be bad at it, the unnies were already exposing me.
‘It’s not really a bad thing... but I feel a little hurt...’
“Dohee can’t cook?”
“Yes... I suppose that’s how it is.”
All right. For now, I would pretend I couldn’t do it.
The trainer first demonstrated how to make a roll.
“Pretty easy, right? Now everyone can try making one.”
Honestly, if these were ingredients I had bought and food I was going to eat, I could have deliberately ruined it.
But I couldn’t bring myself to fool around with food that customers would be eating.
“What the heck? Why is Lee Dohee so good at this?”
Harang unnie’s eyes widened as she looked at my tuna-and-cheese roll, which was rolling up neatly, unlike her own roll, which had burst open.
“Exactly. She isn’t usually like this.”
I was exactly like this.
You idiot.
When I went on to cut the roll into uniform pieces without a single one falling apart, Jang Seungho marveled from beside me.
“Wow... from what I can see, Dohee is a complete expert.”
Even the trainer gave a thumbs-up at the flawless shape of the roll.
“It’s very neat. You could sell that right away.”
“Are you sure Dohee can’t cook, girls?”
This was the experience accumulated over ten years of living alone.
But I couldn’t let them know I was good at it.
If Hana unnie found out, it wouldn’t end after just a day or two.
“Hehe, I’m kind of good at gimbap, huh? Gimbap. I can make gimbap well! Hehe. Maybe it’s because it’s gimbap? Gimbap!”
Even if I had to disguise it as a coincidence.
They must never find out.
“Why is Dohee suddenly acting like that?”
“Our kid is sometimes like this when she gets praised.”
“Right. Maybe it’s because she’s the youngest.”
For the sake of a smooth life at the dorm, there were times when you had to give up certain aspects of your image.
“Dohee definitely has that maknae charm.”
I had already decided on my goal for next year.
Redebut and change my image...