After finishing the introduction to the title track, the members went downstairs to change their outfits.
The announcer serving as the MC was left standing alone onstage.
─It may have been a short time—very short, in fact—but today’s event has shown us why Debonair was considered the most highly anticipated rookie group even before their debut.
As befitted an announcer, the MC delivered an utterly textbook comment.
Naturally, most of the fans had already shifted their attention elsewhere.
Dohee’s fansite master was no exception.
“This must be the less-promoted song, right?”
“Yeah, it has to be.”
Nodding at her friend’s question, the fansite master looked through the album track list once more.
[1- As Fickle As Fortune]
[2- Debonair]
[3- BornIdeals]
The third track, and another title track, ‘Born Ideals.’
Once the announcer finished and went backstage a moment later,
the darkened stage would surely show a related VCR.
‘Maybe the music video, or behind-the-scenes footage from the preparations.’
Her anticipation continued to swell.
The first title track had been good, so this one had to be good too.
That expectation was also backed by an interview with Top East’s representative director, Kim Wi-dong.
[Kim Wi-dong: Led by Director Jeong So-hyeon, who has newly become the general director of the ‘Debonair’ team, Top East has ambitiously prepared this project over a long period of time.]
Teams that had been prepared for a long time...
often went on to spectacularly fail with their second comeback album.
After all, most of them had only produced a masterpiece for their debut album.
So this album’s title track... had to be an absolute banger.
More than anything, though opinions on deliberately delaying the release of the second title track to avoid dividing their promotional firepower might differ, she rather liked it.
It meant they were determined to put at least one song at number one on the charts.
Once a song reached number one, nitpicking criticism was bound to be buried quickly.
It wasn’t as if they had used any underhanded tricks in the first place.
Then her friend suddenly asked out of nowhere,
“But what does that Jeong So-hyeon person actually do?”
The fansite master answered offhandedly.
“I don’t know for sure, but I think she used to be in charge of Top East’s A&R team? I’ve also heard that she was involved with X-TEN’s good results, and that all of Pastel Love’s number-one songs went through her.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yeah. But I guess that’s why she became a director.”
And soon enough—
─I’ll be saying goodbye here. This has been Hwang Yu-jeong. Thank you.
The stage went dark.
* * *
The VCR, which contained the concept photos and the second title track’s music video, ran for about eight minutes.
“Five minutes left!”
With the time limit closing in, the girls raced backstage to change into the outfits for their new title-track performance.
“Chiyo, come this way! Not there!”
“Yes, yess! I’m sorry!”
“Uah, if you’re done getting dressed, get your makeup touched up!”
“Okay~”
What the heck? Why is Uah unreasonably relaxed?
Anyway, as the experienced veteran who had prepared leisurely, I had changed clothes long ago and was sitting obediently in my seat.
“Seoyun, how about having a nice, quiet cup of coffee with me...”
“Be quiet. Teacher, I think you need to cover this part a little!”
Sitting obediently... I received a makeup touch-up, closed my eyes, and began meditating deeply.
To soothe my wounded heart.
It wasn’t because of Kim Seoyun, who had abruptly ended our conversation.
Earlier, when I had slowly come down toward the area beneath the stage,
I had waved at the fans, meeting their eyes one by one, and I had definitely... made eye contact.
With Doa among them...
She had definitely avoided my eyes...
My baby...
It seemed like she kept avoiding her unnie...
Even though I’d blown her a kiss...
She had blatantly ignored me...
While letting herself be held in her dad’s arms...
Was she entering puberty...? I’m sad...
“Dohee, are you crying...? Why? No, why? All of a sudden?”
The stylist unnie hurriedly pressed a cotton pad against my face.
Though I had prepared leisurely, I ended up being a little later than the other members.
* * *
‘Why does she keep looking at meee...! People are still looking at meee...!’
Even though her unnie had gone down beneath the stage, because of her unnie’s gaze,
several people were still sneaking glances at Doa.
To be honest, Doa knew it too.
She knew that she was quite pretty, having inherited her looks from her father and mother.
That was why boys she had never even spoken to at school confessed to her,
and why she had been scouted countless times while walking down the street.
So she was a little used to these kinds of looks by now.
She tried to assume that people were looking because they thought she was pretty.
But resembling her mother and father also meant resembling her unnie.
Although she herself couldn’t see it at all.
Whenever her friends occasionally said,
─Doa, you look like Lee Dohee!
─Totally, totally! Your eyes, and even the way you smile!
whenever she heard them say that...
‘They might recognize me... Geez...’
She had deliberately sat away from her mother.
─Why...? You don’t want to sit with Mommy...? Are you leaving Mommy behind too, like your unnie...?
─Nooo, that’s not it!
Her mother’s face was one that the unnie’s fans would inevitably recognize.
She had previously appeared on a broadcast and been introduced as the beautiful Lee Dohee’s mother.
‘Who told her to go on TV...?’
─If I sit next to you, it’ll be obvious!
─All right... I understand...
The reaction was similar to her unnie’s, as expected of her mother.
Even so, she had stubbornly sat apart from her.
But now, her unnie onstage had made it obvious herself.
Fortunately, when the lights went out and the music video was shown on the stage screen,
people’s attention shifted in that direction for a while...
but Doa couldn’t focus on the music video at all.
* * *
[With a thrilling smile held breathless, here in the dreamlike state]
[The silhouette growing clearer remains veiled still]
‘This is insane...’
Throughout the music video, the fansite master kept patting her friend’s shoulder, unable to contain her excitement.
“This is insane...”
“I know, it’s insane...”
“You crazy bitch, that hurts!”
“Oh, sorry.”
It was the complete opposite of the previous music video.
The first title track, ‘debonair,’ had been a stylish image that seemed to portray a psychopath, numb even amid dramatic situations.
The second title track, ‘born ideals,’ was simply too cute and pretty.
There didn’t seem to be any particular story that needed interpreting.
Like the bouncy melody repeating throughout,
it was just one continuous, adorable temptation: You obviously like me, so why don’t you reveal your feelings?
A red tennis dress.
Styling that seemed to portray a little devil.
‘Ah, it does seem to connect to the first song a little...’
An emotionless psychopath and a little devil who toyed with people’s emotions.
Their natures were perfectly opposite.
‘There were also the lyrics “calling devil more” in the first song...! Did it call her out!? Could it be that they didn’t delay the release just to push one of the songs, but even reflected the timing...!?’
But more important than any interpretation was the fact that the music video was a continuous display of devastating beauty and perfect femininity.
‘Top East... really does give fans what they want...’
To be honest, the first title track had been perfect in song, stage, and choreography, so she hadn’t added any personal asides—but it wasn’t as if there had been nothing to regret.
New idol groups were supposed to...
‘Do a refreshing high-teen concept...’
Because it was a concept they could only do now.
If they hadn’t released one, she might have spent the rest of her life envying the Ailee fans.
“Ah, seriously... Dohee’s face today is clearer than a pristine mountain stream. If I dipped my foot in carelessly, I might fall in and drown... But I’d have no regrets even if I died. She’s so completely my ideal type... No, did you see the face painting they put on Dohee’s face in the music video? They really embodied freshness on her face to the point it gave me chills...”
“I couldn’t properly watch the music video because of you, you crazy bitch.”
“Oh, sorry?”
The fansite master comforted her friend by saying that the video would be uploaded to Top East’s official YouTube channel soon anyway, and that they could watch it together once it was released.
Her friend still looked displeased, but since the performance would begin soon regardless, she took out her camera and seemed to resign herself to waiting.
“I’ll take and share one legendary shot from today instead.”
“Whew...”
Then the lights suddenly flashed on.
The little devil from the music video.
Dohee stood facing Chiyo in a pose, wearing her tennis dress.
The fansite master reflexively raised her camera and quickly snapped a picture.
‘This is insane, she came out wearing devil horns...! Ah, why are you so cute? Why are you so pretty? I’m going crazyyy...’
* * *
I could already picture the day Doa would leave her unnie’s arms.
Getting a boyfriend...
Getting married...
Having a child...
I had even made the mistake of shedding tears at the thought.
But when it came to the stage, I was a professional who cast aside every personal emotion and focused.
The lights shone down on the stage.
[Ah—ah—ah—ah—아이]
The intro began.
Of course you like me too.
The stage expressing those feelings began.
* * *
The fansite master felt like she was going crazy as she watched the performance intently.
[Ah—ah—ah—ah—아이 (When you see me)]
[LOVE i-i-i-in]
Especially this part.
The chorus was easy and captivating enough that the fans were already singing along... and the choreography was just as easy and cute, with an unmistakable point move.
‘Will they do a challenge for this...? They will, right...? Everyone’s going to imitate it like crazy...!’
She tapped her hips forward and back with both hands, slightly hunched her upper body forward, and made a sullen facial expression while staring ahead.
To be honest, she already knew.
Dohee was a facial-expression genius who would be a huge success even if she were acting.
Even her everyday acting was overflowing, as could be seen whenever she did little role-plays with Seoyun...
‘But... how should I put it... today she’s even cuter, even more sullen...’
If her usual acting was one hundred percent sincere...
this felt like two hundred percent sincerity.
She was the very image of a little devil sulking because someone really didn’t understand her feelings...!
‘This photo and this stage are both going to be an absolute legendary hit...!’
The song, the choreography, and the concept.
This album was definitely a masterpiece!
* * *
Doa felt like she was going crazy just as much as the fansite master did.
Of course, for the exact opposite reason.
‘Why is Unnie doing this, seriouslyyy! Stop looking at meee!’
Every time her unnie performed that adorable dance, tapping her hips forward and back, the sullen gaze in her expression would subtly turn toward Doa.
Doa covered her face with both hands until she left the showcase venue.