Amidst the winter sea winds blowing fiercely.
"Ugh, it's freezing..."
"Chiyo, I told you to wear a long puffer instead of a coat."
"Unni, scarf?"
Far from dressing to impress, we layered ourselves in thick clothes and walked onto a beach in Gangneung.
"Hello~ Ah, are we filming right now?"
Numerous staff members stood on the beach.
The scale was about thirteen to fifteen people.
At a glance, it was clearly outsourced work.
"Huh? Director-nim? Long time no see!"
Thankfully, there was a familiar face—the camera director from the outsourcing company who had filmed me in the past was waving at me too.
"Do we start right away?"
"Don't we have a slate?"
"Then let's find our cameras first..."
"Where's the main camera?"
After locating the main and individual cameras.
"Let's start with greetings."
"One, two—hello. We're DEBONEAR!"
The members naturally positioned themselves in front of the cameras.
"Now, everyone, hello~"
Accompanied by the staff's applause, the male main PD took the microphone.
"As you all know, 'DEB: ON AIR' Season 1 documented DEBONEAR's debut preparation process as a documentary and reality series. But starting from Season 2, every episode will proceed as a special variety show!"
The PD happily clapped into the mic by himself and continued.
"Before I tell you what today's special is, everyone, what is self-produced content?"
The members raised their hands alternately.
"Content made directly by the agency!"
"A variety show tailored to our tastes."
"A variety show between members made for fans to enjoy?"
"Wrong."
The PD shook his head side to side.
"That is... a variety show where you receive no appearance fee whatsoever, where you spend your love and time, and where the budget is even deducted from your settlement! Applause!"
"......"
—Clap, clap, clap.
"We could receive production support, of course, but surely you wouldn't put PPL in a variety show for fans from the very first episode, right?"
"......"
"So today's budget is mostly purely your money!"
"......"
"How. Ev. Er, there is good news."
I knew it.
There had to be a reason he was bringing up facts that neither fans nor members wanted to hear.
Some kind of morale-boosting measure—surely the company had provided some production support.
"Yes, two anonymous people have expressed their willingness to cover the difference for today's first special, just for the members!"
Two people?
The CEO and the director, perhaps?
"As expected, generosity comes from abundance..."
A staff member in the back hurriedly brought out a monitor.
Soon, the lit monitor screen showed me and Seoyun unni separately taking a survey in the meeting room a few days ago.
—If the members face financial burdens, are you willing to step up and help? Is this a psychological test? Is this trip's concept a loyalty test or something? But I'm genuinely yes, without pretense. As long as it's not a loan guarantee, I can do any amount for my unnis.
—Willingness to help... Of course, circle yes. But our members aren't the type to be like that.
"How can people with such pretty faces also have such beautiful hearts... I couldn't hold back my tears watching this video. Yes! These are the two CEOs who hired our staff today and prepared the production support funds. Applause!"
—Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap.
Only loud applause echoed endlessly across the beach.
From the staff and the rest of my unnis.
"......"
* * *
"You got quite a bit from the piano song copyright this time, didn't you?"
"It's not as much as you'd think. And you, unni, have done several ads recently."
"You're the only one doing well."
"Wow, you guys are rich!"
...There was no point in bickering among ourselves.
Right.
How much could the production cost even be for something at this scale?
They say top boy idol groups like NND use eighty-one cameras for special self-produced content.
But this wasn't like that. Six at most.
If I thought about the income I'd earn later and deducted this and that...
"But is the special we're treating even interesting? Honestly, spending money for our AIR isn't a waste at all~ Not at all~ You know what kind of personality I have, unni."
"I know, I know. I know our Dohee's personality well. That's exactly why I'm asking what fun there is in us spending money right now. Isn't this supposed to be fun because we're suffering? We're in a totally good mood though?"
"We're already having fun."
"If you're in a good mood, then unni is having fun too~"
"Sounds super fun."
The unnis chirped in unison, absolutely thrilled.
...Hoo.
Yeah.
Self-produced content was something you made at a loss for the fans anyway. It was promotional too.
I'd have to make sure we got plenty of PPL next time...
"Yes. If only our AIR watches a lot, we'll have no regrets. This time, Dohee and I are treating. We are."
Seoyun unni nodded in resignation, seeming to share my sentiment—
"Ah, this really doesn't make economic sense."
"Hana unni, didn't YouTube also start with a small staff? It's still doing well now..."
"...Should we start by reducing our staff too? Restructuring."
"Director-nim, could you turn off the camera for a moment? It's fine. No, you and the director definitely have to stay with us."
"Hey, let's start with the PD-nim. PD-nim first. High salary."
.
.
.
Anyway, the content had to proceed.
"So, what should we do first?"
"You'll need to make a thumbnail."
"It's cold—can't we at least go inside first..."
Whether Chiyo unni was cold or not was none of my concern.
I had to figure out how to make our AIR click on it more.
And how to make people who didn't know us watch the video.
Thumbnail strategy.
There was only one thing that came to mind.
* * *
"What should we do now?"
"What are we doing?"
We had made the thumbnail and were waiting on the beach, but the PD irresponsibly stood back watching from a distance.
"You two CEOs and the members can decide for yourselves. Just have fun so that AIR will like it!"
Ugh, they're so annoying I could die.
"Guys, I'm getting hungry—should we eat lunch?"
"Okay~ then this is on Seoyun unni and Dohee too, right?"
"We're going to eat expensive stuff~ Hehe."
These people are annoying too.
Of course, we had to eat lunch anyway.
But in exchange.
"We have to be funny even while eating lunch, don't we? So members, let's bet on lunch."
Seoyun unni, true to her veteran variety show experience, immediately jumped in and piled on conditions.
"Okay. Not the corporate card—strictly personal cards. Treating all the staff too, how about it?"
But what followed was only the staff's cheers.
Our members said:
"Our settlement hasn't come through yet..."
"I feel so bad for our Dohee and Seoyun that unni will take out her New Year's money savings account! It's okay!"
"If we lose, I'll just have to ask Mom to lend me money..."
"PD-nim, why are you looking at us like that?"
"Yeah, why are you looking at us like that?"
They'll eat for free too—really absurd.
"We're not doing this because we're reluctant to spend money. We just think AIR will find it fun if we laugh and compete, right?"
"Exactly. It's all for the sake of fun. How is it fun if we're just railroaded..."
* * *
A one-on-one bet between Seoyun unni and me was made.
"Members, what do you want to eat?"
"Ah, stop acting pitiful and hurry up."
"Seoyun and Dohee should choose. Since you two are paying, you should eat what you want. Right?"
"This time we'll eat quietly."
"Let's do that."
Thanks to the members' minimal conscience, the menu was decided by our choice.
The list of famous restaurants I'd looked up on the way here came to mind.
Among them, what suited my taste was definitely:
"How about sundubu jjamppong? I heard there's a famous sundubu jjamppong place nearby."
"Oh! Good. I've wanted to try that because it's famous."
"Then should we order some tangsuyuk with the jjamppong?"
"Yes, yes. We have to eat deliciously when we eat. Did you see? We really have big appetites."
"Members, is that okay? Staff too?"
"Anything is good. I like kimchi, and I eat spicy food well."
"I like it too."
"Hmm~ don't they have chadol jjamppong?"
Hoo, Wooa unni is really annoying today.
"So what are we betting with..."
As if he had been waiting, the PD stepped forward.
"Oh my, it's cold—let's go inside and play a game. There's a batting cage nearby. Baseball bet?"
"......"
* * *
We drove and quickly reached a nearby baseball batting cage.
And divided into teams.
Unnies team: Seoyun and Naeun unni.
Dongsaengs team: me, Wooa, and Chiyo unni.
"You know how to hit?"
"In Japan, girls are good at baseball too. Boys have baseball clubs, girls have softball clubs. Didn't you know?"
"...You must really be good. Hoo, then our team is at a disadvantage... I had zero expectations for Naeun unni from the start..."
—Thwack!
"Wow! I—I hit it! Seoyun, did you see? Unni hit it!"
"I knew I could trust Naeun unni!"
"But Chiyo, did you play softball?"
"No."
...It was a battle where the side with the higher batting average won.
Naeun unni was one for two.
"Now, dongsaengs team first batter, go ahead~"
Taking the bat from Naeun unni and stepping into the batter's box.
For some reason, those days came to mind.
My previous life, when I had loved baseball...
"Wow, it was nerve-wracking when Lee Dohee threw the ball at Sera."
That was just Seoyun unni's petty interference to win the bet.
I focused on the screen motion and the batting machine.
The pitcher's pitching motion on the screen.
The sound of the belt turning.
—Crack!
A powerful hit.
Ha, if only I didn't have a woman's body, I would have made it big in sports too.
"If they call me to the ballpark this time, should I do a ceremonial first at-bat instead of a ceremonial first pitch?"
Giving the baseball helmet a needless tilt, I turned around.
"What are you two doing right now?"
Our team's Chiyo unni was making eye contact with Seoyun unni and nodding.
"It's nothing?"
...Since I still had one more at-bat left, I turned my head again.
I extended the bat forward and adjusted my baseball helmet properly.
"Wow~ our Dohee is so cool. She must have seen this somewhere!"
"I told you she threw a ball at Sera like that?"
"Senior Sera looked like she was in a lot of pain."
"She bruised from that."
—Crack!
And another hit.
It was slightly disappointing that it wasn't a home run.
"Wow, Dohee, you're so good!"
"Amazing."
Two for two.
A perfect 1.000 batting average.
Now what remained was up to the unnis...
"What are you two doing, I said."
"It's nothing."
What do you mean it's nothing when you're giving each other thumbs up.
"If you don't hit on purpose, unni will never buy you a meal."
Chiyo unni nodded her head, took the equipment, and stepped into the next batter's box.
"Kyaaak!"
She was too busy dodging the ball.
"I—I held a bat for the first time today. F—for real."
...Hoo.
After that, Seoyun unni luckily hit the ball, going one for two.
"Oh, she hit it."
"No, this is a bunt—how is this a hit?"
Wooa unni went zero for two.
"It's harder than I thought~?"
"Ah, please just hit one..."
The total combined batting average was Unnies .500.
Us at .333.
The lunch bill was, in the end, on me.