Late Friday night, now considered a new prime-time slot.
“Ah... A drink after work and a variety show with our girls?”
As expected, Bae Hayeong sat down in front of the TV.
Of all the variety shows airing at this hour, this one had the highest profile!
Whenever idols appeared, this terrestrial variety show was guaranteed to pull in high ratings. And today, it was causing an even greater stir because Debonair—who had hit it big with their own content—would be appearing.
More than anything, perhaps it was Top East’s policy, but Debonair had been avoiding variety appearances during this comeback, which made this episode all the more exciting!
“I’ve got such high hopes for our girls today...”
Of course, there were also scenes that were obvious enough to be expected.
Like the manager, who had submitted the tip himself, becoming flustered by the members’ behavior even he hadn’t known about.
[Yu Yeongho: My girls never hide anything from me, and they always listen to what I say. Really. They’re so kind.]
“It’s predictable, but it’ll still be fun. Hehe.”
Anyway, the broadcast began a few minutes later.
[Let’s make this Friday night even hotter—Star B-Side! We’ll now introduce today’s B-Side!]
As with any other show, the opening featured our girls greeting the panelists: Dohee and Seoyun.
But their greetings weren’t as lively as the ones they showed in their own content.
In fact, they projected the exact opposite image.
With their outfits matched in solid colors and tone-on-tone combinations, as though neatness were their motto, both of them even swept their hair behind one ear while greeting everyone, perfectly bringing out the old-money style.
“What are these princesses?”
Even the timing of their hair-tucking gestures was synchronized.
The two, who were called the Sisters even before they were known as the Doseo duo, had synchronized behavior like this all the time. It was enough to make her laugh.
Still, seeing such pure and elegant beauty suit the Doseo duo—not Naeun—so perfectly, Bae Hayeong was once again impressed by how much of an effect it had that the show’s viewing demographic extended all the way to middle-aged and older viewers.
“As expected of terrestrial television. Terrestrial television, indeed.”
Meanwhile, the manager appeared on screen.
[Yu Yeongho: Hello, I’m Yu Yeongho, Debonair’s manager!]
“Oh, Manager Yeongho is appearing?”
His face was already familiar to Bae Hayeong.
Even if she wasn’t there as a fan manager, she naturally ran into him whenever she visited one of Dohee’s schedules.
She had heard that, despite being at the team-leader level, he was just as kind as his warm, friendly appearance suggested, and that he had quite a good reputation among the fans.
[Q: We hear you’ve known the members for a long time.]
[Yu Yeongho: Yes. Debonair hasn’t been around for very long, but I used to work on the rookie development team, so I’ve been with the members since they were trainees.]
“Really? Well, if he’s at the team-leader level, he must have some seniority. And he did seem especially close with them whenever they went to schedules. But does the rookie development team’s manager just continue on with them? I’ve seen that happen a few times at smaller agencies, but Top East is big enough that I didn’t think they’d do that.”
Bae Hayeong often found herself puzzled by the way Top East operated. She hadn’t raised any objections yet, since it hadn’t harmed the members.
[Q: Then you must know the members very well.]
[Yu Yeongho: That’s right. I’m confident that, next to the members themselves, I know them better than anyone.]
[Q: We hear you even handled their casting personally.]
[Yu Yeongho: Ah, um, I didn’t personally handle it. Dohee was recruited through a street casting, and the former head of the casting team—who is now an executive—was at the café where she was cast. I happened to be there beside him.]
“Wh-what? Really?”
Of course, she knew about the man who was now an executive.
He had once appeared in a news interview during the Seven days, saying that he had received a very generous performance bonus.
But to think Manager Yeongho had also been present at that historic moment!
“But now that I think about it, that means he’s known our Dohee even longer than Wooa has...? He must really know the girls inside and out.”
And then Manager Yeongho began reading out “B-Side’s tip.”
That was today’s topic!
[Yu Yeongho: All the members are so kind and listen so well that, ironically, the problem is I have nothing to worry about.]
“Huh?”
Naturally, the panelists immediately jeered.
[Come on~ Just tell us honestly.]
[Yu Yeongho: Haha...]
With an awkward laugh, Debonair’s dormitory was finally revealed, right on cue.
[The dorm’s coming up now.]
[Wow, I’m really curious!]
Perhaps out of consideration for sasaeng fans, curtains had been drawn wherever the outside scenery might have been visible, so there was no view at all.
[Wow~ It’s spacious right from the entrance.]
[Why is it so nice?]
In response to the panelists’ astonished reactions, the camera showed a neatly decorated dormitory that looked at least as large as a sixty-pyeong apartment.
[Seoyun: We moved in when we debuted.]
[Dohee: That’s right. Back when we were trainees, it had a more homey feeling.]
[Q: How are you using the rooms?]
[Yu Yeongho: Wooa and Chiyo, who are the same age, wanted to share a room, so they’re using the master bedroom together. The other three—Dohee, Seoyun, and Naeun—each have their own rooms.]
[Ah~ Two, one, one, one?]
Then the members’ individual rooms appeared one by one.
First was Dohee’s room, where she was stretching in a white T-shirt and sweatpants.
[Why does she even look so beautiful while stretching~]
[She’s incredibly flexible!]
Of course, Bae Hayeong took it for granted.
It was Dohee’s famous routine, dating all the way back to her Seven days.
That didn’t make it any less admirable, though.
In fact, what was attracting attention now wasn’t the stretching, but Dohee’s room.
A glimpse of the room had appeared in the behind-the-scenes footage of Dohee composing a piano piece, but the frame had been filled almost entirely by the piano. This was the first time they were seeing the room itself.
“Wow, it’s really spacious...?”
It wasn’t as large as the master bedroom, but it was still remarkably roomy.
The panelists seemed curious as well and asked the exact same question.
[Seoyun: That’s right. Dohee’s room is the biggest. The maknae really... tsk... she wouldn’t yield it to her older sisters at all!]
[Seoyun seems to have some serious complaints~]
[Exactly~ How did you decide on the rooms?]
[Dohee: She’s just teasing again. I was given the room. I needed a larger room because I had to install a piano and soundproof walls. As you can see, the piano takes up a tremendous amount of space.]
[Seoyun: (teasing) Yes, actually, Naeun and I yielded it to her.]
Right then, Dohee began playing the piano on screen.
This, too, was one of Dohee’s famous routines, so Bae Hayeong accepted it without suspicion and enjoyed the sight. The panelists, however, began treating it as an excessive concept.
“Well, if she stretches and then plays the piano...”
It might have been famous among K-pop communities and the fans, but ordinary viewers and the panelists would have had no idea.
“Something like this needs to become famous...”
Bae Hayeong made a pout, feeling unfairly frustrated on Dohee’s behalf, but then—
[Seoyun: But Dohee really does this every single day when she gets up. Without fail.]
Seoyun’s firm testimony, as someone who had been with her for seven years, filled her with pride.
“See? I told you it was real! Don’t you see how admirable our girl is?”
[Dohee: Yes, it’s a routine I’ve been doing ever since I was young.]
[Oh, reallyyy? Is that why you play so well? As expected, if you want to be good at something...]
Fortunately, the panelists seemed convinced and began listening carefully to Dohee’s explanation of the song.
“Yes, this is the kind of scene that needs to air on terrestrial TV for it to spread. Hehe.”
Nodding in satisfaction, Bae Hayeong listened happily as Dohee explained the song.
Then Seoyun’s room appeared, with the sound of the piano playing in the background.
Seoyun lay blankly on her bed, staring wide-eyed at the ceiling. But when she heard the piano, she abruptly sat up.
─Sigh...
[Seoyun: Honestly, this part is kind of staged.]
Bae Hayeong felt a chill run through her before she even realized it, startled by Seoyun’s bombshell.
“Huh...? Playing the piano in the morning is a concept...?”
If Seoyun said it was a concept, people would start making all kinds of wild comments.
[Seoyun: No, usually she opens the door to wake the members and plays incredibly loudly, even pressing the pedals... But she’s playing something quiet here! I’m in the room next door, and her playing is my alarm. My alarm!]
“Oh. So it’s playing a gentle song that’s the concept.”
I thought it was something else.
What a relief.
“Still, I should use this song as my alarm, too.”
If it were Rahi, she probably would pull a prank of that magnitude on Seoyun at least once in the morning.
That was a relief.
* * *
─Every day, when I wake up and go out, she goes, “Unnie, are you up?” And then she says she’s going to show me Dohee’s superhuman technique, starting first thing in the morning...!
─Tsk!
After Seoyun and Dohee’s bickering had passed its first round—
[Ah, Naeun!]
[She’s Debonair’s leader, right?]
The next room to appear had been decorated in pure white, as if it had been designed to resemble its owner.
There was a bed trimmed with frills, and a figure could be seen faintly beneath the covers.
When the lights came on, Naeun appeared to have been awake for quite some time. She was fiddling with her phone, a cardigan already draped over her shoulders.
Then the sound of the piano came through.
But the difference between her and Seoyun was this:
─Dohee’s up?
To Naeun, the piano wasn’t a wake-up alarm.
─Judging by how gentle it is today... she must be feeling a little low on energy. I should make her some refreshing juice.
It was an alarm telling her that it was time to leave her room and start taking care of the members.
[This isn’t a concept, is it?]
[This really isn’t a concept?]
“Crazy... Is Naeun actually an angel?”
[Naeun: Dohee, go wake up the unnies~ I’ll make you some kiwi juice.]
Finally, Dohee entered and revealed the master bedroom.
There was no reaction here whatsoever—piano music or otherwise.
[Dohee: Did I play something too gentle today...? Hmm.]
On the pink queen-sized bed, only Chiyo and Wooa lay sprawled out, their arms and legs tangled together.