Quite a large curiosity settled in Gang Rojun’s eyes as he received the music video conti—or storyboards—for the ‘Vanguard’ debut tracks.
‘So these are MV storyboards—’
Rojun, who had immediately lowered his gaze to the received conti or storyboards, was additionally handed a tablet. Director Gim Gibaek smiled weakly as he passed the tablet over.
“You can look at them on the tablet or on paper conti. Since you’re a writer, I thought paper might be more comfortable, so I had them printed separately.”
“Thank you.”
“How is it? Looking at the official MV storyboards must make it feel real, right?”
Rojun, still keeping his gaze on the storyboards, smiled faintly with his eyes.
“It’s fascinating, and I’m looking forward to it.”
“It’s quite different from the expression you had when you were commanding the Japanese actors as a writer.”
“Is it?”
Director Gim Gibaek nodded slowly.
“Yes, when you were reading as a writer or actor, you oozed charisma—but now you just look like a rookie idol on the verge of debut.”
At that moment, Rojun changed the subject as if something had come to mind.
“Ah, Director. I have something to ask—would it be all right if I handled a brief personal schedule tomorrow morning?”
“A personal schedule? What is it?”
“I want to move alone. I’ll go at dawn and be back at the company by morning.”
Gang Rojun calmly informed him of what schedule he would be keeping, and Director Gim Gibaek nodded, adding the advice to leave as early as possible when there were no people around.
“As you know, covering your face is a given.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Having finished speaking, Gang Rojun fixed his eyes on the conti once more.
‘As expected, I like paper more than a tablet.’
Having tucked the tablet into the seat pocket in front of him, he skimmed the storyboards. He started with ‘Geurinbi.’
‘It’s kind of like a comic.’
The backgrounds and drawings sketched in each panel.
Rojun had seen conti or storyboards during the filming of ‘Rental Lover’ as well. However, music video storyboards were a first. The feeling was similar yet different.
‘So this is me?’
The storyboards were drawn in quite meticulous detail—from when the characters of Rojun, Sihu, Gang Min, and Do Gyeong received their solo shots, when the full shots were, to bust shots and inserts, choreography cuts, acting cuts, and so on. Moreover, because each song had a different concept, the atmospheres of the storyboards for ‘Geurinbi,’ ‘Windveil,’ and ‘Flying Bell’ were each unique.
Darkness, intensity, lightness.
Of course, the camera movements and the color and texture of the sets too. Gang Rojun, who had been looking at the conti for several tens of minutes, smiled.
‘This is going to be fun.’
The more he looked, the more his interest seemed to rise.
The workload was bound to be substantial. After all, they had to shoot three music videos at once. However, thoughts of future hardship did not mix in Rojun’s head right now. Perhaps because of that, Gang Rojun had slept incredibly well on the way to Japan, but on the return to Korea, he was so engrossed in the conti that he had no intention of sleeping.
Soon, Team Rojun arrived at the airport.
Unlike when they departed, there were no reporters or fans. This time, they had slipped back into the country without a soul knowing.
Before long, it was night.
Gang Rojun and the GN Entertainment staff quickly got into a van and left the airport, and roughly an hour later, Rojun arrived not at the company but at the lodgings.
Sihu, Gang Min, and Do Gyeong had been waiting for Gang Rojun.
“Rojun! You came straight here?”
“Ooh—Writer-nim.”
“Ooh—Actor-nim.”
The members, unified in bear pajamas, immediately latched onto Rojun. Do Gyeong spoke up first in a dry tone.
“Hyung. Spill the story.”
“What story.”
“What the top Japanese actors were like.”
Sihu and Gang Min nodded quickly as if they were dying of curiosity.
“Me too! I’m curious too! Since you’re a writer, did you direct the actors and everything?”
“There was a Japanese actress who fell for you, right?”
Rojun looked at the members like baby birds begging for food.
“······”
He went into his room without a word. The members followed behind in a line. Rojun came back out into the living room again without a word. As expected, the members followed, pitter-patter. Gang Rojun sat before the table and intoned solemnly.
“Do you want to hear it?”
The baby birds stationed themselves around him.
“We want to hear!”
“Me too!”
“I totally want to hear.”
Here, Gang Rojun vaguely felt something.
‘If I had younger brothers, would it feel like this?’
The feeling wasn’t bad, and Rojun recited for the members a moderate version of the script-reading story from ‘Like a Fairyland.’ Sihu, Gang Min, and Do Gyeong perked up their ears and focused. They were shocked, they laughed, they were surprised, they exclaimed.
Then the subject naturally shifted to the music video storyboards.
“You saw the MV storyboards, right?? They look insanely good.”
‘Vanguard’ burned the night away until midnight talking about the MV.
The morning of the 23rd, the next day.
It was around five o’clock. Because they had gone to bed late to begin with, Sihu, Gang Min, and Do Gyeong were sleeping so deeply that they wouldn’t have noticed if someone picked them up. But in the dark room, Gang Rojun quietly got up. He readied himself to leave quickly. Covering his face with a hat and mask, Rojun, wearing a black short puffer, grabbed a car key stamped with a B logo.
-Swish.
What Gang Rojun arrived at after leaving the lodgings was in front of his car parked in the underground parking lot. Rojun looked at the car with affectionate eyes.
“Come to think of it, this is my first time driving it.”
In a mood that could blow away any exhaustion, he started the car and slowly stepped on the accelerator.
“Keh—this is killer.”
Exclaiming in admiration, Gang Rojun drove down a road that was still sparsely populated with cars. Where he arrived was a certain columbarium (urn storage hall) in the Yongin area. Rojun parked his car in the 24-hour columbarium parking lot and moved his steps with familiarity.
Then, Gang Rojun stood before his parents.
“······”
Without a word, he looked up at the white urn.
This was the personal schedule Rojun had spoken of to Director Gim Gibaek. Coming to see his parents. If Gang Rojun got busier from now on, it would be even harder to find time. Now was better, at least.
Gang Rojun, who had watched his parents in silence for a moment.
-Swish.
He pulled a single photo from his puffer jacket pocket. Rojun’s jacket photo. He was showing his parents the test print.
“Dad, Mom. I’m an idol now. Absurd, isn’t it? But I’m absurd too.”
Rojun wanted to tell them all the fairyland-like events that had transpired, but he didn’t have much time. Even if he didn’t say it all, his parents were probably watching over him.
“I’ll do well and come back.”
He put the jacket photo back into his pocket. He wanted to leave it behind, but there was no helping it since someone might see it and it could become a problem. Gang Rojun, having visited his parents, got back in the car.
The destination was, of course, GN Entertainment.
-Vroom!
Gang Rojun, speeding down the highway, was filled with more and more courage.
Afterward.
Rojun, who arrived at the company a little earlier than the other members, first completed his daily mission at the gym before meeting up with Director Gim Gibaek and all the members.
The assembled ‘Vanguard’ immediately dove into practice.
-♬♪
Starting with group choreography practice to the sound of ‘Geurinbi’ ringing through the practice room. The four members practiced for several hours on their own, and next, they mixed in their own choreography team and matched their breath until night.
This situation was the same the next day after a day had passed.
“Do Gyeong! Your feet are still too fast!”
“Yes, I’m sorry.”