Chapter 21: The Technique of an Idol Who Never Fails

The upload date for the self-produced variety show we filmed is just one day away.

I heard that seven employee ID photos were posted on the official account before that, but I haven’t checked the internet at all, so I have no idea what the atmosphere is like. On the contrary, not knowing made me feel more at ease. Besides, I was staying up almost every night with the choreography team and Min Jihoo, working on the choreography, so I didn’t have time to worry about it.

I was incredibly happy to be choreographing again after two years.

After coming out of the practice room and modifying the choreography details with Min Jihoo, I lay down on the floor, exhausted. Min Jihoo, looking up at the ceiling, said:

“Members will probably hate us when they see this choreography.”

“Maybe.”

“Really, they might.”

The choreography was incredibly difficult. We broke it down and changed the movements by the second. We ran non-stop for 3 minutes and 30 seconds.

Min Jihoo kept making the choreography more and more difficult, and I should have tried to stop him, but I just admired and encouraged him, which ended up creating a choreography that would knock us out after one performance.

After lying down and resting for a bit, it was time for the X Live schedule. Min Jihoo, fixing his hair in the mirror, said:

“Bro, when can we turn on the X Live whenever we want?”

“I’ll go and discuss it.”

“Man, it’s great having you around. You pass on the message right away.”

Min Jihoo sat down excitedly.

As the X Live started, I moved away.

There were probably a lot of comments about me, but Min Jihoo was continuing the conversation naturally as usual.

While chatting and sharing TMI, Min Jihoo made a mistake in an instant.

“Why do you keep asking about Hyewon-ssi? Talk to me.”

While I was thinking about how Min Jihoo is the only member of First Light who acts without restraint, he continued:

“I really enjoyed choreographing with Hyewon-ssi after a long time. I can’t wait to show it. Hyewon-ssi, come here for a moment.”

Hey, you crazy kid.

I mouthed, but Min Jihoo didn’t budge and was waving happily.

“Come on, quickly.”

He was going to keep calling until I came. The staff urged me to appear on screen quickly, so I put on a mask and a cap and went to Min Jihoo. Then, Min Jihoo covered the visible comments on the screen with his hand and said:

“Sorry, I’ll cover it for a moment. Hyewon-ssi can’t see the comments at all.”

I bowed slightly and tried to leave the screen, but Min Jihoo said:

“What if you just leave? Say something. Don’t you have anything to say?”

If I had to say something, it would always be the same.

I looked at the floor and said:

“I missed you. So, please don’t hate me too much.”

I said that and immediately left the screen, saying:

“You can’t upload this, now.”

“Come on, I know. Bro, I’m a pro now.”

Min Jihoo giggled and spread his arms, saying to the fans:

“So, enjoy this moment, everyone.”

He seemed to be regaining his personality, which had been suppressed recently. But it doesn’t seem to be all good.

* * *

Saturday, 7:00 PM.

A new series of First Light’s self-produced variety show, “iRound,” was uploaded.

[Is this really a national scandal?]

[Seven employee IDs, spot on...]

[There probably aren’t many First Light fans watching this right now lol]

[↳I’m still watching because our kids are in it...]

[↳Me too... But it’s good that the views are doing well despite the anger 😭]

[Just looking at today’s views, I get why TRV signed the national scandal 😂]

[↳If they just boosted the views and left... Isn’t that a bit too much? 😭]

[↳What’s too much? 😂 Right now, TRV is the one being too much to First Light fans.]

[But the line about not hating him even if you hate him is kind of touching.]

[↳You too? Me too...]

[More than anything, it’s clear that Jiho really likes the national scandal... I thought he was just saying it, but seeing him talk, it’s completely different from the atmosphere during the National Selection.]

[↳Honestly, I saw Jiho this excited for the first time since First Light started activities.]

[↳Jiho’s biggest fans must have been really conflicted yesterday.]

[↳↳Where did you see that?]

[↳The video was deleted, but if you look, it might still be there.]

The broadcast of “iRound” started with the First Light members arriving at the filming location. The members said as they entered the set:

- Wow, the air is so fresh.

- It’s nice now, but it might be scary at night.

- Bro, take care of me at night. I’m really scared.

- Yeah, Seonjae is really scared.

[Wow, TRV must have spent a lot of money this time 😮]

[The kids are so cute, I’m pausing every second 😭]

[Is the national scandal in it a lot?]

[↳Not really.]

[↳Almost all of it was cut.]

Then, along with the employee IDs, walkie-talkies were handed to First Company and Light Company. The members were amazed by the walkie-talkies they were using for the first time. Shin Jiwoon said:

- Don’t we need to make a call sign?

At that moment, Jung Hyewon, who hadn’t been caught on camera at all, said:

- Use that. “If I become a star” movement numbers.

Then, Min Jihoo reacted intensely.

- Wow, it gives me goosebumps. That’s a real memory. I remember all our movement numbers.

Hwang Saebi replied:

- I don’t think anyone here doesn’t remember. We practiced so much back then. Let’s use it as our call sign.

While talking, Han Hyosuk explained to the PD:

- When we sing “If I become a star,” five of us stand in a star shape, and two of us keep drawing lines and running through the gaps. This is a constantly changing movement, so it’s really difficult.

- It was really, really difficult.

An Joo-won agreed. Han Hyosuk continued:

- Because the members are focused on running, they can’t catch the timing when the music ends. But in the National Selection practice room, there are numbers from 1 to 10 on the mirrors for the movements. So, we put numbers on the mirrors for our final movement. Since I’m 29, I run from mirror 2 to mirror 9 for the ending.

- You can see this in the “If I become a star” broadcast.

Min Jihoo said:

The call sign was announced every time First Light used the walkie-talkies, bringing a moment of joy to First Light fans.

[The kids really remember everything 😭😭😭😭]

[To remember this for over two years, how much did they practice...]

[The unique numbers are too... too...]

Then, Jung Hyewon, who was mostly edited out throughout the broadcast, used the walkie-talkie for the first time. Jung Hyewon turned on the walkie-talkie and said:

- This is 17. This is 17. Why isn’t it working... Oh, I didn’t turn it on.

A small subtitle appeared below the scene:

[*Actually, it’s 14.]

* * *

I was watching “iRound” with the members in the dorm living room as soon as 7:00 PM arrived.

Wow, the quality is worth the money they spent.

My parts were mostly edited out, but I specifically asked to keep the 17 scene. I went into the filming for this. I was nervous, but it was a pretty natural performance. Haha.

An Joo-won, who figured out why I said 17, muttered:

“...Jung Hyewon is crazy.”

The quick-witted ones were giggling, and Min Jihoo, looking around, asked:

“Why? Why are you laughing?”

Then, Han Hyosuk answered:

“Hyewon-ssi said the number of our movement before it changed.”

“Yeah, so?”

“Remember, in the ‘If I become a star’ mid-evaluation video, Hyewon-ssi’s part was a compilation of pre-modification practice videos. In the mid-evaluation video, the mirror number where Hyewon-ssi stood for the ending was 7.”

“Oh.”

Min Jihoo, who usually gets excited easily, jumped up and said:

“So, that 17 is proof that it’s a compilation video?”

Then, he quickly calmed down and asked me:

“But will the fans find it? It goes by too quickly.”

“Fans.”

Shin Jiwoon corrected him, and Min Jihoo changed his words:

“Will the fans find it? It goes by too quickly.”

We agreed to use extreme honorifics in public from the National Selection days to avoid slip-ups, especially in the early stages. It was a promise to show the importance of the fans.

At that moment, Hwang Saebi, who was looking at his phone in the corner of the sofa, said:

“...They already found it?”

* * *

[What is he? Silver hair?]

[The national scandal can’t be criticized for his looks 😂]

[Even knowing his personality, I’m still shocked...]

[But he didn’t look this good during the National Selection...?]

[The agency was known for not spending money on styling, but I didn’t know he looked like this...]

[But how could he mix up those numbers? It’s his ending part, especially the one he absolutely can’t get wrong...]

[The kids practiced so much that they still remember, so I’m rewatching the ‘If I become a star’ video, and Jung Hyewon is 17, right?]

[Huh?]

[In the mid-evaluation, when Jung Hyewon forgot his ending, he was standing at mirror 7.]

[↳What?]

[↳So, 17 was the number before the movement was modified?]

[↳↳No, it’s the mid-evaluation. After the modification.]

[Oh, then this...]

[100% compilation]

[↳Yeah, it seems like a scene from before the lyrics were modified was cut in.]

[This means Jung Hyewon didn’t sing the ending part, right? It wasn’t in the pre-modification version...]

[Didn’t they trash him for not doing the ending part at that time? 😂😂😂😂 It’s not normal for an idol to forget the ending.]

[↳They really trashed him 😂 I commented once that he might have lacked confidence in his vocals, and I still have trauma from the curses I got...]

TRV’s album production team leader, Jeong Seon-mi, recalled Jung Hyewon, who had suddenly presented the First Light world view a while ago, while watching the increasingly heated comments.

‘An entertainment company can’t fight with VMC. I’ll handle the trouble myself, so the company should just say they didn’t know anything.’

VMC.

The music broadcasting company that aired the nationally selected idol. And the management company that owned this broadcasting company was VVV Entertainment, one of the top entertainment companies.

An absolute power in the cultural industry that no entertainment company or broadcasting company wanted to cross.

Park Hee-taek, the CEO, said:

‘If you’re so hated by VMC that it will negatively affect First Light, I can’t cover for you.’

‘I know. If that happens, I’ll be a nobody in six months, anyway.’

‘Are you okay with that?’

Then, Jung Hyewon chuckled and continued:

‘I told you I’d go for a direct breakthrough. I meant it.’

That day, Team Leader Jeong Seon-mi thought Jung Hyewon’s actions were driven by a desire for revenge.

But as she got to know him better, she realized he was pushing himself to change the image the public had of him, knowing he would eventually have to stand on stage.

Team Leader Jeong Seon-mi sighed and resumed the variety show.

After the members’ warm and friendly opening, the noise from the teaser passed.