Chapter 25: The Technique of an Idol Who Never Fails

[No... the song... is good enough?]

[That's enough!!!!!! Kids, that's enough!!!!!!!!]

[Self-spoiler... world view... time travel... TRV suddenly doing well is scary...]

[You really put in a lot of effort%^%^%^%^]

[After hearing about the disbanding and worrying about personal activities after the promotion, the Haeul fans must have felt relieved after seeing the teaser lolololol]

[↳Our kids are so sincere%^%^%^%^]

[This time, the group dance is insane. Just one scene made me shiver ddd]

[↳Jiho was so proud%^%^%^%^]

[Each of our kids has a different dance style... it's amazing...]

[TRV finally realized that the identity of Para should be a strong group dance]

[Just turn on the light and look at this one scene, it feels like it's going to be strong, strong, strong, strong]

[↳Strong, strong, strong, strong222]

After the information in the music video teaser and the ending of the self-variety show, opinions on social media were divided about who the villain and the time traveler were.

[Is it just that Gukhyeon is the villain lololol]

[↳I don't think they would make it that way]

[If you combine the ending of the self-variety show and the teaser, you can tell that Han Hyoseok is the villain. As you can see, Han Hyoseok is the student council president in the otaku approach, so the villain is the student council president]

[↳The evidence is weak, but it makes sense]

[What's certain is that An Juwon is not the villain. He's in the art room, right? He's just a diligent friend who wants to go to art school]

[↳Just a diligent friend lololololololol]

[But I knew Shin Jiwoon was handsome, but with this styling, he looks so handsome]

[↳Is Shin Jiwoon playing the role of a third-generation chaebol?]

[↳↳This seems right, because a driver picks him up in a black car after school]

[↳↳↳Even a third-generation chaebol can be a villain...]

[I want the second teaser to come out soon%^%^%^%^%^]

[Who didn't appear in the first teaser?]

[↳Hwang Saebi, Min Jihoo, Park Sunjae, in age order]

[↳↳And Jung Haeun]

[↳↳↳Yeah, Jung Haeun...]

* * *

Second music video teaser.

Contrary to everyone's expectations, Hwang Saebi, who was usually perceived as lazy, was heading to the baseball club with a backpack.

Min Jihoo, after getting into a fistfight and being outnumbered, started running through the night streets, and Park Sunjae, in a short teaser, was seen singing a highlight part in front of the microphone in the band club.

[Min Jihoo seemed like a hardcore fan, but he's so cool]

[Traditionally, delinquents are not villains]

[Saebi... Cheongju Women's Prison... yeah...]

[What? He grew up so much]

[Everyone grew up... it's strange...]

[The maknae suddenly looks like a guy...]

And Jung Haeun quickly passed by.

To try to be as inconspicuous as possible, the scene showed him sitting alone in an empty classroom without any special features.

[Gukhyeon doesn't have much of a character]

[↳What? A pink-haired high school student has no character lololololololol?]

[↳↳What? lololololololol]

[The concept is 'alone']

[But this time, Jung Haeun... even just listening to the teaser, the song is well-made, so I can't criticize it...]

[↳Me too...]

[↳It's not that the quality is great, but it feels like they tried to get a song that fits Firstlight]

[Let's acknowledge it, this is the first song that feels right among the songs Firstlight has received so far]

* * *

When the people from Park Jongryeol Entertainment checked the teaser, they received a lot of calls. The first to contact me were Bu Jeongtae and Park Hee-young, my first entertainers.

Bu Jeongtae made me laugh to ease my tension, and Park Hee-young gave me advice as a senior singer. Wow, that's reassuring.

The release date, which had always seemed far away, was gradually approaching.

It was June 14th, and 20 minutes before the 6 PM release of the music.

I stayed up all night despite practicing until 3 AM. I couldn't sleep at all, so there was nothing I could do.

The music and music video would be released simultaneously today, and the first music show would be on Thursday, the day after tomorrow.

I spent the longest night of my life, worried about whether everything would go smoothly.

At 6 PM, the music would be released, and the Firstlight members, except for me, were scheduled to do a group X live at 9 PM.

I unconsciously kept pulling and releasing my sleeve to relieve my anxiety. The members kept asking if I was nervous, but I was so tense that I couldn't hear them clearly.

According to the members, Firstlight's fans would create playlists for streaming before watching the music video once it was released.

The relationship between idols and fans is really amazing. Idols perform the stages they want, and fans give them unconditional love.

Even though the fans might not think I'm a member of Firstlight, I will think of myself as a fan of Sunrise for the six-month contract period. Anyway, for six months, I am a member of this team. I will think that the fans like the team I'm in. Hehe.

"The Haeul fans have to like it."

I thought the members would laugh at my unintentional comment, so I quickly lifted my head. But for the first time, Hwang Saebi, who met my eyes, nodded.

"That's right."

Min Jihoo, sitting cross-legged on the sofa, said.

"If the Haeul fans don't like it, there's no fun in promoting. I hope they like it this time. I want to hear their excited cheers. You know that feeling, right? That moment, that cheer."

"I know, I know."

As we were talking, all the members suddenly became quiet, and the clock pointed to 6 PM.

And Firstlight's digital single, "Turn on the Light," was released.

The members were busy checking the music video comments as soon as 6 PM arrived. I covered my face with my hands, and Shin Jiwoon said,

"Haeun, I know you're busy preparing for the comeback, but will you work on the next album too?"

I lifted my head and asked,

"Are you making that up?"

"Wait and see."

Shin Jiwoon posted a photo in the group chat with the manager and two members. It was a screenshot of a comment.

[Haeun, I know you're busy preparing for the comeback, but will you work on the next album too%^%^%^%^%^]

Wow.

Wow.

Just one person's praise, but I feel like I'm going to go crazy.

I covered my face with my hands again, but I couldn't stop smiling.

My heart feels like it's going to burst.

"I want to do the music show quickly."

When I said that, Min Jihoo next to me said he also wanted to show the Haeul fans our group dance quickly. I shouldn't have said anything. It's so noisy.

At that moment, I heard the members laughing.

"Haeun, you won't do Instagram... I'll send this to you."

An Juwon said and sent an Instagram screenshot to the group chat.

It was our sister, Jung Su-yeon. I learned for the first time that all the Firstlight members had followed her account since the time of Gukseon.

There were two photos, one of her post and one of her feed.

Her feed, filled with photos of her artwork, had one photo that really stood out: a photo of me playing the piano when I was in elementary school.

[My brother, Jung Haeun, is making music again.

He was really good at the piano... but when he was little, he said he would stop playing the piano because it was a burden for my study abroad fees.

I'm a bit unfilial (^^) and always feel more sorry for my brother's sacrifice than my parents' sacrifices. I can repay my parents, but I can't repay him for giving up the piano.

Haeun! You love singing! You seem to be a musician no matter what~^^]

"What kind of TMI are you spilling so thoroughly?"

I felt a bit choked up and grumbled.

I don't understand why she keeps feeling sorry for me. As a younger brother, I must have put her in countless situations where she had to suffer for no reason. I was the one who should have felt sorry to both my parents and my sister.

* * *

After celebrating the release of the music, the members started preparing for the X live. Since Hwang Saebi had dyed his hair blonde just before the comeback, he carefully covered his hair with a hoodie.

I wasn't confident that I wouldn't freeze up during the 1-hour X live, so I decided to skip it this time.

After the members started the comeback X live, I went into the practice room alone.

I turned on the music and practiced the choreography as if I were going to throw everything away. Usually, I don't think about anything else, but today, I kept thinking about the comment I saw earlier.

'Will you work on the next album too?'

When I stand on stage, there is at least one audience member on my side. Definitely. There is someone on my side.

That's how much it can help.

Actually, I have been working on a song recently.

After An Juwon gave me the lyrics he wrote last time, I had been thinking about how to make a love song for this shy boy.

Then I thought, what if I made it a prequel to Firstlight's previous promotional song, "First Proposal"?

"First Proposal" was criticized for not fitting Firstlight's concept and being a bit bland, but it wasn't a bad song. So, I thought about giving it a story.

I had an outline.

As the saying goes, "Do your best and leave the rest to fate." I wanted to do my part and spin the roulette.

[Red Roulette A-grade Ticket × 1]

The shiny red roulette wheel spun and slowly stopped.

And the reward appeared.

[Choose your reward (1 choice)]

[Trackmaker A]

[Topliner B]

Wow.

So simple.

A trackmaker who makes the instrumental track and a topliner who makes the melody.

If I had spun the roulette better, there might have been a topliner A. But honestly, it doesn't affect my choice. This is a matter of my preference and working style.

[I choose 'Topliner B']

At that moment, I felt a flood of the many pieces of music I had learned since I was young flowing through my mind. It felt like a bookshelf appeared in my head, and the music was neatly organized.

During my two years of hikikomori, I avoided music at all costs. At that time, I felt like music was my second choice. I thought I would never be able to do it again.

'Topliner B' wasn't about acquiring a completely new skill.

They say you need to read a lot to write well, right? The same goes for music. You need to listen a lot.

'Topliner B' was a skill that made all the music I had heard and learned, which I had tried to forget and had made blurry, reveal their presence in my mind.

[Acquired Reward

Presentation Skill B

Topliner B

L-grade hit production probability 0%

S-grade hit production probability 0%

A-grade hit production probability 1%

B-grade hit production probability 10%

C-grade hit production probability 20%]

"Wow."

I want to go and make 100 songs quickly. 1% means that if I make 100 songs, one will be an A-grade hit, right?

Of course, I know it won't be 100 songs done half-heartedly. I also think I will need inspiration.

But anyway, this is a probability that applies only if I am composing.

While I was thinking about this, the status screen suddenly turned red.

[Sudden! Overcome the crisis]

Uh...

When I saw that status screen before, it was probably...

Park Hee-young almost had a breakdown...

As soon as I remembered that day, I ran out of the practice room without knowing what the crisis was.