Chapter 36: The Techniques of an Idol Who Never Fails

"No, that guy just suddenly starts working like that."

"Work addiction is also a disease."

Only after I finished writing and saving the lyrics did I hear the conversation beside me. Turning my head, I saw the members waiting for me at a distance.

Looking at them gathered here, I thought it would be hard for anyone to approach and talk to them. They all looked like celebrities even from a hundred meters away.

"Don't gather outside. It's scary."

Before I could say anything, Shin Ji-un put his arm around my shoulder and said,

"This guy is being prickly again."

"I feel like it's really 190 when you put your arm around me."

"It's not 190."

Before Shin Ji-un could show off, I easily removed his arm and sat in the passenger seat. Hwang Saebi, sitting diagonally across from me, asked,

"You learned something from Min Jihoo? Aren't you embarrassed?"

"I taught him a thing or two. Hyun, are you grateful?"

"...Yeah, I am. Thank you."

As I reluctantly answered, Min Jihoo chuckled. I feel so upset, so upset.

Anyway, I did write down what I felt when I met the Haeul members, but I'm not sure if it will really become a fan song. I want to show them only bright and good things, but the lyrics might feel a bit melancholic.

Fortunately, there are six people in two cars who can share my concerns. All six have distinct tastes, and they speak their minds about music and the stage regardless of their introversion or extroversion. They're not usually reliable, but during songwriting, they always become my support.

With not much time left, I'm trying to create a track and send it to Yang Hyun before the shoot, but Manager Kang Young-ho scolded me.

"Mr. Hae-won, I'm getting carsick."

"I'll finish soon."

"Ugh, you'll regret it in five minutes."

I knew he was right, but I couldn't stop for fear that the ideas in my head would fly away. And as Kang Young-ho predicted, I started feeling carsick within five minutes.

Fortunately, the shooting location wasn't far.

When we arrived at the school, the props and graffiti from the music video shoot were gone, and it looked like a real school.

Park Sun-jae clung to my arm and said,

"Isn't it too late to shoot when the days are so long? And it's even raining."

Shin Ji-un, standing next to him, replied,

"During the day, we need to hire teachers and students, which costs a lot of money."

"Oh, it's a budget issue? Then it's fine, I guess..."

Wow, our youngest member has grown up.

Anyway, all seven of us, playing the role of students, wore school uniforms. Stylist Lee Ye-young gave us barcode-shaped tattoo stickers under our left ears, which we would use in today's shoot.

The recording started in an empty classroom. As Park Sun-jae said, it was already past six, and it had been raining all day, making it even darker.

Only Hwang Saebi, who was the host, received a script. Hwang Saebi, who is weak at improvisation, usually doesn't speak much on broadcasts, but once he gets the script, he faithfully performs his duties.

Although Shin Ji-un and An Ju-won are being pushed for acting by the agency, I think Hwang Saebi might be the best fit for acting.

After we sat down, Hwang Saebi, standing in front of the teacher's desk, said seriously,

"We have successfully time-traveled. This is 20 years ago."

Shin Ji-un raised his hand and asked,

"According to the setting, aren't we all the same age?"

"Yes, that's correct."

"Then shouldn't we use informal language?"

"Is that so? PD, should we use informal language?"

Hwang Saebi asked, and the PD of Firstlight Company, Kim Jae-sung, replied,

"Formal language is fine for the meeting, but you can use informal language if you feel more comfortable. According to the setting, all members are the same age."

I responded,

"Then should Hyo-sik use informal language with the seniors?"

"Yes, that would be good."

I looked at Han Hyo-sik, sitting next to me, and chuckled.

"That's what they said. Hae-won, try it."

"Ah... How do I call a senior by their name?"

"We're the same age, remember?"

"Can we do this in a country of etiquette? Is it okay with the censors?"

"What censors for a YouTube broadcast?"

The kid just sighed, feeling burdened. He's also subtly teasing.

"...Hae-won."

"Yeah, Hyo-sik. We're the same age, right? Let's get along."

As I teased him with a handshake, An Ju-won said,

"Jung Hae-won is talking a lot today. Why are you so happy?"

"Because I slept well."

Hwang Saebi, looking serious, replied,

"What are you talking about? You were carsick the whole way here. And you even got mad at the manager when he mentioned it."

...I have nothing to say about that.

I kept quiet, and An Ju-won, who came in the other car, asked curiously,

"What song were you working on?"

To avoid spoiling it on camera, I whispered to An Ju-won,

"A fan song."

"Oh. Can you play it for me later?"

"Sure."

"Ju-won, what did you work on?"

Shin Ji-un asked from a distance, and An Ju-won replied,

"He said he'll play it for me later."

"Hey."

"You're actually better at singing than I thought. I always listen to your guide vocals."

"Why do you listen to them?"

"They make me laugh when I want to."

"No, that means you listen to them because they're funny."

Instead of answering, An Ju-won chuckled. I need to practice more to get over this humiliation and become a better singer.

Meanwhile, Hwang Saebi continued in front of the whiteboard set up by the production team.

"Let's write down what we know so far."

The members raised their hands one by one and spoke.

"Earth will be destroyed in 20 years."

"There's one time traveler who can only travel through time twice."

"There's a villain!"

They filled the whiteboard as they spoke.

Hwang Saebi closed the pen cap and said,

"Clues about our abilities are hidden throughout the school."

"Oh, it's a treasure hunt?"

"The school is too big. There are three buildings, including the annex."

Hwang Saebi, as if waiting for this, replied,

"Since the school is too large, the production team prepared maps and walkie-talkies. ...Are we short on budget?"

Hwang Saebi held up three maps and asked, and the staff burst into laughter.

"We thought you should split into teams."

"Oh, right. If we go alone, we won't have enough footage."

"Are you talking about yourself?"

I said, and Hwang Saebi, looking exasperated, replied,

"You're not particularly interesting either."

"You're more interesting than me."

"Let's go separately. Do you know what happens when uninteresting people go together?"

"It gets even more uninteresting?"

"Exactly."

Later, when we watched the video together, I saw a subtitle saying, "Surprisingly, they matched well."

Although we said we would go separately, we divided into teams by age. The youngest, 07, was scared, so he went with 06, forming a team of three.

Before we started, 06, Han Hyo-sik, and Min Jihoo were bickering as usual, so I said,

"Stop fighting."

"We're not fighting!"

"Min Jihoo, if you don't start trouble."

"When did I start trouble!"

Seeing them about to fight again, I said to Han Hyo-sik,

"Hyo-sik, from what I see, you start trouble more often."

"Me?"

"Yeah."

Han Hyo-sik was so shocked that he froze. Min Jihoo and Park Sun-jae chuckled and pushed and pulled him away.

After sending the youngest members off, I was about to go back to the classroom when a thunderclap and lightning struck. The dark corridor flashed, and I almost swore, so I covered my mouth with both hands. I almost swore on camera.

"This is like a horror movie."

I quickly ran to find Hwang Saebi.

This isn't going to be easy today...

* * *

During the last music video shoot, there were many staff members, and it was daytime, so it felt like a school on vacation. But now, with the sun setting and us searching the school, it felt like an abandoned school.

However, since other idols have shot music videos here, the management was quite good.

Hwang Saebi, checking the map with me, asked,

"Who are the scared members? You know the youngest."

"Shin Ji-un is also secretly scared."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah, when we played a horror game with Guksun, he couldn't even look at the screen."

"Then our team is the bravest."

"Right..."

That means...

"...We should go to the science lab, Hae-won?"

"Right, we're the seniors..."

The science lab was in a separate annex. The other scared members wouldn't go there, and it was suspiciously marked on the map, so we decided to go.

Hwang Saebi held up the walkie-talkie.

"This is 25. We're going to the science lab."

Then a voice came from the other side.

-This is 31. Hyung, we're in the art room, and it's scary...

Oh, our youngest. The art room looks scary just by looking at it.

-This is 61 Plus. We're going to the 3rd grade 1st class.

The members' movement numbers, derived from the choreography of "If I Become a Star," are all two-digit numbers, but two members have unique numbers due to specific issues.

One is An Ju-won, who moves to 743, and the other is Shin Ji-un, who, due to the small practice room, ends with 1 like Park Sun-jae during practice but takes three more steps on stage, making it "61 Plus."

I turned off the walkie-talkie and said,

"The 05s seem a bit villainous, with their unique call signs."

"Could there be two villains?"

"They didn't say there was only one."

"Oh, right? I just assumed there was one."

We walked to the science lab on the shaded path while talking.

As expected, the annex was terrifying from the moment we opened the door. Unlike other places, the lights were off, and we had to rely on two flashlights.

Everything that should be in a science lab, which is scary at night, was there. Fortunately, neither Hwang Saebi nor I were particularly scared of such things, so we searched around. I headed towards the human anatomy models, which scared members wouldn't even approach. Using my flashlight, I found a barcode scanner and a phone, as expected.

"What's that?"

"A barcode scanner."

As soon as I answered, Hwang Saebi scanned the barcode on my left ear, and the phone showed the time.

[19 years 364 days 23 hours 7 minutes 56 seconds]

[19 years 364 days 23 hours 7 minutes 55 seconds]

"This must be our remaining lifespan. The shoot has been going on for about two hours, and Earth will be destroyed in 20 years and 1 hour."

"Oh."

Hwang Saebi, wanting to share the information, turned on the walkie-talkie. He's surprisingly leader-like at times. Of course, I explained it since Hwang Saebi said he couldn't summarize.

"