Chapter 66: The Techniques of an Idol Who Never Fails

In response to Hwang Saegil's words, Lee Ye-yeong, the stylist, answered instead.

"Do you know how hard it is to give Haewon a strong styling?"

"I know."

So, I interjected with a sense of injustice.

"But I do everything when I'm told to."

"Yeah, you don't say no. But when we try to draw your eyes a bit more boldly, it looks like a cat wearing boots, and the process doesn't go well."

At this, the shop employees chimed in from the side.

"See, when it's to his disadvantage, he starts acting cute."

"Oh, how unjust."

I grumbled and hesitated for a while, then decided to just give up and look at the mirror.

Looking at the other members, I could guess my own state. The eye makeup took longer than usual, and with the addition of the black leather jacket, it was obvious that it was a strong look. It must look terrible.

Anyway, today's Firstlight almost resembled a Chrome Hearts exhibition. I also got a ring and a piercing. I had gotten it done during my trainee days, but it had almost closed up because it had been so long.

"Can't you just force it open?"

When I said this to the employee who was struggling, Shin Ji-un scolded me from the side.

"No, man. Is it easy to do that to someone else's body?"

"Then you do it."

"At once?"

"Yeah."

"Even if it's not in the right spot, I won't know."

"Alright."

Shin Ji-un came over and pressed the piercing into my ear, making a squelching sound. Despite the creepy sound, it seemed to fit in the right place.

"Is this right? Check it out."

As Shin Ji-un casually handed me the mirror, I cursed and hit it as soon as I saw my face. The face that briefly appeared in the mirror was not something I could show on stage. It was extremely strong and unpleasant.

The mirror I was handing fell and broke, and immediately after, I looked for the camera with my eyes. Fortunately, there were no cameras or production staff. I then assessed the situation a bit later. The atmosphere had naturally turned tense.

Oh, man. How must I look like a lunatic? I created this concept, but I can't handle it.

I sighed at my own pitiful state, and Shin Ji-un said as if nothing had happened.

"Do we not need to disinfect it or something?"

"If you put it in well, we don't need to."

"But I'm just wondering if you did."

At this, Min Ji-ho came over to check my ear from behind.

"Does it look right? At least it's not crooked."

"Really? That's a relief."

Since Shin Ji-un and Min Ji-ho were calm, the atmosphere quickly returned to normal. I tried to clean up the mirror but was pushed away by the employees.

"Haewon, go over there."

"Since I broke it, I'll clean it up."

As I crouched down to speak, Shin Ji-un sat next to me and said,

"Sorry, I forgot you didn't want to see the mirror. Actually, I broke it."

"Right, you broke it."

"Oh, both of you are in the way, go, a bit!"

Fortunately, it was a good mirror, and the pieces didn't fly everywhere, so it was quickly cleaned up.

Even after that, the members were noisier than usual before going on stage. I knew the employees were trying to change the atmosphere, so they acted busier than usual. Although it was uncomfortable, I was grateful, so I just tried to laugh and chat as usual.

Soon, it was time to go on stage. When only the members were left in the elevator on the way to the stage, Park Sun-jae said to me,

"Haewon, your face looks good today, why are you like this?"

At this, the members and I laughed a bit. Then I asked jokingly,

"Really, it looks good?"

"Yeah! I want to look like you."

"Ha."

"Really."

Still, it's just a compliment. Even if it's a lie, my heart felt much lighter. I'm so simple. Hehe.

The stage set we went up on was magnificent. It seemed like all the money saved from the third mission was poured into this. TRV must have spent at least ten times the basic budget given by KQS.

This shows how important they considered today's final stage, and simultaneously, how much 'The Rising' was on the rise.

The Firstlight members all knew this, so they poured their energy into the stage as if it were the last one of their lives.

After the stage, I looked at the audience's expressions.

Contrary to my expectations, the audience was looking at me with sparkling eyes. It didn't seem as bad as I had feared.

Really, it's a relief. Really, it's a huge relief.

I smiled back at those sparkling eyes, hoping the audience would remember me with a smiling face.

After the stage, we all lay down on the mats in the waiting room as if we had planned it. For a while, no one spoke.

After a long time, An Joo-won spoke up.

"Haewon."

"Yeah?"

"Do you think you can make a better song than this in your entire life?"

At An Joo-won's words, I laughed in disbelief.

"Yeah."

"......That's great."

At this, the members burst into giggles. I also chuckled.

* * *

New Days' producer, Heo Hae-jun, was at the pre-recording venue for the final mission.

He had been to the previous three stages, and each time, the atmosphere was noticeably different. The rising trend of the show could be felt in the audience's mood.

He knew that one of the two songs created by Jeong Haewon went to New Days, and the other to Firstlight.

He was curious about the song 'Matteo' chosen by the Firstlight members through a meeting.

The responsibility PD, Woo Hye-jeong, was his college classmate. As Heo Hae-jun took the coffee Woo Hye-jeong handed him, he said,

"Man, why are the kids working so hard on their own?"

"It's because of their ability... but I guess it's also luck."

Woo Hye-jeong took a sip of her coffee and continued,

"When they were on the verge of failing in the first week, everyone was criticizing them. The atmosphere here was really dark. But just now, when I met the director, he was smiling brightly."

"Ratings are personality."

"Exactly."

As they laughed together, the stage began.

After Woo Hye-jeong left, Heo Hae-jun watched the stage. After it ended, when Woo Hye-jeong returned, Heo Hae-jun asked,

"Hye-jeong, would it be too pathetic if I felt rivalry with the 2004-borns?"

At this, Woo Hye-jeong took another sip of her coffee, which was probably her fifth today, and replied,

"You should feel rivalry with the kids, not the older generation. They're starting to retire, and our generation is already in its prime."

"True. That's also right."

"Better not tell the kids. They'll be shocked."

"2004-borns... If we had succeeded in our third love, we'd be older than them."

At this, Woo Hye-jeong laughed and said,

"How grateful I am that such kids are born one by one. When I fall into a rut, they snap me out of it."

"Exactly. That's what I wanted to say. Ah, if he just holds his mental state, he'll definitely make it."

At this, Woo Hye-jeong nodded in agreement.

* * *

On the evening of the pre-recording day, the second episode of the third mission was broadcast.

After the six units performed in turn, it was the final stage. While drinking water in the New Days' practice room, Jeong Haewon said,

"Stop staring at me. I have stage fright."

"Sorry!"

[It's almost like a kindergarten atmosphere lol]

[They're only a year or two apart, why do they act like teachers and kids lol]

Jeong Haewon, who was getting up because the members were staring at him too much, turned to look at the members who were following him cautiously and said,

"I'm going to the studio. Are you coming?"

"Ah!"

Only then did the members back off. Jeong Haewon headed to Heo Hae-jun's studio, feeling ridiculous.

After listening to the finished song, Heo Hae-jun asked,

"Why did you specifically want an Eastern-style arrangement? Trying to steal my skills!"

"No, that's not... the reason."

[That's also a reason lol]

[It was lol]

"This song's narrator is sorrowful. There are many such Korean folk songs. Like, 'You can't even walk ten miles before your feet blister.' The words seem like a curse, but the song feels sad and also like a simple statement. I like that ambiguity."

"You're asking for something really picky, too. So, you want a sorrowful yet lively arrangement?"

"Right."

"Then you might as well ask for a warm iced Americano."

"Ah, you're a reasonable person, so I'll ask. You can do anything, right?"

"Phew, this guy will have a hard time."

"If he hears that, he'll really be happy. Knowing someone understands his hard work."

Then Heo Hae-jun's interview appeared.

"The biggest thing I felt while working together, this is not a compliment but a criticism. Since I'm a producer under the company, people keep coming to my studio. Every time, this guy gets up to greet them."

"Is that a criticism?"

When the production staff asked, Heo Hae-jun continued,

"Yes, it is. I said there's no one in this company who expects a greeting from someone they're working with, but he said he doesn't like it when people dislike him. But I told him that as a musician, music should be more important."

Heo Hae-jun cleared his throat and continued,

"He said he does music to be loved. Maybe he doesn't really like music. Where in the world is such a lie? So, this is a song sung by a liar."

After Heo Hae-jun's interview, the final stage of the third mission. 'Trace' followed.

The real-time chat was bustling with curiosity about the results of Kang Jin-young's strategy.

[X is really praising it]

[If the song wasn't that good, the mood would have cooled down]

Then the stage began with Kang Jin-young's short performance.

[A pillar floating on the water is a fragment of memory]

The choreography started with waves on the floor screen where the members were sitting. Since it was both a stage for the audience and for filming, the camera captured the members' expressions as they sang the introduction, tilting their heads.

Next, the choreography continued, using the members' bodies to express the rippling shadows on the water. Since New Days had been taught dance by the company, the members skillfully performed the flexible and light choreography.

[What makes me sad is memory, what makes me happy is my small room]

The members stopped their movements at the end of the last lyrics, and the stage was lit with a grid of lights. The six unit members stood inside the grid, and the stage ended.

At the same time, the real-time chat exploded with messages.

[Damn, I held my breath without realizing it]

[What is this, it's like art]

[Damn, Heo Hae-jun was so calm when he got this song, but his reaction was that intense]

[↳That's what I would say lol]

[↳If I got this song, I'd go crazy]

[The unit stages were well-made, but this one is on a different level]

[Even the other unit stages, which were made by gathering random people, were quite good, but this one is incomparable]

[Kang Jin-young's strategy is really working lol]

[↳This kid is really a genius]

[↳It's not a unit, but it feels like a unit lol]

[Is this strategy really working...?]

[↳The wildcard is dominating the game]

[↳Kang Jin-young was frozen for a moment when she got this song lol]

[But if you listen to it thinking it's about trauma, it's...]

And the Firstlight fans' theories about Jeong Haewon, who had been curious about him since his two-year absence after Guksuna, continued.

[Haewon said he didn't contact the kids for two years. And he didn't go to school or be a trainee]

[↳Yeah... I've been thinking about this too]

[↳Didn't everyone think about this...]

[↳It seems to fit the circumstances]

[Haewon, he was probably just in his room for two years after Guksuna]

[↳Man, he must have gone crazy...]

* * *