Chapter 91: The Technique of an Idol Who Never Fails

- But why? Are you really going to try to get along well with VMC?

In response to Manager Park Jung-un's question, I gave an ambiguous answer.

"That's something we'll have to see when the time comes."

Actually, I don't really plan to try to get along with VMC. Still, it would be nice if it looked like attacking the company wouldn't benefit me.

But since Manager Park Jung-un is no longer my manager, there was no need to explain it in such detail.

I hung up the phone and looked at the proposal again.

It's ridiculous that I can look at another company's proposal, especially one that hasn't even been finalized. That guy really chose the wrong career path.

By the way.

[A story about aspiring idols who have various pains and dreams of debuting, growing together with mentor Jung Hae-won]

...Who am I to teach anyone? I'm genuinely curious about who came up with this idea. We can barely handle it ourselves.

I wondered if I had misunderstood the meaning of 'mentor' all this time, but when I looked it up in the dictionary, it was just as I knew it: a person who guides and advises others based on their experience and knowledge.

"If I could do this, our members would have done better than this."

With their credentials and the recognition they gained from appearing twice in survival shows, not being able to win a single 1st place in music shows during their one and a half years of debut...

It seems partly my fault for writing the songs, but I decided to pretend I didn't know and blame the company.

After finishing the title track and just sending it to Yang, it wasn't just that the outside had gotten dark; it was already 1 PM.

"Damn, when did it get so late?"

I muttered to myself and then opened a new file. Since I hadn't been able to work on the B-sides while focusing on the big Blue song, I wanted to work on at least one.

Just as I was about to start, the studio door opened, and Min Ji-ho poked his head in and asked.

"Oppa, have you had lunch? I'm collecting members to order chicken."

"Yeah, I want to eat. I'm hungry."

I answered, got up from my seat, and moved to Room 304 with Min Ji-ho. All the members were already gathered, discussing what to order. It seems they all had no schedules today. There's no need to refuse personal activities to this extent...

Since the members are usually quiet in front of others, the personal activity companies that initially tried to get them on major variety shows gradually gave up on that too.

"Let's order some sides. There are seven of us."

"More cheese balls."

"Min-jo, I'll have soda."

"Already ordered it!"

Is our meal budget really this good? But since the kids don't really like expensive food, it should be fine.

I usually eat whatever is given to me, so I sat a bit away from the members and watched them choose the chicken with as much enthusiasm as they do during album meetings.

Each of them has a face that you might see once in a few schools, and they all have good abilities...

I thought about the show VMC had planned with these members.

[A mockumentary showing the process of 'The Boys' members overcoming their past pains and becoming a team]

VMC undoubtedly thinks these members are the talents they discovered. Otherwise, they wouldn't try to exploit them again, who have already suffered so much.

If the team or individuals were more popular, they wouldn't have come up with such a controversial plan. Releasing an album and going on a tour would make more money.

Until recently, I couldn't even take care of myself, and I was busy recovering my image. But now that the Hae-sun fans like me a lot, it's time to think about others.

By the way, since I'm thinking of the Hae-sun fans, I should take a picture of the chicken and show it to them.

I took a picture of the door marked 304 with a white sticker and the table full of chicken and posted it on Xbus.

[Hae-won: We're going to eat a lot of lunch in Room 304]

[↳An Ju-won: It does look like a lot]

When I posted a picture of Room 304, which the members often talk about, the fans were delighted.

[Finally got to see Room 304 lol]

[You don't expect 7 people to eat all this, right?]

[↳Ji-woo: We carefully ordered just the right amount...]

[↳↳Hae-sun fans, we should get used to it now]

[↳↳Yeah, let's admit it, our kids eat a lot...]

[↳↳Hahahaha]

[Min-jo: We'll eat and exercise, Hae-sun fans!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]

[↳Or 10,000 won]

[↳↳Min-jo: No, 100 million!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1]

[↳↳↳Isn't that a bit extreme? Hahaha]

[↳↳↳So cute Hahaha]

[↳Hyosuk: Min-jo, let's go exercise together]

[↳↳Min-jo: Sure ♥ Let's take Seon-jae too!!!!!!!!!!!!]

[↳↳↳Maknae: Sob, Hae-sun fans, please save us. I'm scared to go exercise with them...]

After Park Seon-jae posted that, he looked at me and said,

"Oppa, save me. It's too hard to exercise with Min-jo and Hyosuk. They never get tired."

Then Han Hyosuk said,

"But you have potential. You have a natural strength."

Min Ji-ho chimed in,

"That's right. If you exercise, you'll eventually become a bear and tear everything apart."

"No way. My concept is cuteness, so I won't build muscles."

Before I could finish, Shin Ji-won said,

"No, cuteness is my thing."

"Why are you so conscienceless, Oppa?"

"The Hae-sun fans think we're cute. They say we look like puppies."

"Phew, you're getting more confident because the Hae-sun fans like you."

I looked at the noisy members again.

They talk a lot among themselves, but I can't understand why they're so shy.

I'm the one who's least nervous about variety shows, but the problem is that I already have a bad image. Even though I know it's not true, people still feel a sense of rejection towards me.

I know that the First Light fans who didn't like me during the Kuk Sun-a era are going through a similar process. It's not for nothing that first impressions are important.

Still, I plan to trust the fans who like me now.

I took out my notepad and wrote down my goals: personal activities that don't interfere with team activities, and increasing the recognition of First Light members through Jacon... to prevent VMC from making such a plan...

While writing on my phone, I omitted the last sentence. After it was leaked once, I can't trust my phone anymore.

At that moment, a status window appeared.

[New goal set]

[Chapter 3: Increase personal recognition]

[The application range of Purple Roulette from (Super Idol) has been reset]

[Application target: (First Light)]

[Select the first mission target]

Then the names of the six members, excluding me, started to spin in a roulette. When I stopped the roulette, the board slowly stopped.

[Hwang Saebi]

Oh, it's in age order. Such a Confucian roulette.

At the same time, a potion popped up. So, I should give this to Hwang Saebi?

I thought for a moment and then said to Hwang Saebi,

"Saebi, give me some soda."

"Sure."

Hwang Saebi handed me his soda can, and I secretly poured the potion into it. The members were all focused on the chicken and didn't pay attention to me. Luckily, I had already done a drug test. I can pour it in without any worries. Hehe.

When I gave the soda back to Hwang Saebi, he was about to drink it but then said to me,

"Drink more."

He must have noticed it had increased. He's surprisingly sensitive.

"Okay."

Without asking again, Hwang Saebi gulped down the soda. Almost immediately, a status window appeared.

[Understanding of First Light (Hwang Saebi) is increasing]

[Understanding 35% (+20)]

...What? It only increased to 55%?

[Soft Rock/Ballad]

[Drama OST]

The keywords appeared, followed by a faint voice in my head. It was a vocal similar to the stage where he brought his middle school band members to perform at this concert, but it was much more emotionally charged.

It was a voice I knew, but one I had never heard before.

"Huh?"

I got up from my seat and tapped Hwang Saebi's shoulder.

"Saebi, let's go. To work."

Park Seon-jae asked instead,

"Leaving the chicken?"

"It's urgent."

Although Hwang Saebi loves to eat, he got up because I looked so urgent. We headed to the control room.

I played famous songs in the genre known as rock ballads and tried to get Hwang Saebi to produce the voice I had just heard, adjusting the pitch and vocal techniques.

Thanks to the vocal training I received from Jang Seok-hoon, it benefited not only my own vocal improvement but also my directing skills. Jang Seok-hoon was a master at handling different vocal cords, each with its own condition. And I, though not a good singer, had good ears and could understand the subtle differences in vocals that Jang Seok-hoon talked about.

After almost 30 minutes of trying various songs, I finally got the voice I had heard from Hwang Saebi.

"What is this?"

Hwang Saebi, who didn't know he could produce such a voice, hesitated, and I immediately sent the recorded file to his phone.

"Don't forget this. I'll make a solo song in this key. If you want to eat more chicken, go ahead and eat!"

After saying that, I hurried back to my studio. This work was the most exhilarating I've felt this year.

I decided to make a solo song that would make drama OST producers want to contact us.

* * *

Min Ji-ho entered the control room and was puzzled to see Hwang Saebi sitting alone in the recording booth.

"What are you doing? Where's Oppa Hae-won?"

"Practicing. He's in the studio."

After Hwang Saebi answered, he put the wired earphones back in his ears. Seeing that Min Ji-ho didn't understand, he handed him one earphone and said,

"Listen."

"How could Oppa give up food and be here?"

Min Ji-ho muttered, put the earphone in his ear, and immediately had a serious expression.

Hwang Saebi mumbled,

"I can sing well. I just realized it."

"......What is this?"

"Suddenly, I felt like I could sing like this. So, he pushed me until I produced the vocal he wanted, recorded it, and then went to work. He's making my solo song. A rock ballad. He wants to make a song that drama OST producers would want to contact us about."

"Our Two Villains was good too!"

"I know. I was envious."

Hwang Saebi tried to take back the earphone, but Min Ji-ho, enjoying the sound, put it back in his ear and even lay down on the floor, saying,

"Oppa, your voice is really good."

"Stop it, I'm embarrassed."

Min Ji-ho chuckled and then muttered,

"Oppa Hae-won really only thinks about promoting us."

"Yeah."

Although they didn't say it out loud, both of them simultaneously remembered Jung Hae-won standing by the window during the Kuk Sun-a era. Despite still being unstable, the fact that he now thinks about going to the hospital on his own gave them hope.

Min Ji-ho said with a laugh,

"Oppa, do you remember that? When we were checking if someone could fall from that window, and my arm got stuck..."

Hwang Saebi chuckled along with him. It was fortunate that they could laugh about that moment now. And the only way to prevent such things from happening again is to succeed, the members thought.