Chapter 93: The Technique of an Idol Who Never Fails

I slept in, stretched out in the dorm room.

When I woke up in the afternoon, I realized I had missed my medication time, so I quickly took my pills for today, along with some vitamins, and diligently consumed anything that was good for my health. I wish they would come out with compressed sleep pills and meal replacement pills. Isn’t it about time they did?

The recording for the big blue song was split up, so I was busy for a while, but now I’ve finally calmed down. They’re going to the U.S. to shoot the music video, but I can’t go, so I’ve already told Formda’s A&R everything I wanted them to pay attention to.

When I checked my phone after getting up, I saw I had a missed call from Big Blue’s Lee Joon-hee. When I called him back, it seemed he was really bothered by how sorry Daniel was for messing up the rhythm during yesterday’s recording.

"...I didn’t think about that."

While saying this, I went around opening the doors of each room to look for members to eat with, but it seemed everyone had gone out, and no one was there. Oh, I don’t want to eat alone. I asked.

"But isn’t hyung busy?"

-Yes, why?

“I don’t have anyone to eat with right now.”

Lee Joon-hee laughed at my words. Why is he laughing, I’m serious?

-I’ll buy you a meal next time. Thanks for your hard work.

Then the call ended.

Fortunately, I have someone to eat with when I’m in this situation. I called the company and got permission from X-iapp. Other members can’t turn it on by themselves, but I can. I guess I’m trustworthy. Hehe.

I ordered a pizza and, as soon as it arrived, I chose a title for the V-iapp.

[Let’s have lunch together]

Then I thought, if I just write this, some fans might come in not knowing it’s me and be disappointed, so I added:

[Haewon)) Let’s have lunch together]

While the fans were coming in, I took out the pizza, pickles, and soda.

[I couldn’t see the name, I’m out]

There’s always someone who does this even when I write it down.

The initial atmosphere was a bit off, but fortunately, the Haeul fans who were happy to see me soon came in.

[It’s Haewon!]

[Wow, natural lightㅠㅠㅠㅠ]

[What’s up with your face all of a sudden?]

[You haven’t said a word yet, but it’s already super entertainingㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

I greeted them and answered the comments.

“I added extra pepperoni and cheese to the pepperoni pizza. When I asked the members what they wanted to eat, Minjo said to order this.”

I explained the food I had ordered, and since I was craving something spicy today, I sprinkled a lot of Tabasco. Then I checked the chat window while eating the pizza.

“Today’s TMI... I slept a lot today and just woke up, so I don’t have any TMI yet.”

[Is this what your face looks like after sleeping?...]

[Tell us this year’s TMI]

[Haewon, the members have all shared their prenatal dreams]

“Oh, the members have all shared their prenatal dreams? I find prenatal dreams really fascinating.”

This was a prepared, fun story, so I started telling it with enthusiasm.

“My sister was an artist. When you search for Jeong Soo-yeon...”

[You know, right, babbuya!]

[How can you not know your hyung’s profession?]

I thought for a moment why they called my sister hyung, but then I understood and couldn’t help but laugh.

“Anyway, to tell my prenatal dream, I have to start with my sister’s. My mom originally dreamed of being an artist. In her dream, she was selling paintings on a side street of a big road, oil paintings. So my mom went into the alley and looked at the paintings one by one. There were animals, flowers... and then she stopped in front of a painting of two butterflies. She looked at the butterfly painting for a long time and decided to buy it. She paid and took the oil painting, but it turned out the butterflies were real. Then one of the two butterflies landed on the back of my mom’s hand.”

[It’s like a fairy tale]

[Really amazing...]

“At that moment, my sister was born, and after that, my mom didn’t have a second child. One day, in my mom’s dream, the same big road from 10 years ago appeared. In the dream, she found it very strange and thought it was like the prenatal dream she had 10 years ago, so she searched hard for the alley with the paintings. But she was upset because she couldn’t find the alley no matter how hard she tried and started crying. Then an old lady ran over and asked if she had paid but not taken the painting.”

[No way, that’s crazy]

[The Three Deities appear]

[Not just amazing, it’s giving me chills]

“My mom said she hadn’t taken the painting. It was mine. So the old lady brought her an oil painting of a single butterfly. My mom hugged the butterfly painting tightly and woke up from her dream. And then, bam, I was born.”

[What’s ‘bam’ supposed to mean?ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

[You were bewitched and then snapped back to reality, huh?ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

[That’s why there are so many butterfly paintings on Jeong Soo-yeon’s Instagram]

As expected, the Haeul fans found it very entertaining.

Seeing how much the Haeul fans enjoyed it, I felt like giving a little spoiler. I continued.

“Oh, a while ago, an A&R staff member said Firstlight is a group that specializes in heartbreak songs. The included songs are like that, and Joo-won writes lyrics about unrequited love, and Matteo’s songs are about failed love, so...”

Maybe I spoiled it too subtly, or maybe they didn’t understand what a spoiler was. It seems they won’t realize it until Hwang Saegi’s solo is revealed.

While talking, I burst out laughing reading the chat window.

[Among faith, hope, and love, the greatest is failed love]

I laughed so hard after reading that, I turned my head and laughed for a while.

“Right, failed love. I like it too.”

[Why does Haewon like this joke so much?ㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

[Foreign fans might not understand, but seeing you makes me happy]

[Our tastes overlap, so let’s get married]

“It’s so nice eating with the Haeul fans. Oh, but are you all eating lunch while watching? Don’t starve... If I say that, you’ll probably tell me to take care of myself, right?”

As expected, comments suggesting I take care of myself started appearing. I ended up nagging and got nagged back.

* * *

The story of my prenatal dream and my sister’s was so interesting that a fan edited that part and uploaded it to YouTube. I also like this story. Originally, when something related to me was posted on the public account, they used a sun emoji, but now they mix in a blue butterfly.

In the meantime, we shot a baseball variety show for the Lunar New Year. I met the INO members after a long time, greeted them, and played a game to borrow two INO members.

The day before the main broadcast, Big Blue’s comeback schedule was announced with a concept photo. Although the song hasn’t been released yet, thinking about the album I participated in makes me nervous, but it’s fortunate that I can focus on other things.

I studied baseball rules as much as I could, but most of them I couldn’t memorize because I was too busy. I reviewed what I had memorized and asked Shin Ji-un.

“Ji-un, are we doomed?”

“It’s okay. Hyung, you’re the right fielder. In adult baseball, the ball rarely comes to the right field.”

That’s what he said. Most of the members of Firstlight and INO are right-handed, so it’s unlikely that amateurs would hit the ball to the right field, which is usually a quiet position.

Ironically, the INO member who used to be on the baseball team and I, who know the least about baseball, ended up in the right field. One was very skilled, and the other knew nothing.

Still, I’m pretty fast, so I practiced short distances whenever I could. Since each team only has nine players, the pitcher can be replaced indefinitely, but since they’re not professionals, I told them not to swing and to wait for a walk.

I guess I’ll just stand here and go home today.

I should cause a bench-clearing incident later. Hehe.

* * *

Sooo_1818, a friend of Hee-eun who runs the only video account dedicated to Jeong Haewon and is gradually being roped into Firstlight’s business, was spending the Lunar New Year holiday at home with her family.

[Hee-eun: I don’t think our kid will have much footage in the baseball variety show... Since he’s not really into sports...]

[Hee-eun: Seung, help me find Haewon even if he’s just a blurry figureㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ]

Even though running the video account is busy, when there’s no content, she seems thirsty. Hee-eun was determined to gather even the blurriest footage of Jeong Haewon to make a video.

[Seung: You call this friendship...]

[Hee-eun: Hehe]

Despite her annoyance, Seung turned on KQS, which was airing the baseball game between Firstlight and INO, just to help her friend.

Seung’s father, who was annoyed by the appearance of idols, sat down when he realized the background was Gochuk Dome.

“Seung, are they all idols?”

“Yes. But I don’t know much about them. I just turned it on because it’s baseball. Dad, you like baseball, right?”

“Professional baseball is boring, so this must be even more boring.”

He always says, ‘Baseball is so boring!’ but still watches it regularly. Now, he was subtly interested in the baseball played by idols who weren’t even amateurs.

“They all have good physiques. Wow, that pitcher could start playing baseball right now.”

...Dad, isn’t it supposed to be boring?

I wanted to ask, but since he was enjoying it, I just watched the baseball with him.

It was clearly a variety show, but they were only playing baseball without any comedy. Jeong Haewon was the only one who occasionally reminded the members that it was a variety show, but it didn’t seem to register.

The problem was that to people who were watching it as a sport, his behavior seemed annoying.

“That kid is disturbing the others who are trying hard.”

Seung paused at her father’s comment about Jeong Haewon, who was the only one playing as a baseball novice among members who were enthusiastic about baseball.

‘He’s already suffered enough with editing...’

While hoping for some thoughtful editing, Jeong Haewon stepped up to the plate. He had apparently practiced his batting stance, but he was waiting without swinging the bat.

The scene included a conversation between the members and Jeong Haewon.

-Just don’t swing the bat, hyung, and wait for a walk or a strikeout.

-What’s a strikeout?

-If the catcher misses a strike after two strikes, you’re not out. You can run to first base.

-Oh, got it. But what do I do if I get a walk?

-...

After that editing, Jeong Haewon carefully watched the ball. The strike zone was wide, but the ball count initially favored the batter.

From the middle, the pitcher, realizing Jeong Haewon’s bat wasn’t moving, threw a strike, leading to a full count. The next pitch left the pitcher’s hand.

As soon as the ball bounced off the catcher’s mitt, Jeong Haewon started running. Seung asked.

“Dad, why is he running!”

“A while ago, they explained that he should run on a strikeout.”

While Seung was confused, Jeong Haewon safely reached first base. Her father commented.

“Oh, he’s good at base running. Better than our team’s ironclad players.”

“...Really? The evaluation changed so quickly?”

While Seung was stunned, she received a text from Hee-eun and tilted her head. She was surprised to get a message when she was busy watching her favorite.

[Hee-eun: Seung, am I too focused on my favorite?]

What Hee-eun sent was a photo from Big Blue member Daniel’s Instagram. After the official account posted the concept photo with the comeback schedule, another photo was uploaded. A photo of dawn with a sun emoji.

[Dawn (Firstlight) + Haewon...?]

[Jeong Haewon...?]

[What is this?ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ]

[Is this... a love Instagram?]

[↳ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

[Is Haewon really participating in this album?]

Unlike the 100% positive reaction to the comeback, the reaction to Jeong Haewon’s participation was half positive and half negative.