Chapter 14

14

[Title: Joo Sung's Star Post?

I'm not a Black Call fan, but I follow Joo Sung. Isn't he famous for not uploading videos? Fans are always crying about it, but yesterday, out of the blue, he uploaded a video titled 'Joo Sung Nya Nya. gif'

'I seem to like you more. gif'

Who is this guy??? As far as I know, there's no such trainee in Black Call's agency. Is he just a regular person?

└He seems to be a regular person. └└Oh, really? But he doesn't look like a regular person?!

└└I guess so. └At least, there's no such trainee among the rookies announced by the agency. └Haha, no, Joo Sung... please post your face. └└Haha, this is really...

[Title: JHS Star Post Again. Why is he suddenly posting so many videos????

Fans asked him to post his face, and he did. Haha, suddenly he's a changed man. 'Joo Sung with a cat. jpg'

'Video of a trainee looking gloomy while being teased'

But this time, he's also with that trainee? Regular person? They seem to have great chemistry. They look very close and cute.

└I know!!! He's a member of DDP Entertainment. └└DDP??? Sorry, I'm not familiar. What is it? └└Deden (It's a variety show)

└Who is he exactly?? I've never heard of him.

└└Sigh... I'm just passing by... I'm a Deden fan... There's a member named SHY. He didn't debut due to health issues but did some recording. They're hardworking kids. Please be kind to them... └└Oh... (solemnly) I'm sorry. Fighting.

[Title: Joo Sung and Deden SHY Summary. My friend is a Deden fan (sorry, I'm not familiar) but they're really into Deden. When Joo Sung's Star Post came out, it was a big deal. I'll summarize:

1. Deden's debut album didn't do well, but they still have a few fans.

2. SHY, who appeared in Joo Sung's Star Post, is a Deden member but has never been on an official stage.

3. Joo Sung and SHY are strangely close; I don't know where they suddenly came from. I watched because they suddenly became popular. SHY has a fox+rabbit face and is more to my taste, so I decided to summarize. They say they're coming back soon, and I'm looking forward to it.

└Thank you, Speedwagon!

└└You're welcome!

└Oh, thanks └But I'm not really into it. Haha, it seems like the Deden fan is trying to piggyback on Joo Sung. └└SHY's Star Post wasn't posted by Deden, but by JHS himself. What's the problem? Haha. └└Yeah, they looked really close, like they've known each other for a long time. └Black Call fans are still reeling from the sudden influx of new Joo Sung content. Plus, this is the first time Joo Sung has been so casual with someone other than his group members. Haha. └└I'm very grateful to this person. I've never seen this side of Joo Sung before. So cute.

[Title: Deden's Comeback, Noise Marketing?]

[Title: The Trainee in Joo Sung's Star Post, Company Strategy?]

"Hyun!"

Lying on the floor of the practice room, I lifted my phone to check the situation. It seemed to be quite a topic on internet communities and SNS. Of course, there were some negative comments, but this level of viral marketing wasn't bad.

The choreography, movement practice, and part distribution were almost finalized. We had about three weeks left until the showcase.

'This level of firepower isn't enough.'

We need to start preparing other content. I put my smartphone away and looked at Kang Ichae.

"Eh, why?"

"Drink this."

Kang Ichae threw me a water bottle. I was about to collapse, so I gratefully drank it. Kang Ichae clicked her tongue and asked,

"Why do you practice so recklessly, Hyun? Do you sleep?"

"I do sleep."

"Liar! You only sleep three hours a day! And that's in the break room."

"Are you Napoleon? How can you only sleep three hours a day?"

When Jung Dajun tattled, Kang Ichae clicked her tongue again. I was too exhausted to respond and ignored her.

Seong Jiwon, who had just entered the practice room, looked worried at me.

"Um... Hyun, your dancing has improved, but..."

"..."

"Still not enough... Why? How can you improve more?"

"Jiwon, are you possessed by a ghost who died from over-practicing?"

Jung Dajun shivered. I also felt a chill and rubbed my arms.

Seong Jiwon wasn't someone to be underestimated. I thought he was weak, but now his eyes were focused only on the comeback stage.

Kim Sung-hyun entered and started the song, adjusting the movements.

After finalizing the part distribution, we slightly modified the choreography to highlight each member's part.

[Ooh, Pick a card, a future that's more vivid. You're anxious about low probabilities, but there's no need to be.]

[Let's say it again, it's the beginning. I will come back every time. This strange déjà vu, you don't need to be afraid. No need to wander, I'll find the way.]

After practicing the dance and singing live, everyone was exhausted and collapsed on the floor after about three tries.

"Are we going to die before our comeback stage?"

"...Do you want a break? It's almost lunchtime."

Seong Jiwon finally gave the okay. Jung Dajun jumped up.

"Let's go to the convenience store, the convenience store!"

"I'll buy everything, so get ready~!"

Jung Dajun pulled out a crumpled thousand won note.

"It's my allowance!"

"..."

"Let the seniors buy it."

"Oh, I can buy you an ice cream!"

These days, you can't buy much with a thousand won...

Kim Sung-hyun, Seong Jiwon, and I looked at him in disbelief, patted each other, and left.

When we arrived at the convenience store right in front of the agency, the juniors were flying around excitedly.

"I'm going to eat a cup ramen with kimchi!"

"You need to add cheese, don't you know anything?"

These middle schoolers...

I could understand why Seong Jiwon and Kim Sung-hyun had become more mature.

Kim Sung-hyun quietly took care of the juniors, and Seong Jiwon handed me a cup ramen. The five of us huddled around the small table in the convenience store, eating our cup ramen. Suddenly, someone tapped me.

I turned around to see a woman in a mask fidgeting, holding her phone out towards us.

"Ah! Is this Seo Hoon?"

"......? Yes."

"Just a moment, just a moment. The others are Deden members, right! My friend is a Deden fan... Can you wait a moment?"

"Fan?"

Seong Jiwon's eyes widened. I hoped he wouldn't say anything.

This person seemed to be taking our picture with her camera. Fortunately, Seong Jiwon nodded enthusiastically with an excited face.

"Yes, of course. I'll wait."

"Thank you!"

Even if there was no camera, I think the reaction would have been the same. Technically, Deden is a celebrity, but they looked at the regular person who recognized them with amazement.

'...Guys, you're celebrities, too.'

Even as contestants on a competition show, they weren't this unpopular. It was a bit sad.

"Is this Seong Jiwon? I've known you since you were a trainee! How can you be so handsome? Why are you so tall?"

"Haha, thank you."

"How old are you, miss?"

Kang Ichae even started a conversation. The woman, though embarrassed, answered promptly.

We needed to be careful with our words since the camera was on, but I wasn't too worried about Kang Ichae. He knew what he was doing.

"......?"

While giving appropriate answers, I turned my gaze and saw a strange scene outside the convenience store.

An old lady was walking, clutching her bag, while a man in a mask was following her a few steps behind, looking around cautiously, as if he was about to snatch her bag.

"Hey."

"What?"

I called Kim Sung-hyun. He immediately turned his head to where I was looking and his face hardened.

We put down our food. As expected, the man suddenly lunged and snatched the old lady's bag.

"Ah! Ah! Thief!"

There are still such muggings these days!

'What a lunatic.'

I frowned. I never imagined this would happen.

Kim Sung-hyun and I immediately kicked open the convenience store door and ran out to catch the ruthless thief.

"Stop!"

"Get lost!"

The thief, hearing the fierce footsteps, glanced at us and started running faster.

But who are we? Proud Korean idols. After practicing and dancing until dawn, we were confident in our stamina compared to regular men.

"Stop!"

Especially Kim Sung-hyun, who excelled in physical activities, quickly caught up and grabbed him.

"Got him!"

"Hey, Kim Sung-hyun!"

I chased a bit later and kicked the man's hand as he pulled out a switchblade.

Clang, the knife fell to the ground. Kim Sung-hyun's face turned pale, then he gritted his teeth and held the thief.

"Ow, ow, ow! Let go, you bastards!"

"Are you crazy? Where's your conscience?"

"Kim Sung-hyun, hold him tight."

I helped Kim Sung-hyun and kicked the thief. Looking back, Seong Jiwon and Jung Dajun were already helping the fallen old lady.

"Are you okay, ma'am?"

"Ah, thank you, thank you..."

"Are you hurt anywhere?"

"No, ah... I'm fine. I'm more worried about the young men."

"We're fine."

Kang Ichae was making a phone call inside the convenience store, waving his hand. He seemed to be calling the police.

Soon, the sound of police sirens was heard.

"Wow, the Korean police are fast."

"Let go!"

"Stay still, kid."

Muttering, I pressed the back of the thief's neck.

Looking back, I saw the woman still holding her phone, staring at us in a daze. Then I met Kim Sung-hyun's eyes.

"......"

We had the same thought.

Oh, this could be...

***

"Ah, what a big deal. I followed you after seeing you withdraw money from the bank. I even found a place without CCTV. If it weren't for the young men, it would have been a disaster."

After handing the thief over to the police, the officer praised us several times.

I glanced at the old lady. She didn't seem to be injured.

"Thank you, young men. I'm so grateful."

"This is the money my daughter sent me. She saved a little at a time for medical expenses... Without this, I can't get treatment. I'm really grateful."

"Really, it could have been a disaster."

Seong Jiwon muttered sadly. From what I could tell, Seong Jiwon seemed to have been raised by his grandmother. His eyes were fixed on her, and he seemed genuinely concerned.

I patted Seong Jiwon.

"Let's go. The old lady needs to rest."

"Ah, I'm sorry. I held you up."

"I'm sorry, I took up your time, young men."

The old lady kept bowing. Seeing her, I suddenly felt a strange emotion, thinking of my own grandmother.

I politely bowed and, once the situation was settled, led the members out.

"Wow, you really did a big thing."

"Kim Sung-hyun almost got hurt. Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Seo Hoon blocked me..."

"Right, the comeback is coming up soon. Be careful."

"Hey, Hyun. It was cool, though."

"Being cool isn't everything."

Seong Jiwon playfully hit Jung Dajun's head. Jung Dajun held his head and whined, but the camaraderie among the members couldn't be erased.

"Good job, guys."

"Hyun, you look happy too."

I was also proud, but there was something else I was looking forward to.

Kim Sung-hyun probably noticed it too.

After returning to the practice room and practicing for another two to three hours, the manager burst in.

"Guys!!"

Sure enough.

"Ah, you scared me."

"Guys, you caught a thief! Why didn't you tell me?"

The manager, excited, shook Jung Dajun's shoulder. Jung Dajun, not understanding the situation, held his head.

"W-We were going to tell you later, Manager. But how did you know?"

"You guys are trending right now!"

"Huh?"

"The video of you catching the thief is on the internet, and we're trending!"

Bingo.

The manager held the internet article in front of us. I slowly read the flashing title on the screen.

[Today's Ordinary Male Idol Who Caught a Thief]

...What a catchy title.

Among the members who looked skeptical, I met Kim Sung-hyun's eyes again.

We both smiled.