Chapter 53

After the media showcase ended, we returned to the waiting room. Everyone looked exhausted, but their expressions were bright. It was the sense of relief you feel after completing a task well. It felt like a weight had been lifted off my chest. "Everyone did a great job." "You all worked hard, guys." We patted each other on the back and exchanged glances. Perhaps because we had just gone through a tough ordeal, there was a rare sense of camaraderie in the air. "We got through the photo session and the Q&A session without any issues. I think we did better than ever before, don't you think?" "Hey, did you do well? I was the one who carried the team." I interjected as I was fanning myself with a mini fan. "Why are you like that, Lee Hyuk? Jiho did well too." "What did we do? I was the one who handled the near-accident and everything. You guys just sat back and reaped the benefits." "Hmm? Don't you think lying down and eating is a bad idea?" "Jung-hyun, let's please talk about something relevant." Despite the main vocalist's reprimand, the rapper had a beaming smile. He seemed unusually upbeat, unlike his usual laid-back demeanor. "Thank you, hyung." I ended up high-fiving Jung-hyun. *Clap!* Ow, that hurt. It felt like I was clapping with a volleyball player, even though he hit it softly. Jung-hyun chuckled. "Thanks to you, my jinx is finally over." "Jinx? Oh." I had forgotten about it because the showcase was so hectic. "Whenever I said I had a good feeling, something strange would happen. But thanks to you, it broke this time. Ah, what a relief." "Yeah, I told you it was superstition." "…But you know, right after you said it, the sound equipment malfunctioned." "Honestly, it was thanks to your luck, hyung. That's what it was." Despite the two juniors' objections, Jung-hyun just smiled contentedly. He even joked that he would say he had a good feeling once a day from now on. Lee Hyuk suddenly asked, "By the way, why did you go a cappella earlier?" "What, why?" "Didn't you say it was something you did subconsciously when we asked after the performance?" "Yeah, I did." After the fireworks stage, I had brushed off my younger members' questions with vague answers. "Did you really do it without thinking?" "Sort of." "You always plan everything out, don't you? When you composed the fireworks song, you even locked us up to analyze our musical preferences." "Hey, that wasn't locking us up." …As I said that, I looked around, but Jiho and Jung-hyun nodded kindly. They're such useless idiots. "I don't always think and act. I was just as surprised as you when the sound equipment malfunctioned for the first time." "Really? You seemed so skilled for it being your first time. It was really cool to watch…" "Cool?" Lee Hyuk tried to brush it off. "It, it looked far away. I don't think I could have done that." "Just say it was cool, hyung." "I admit, it was really impressive. When you did the a cappella, it was like a halo was shining around you." "That was the lighting, Jung-hyun hyung." "Oh, is that what it was?" "Look at him. His lips are twitching." I tried to maintain a neutral expression, but I couldn't help but smile at the praise from my juniors. It was a complex smile. On one hand, I felt proud of the members' gratitude and praise. On the other hand, I felt embarrassed because I knew it wasn't due to my talent but my ability. Well, I couldn't tell them the truth. It sounded more natural to say I acted on instinct. Still, I think I understand it better now. I can call it a personal achievement. Through this incident, I feel like I've peeled back a layer of the secret of my ability. The essence of my ability. Until now, I had referred to this ability as a motion imitation ability, thinking of it as a kind of superpower. But after today's experience, it doesn't seem to be just a superpower. When I first gathered information about my ability, I came across an article on an internet blog. [There are two types of memory: declarative memory and procedural memory.] Declarative memory is the conscious memory used when recalling daily activities in a diary or memorizing English words. Procedural memory is the unconscious memory used for tasks like riding a bicycle or using chopsticks. According to my theory, this ability is a phenomenon where procedural memory is maximized. It allows me to unconsciously learn movements from videos just by watching them. That's how it has been so far. However, the two incidents I experienced today were not about procedural memory but the maximization of declarative memory. The ability to vividly recall events from my memory as if they were happening now. Looking back, it seems to have manifested whenever I was in a crisis. Like a test-taker who suddenly remembers a forgotten formula with only five minutes left. This ability also appeared when I was in a crisis. To be more specific, it seems to be triggered by extreme stress. At the university hospital, I was under extreme stress due to the responsibility of resolving Min-joon's situation, and the sound equipment malfunction just now was no exception. In such situations, my brain acted unconsciously. It scanned through the database in my memory and showed me what to do. Of course, this is still just a hypothesis. But overall, it seems that my ability is not limited to just motion imitation but extends to a broader range. It encompasses both procedural and declarative memory. Considering that imitating actions starts with remembering those actions, it seems quite logical. "Hyung, what are you thinking about?" "Huh?" "You were smiling to yourself." "Ah, I was just thinking about something. It's nothing." I had been smiling foolishly, thinking I had become some kind of superpower. Regaining my composure, I looked around. "By the way, where are the managers and Biju?" "Min-ki hyung said he and Director Yun were getting something from the car. Biju hyung said he was washing his face in the restroom." "Did he go alone?" "Yeah." "I hope he doesn't get lost again." Lee Hyuk laughed. "Biju hyung isn't a kid. The restroom is right there when you go out. How could he get lost?" "It's Biju." "Yeah, Biju hyung sometimes gets confused about directions even in the dorm. I saw him stop while carrying food waste to the balcony last time." "Don't worry, hyung. He'll come back eventually." I clicked my tongue at the nonchalant responses of my juniors. "Wow, you heartless guys. How come I'm the only one worried?" "You didn't even know he went to the restroom." "…" At that moment, the waiting room door opened, and three people came in. Biju and the two managers. They each carried a large box and placed it on the waiting room floor. The boxes looked heavy. "Hmm? What's this?" As I tilted my head, looking at the contents of the boxes, Biju smiled. "These are gifts for our fans." * * * Fan showcase. This was the last event for us today. While the media showcase was a business meeting with journalists, the fan showcase was a fan meeting. It's rare for a debut group to hold a fan showcase. After all, who would have fans right after debuting? Of course, there are groups that have fans before debuting, but that's not the norm. In our case, we had already gained some recognition through music shows and events before debuting. We had a decent number of members in our fan cafe. That's why the company decided to hold a showcase to thank our fans. Of course, "Street Boys did it, so we should too. We can't fall behind in such things," might be the real reason, according to our manager. "Wow, what's all this?" "Your photocards, snacks, and keychains as gifts." "Wow." We gathered around the boxes like a group of meerkats. The boxes looked quite heavy. Seeing Seok-hwan hyung rubbing his lower back made me feel bad. "He has a herniated disc. Shouldn't I or Jung-hyun call him?" "I was about to, but your junior sent a text saying he got lost." "I'm sorry…" We all laughed at the embarrassed Biju. "You got lost again?" "Ah, when I came out after washing my face, everyone was so tired, so I went to buy drinks. I got lost looking for the vending machine…" "We barely found him panicking between the equipment." Yun Seok-hwan shook his head, as if giving up. Biju, looking embarrassed, passed around the drinks he had bought from the vending machine. They were all 1,000 won, but mine was 1,200 won. Feeling a bit pleased, I sat down in front of the boxes. We knew what to do without being told. We signed and wrote messages on the photocards for the fans and wrapped the other gifts. The waiting room quickly turned into a makeshift workshop. Jiho, who was filling a plastic bag with chocolates, smiled broadly. "Wow, there are so many. How many people do you think will come,