Chapter 61

The moment the results were announced, I couldn't help but smile.

"The winner is NewBlack. Congratulations!"

The DJ and the other guests clapped and exclaimed.

I don't know what they were feeling inside, but Hanjo and Kiwon were also clapping and smiling.

I exchanged a polite nod with Riheok.

"It's like I said, the winning team's song will be featured three times on next week's playlist. Congratulations again. So, let's listen to NewBlack's 'Fireworks' and move on to the fourth segment. Frequency—"

"—stay tuned!"

After reciting the line together, we took off our headphones.

I feel relieved.

I had resolved to do my best in the live segment and the story consultation.

I just achieved one of those goals.

Of course, it won't have the same massive promotional effect as a TV commercial.

But having our song featured three times on a popular radio show means a lot to me.

While listening to the prelude of 'Fireworks,' I felt a sense of pride. Suddenly, Senior Jang So-won, who was organizing the script, spoke up.

"Fireworks, that's a great song. The vibe is so refreshing."

She smiled.

"You must have put a lot of effort into this, leader."

"I don't even want to talk about it. I was exhausted and it was a mess."

"Hey, it wasn't that bad."

"It was. You should have seen me then. I didn't even come back to the dorm every day. I fainted on the studio sofa a few times, and Hyun had to carry me down."

"No, that didn't happen, Senior."

Despite my desperate attempt to manage my image, Senior Jang So-won didn't seem to believe me.

Instead, she burst out laughing.

"I really can't stand it. How come you guys always look the same?"

Her eyes were filled with affection as she looked at us.

Just a moment ago, she seemed to be drawing a line, but now she was back to being the Senior Jang So-won I knew.

Probably because the consultation segment was over.

The remaining fourth segment, which would give each group separate time, left no room for favoritism.

Of course, even during the friendly conversation, there was a certain line.

The broadcast hadn't ended, and most importantly, it was because of the person sitting opposite us.

Street Boys, who had been slouching and flipping through the script, were now in a slightly better state.

"..."

Silence filled the air as the advertisement played.

Hanjo, who seemed frustrated, was unbuttoning his shirt and occasionally checking on the member sitting next to him while looking at the paper with the rap lyrics.

As a leader, I felt sorry for Hanjo, who was so busy trying to help.

If I were on air and my team was like this, I'd be going crazy.

Shaking my head, I turned my gaze to the member sitting next to me.

"Ri..."

I stopped calling his name.

Under his long lashes, his pitch-black eyes were intently studying the sheet music.

When he's deeply focused on something, especially before singing.

He seems like a completely different person.

Unlike his usual prickly and irritable self, he now feels like a blank sheet of paper.

Just like an actor preparing to start a performance, Riheok also gets into the right emotional state before singing.

It's a process of preparing in advance to immerse himself on stage.

Now, his face, which was staring at the lyrics, was repeatedly showing and hiding various emotions.

It was probably the sense of gratitude we had talked about earlier.

He even had a faint smile on his face.

Suddenly, a question that had been on my mind for a few days came to mind.

Who could it be?

The person he's so grateful to.

Thud, tap tap—

While I was staring at Riheok, I turned my gaze to the sheet music for 'Night Sea' when a dull sound broke my thoughts.

An empty PET bottle was rolling on the floor.

"Oops, sorry..."

Kiwon, who had dropped it while trying to drink water, looked flustered.

He seemed even more embarrassed when he realized the bottle had rolled right to Riheok's feet.

Riheok, who had been staring at the floor, lifted his head and looked at the other person.

Unlike in the elevator, he wasn't awkwardly avoiding eye contact; he was looking straight at the other person.

With a slightly awkward expression.

After a second, Riheok's action was completely out of my expectations.

"Here, take this."

He handed the other person another water bottle from the table, even smiling.

* * *

Why am I like this?

This was a thought I had every day, and it was also what Yoon Kiwon was thinking now.

'Why am I like this?'

I wanted to do well...

Since this was our first live broadcast after debut, I had to do better, and I had to say more.

Park Manager had been talking about how important this opportunity was.

-This isn't just any radio show. It's the number one in listenership during this time slot, and this segment is surprisingly popular. Last week, some girl group, the one with the autumn-colored hair, Na Hyun, I think, did well in the consultation and got praised in the community, along with the live performance.

Park Manager laughed heartily.

-NewBlack? Hey. Honestly, they only have fans because they look good. What substance do they have? If you do well, you'll naturally win. So, show some fire, okay?

I couldn't understand why he was so hostile towards NewBlack.

Why couldn't we just get along? Why did we have to set ourselves against NewBlack and fight?

What I couldn't understand the most was the diss track.

Why did they have to provoke people who were just minding their own business?

Kiwon looked at Hanjo.

The leader, with a stern face, was checking the lyrics.

'I want to help too.'

When the company asked us to write a diss track, all the members refused, but as the leader, he took on the role of the villain.

Just because it would be good for publicity, he dissed people he had never properly talked to.

If I could have spoken up loudly against the company's unreasonable demands, and if I could have been as confident as that guy.

How much better would it have been?

Unlike me, who kept missing my lines and fumbling, he was calmly managing the broadcast content and helping the other leader at the same time.

He even gave encouragement in between.

Whatever he wrote on the paper, it must have been something good, because the other leader smiled beautifully.

I should have done the same.

"Kiwon, are you okay?"

Avoiding eye contact, I nodded silently to the concerned gaze from the side.

I couldn't meet his eyes.

I felt so guilty.

'What should I do?'

Worried that I might mess up the performance, I reached for the water bottle, but it slipped.

Thud—

Feeling flustered under the gaze of others, a white hand suddenly appeared in front of me.

"Here, take this."

"..."

It was the most awkward moment of the day.

Yoon Kiwon awkwardly took the water bottle offered by the other person.

It seemed he had seen the empty bottle and offered his own water.

After a while, the other person tapped his own throat.

"Your throat."

"..."

"Your throat, you're too tense."

It seemed he was saying that my throat muscles were too tense.

Ah.

Just as Yoon Kiwon was about to speak, looking bewildered, he stammered.

"Th-tha..."

He was about to say 'thank you,' but it came out as a stammer.

Hanjo, who was next to him, was startled.

He threw away the paper with the rap lyrics and kept reassuring the person checking his condition that he was fine.

I felt a bit dazed.

'If we had started the live performance like that...'

Just thinking about it made me shudder.

If I had missed the first note, the atmosphere would have been very solemn.

Maybe it would have been compared to the other team's live performance and become a laughingstock on the internet.

But fortunately, that didn't happen.

Thanks to the unexpected help from the other person.

'Is it because of him?'

I don't know why he suddenly helped, but it was definitely related to the person who came with Seo Riheok.

After helping, he had withdrawn his gaze and was looking only at that person.

But the reason why the other person helped him wasn't important.

'I won't mess this up.'

Unlike earlier when he was fumbling, his eyes were now calm.

The leader kept checking on him, the DJ kept encouraging him, and he even received help from the opposing team.

If I mess this up after all this, it would be really foolish.

"Will you be okay?"

"Yeah, I can do it."

I smiled reassuringly at the worried gaze.

Really, I was confident.

* * *

"Riheok."

"What?"

"Why did you give someone else's water bottle to him?"

"..."

"Riheok."

"..."

"Bro, I'm thirsty."

"..."

"Riheok."

"Ah, really. I'll buy you a whole box after the broadcast, so stop whispering!"