Chapter 84

I feel good.

Really good.

It's been a long time since I felt this good recently.

There's the pleasure of pouring out all the practice I've done, but above all, the influence of the costume is significant.

Click-

I tried putting a V on my eyelids with one finger.

Click-

I even tried making a flower with both hands, setting the timer.

Click-

I tried the so-called "face angle" that was popular in middle school.

"Wow, you try everything. Everything."

"Shut up."

"Are you that excited about wearing a school uniform?"

"You wouldn't understand. This feeling."

"I don't want to know. The feeling of taking photos with such a sentimental expression."

"Really, you have to say something, don't you?"

I took another selfie, glaring at Ri-hyuk.

Just then, the youngest member plopped down next to me.

"Let's take a photo with me instead of him, hyung."

"Okay. Do you want to come over, Jung-hyun?"

"I'll take mine later."

"Then, let's just take one with the two of us?"

We laughed and took photos together, changing poses and expressions.

We even pointed at each other.

They say you never know what will happen in life.

I never thought I'd be taking friendship photos with a seventeen-year-old at the age of twenty-two.

"You're really showing your age, aren't you? This could be an exhibition."

"Why is he so sullen today?"

"He's trying to capture a certain mood. He's supposed to look cool."

"Ri-hyuk, being cool and being a pain are different. This is how you look cool."

I tried to look cool.

Ri-hyuk made a dubious face, and Jung-hyun blinked.

"Wow, you're good at it."

Not to be outdone, the youngest member followed suit.

Jung-hyun was impressed again.

"Ji-ho is good at it too."

"Can you be a bit quieter? I need to capture my mood."

Our annoying eighteen-year-old started to show his "courage to be disliked" and began reading.

Meanwhile, Ji-ho and I were looking at the smartphone screen, filled with photos of the two idols smiling in their dark navy jackets and red ties.

"Hyung, should we use this as our profile picture?"

"You look good in it. How about this one?"

"You look good in it. I look like an ugly bread."

"You look like that."

"..."

"Where are you going? Oh, our youngest is the best-looking in the world."

I grabbed the arm of the kid who was about to get up and made him sit down.

While looking at the album and chatting with Ji-ho, I heard a knock, and Min-ki hyung came in to call the other three.

"You three, come for the group shot."

"Okay!"

I waved them off, telling them to do well.

Alone again in the empty dressing room, I checked the photos we just took. Then I looked around.

He hasn't come yet.

I should have sent someone to check on him when he said he was going to the bathroom. I just sent him because he was nearby.

Anyway, this guy is terrible with directions.

Just as I was about to call him, the door clicked open.

"Ah, to the right? Thank you."

Bee-ju, who was thanking someone outside, came in with his phone.

Then he pointed the camera at me.

It looks like he's recording a video.

"What are you filming?"

"I'm filming various things to show the fans the shooting site."

Our gentle boy sat next to me.

"Bee-ju, you look like a class president in that school uniform."

"Ah, I was a class president."

"Really?"

"Yes, several times."

"No wonder."

You get that vibe.

There are kids like that in school.

Quiet and diligent, they get elected as class president in the second semester after being quiet in the first.

I asked Bee-ju, who was showing various smiles to the phone camera.

"So, what's the theme of what you're filming now?"

"Hmm..."

The kid who was thinking answered.

"How about a time capsule?"

"Time capsule?"

"Yes, for us to look back at when we're older."

"Like at a 10th anniversary fan meeting?"

"Yes, something like that."

"Sounds good."

I waved at the screen.

"Hello, I'm NewBlack's Woo-ju."

"Wow."

Bee-ju, who was laughing, even made a sound effect with his hand.

Then silence.

"But if this is a time capsule, when will it be opened?"

"Maybe when we're in our late twenties?"

"Hey, if you're in your late twenties, I'll be in my thirties."

Bee-ju burst out laughing.

I don't know what's so funny, but he laughed so hard he was snorting and pointed the camera at me again.

"Um, then, please share your thoughts on wearing the school uniform."

"Hello, future me and my brothers. I'm really excited to be wearing a school uniform. I feel really good today."

"How good?"

"Hmm, good enough to forgive someone even if they did something really bad?"

"Ooh..."

I asked Bee-ju, who was wide-eyed.

"Bee-ju, if this is a time capsule concept, shouldn't we be a bit more serious?"

"Then, please give a word of encouragement."

"Hmm, what should I say? Just a moment."

Ah.

"For our current high school brothers, Ri-hyuk and Ji-ho. Are you listening? It's me, hyung. I told you back then that school life is the most beautiful time. That the time you spend is really precious. Look, you didn't cherish that time. You didn't listen to me, right? Aren't you regretting it now? Isn't it really sad?"

"Hyung, is that really a word of encouragement?"

Bee-ju covered his mouth, revealing his white teeth in a laugh.

"I'm talking to our Supple now. Ri-hyuk, Ji-ho. Are you listening? It's me, hyung. I told you back then that school life is the most beautiful time. That the time you spend is really precious. Look, you didn't cherish that time. You didn't listen to me, right? Aren't you regretting it now? Isn't it really sad?"

Bee-ju laughed at my forced thumbs up.

"Earlier, I said that to you because you rarely go to school. Sometimes you don't go at all because of your singing activities. I wanted you to cherish school life more. For you, the studio or the shooting site is your daily life, and school is a special place."

But.

"For those who are currently in school or will see this in the future, I need to say something different. School life is tough, right?"

I said with a smile.

"Everyone around you might say that those times were the best, but I think those currently in school are having a hard time. It's not always fun, right? Relationships are complicated, and there are many exams. There are many things to deal with."

Honestly, I don't really know what school life is like.

I was already a trainee in middle school and dropped out before I could fully experience high school.

But life is similar wherever you go.

I imagined what our fans' school life might be like based on my trainee days and spoke.

"So, I want to say, 'You're working hard' or 'You worked hard.' It's like going through a long tunnel. I want to tell our Supple who will see this in the future to work a bit harder, and I want to thank our Supple who have come through a long time for enduring."

"..."

"Bee-ju, how was that? Did I do well?"

But Bee-ju had an ambiguous expression.

Did I do something wrong?

As I was thinking, he hesitated.

He looked like he had something to say but couldn't.

"Oh, what should I do..."

"Why are you like that?"

"Hyung, you said you were so happy that you could forgive anything, right?"

"Yes, but why?"

"Hyung, I really didn't expect this..."

Bee-ju said in a half-dead voice.

"Hyung, this was a live broadcast."

"What?"

Bee-ju tapped the screen, and the chat window that had been hidden appeared.

* * *

A shout of "Hey!" echoed through the dressing room.

A group of people, including the members and managers, who were holding their phones, burst into laughter at the sight of Seon-woo-ju scolding Kim Bee-ju on the screen.

"Ha-ha-ha!"