Chapter 97

Xiaoming stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly gripped the secret letter his mother had given him.

The interview location was a Nordic-style café on Garosu-gil. It was quiet inside, being a weekday morning. Myeong and Seokhwan hyung looked at the three men and women sitting opposite us while sipping their drinks. They were the production team for the PBS 50th anniversary special documentary. The people who had handed us their business cards, which read 'production team,' were now inhaling the desserts and coffee we had bought for them. They all had dark circles under their eyes, and they were digging into their chocolate cakes with spoons, like miners with pickaxes, as if they were eating to survive. Seokhwan hyung, unable to bear it, said, "Take your time. We still have plenty of time for the interview."

"Oh, yes. Thank you."

The assistant director wiped his mouth with a tissue. "We stayed up all night preparing for the filming and hadn't eaten anything yet. This is our first meal, so... it might seem a bit rude?"

"I was really hungry, you know."

The two writers also spoke with grim faces. While Seokhwan hyung went down to buy more, I conversed with the production team. Through this, I learned several things. The higher-ups were subtly pressuring them because of the 50th anniversary documentary special. For this reason, I, a controversial figure, would be given significant coverage. They were essentially saying, "We hope you do well."

Perhaps because of this, it was the first time since my debut that I had been addressed so formally by the broadcasting staff. Jung Woojeong said, "We're going to start the interview here at the café. This will be the main part, so just answer the questions comfortably. Don't be too conscious of the camera... Oh, I don't need to explain that, do I?"

"Yes, I'm not worried about being conscious of the camera."

As I nodded, the writers started laughing for some reason. "After that, we'll go to your company to film some practice scenes. This part has been discussed with our PD, right?"

"Yes, the members are waiting there now."

Seokhwan hyung answered. Indeed, my younger members were waiting at the company, and I couldn't help but smile thinking about how they had seen me off, wishing me good luck before we left.

While the equipment was being set up, I picked up my phone to turn it off. I saw messages from the members:

Biju: [Hyung, do well!]

Biju: [^ㅇ^]

Jung Hyun: [Fighting]

Jung Hyun: [H]

Jiho: [i]

Jung Hyun: [t]

Biju: [t!]

Jung Hyun: [Chijipong Kim Biju]

Jiho: [Biju hyung, you won the lottery!]

Biju: [What should I do?]

Riheuk: [What are you doing, Hyung?]

Riheuk: [No, why are you messaging when everyone is right next to you?]

Jiho: [Yeah, we have to do this so you don't feel left out, Hyung~]

Jiho: [We love our old man, Riheuk]

A peach emoji appeared, holding a cane and wobbling.

This was real. Riheuk said, "Anyway, there's no normal person in this group."

Jiho: [You]

Riheuk: [This jerk]

Biju: [Riheuk, speak nicely]

Jung Hyun: [Photo]

I looked at the notification and saw Jung Hyun giving a V sign with the dynamic members in the background. Biju looked like a cat owner who didn't know what to do when the cats were fighting.

Jiho: [Oh? The first one is gone]

Jiho: [Are you watching?]

I laughed at the lively messages and sent a short reply.

Me: [Thanks]

Me: [I'll do well]

Riheuk: [If you're coming back, don't act like you're saying goodbye]

Me: [ㅗ]

Riheuk: [ㅗㅗㅗ]

Riheuk: [I win]

Jiho: [Hyung, you're shaking your phone]

Me: [kkk]

After sending that, I turned off my phone. Thanks to my younger members, my nervousness had calmed down.

Once everything was ready, the assistant director said to me, "Could you look this way once?"

"Yes."

"Okay, perfect. Are you ready?"

"Yes, I'm ready."

The red light on the camera turned on immediately.

* * *

I remembered the interview I did with KTN after the college entrance exam. I was so nervous back then. Of course, many things were different this time. The interviewer was a documentary production team instead of a journalist, my attire was a sleeveless T-shirt instead of a padded jacket, and my profession was a singer instead of a student. The biggest difference, however, was me. Back then, I was frozen with fear, unable to speak properly, but now I was much better. My tone was natural and confident, and I had become accustomed to being in front of the camera. I knew what to say and what not to say, and what would be edited out of the broadcast.

"Before I ask the questions, would you mind watching the footage from that time again?"

"Yes, that's fine."

The writer opened a video app on his smartphone. The CCTV footage from the accident last November played. A car was speeding down a hill, and an old man was standing below, setting up a cart. He was calmly on the phone, which made the viewers feel anxious. Then, a young man who was walking towards the school gate suddenly turned and started running like a madman. The video ended with him pushing the old man out of the way and saving him.

"What were you thinking when you ran in at that moment?"

"Hmm..."

Seokhwan hyung and I had practiced various responses, but we decided to be honest.

"To be honest, I didn't have time to think. The car was coming, and the old man didn't realize... I just moved without thinking."

"You just moved?"

"Yes, it was more like my body acted on its own. When someone slips on the stairs, you instinctively reach out to catch them, right?"

The assistant director nodded, and the production team seemed to understand. It felt like they were getting the answer they wanted, as if they were interviewers who had just heard the right response from a candidate.

The writer asked another question. "If something like this happened again, would you do the same?"

"Hmm... I don't know."

I only managed a wry smile. "I think I should, but I can't guarantee I would do it again. There are too many variables. If I had more time to decide, I might not have had the courage."

If they had given me five minutes to decide whether to jump in, I wouldn't know what I would have chosen. Would I have risked my life to make that choice?

"But if I had to act in just one second, I think I would do the same."

The production team looked at each other again. What was going on?

* * *

After finishing the interview at the café, we each got into our vehicles and moved on. "Did I do well?"

"You did great. Your interview attitude was good, and there was nothing to criticize."

"But, I think I did well too."

"Then why are you asking?"

Seokhwan hyung, who was driving, laughed as if it was absurd. "What's the problem if you did well?"

"Every time I said something, the writers and PD exchanged glances, making me wonder if I said something wrong."

"Oh... I heard them talking about it on the way out. They said, 'We found the right person.' It seems your responses were exactly what they wanted."

"That's a relief."

"If I have to point out some details... about eye contact and interview skills, there were a few minor points."

I kept this in mind and looked at the time on my phone. We had five minutes until arrival, which was just right. It was a good time to say what I wanted to say over the past few days.

"Hey, Hyung, I have something to say."

"What is it?"

"I... I wanted to thank you."

"Out of the blue?"

"Yeah."

"Wow, you should have turned on the turn signal first."

"Hyung, be careful. If Jung Hyun had heard, he might have really climbed over to turn it on."

It was a ridiculous joke, but we both laughed. The assistant director explained to us, "We'll take a few shots, but it won't be difficult. Just act naturally."

Naturally. We looked at each other, remembering to act as we usually do.

* * *

The PBS documentary production team set up their cameras in the practice room. They were filming a scene to show what the hero's current life was like. While everyone was stretching and loosening up, the assistant director asked Wang Jiho, who was stretching nearby, "I have a question. How much do you usually practice?"

"Hmm, it varies."

Wang Jiho stretched his leg to 180 degrees, like a Shaolin monk. The production team was momentarily shocked. They would scream if they tried to do that, but he looked very calm.

"Isn't it hard?"

"Not really. I do this every day. Oh, there's Biju hyung."

He pointed to a member who looked like a refined young man from a distance. Kim Biju was stretching his body like an invertebrate.

"Biju hyung can sleep even with his legs split."

"Ah, I see."

"By the way, about the practice time you asked earlier. When we do live broadcasts, we practice from 8 PM to 10 PM. When preparing for activities, we practice from 7 PM to 10 PM."

"Wow, that's less than I thought."

"I guess. I think it's enough, but Biju hyung and Woojoo hyung always say we need more."

They all laughed, and the production team had to suppress their laughter. The filming started immediately. A refreshing melody filled their ears. The song was about a flower festival and sounded beautiful. However, when the practice began, they were taken aback. The members, who had been laughing and joking earlier, now had fierce expressions as they danced in perfect sync with the music. The practice was incredibly intense. The intention was to show a 'leisurely daily life of a hero,' but the screen captured burning idols determined to become famous.

The assistant director wanted to interrupt and restart, but the atmosphere was too serious to find a good moment to do so.

"Do new idols usually practice like this?"

"It's a bit scary."

"Maybe because they have less practice time, they try to make it intense and short."

They were all novices when it came to idols, but they knew this was not just hard work. The more they watched, the more unusual it seemed. How could someone perform such complex choreography with only a few hours of practice a day?

When the song ended and the New Black members, drenched in sweat, caught their breath, the production team, still puzzled, asked the youngest member, "Hey, didn't you say you practice for a few hours a day?"

"Me?"

"Yes, from 7 PM to 10 PM."

"Oh, that's the preparation period."

Wang Jiho tilted his head. "That's in the morning."

"..."

The production team blinked in confusion.