Chapter 175
Steel Blue’s Teaser Overload
A treasure trove of hints in the teaser…..
(photo)
Give us more.
Someone bring the interpreted version.
So, who’s the culprit?
Who is it!!!!!
Everyone looks so frustrated, I can’t figure out who it is.
But there’s one person whose name is erased, right?
There was a name erased on the exchange diary cover.
Isn’t that person the culprit?
Seems like it.
So who is the person with the erased name?
Why does Yoon-bl standing up alone look so pitiful?
Honestly, it’s almost exactly like me going to work today.
Everything except the visuals was basically me.
Why is no one mentioning Kim Geum from the volleyball club?
When she hit the ball, my heart was shattered too.
Baek-young dear… you are truly…
Kendo club captain? It suits her so well…
No, it’s like a youth drama in the making.
The colors are so pretty, soft and warm.ㅠㅠ
Kudos to Ryu Bo-ra for planning all this.
Such a wonderful idea from the fanbase…
Steel Blue in school uniforms?
It’s a guaranteed win…
[Steel Blue’s ‘Color Film’ surpasses 10 million views in 16 hours!]
[Steel Blue’s new album, ‘Forever Blue’, set for success?]
[‘Across all times’—the teaser following ‘Color Film’ generates enthusiasm.]
“Ryu Bo-ra must be so proud.”
Everyone was eating breakfast with puffy eyes.
“Proud doesn’t even begin to describe it. She’s a super hit director now!”
“At this rate, she’ll become a director of a movie with 10 million viewers.”
“Be quiet, everyone.”
We were in the middle of teasing Ryu Bo-ra.
It was so fun to tease her.
“Admit it, having outstanding actors helps, right?”
“…I said be quiet, Kim Geum.”
“Getting embarrassed, are we?”
Kim Geum chuckled as she began clearing away the seaweed soup bowls.
Then, she started taking something out of the refrigerator.
What is she trying to eat now?
“Happy birrrthdayyy to youuu~ Happy birrrthdayyy to youuu~”
“?”
What is this?
Whose birthday was it among the members?
Confused, I started clapping along to Kim Geum’s singing rhythm.
Seeing the other members smiling slyly, it seemed they all knew.
Whose… whose birthday is it?
I was the only one confused.
“Hul. Don’t tell me Cheong doesn’t know whose birthday it is today?!”
Yeon Juhong… that quick-witted kid….
“…Sorry. Whose… birthday is it today?”
“Wow. She really doesn’t know.”
“Cheong, do you really not know whose birthday it is today?”
I hung my head like a sinner who had committed a grave crime.
Sorry….
I mean, Ryu Bo-ra and Seo Baek-young’s birthdays had passed, so it had to be either Kim Geum or Yeon Juhong….
But both of their birthdays were still quite far off.
So then….
“It’s unnie’s birthday! Today! July 4th!”
Ah.
Today is….
Yoon Cheong’s birthday.
I knew it in my head, but I had been so busy that I completely forgot.
I became a fool who forgot my own birthday.
“Thank you, everyone. I… really hadn’t thought about it at all.”
“We’ll let it slide this time. But remember your own birthday next time, Cheong.”
“I will.”
This was a bit embarrassing.
I scratched my head.
“Cheong! Make a wish and blow out the candles!”
Ah.
A wish.
The thoughts I tried hard to forget came rushing back.
No.
The finish line wasn’t far now.
I blocked out all thoughts and just blew out the candles.
“Every time we start activities, it feels like we’re celebrating a member’s birthday!”
“That’s right. Last time, it was Baek-young unnie’s birthday on March 10th.”
“Juhong’s birthday is in August, and Geum’s is in September… should we come back once a month then?”
Everyone turned their heads at Seo Baek-young’s comment.
That wasn’t going to happen.
“Thank you, everyone. For celebrating a birthday I had forgotten.”
“You seemed so busy that you might have forgotten your own birthday.”
Ryu Bo-ra said while cutting the cake.
“You don’t seem like someone who puts much meaning into birthdays.”
“But the fans won’t think so. We have to do a K-App live today. The staff have already finished preparing.”
Ah.
That’s right.
Come to think of it, I had been hearing about it for the past ten days or so.
But I had just brushed it off.
The comeback was urgent.
If it were another member’s birthday, I would have remembered, but… I had been indifferent because it was my own birthday.
I should have remembered since it wasn’t my birthday but Yoon Cheong’s.
“So it was a birthday only I didn’t know about.”
“You know how big of an event a birthday is for an idol, Cheong.”
I know.
I know very well.
I smiled bitterly.
When I was Baek Nokha, my birthday was April 7th.
Far from Yoon Cheong’s birthday.
So I must have unconsciously forgotten.
…I should remember.
First, I need to get briefed on what to do for the birthday live broadcast today.
“We also have a birthday present for you, Cheong.”
Kim Geum said while taking a big bite of cake.
“…What is it?”
“A birthday isn’t much, but the present is something special?”
I won’t deny it.
“Go to your room later. Everything’s there.”
Their preparation was thorough.
I chuckled.
“I’ll check it when I get back. I’m probably packed with birthday-related schedules today.”
“Birthdays are the busiest for us.”
There would be a birthday vlog to shoot.
Birthday live broadcast, managing posts and stories on Stargram…
The company handled the basic management, so even if I forgot for a moment, there wouldn’t be a gap….
“Wait. So everyone was holding onto their phones at midnight yesterday…?”
“Of course, we were writing birthday messages for you on Pubble.”
Ryu Bo-ra sighed and said.
“How can you be so oblivious?”
“Sorry. I just remembered July 4th as the day Baek-young unnie’s concept photos were released.”
Haha.
I smiled awkwardly.
“That’s right. The reaction to Baek-young unnie’s concept photos is amazing right now!”
Yeon Juhong nodded.
Yeah.
There was a reason we revealed Seo Baek-young’s concept photos first.
Even we thought they were amazing.
‘O-Tube is so boring these days.’
Even when following the algorithm’s recommendations, it was all boring content.
“There’s just too much provocative content.”
The shorter the videos in short-form content, the more pronounced it was.
I was horrified every time a cruel or provocative video suddenly popped up.
“Isn’t there anything refreshing, O-Tube? Something refreshing.”
During the summer vacation of my senior year in college, I fiddled with my phone, voicing my frustration.
The harsh world, the stressful job hunting period.
Don’t they know that showing only high-stimulation videos makes my heart feel even more crushed?!
Even dopamine stimulation can get tiresome at this level.
Just as I was contemplating whether to throw my phone away, I refreshed the page.
This time, the algorithm led me somewhere different.
Suddenly, the entire O-Tube channel started showing only fresh and green thumbnails.
“…Is it collecting my voice data…?”
Is this thing understanding what I say…?
Although it was somewhat frightening, I ultimately liked the result.
Slowly scrolling through the videos, I found one.
▶ [Steel Blue(스틸블루) – Color film ‘Across All Times’ (1/2)]
‘What is this?’
I was already familiar with the name Steel Blue.
As a college student active in online communities, I had heard of them.
Recently, they had become a hot topic for their appearance in The Three Kingdoms, which left many people wanting more after just two episodes.
To me, Steel Blue was just that.
‘An idol group that’s been gaining some traction lately.’
I had never been a fan of idols to begin with.
I was a heavy fan of dramas and movies.
‘Idols are childish.’
Dramas and movies are deeper, aren’t they?
That’s what I thought.
But still….
‘The thumbnail isn’t bad. Maybe I should just watch it as a gamble.’
So, without much thought, I clicked on the video.
‘….’
What is this?
Is this a scene from a youth drama?
What is this?
I was momentarily taken aback.
This cinematography… this direction… this story…
Isn’t this a development that would drive any youth drama fan crazy…?
My pupils began to shake.
‘…It must be a coincidence. I heard idol content has gotten high quality lately. It’s definitely the power of big capital~!’
Just as I was about to move on, thinking, “Well made~!,” I noticed a comment in the O-Tube comment section.
If you got hooked by this, you must check out the Eternal Summer teaser tooㅠㅠ
A teaser?
Come to think of it, a teaser thumbnail did pop up towards the end of the color film.
…I have plenty of time, so maybe I’ll just watch this too.
Teasers are usually short, right?
At that moment, I thought.
‘……’
What is this?
A youth drama that tugs at the heartstrings like first love…?
Every time Yoon Cheong narrated, I quietly clutched my chest.
‘I want to explore… the interpreted version.’
In the end, I started searching for ‘Steel Blue’ in the community.
Many posts appeared.
Interpretation of Steel Blue’s color film-teaser connection
Concept settings for Steel Blue members
Hints from Paper Doll to Steel Blue’s concept
Seems like they’re a group with a lot of clues.
As an over-immersed fan, once I start diving into these clues, I can’t go home….
Even if I’m home, I can’t go home….
I read each post thoroughly.
‘Oh, it’s already midnight….’
Now it’s just beginning.
Time to burn the midnight oil.
‘Huh?’
In front of me, as I resolved to burn the midnight oil.
A new post appeared.
Seo Baek-young Eternal Summer Concept Photo (Legendary)
Ah, that kendo club captain?
She was tall and cool.
If it’s a concept photo, does that mean teaser pictures?
Unconsciously, I clicked on the post.
‘………’
After ten years of being a drama-only fan, I had found my first idol love.
It was Seo Baek-young.