Chapter 96
“Hoo-ha.”
“For now… we can relax a bit.”
In the Colors practice room, we were lying down during our break, glued to our phones.
Today was the day the concept film was released.
Since it was the first video being released under the name ‘Steel Blue,’ everyone was nervous.
Moreover, we had directed it from start to finish ourselves.
“I was really worried we’d have to do some weird concept if it flopped.”
That was one of the reasons my heart was pounding.
If this album failed, we’d practically become Director Kim’s slaves for the next seven years.
“Everyone seems to like it, right?”
“The fans’ reactions are really positive!”
Yeon Juhong peeked up with a happy smile.
It was hard for everyone to move much more than that since we had already been practicing for ten hours today and there was still a long way to go.
“All that hard work paid off,” Kim Geum said, drenched in sweat.
“In this weather, going to a studio without heating…”
“Wearing just thin outfits…”
“We didn’t know how cold it would be, that’s why we could do it. Now that we know, we’d never be able to do it again.”
“Who suggested a snow-covered background? Acting while looking at fake snow was so difficult!”
Sorry… that was my idea.
I wanted to grab the fans’ attention a bit.
Of course, thinking about the cold made my teeth chatter too.
I only considered the cost of creating the snow CGI, not the studio’s freezing conditions from the fans running at full blast to create the snow effect.
“There are a lot of interpretation posts going up too.”
The person who made the biggest contribution to this film’s scenario was Ryu Bo-ra.
That’s why she seemed to notice the interpretation posts.
“Really? Did anyone figure out your full intention?”
“80% of it, but no one’s got 100% yet. Oh, but there are many who interpreted things in ways I didn’t even think of.”
“That’s also fun.”
“It is. It feels… ticklish in a good way to see everyone interpreting each part like this.”
Ryu Bo-ra’s eyes sparkled as she spoke.
It was rare to see those dull eyes so bright.
Art isn’t complete until the audience’s interpretations are added to the creator’s intentions.
“But the fans are real geniuses. I still don’t fully understand the scenario,”
Kim Geum said, gulping down an electrolyte drink.
“You should at least understand it…”
“I’ll interpret it in my own way.”
“Will you keep being contrary like that during interviews too?”
“Didn’t Cheong say that various interpretations are possible?!”
“But you’re one of the people who planned the concept; you should understand it properly.”
While Ryu Bo-ra and Kim Geum bickered, I glanced at Seo Baek-young.
I knew how tense she was… since I was the one who suggested making her the center of this film.
The other members thought I should be the center since I was ranked first, but I didn’t want that.
If I received all the benefits of being first, the reaction wouldn’t have been good.
There were still negative views towards me, and there was no need to add fuel to the fire.
Even though it had been revealed that I was the victim of an unjust situation, I knew people still hadn’t completely erased their negative image of me.
That’s human nature.
They believe “where there’s smoke, there’s fire.”
Even if they knew with their heads that I was a victim, it would take time for their hearts to accept it.
There was no need to stand out from the first activity.
Besides, I no longer had to stand out as an individual.
My mission was to win the rookie award as ‘Steel Blue,’ not as ‘Yoon Cheong.’
Honestly, even if my personal popularity was the lowest, as long as the group was popular, it was fine.
I needed to think and act solely for the group.
“Sister.”
“Yeah?”
“The reactions are good. You can relax now.”
“…Right.”
Seo Baek-young forced a smile.
“Is something bothering you?”
“No, it’s not that…”
Seo Baek-young turned over to face me.
“I think I now understand how you felt.”
“What?”
“This is the first time I’ve been mentioned so much.”
“?”
What is she talking about? Wasn’t she third place?
“You were always in the top ranks for non-drama buzz and mentions.”
“That’s true, but… it feels different.”
Seo Baek-young looked both excited and overwhelmed.
“My image always felt… like it was just blending in. I felt like a stable pick to raise the group’s average skill level.”
I was surprised by her unexpected words, and it seemed the other members were equally taken aback.
“What?! You were third place! What does that make those of us who ranked lower?”
Yeon Juhong was especially surprised.
“I got a lot of sympathy votes. You’re the youngest among us, so fans probably thought that even if you didn’t debut this time, you’d have another chance next time.”
Seo Baek-young’s smile was truly calm and detached.
“But for me, it felt like there wouldn’t be another chance. At 21, it’s a precarious age for an idol.”
“What about the others then?”
I cut in firmly.
“Nearly half of the trainees in Menucal were in their twenties. But in the end, it was you who debuted. Being in the top three out of twelve is no small feat. Don’t think that way.”
I never thought Seo Baek-young felt this way.
The survival show must have been tough for her.
Indeed, she had gone through the most monthly evaluations among Colors members.
To have experienced those evaluations her entire childhood, and then face an even bigger survival challenge must have felt extremely harsh.
Honestly, she should have debuted straight away instead of going through Menucal.
I didn’t realize her mental state was this fragile.
Perhaps I should have chosen based on mental strength rather than ability back then.
I regretted it a little.
I valued privacy greatly.
Having lived a life without it, I wanted to protect others’ privacy.
That’s why I deliberately didn’t check their emotional states… What’s the right thing to do?
We had one year until the rookie award.
To safely return to my mom, everyone’s mental health had to stay intact.
An idol’s mental health is closely tied to their work performance, even affecting fan service.
How could someone with a broken mental state focus on fan service?
I felt conflicted.
“Thank you, everyone. I’ll try to think more positively.”
“Yeah! I hope you can be confident, sister.”
“If you have any negative thoughts, rely on us. You’re like family to us.”
Yeon Juhong and Kim Geum were trying their best to cheer up Seo Baek-young in their own ways.
Surprisingly, Ryu Bo-ra was quiet, lost in thought.
Why were there so many concerns?
“First, let’s finish practice and go home to rest.”
I wrapped it up appropriately. I’d have to talk seriously with Seo Baek-young later.
“Right. Our pre-release MV comes out at midnight.”
Ryu Bo-ra finally spoke up.
“We should all watch it together.”
“Ughhhhh.”
Kim Geum groaned.
“I’m so nervous it makes my stomach hurt.”
“…Because you composed it?”
“Of course.”
That’s right. The second song we prepared was—
***
Ding!
▶ [Steel Blue – <20℃, Sunny> M/V]
The first song released under the name Steel Blue debuted as a music video on OTube.
Prism Homma felt rather calm when she heard about the pre-release song.
The storm of the color film had already passed.
Besides, a pre-release song isn’t the title track; its role is to convey the album’s concept and build anticipation.
There weren’t high expectations for it.
However…
‘The title alone is enough to excite the otakus, isn’t it?’
The thumbnail matched the fresh title perfectly.
Under a clear, cloudless sky, five people were smiling brightly.
They wore pastel-toned, age-appropriate clothes, with no makeup, but they looked genuinely happy.
‘Even if the song’s bad, the thumbnail alone makes it forgivable…’
Prism Homma didn’t hesitate and immediately pressed play.
The first scene was Yoon Cheong with a half-up ponytail tied with a blue ribbon.
The high ponytail emphasized her sporty and cute look.
‘Oh my god, Yoon Cheong’s half-up ponytail.’
Prism Homma had vowed not to take any screenshots or make gifs the first time watching, but this was a huge temptation.
It felt unfair.
She always thought Yoon Cheong’s skin was transparent, but seeing her with such light makeup for the first time made it stand out even more.
How’s the weather today?
It seems like it was slightly cloudy for me.
It was an R&B song.
Rhythmic yet lyrical, light and easy to listen to, emphasizing the tone of the vocals.
The unique tones of the members’ voices stood out even more in this light music.
‘Please kill me…’
She had only heard two lines, but the tone already made her feel faint.