Chapter 204. Kairos (3)
However, whether the ominous feeling was just a baseless worry, Nam Daun carried on with the showcase, his usual playful demeanor replaced by witty remarks and smooth leadership.
“Yes, before we show you our performance, we’ll have a photo time with each member. It seems like the members are a bit nervous, so why don’t we start with our experienced Taehyun?”
“Ah, yes.”
“Could the other members please move to the side of the stage for a moment?”
As the official photo time began, the moment Seo Taehyun stepped to the center, an overwhelming barrage of camera flashes flooded the stage. Just watching it from the side was enough to hurt your eyes, but Seo Taehyun struck poses with all his charms without blinking an eye.
“What would that guy have done if he hadn’t become a celebrity?”
Muttering habitually to myself, Lee Yugeon, who was wiping his sweat nearby, dryly answered.
“…A pension owner?”
“That’s not what I meant.”
Tsk, these T-types….
As I clicked my tongue, Seo Taehyun’s turn ended, and Jung Siwoo was called out.
To be honest, I wasn’t feeling much until now, but watching them get called out one by one, a cold sweat began to form, as if I were a prisoner waiting for execution.
‘Damn, what should I do when it’s my turn?’
I thought I could just go with a three-heart set or something, but now it seemed like the issue wasn’t the poses but my expression. My cheeks were already stiffening. The nightmare of my high school graduation photo resurfaced.
[System Alarm: What did you do to make it turn out like this….]
‘Don’t try to find out. You’ll get hurt.’
The reason my graduation photo hasn’t surfaced online yet is that my classmates must have thought, “This is too much…,” and decided to protect me. That’s the consensus of the school… no, the academic world.
What kind of nonsense is that, you ask? Don’t try to understand. I’m just saying random things because I’m nervous right now.
“Next, our Ha….”
Is it finally my turn?
“…ru, shall we have our lovely youngest, Haru?”
“Ugh….”
“…? What’s wrong with this guy?”
“Isn’t it always like this? Just leave him be.”
As I clutched my chest and collapsed, feeling my heart tighten, Joo Eunchan and Lee Yugeon nonchalantly ignored me, as if it was a usual occurrence. Meanwhile, Dan Haru, Lee Doha, and even Joo Eunchan had already taken the stage.
Left alone with Lee Yugeon, I grabbed his shoulder.
“Aren’t you nervous? They’re taking photos like crazy. If you get caught in a bad shot, it stays with you for life.”
“Well, it feels kind of like fitting model work, doesn’t it?”
“You diligent and dutiful part-timer….”
“What wouldn’t you do to earn money?”
“Now, let’s have Yugeon up next.”
Even that unnecessarily diligent part-timer had to go up on stage. Lee Yugeon coolly shook off my clingy grip on his shoulder and walked up the stairs.
Nam Daun, that bastard, must have made me the last on purpose…!
“Yes, great. Now, it’s the last one, right? Hajin, please come up on stage.”
Finally, it was my turn.
I took a deep breath and climbed up to the stage.
[System Alarm: You’re moving with the same arm and same leg right now?]
Ah, crap.
I quickly changed my movements at Thirteen’s words.
[System Alarm: You’re still moving with the same arm and same leg…!]
I don’t care, damn it. Just act natural.
Ignoring the other members trying hard not to laugh as they watched me from the other side of the stage, I safely reached the photo zone. Nam Daun grabbed the microphone with a playful look on his face.
“Okay, first, let’s go with the front. Towards the reporters in the front, a cute wink☆.”
“…Pardon?”
A wink? The others didn’t have to do anything like that.
Looking at Nam Daun in disbelief at the sudden additional request, I saw him gesture seriously for me to look forward.
“I know you’re someone who everyone wants to keep looking at, but for now, you should look at the reporters. Hajin, come on. Quickly, a wink full of freshness as a rookie!”
Well, fine…. It’s just a wink.
I couldn’t ignore the waiting cameras any longer, so I looked straight ahead and winked as calmly as I could. Instantly, another round of flashes exploded like fireworks from all directions.
After they seemed to have taken enough photos, Nam Daun instructed me on the next pose.
“Great, now let’s look to the right with a cheek heart and a cute smile~.”
Oh, come on.
At Nam Daun’s shameless request, I briefly placed my hands on my hips and scratched my forehead. Anyone could see that he was teasing me.
The reporters, sensing the playful atmosphere, began to chuckle here and there. Rolling up my sleeves, I exhaled briefly. By now, I had thrown all my nervousness into the trash.
‘Do you think I can’t do it?’
[System Alarm: The system detects the Fixed Regressor’s competitive spirit.]
[System Alarm: The Fixed Regressor’s special skill (Stage Persona) is enhancing expressiveness (S▶SS).]
[System Alarm: The skill <As You Speak> is in effect.]
[System Alarm: The skill <What’s True to Myself?> is in effect.]
[System Alarm: The system is excitedly watching the creation of the Fixed Regressor’s cringe-worthy history.]
“Now, Hajin! Cute, adorable~ lovable, fresh, refreshing, and sexy!!”
Right. What wouldn’t you do to earn money?
Raising my head solemnly, I struck a pose.
* * *
‘…Come to think of it, hyung said today was his debut, didn’t he?’
Hawon suddenly remembered his brother’s situation and paused while organizing his tools. Having been holed up in the art academy, forgetting the date and time due to preparation for college entrance exams, he searched for his phone in his bag.
‘What should I search?’
He didn’t know much about debut showcases or anything like that, so he just typed “Kairos Kang Hajin” into the portal search bar.
And upon seeing the thumbnail and headline at the top of the search results, he instinctively closed the app.
‘…What?’
What did I just see?
Feeling momentarily confused, as if he had seen something he shouldn’t have, Hawon took a deep breath and checked the portal again.
This time, the headlines that had flashed by earlier were suddenly enlarged in his vision.
“[HD Photos] Kairos (K:RUS) Kang Hajin, Nervous About Today’s Debut!”
“[OkayPhotos] ‘Kairos’ Kang Hajin, ‘Cheeky and Fresh Cheek Heart’”
“Kairos Kang Hajin, ‘Have You Ever Seen Such an Adorable Puppy?’”
“Oh no, this won’t do.”
Just reading the headlines made his hands and feet curl up. Seeing his brother in the thumbnail making a triangle shape with his hands above his head and tilting his head at a 45-degree angle, Hawon couldn’t help but quickly scroll past it.
“……”
Hyung, you’re working hard, huh….
Feeling somewhat motivated in his exam preparations, Hawon realized that making a living was no easy task.
Unable to muster the courage to scroll back up and see his brother’s “business,” Hawon’s eyes caught another article.
“[Photo] Kairos, The Rangers Who Will Protect Destiny!”
Clicking on the article, Hawon saw his brother and his members striking some strangely familiar goofy poses.
“This is Power X Rangers….”
Why on earth is a rookie group that just debuted today striking poses reminiscent of the sentai series hyung used to love watching as a kindergartener…?
Little did Hawon know that this was the result of Hajin’s rebelliousness, unable to bear being the only one subjected to embarrassment after his solo photo time.
Was this normal for idols, or was it just because of his brother’s eccentricity…?
‘Indeed, making a living isn’t easy.’
For some reason, Hawon, who was once again strangely motivated about life, stared at the Kairos members in the photo. He still couldn’t remember all their names, but having seen them frequently, their faces were becoming familiar.
“……”
Hawon gazed at Hajin, who was smiling alongside the other members in the photo.
The fact that he now had to see his brother in online pictures, rather than in person at home, felt strange and awkward. The idea that the members would now be by his brother’s side, rather than himself, was also unsettling.
<Our Hyung: Hey.>
At that moment, as if knowing exactly how Hawon felt, a message notification from Hajin appeared at the top of his phone screen.
<? What is it?>
<Aren’t you busy right now?>
Surprised, Hawon quickly replied, and the notification disappeared as Hajin’s response came back.
<Our Hyung: Just taking a short break.>
<Our Hyung: Finished the first part with the reporters, and now we’re getting ready for the second part with the fans.>
<Saw the article.>
<Our Hyung: WTF.>
<Our Hyung: Why did you look at that?>
Hajin’s flustered reply made Hawon laugh.
Wanting to tease his brother, Hawon
clicked on the article he hadn’t been able to read earlier. He copied the picture of Hajin making a cute expression and pasted it into the messenger.
<(Photo)>
<Our Hyung: Hahahahahahahahaha.>
<Our Hyung: Are you crazy?>
<Our Hyung: Why are you looking at that, you punk.>
<Haha, when I searched for hyung, that was the first thing that came up.>
<Our Hyung: What’s with the puppy ears? I found out about it today too.>
<Our Hyung: Anyway, that’s not what I wanted to talk about.>
As Hajin’s reply paused for a moment, a question mark popped up in Hawon’s mind.
Did he go back to his schedule?
Thinking it was almost time for Hajin’s break to end, Hawon was about to dismiss it when his phone vibrated with another message from his brother. This time, it was a link.
<Our Hyung: https://www.itube.com/watch?v=yY13Vlkd9…….>
<Our Hyung: My music video is out.>
<Our Hyung: Show it to Mom and Dad too.>
In the video’s thumbnail, the members of Kairos stood amid blue flames and swirling cards.
<Our Hyung: I’ll work hard to earn money, so.>
<Our Hyung: You just focus on your exam prep.>
<Our Hyung: Love you.>
<Our Hyung: I’m off now. See you.>
Reading his brother’s messages, Hawon frowned slightly, feeling a bit embarrassed. Unlike him, who was naturally reserved, Hajin had always been particularly affectionate, leaving these kinds of cringey messages as if it was nothing.
…Of course, Hawon had never once disliked these displays of affection.
“What’s up? Kang Hawon, where are you going?”
“Just taking a quick break.”
“Class starts soon, though?”
“Just five minutes.”
Finally, Hawon pulled out the wired earphones he had stored in his bag along with his phone, and stepped out of the academy classroom. Settling in a small space next to the lobby where students could take breaks, Hawon adjusted the volume to a suitable level and clicked on the music video link his brother had sent.
Zzzz, zziizzz―,
A sacred organ accompaniment played through the old noise.
At the same time, scenes from the teaser quickly flashed by, showing the burning card castle and the members in the club room, cut and spliced together.
Hands playing the organ were shown, and the cards engulfed in flames all crumbled into ashes.
Soon, a voice familiar yet somehow unfamiliar to Hawon rang out powerfully.
Open your eyes,
With a flash, Hajin leapt forward as he opened his eyes wide, leading into the choreography.
Kairos’s debut song had begun.