Chapter 250. Touch High! (2)
“No way.”
Huh?
“I told you I have the college entrance exam, so what filming? What are you talking about, making a student who’s only three weeks away from the exam shoot a show?”
Seo Taehyun had declined a major network variety show schedule.
But his reason was studying for the entrance exam.
‘What is this? Is this some kind of hidden camera prank?’
It was odd enough that Choi Yeonwoo had suddenly handed me an opportunity to appear on a major network variety show….
I stood there dumbfounded in front of a resolute Seo Taehyun, then quickly turned my gaze to Lee Yugeon, who had been dragged along and was now peeling fruit beside me.
“Then what about Lee Yugeon! He’s not taking the exam!”
“He is taking it, though.”
“How is that possible!? Registration closed in September!”
At that, Lee Yugeon, who had been calmly peeling an apple, began to slowly shred it to pieces with a drained expression.
Jung Siwoo sighed and snatched the knife from Yugeon’s hand.
“The company registered him at the same time as Taehyun last time. It was right around our debut, so Yugeon must have forgotten.”
“I don’t even plan on going to college, so why…?”
At that, Seo Taehyun’s eyes widened in anger.
“Who said you had to go to Seoul National University!? If you don’t go to college, you’ll have to go to the army, you idiot!”
“That’s why I’m keeping my mouth shut….”
For once, Yugeon was being compliant—guess he’s scared of the military, too.
‘Come to think of it, if Yugeon were to go to the military now, his family would essentially be left without a breadwinner….’
Wait a second. Isn’t he the head of his household? Shouldn’t he be exempt?
…Just as I began to think about it, I realized the company had probably already looked into it.
‘They’re probably keeping him active duty by forcing some bogus reason, so they’re using this as insurance.’
Why hasn’t Korea been unified yet?
I’ve been hoping for it since I was seven years old, but now that I’m 29, I can only resent that North-South unification hasn’t been achieved. I absentmindedly grabbed and ate one of the apples that Yugeon had shredded and Jung Siwoo had salvaged.
Just then, Yugeon, who had somehow ended up studying for the entrance exam alongside Seo Taehyun, began to whine uncharacteristically.
“Hey, studying for three weeks won’t turn me into a genius. What studying are you talking about?”
At that, Seo Taehyun’s eyes flashed as he stabbed an apple with his fork. Hard.
“Who told you to score a perfect exam…? Do you want to end up as some attention-seeking idol who made a mess at the exam center on the news…? Do you think I want to make you study? At least look at the English and social studies materials so you can mark something on the OMR sheet…? If you walk into the exam room in your current state, you’ll definitely make headlines as the ‘idol who ruined the college entrance exam’. You think we stop being idols when we step outside the exam hall?”
Seo Taehyun’s menacing voice and expression made me involuntarily lower my gaze.
Judging by the side glance, Yugeon had also done the same, so I didn’t feel too embarrassed.
As we handed apples to Dan Haru and Joo Eunchan, who had been quietly listening to their older brothers’ discussion, Jung Siwoo spoke up.
“Alright, alright. The conclusion is, Taehyun and Yugeon need to focus on the college entrance exam for now, so they should minimize their individual schedules. That means it’s hard to appear on the variety show. Plus, Taehyun has a school he wants to go to.”
Seo Taehyun was preparing for regular admission to Dosang University, which was famous for its Broadcasting and Entertainment Department.
Given his credentials, he could have applied early, but he had no choice but to take the regular exam due to the incredibly busy schedule around our debut.
Joo Eunchan, who had been watching Seo Taehyun nod in agreement, casually chimed in.
“Since you’re taking the exam anyway, Yugeon hyung should take it too. Don’t you have any thoughts about that? Dosang is also famous for its Practical Dance Department.”
“Don’t even think about it. Usually, students who prepare for that spend three years pouring everything into it to create their portfolios. I’m not as driven as Taehyun when it comes to studying. I’ll just do what Doha hyung did and enroll in a cyber university to earn enough credits.”
Seeing Yugeon firmly shake his head, Joo Eunchan didn’t press further and simply continued munching on his apple.
A voice filled with frustration escaped my mouth.
“So, what’s the plan? I promised Senior Choi Yeonwoo that I’d take the high school seniors on the show, but if you guys don’t go, who am I supposed to take?”
“Hyung, you’ve got plenty of members, so why worry? If you’re really in a pinch, take Eunchan and Haru. They’ve probably won *Touch High* about 6,000 times, given how much they run around all the time.”
“It’s not that I haven’t thought about it! I’ve already come up with every possible combination in my head! But I can’t handle those two alone…!”
At my bitter words, Joo Eunchan and Dan Haru, who had been diligently chewing their apples, suddenly looked up in unison like a set.
“…Hyung?”
“Hajin hyung….”
“…Sorry for being so weak.”
I quietly lowered my gaze to the floor, unable to bear the betrayal-filled stares of the hyperactive youngest members.
‘I always think this, but I feel like I have no authority as a leader. Is this really okay?’
Anyway, while we were arguing about what to do with the *Touch High* schedule I had managed to secure, a call came in from Hyung Wook.
My instincts told me it was probably related to *Touch High*, so I answered immediately.
“Yes, this is Hajin from Kairos.”
-…?
“…Hyung Wook?”
-Oh, ah, sorry. It’s just, your way of answering the phone is something I can’t get used to.
Oops. My freelancing instincts slipped out again.
I quickly changed the subject.
“Hyung, did you call about *Touch High*? Did you talk to the production team?”
-Yeah. I was just about to tell you about that.
“What’s the verdict?”
-Well, first off, they agreed to have you guys appear as substitutes. Enderway was originally supposed to send Yeonwoo and Luke, but since you guys haven’t appeared on a major network variety show before, they’re asking for three members.
Luke, huh….
The image of the only foreigner in Enderway, now the only foreigner across all of Miro, came to mind—the blonde Yank, as fans called him.
He was likely the rapper and dancer. He had occasionally appeared on variety shows, showcasing his English rap and American-style bold talk, capitalizing on his background from LA.
‘Indeed…. Relying on a combination of Choi Yeonwoo and Luke to carry a newly debuted rookie group is risky.’
As I was on the call, Lee Yugeon and Seo Taehyun, who were probably fighting again, were kicking at each other, and Lee Doha, who had already finished washing up, was busy trying to stop them.
Watching the now almost daily occurrence, I covered my other ear with my hand and continued the conversation.
“We were just discussing who would go…. Did the production team give any suggestions on who they wanted?”
-Yeah, they did. Since they wanted to avoid communication issues, they seemed to want a mix of older and younger members. Hold on…. …Ah, here it is. I’ll read it out to you now.
Leaving behind the chaos in the dorm where Joo Eunchan and Dan Haru had joined the fray, I covered my ears and listened carefully as Hyung Wook read out the members’ names.
And the more names he read, the less I could believe my ears.
“…Seriously, that’s the first-choice lineup?”
-Yeah, that’s what they said.
“For real? You’re sure?”
-I double-checked. I even asked them again if they really didn’t want Taehyun or Yugeon. But they said a fresher face would be better. It’s good news for us.
“Well…. Alright then.”
-Okay, then. Discuss it with the members and let me know as soon as you decide. I need to confirm it with the writer.
“Got it….”
I hung up the call, still in a slight daze.
The lineup they wanted was something I never would have imagined.
As soon as I ended the call, the noisy members all turned to look at me.
In a bewildered voice, I relayed the news.
“I just spoke to Hyung Wook, and he said the production team gave him the list of members they want.”
“Who is it?”
Without saying a word, I turned my gaze to the one sitting on Yugeon’s back, apparently for reasons unknown, Dan Haru.
Confirming my gaze, Jung Siwoo asked.
“Haru…?”
“Me?”
“Yeah. And….”
And then, my gaze shifted to the other member the production team had chosen.
A member that even the Destis wouldn’t have expected.
* * *
Two days later.
At the outdoor filming location where *Touch High*’s opening shoot was taking place.
I got out of the car dressed in an outfit that our stylist noona had agonized over all night, one that looked like ‘an effortlessly casual outfit that isn’t actually casual but perfectly suited for a rookie idol.’
“Hajin-ah. No matter what, you guys absolutely must not lose in terms of visuals today. Got it? Noona takes pride in your looks. I worked all night for this.”
“Noona, don’t stay up all night for something like that…. We’re all just trying to make a living here.”
“It’s fine. Miro is good with incentives if the stylists get a positive response. Your good looks bring me money.”
Is this kind of worldly talk really okay?
Our stylist, who worked for the shop contracted exclusively by Utopia, Enderway, and now Kairos as well, looked at me with a determined glint in her eye. The hair and makeup staff next to her also seemed quietly competitive.
‘Well, I guess it makes sense….’
Today’s *Touch High* filming concept was a ‘three-way battle.’
Three boy groups, all within three years of their debut, would team up with fixed panelists to compete in three different types of missions to determine the strongest group.
There was a bit of a behind-the-scenes story to this, though—originally, this was supposed to be an Enderway solo special.
-Enderway was supposed to have two members and one panelist on each team, with three teams total. But the production team seemed to think it wasn’t enough, so they asked if it was okay to bring in other groups.
Given that we were the ones who had caused the issue, we couldn’t really object, but it was still surprising that they managed to find two more boy groups to join the show overnight.
Since *Touch High* was still thriving, it seemed there were plenty of teams who’d jump at the chance with just a phone call.
‘And the ones who got chosen….’
I glanced over at the ‘other teams’ on the other side of the parking lot, chatting with their staff.
One team had debuted around the same time as Enderway, and the other had debuted last year, if I remember correctly, but neither of them was particularly well-known compared to Enderway.
‘I don’t like ranking people based on popularity, but if I were the production team, I’d feel dissatisfied too.’
Shifting the concept from an Enderway solo special to a three-way battle of rookie groups whose names the panelists probably couldn’t even remember must have been tough. Whoever came up with that idea must have been quite frustrated.
But that was just the production team’s perspective.
From the viewpoint of those boy group members standing before me, this was an opportunity.
‘Honestly, our group is the most well-known here. So they’ll probably do everything they can to challenge us, create a competitive dynamic, or get screen time.’
If they had any ambition to succeed, that’s what they’d do.
And there was no way these guys, who had jumped at the chance to appear on the show at the last minute, lacked that ambition.
I watched the white-haired guy from Enderway as he quietly moved toward the smoking area with his manager.
‘I’m not planning to let them steal the spotlight in a show that’s supposed to generate buzz….’
What should I do?
What should I do to make it ‘entertaining’?
What should I do to make an impression on the production team and panelists,
Show the viewers the gap between us and the other idol groups,
And generate enough buzz to overshadow even the upcoming debut of Lanion?
My mind raced during the brief waiting period before filming began.
I swear, I’ve never used my brain this much, not even when preparing for the college entrance exam or job applications.
Then, two more members, dressed like me, got out of the car.
“Hajin hyung!”
Hearing Dan Haru’s lively voice calling out to me, I remembered another task I had momentarily forgotten.
My gaze turned to today’s variety show partners.
In the distance, Dan Haru, wearing a layered white T-shirt under an oversized hoodie and light blue jeans, was approaching me with another person.
It was Lee Doha, who was bundled up in beige pants, a khaki sweatshirt, and a checkered scarf, shivering in the cold.
‘Ah, right. I shouldn’t be worrying about other teams right now….’
An overly bold, irresponsible leader, an unpredictable and energetic youngest member.
And a quiet bear who acts normal but seems to have done a 360-degree turn without anyone noticing.
As all the Kairos members scheduled to appear today gathered, Dan Haru declared with great enthusiasm,
“We’re definitely going to win today!!”
…Is this lineup really okay?
It was a Kairos version of the hopeless trio that I had never imagined in my life.