Chapter 384. Idol Class Showdown (3)
The situation returned to 30 minutes prior.
“…….”
“……….”
“………….”
“……………Um, well, uh… w-what’s your name?”
“Oh, I’m, uh, Hyian.”
“Ah, yes…. M-my name is Hangyeol, s-senpai.”
“Gasp, ah, yes, r-right….”
“My name is Joo Eunchan, senpai.”
“N-no, you, uh, don’t need to call me ‘senpai,’ really, you don’t….”
“I feel like I’ve seen this exact thing ten minutes ago.”
The arrival of the youngest member of Stormheader had automatically reset everyone’s familiarity level.
It wasn’t exactly like starting school life from scratch, but the progress we’d made in exchanging names, ages, debut years, and stories about our debuts had been wiped out. I felt like it was my time to step in, but something right in front of me prevented me from moving easily.
“…….”
“……….”
“………The kids, uh, seem to be getting along well.”
“Yes, y-yes. They really do. Thank you for inviting us.”
“No need to thank me, senpai. We had fun together during the last ‘Touch High.’”
“Ah, y-yes…. Our youngest is very shy, but thank you for approaching him first….”
“No, well, our team members are similar… They’re all kids who mostly trained in the practice room….”
No matter how you looked at it, it was like a group of awkward parents awkwardly gathering at a café while their kids ran loose at a kids’ café.
The youngest of Phase, who was supposed to be shy, looked like he was on the verge of passing out as he clung to Kim Wonho’s back. Even Seo Taehyun, who was usually relaxed around Kim Wonho, had straightened his back and switched to a professional mode.
Well, except for Seo Taehyun, it didn’t seem like our members felt particularly awkward.
The real problem was Stormheader.
Despite being the most senior group among the three teams present, the members of Stormheader were as tense as if they were meeting seniors who had graduated ten years before them. I hadn’t seen their debut stage, but judging by their current state, they were probably more nervous now than they were back then.
I gave a light tap to Jung Siwoo, who was leisurely blowing hand kisses toward the fan section next to me.
“…Do something, hyung.”
“Me? Why?”
“It’s awkward.”
“If we keep talking, it’ll just get more awkward. Wonho and Doha are doing a good job loosening things up, so just leave it be~.”
That’s like telling a cat to guard a fish shop and take a vacation with peace of mind.
If I had been born into the world of classic folktales, I would have reconciled the brothers Heungbu and Nolbu and even sent Kongjwi and Patjwi on a family trip together. Asking me, Kang Hajin, the undisputed master of ice-breaking and recreation, to simply endure this silence and stillness was more difficult than winning Achedae.
‘But the recording should start soon, so if I can just hang in there until then….’
Just as I thought that, an unexpected announcement echoed from the staff’s headquarters on one side of the gymnasium.
-Testing, testing. Yes, we’d like to thank the idols and fans who joined us for Achedae today. We know it’s been a long wait since early this morning, and we appreciate your patience.
“……?”
-We’ve run into a slight technical issue with the recording setup, so the start of the shoot will be delayed. We’re working to resolve it as quickly as possible, so we kindly ask for just a bit more of your patience~. If any idols would like to return to their waiting rooms, please let our staff know in advance and move accordingly~
Well, we’re doomed.
Realizing that we’d be stuck here for another 30 minutes, I turned away from where I had been lounging and moved back toward the group. There was no way I could endure this stifling atmosphere for another half hour.
“Excuse me….”
“Hey, Hajin junior~”
“……?”
Just as I was about to speak up, I heard someone calling me from afar. The voice wasn’t entirely unfamiliar, and when I turned around, I saw Wintertail’s Park Taeha, who had participated in <Touch High!> with us, waving as he approached.
“Oh, senior. Hello.”
“What’s with the sudden formality? Are we not closer than that?”
“Ah… I was just drawing a line, but I guess you didn’t notice.”
“…Really? Why? Did I do something wrong?”
“Of course not. I was just planning to come and greet you anyway.”
Although we hadn’t crossed paths frequently due to non-overlapping activity periods, Park Taeha was the type of person I felt naturally at ease with—he had a similar vibe to Kim Wonho, but older.
At that moment, Jung Siwoo, who had been disinterestedly interacting with the Destis fans through remote communication, suddenly perked up and approached me with shining eyes.
“Hello, senior. I watched the episode of Touch High with your group, and it was really fun.”
“Oh? Ah, hello. You’re Siwoo, right? Wow, sorry to say this upon our first meeting, but you’re seriously ridiculously good-looking.”
“Even if it weren’t our first meeting, you’re welcome to admire my looks anytime.”
“Oh? I heard you’re friends with Yeonwoo, and I can see the resemblance in personality too.”
Park Taeha, with his casual tone, grasped Siwoo’s extended hand for a handshake. In the brief moment it took, Siwoo seemed to gauge what kind of person Park Taeha was and smiled slightly, letting down his guard.
Immediately drawing the attention of the group, Park Taeha laughed heartily and glanced at the members of Stormheader.
“I was going to the waiting room, but I saw some familiar faces and thought I’d say hi. We had fun during Touch High, didn’t we?”
“Ah, y-yes, senior, hello…!”
“Come on, once you’ve filmed together, it’s all just friends and juniors. But why are you all
divided? What’s this separation about?”
“That’s the kids’ café over there, and this is the parents’ section. Where are your other members, senior?”
“Kids’… huh? Oh, my team’s all in the waiting room. I just came to say hi for a bit. The waiting room’s cramped and crowded, so I didn’t want to stay there.”
I pondered briefly at that moment.
Like Park Taeha said, the waiting rooms for Achedae were nothing more than locker rooms with mats thrown down. If we went now, it would be packed with people, and the air conditioning wouldn’t be enough, so we’d probably die from the heat.
Phase and Stormheader likely weren’t standing up either because of those reasons, even though they looked like they were dying of awkwardness. It seemed like playing some games to lighten the mood would be a more helpful way to spend the next 30 minutes.
‘If we’re going to have fun, it’ll be more effective to have a tank to carry the mood.’
From what I’d observed, Park Taeha was quite gifted at that kind of tanking.
After finishing my calculations, I made the offer to Park Taeha without hesitation.
“Perfect. We’re about to start a game. Would you like to join us? You wouldn’t have much to do in the waiting room anyway.”
“A game? Ooh, what kind of game? Mafia?”
“I don’t know, we’re deciding now.”
“Hmm, sounds fun. Sure, I’ll join. Is it okay if I play too?”
Just as Park Taeha flashed a mischievous smile and subtly tried to sneak into the group,
“What’s this, Park Taeha? Why are you here?”
“……?”
A third party confidently strode in, starting a confrontation.
And at the same time, thunderous cheers erupted from our fan section.
“Why are you squeezing in between our juniors? Step aside. Kairos seniors belong to us.”
“Wow, a superstar has appeared, a superstar. Seriously, how can anyone without direct juniors survive? And it’s not like only your juniors are here, you know?”
“Ugh, this kimbap is stale.”
…It was none other than Choi Yeonwoo and Park Woong from Enderway, who had rushed over after wrapping up a busy schedule early this morning.
Upon seeing our senior artists from the same agency, my members and I instinctively jumped up from our seats.
“Hello, seniors.”
“Hey, Hajin. …Woong, don’t eat that if the kimbap’s stale.”
“I didn’t eat it, I was just looking at it. Hello~ Oh, Wonho’s here too. Long time no see, Wonho.”
“Oh, ah, yes. Hello, senior. It’s been a while.”
Choi Yeonwoo and Park Woong greeted us warmly, along with other groups. Kim Wonho, clearly touched by the fact that Enderway remembered him even when he was just a trainee, had a slightly emotional expression on his face.
The last time Taeha said he was close to Choi Yeonwoo during the <Touch High!> shoot, it turned out to be true. Taeha was chatting with Choi Yeonwoo with a noticeably comfortable demeanor. No matter how I thought about it, it seemed like he was closer to Yeonwoo than I was.
However, there was another relationship that everyone here, myself included, was really curious about.
“Shushu, how have you been?”
“You just saw me the other day, why are you asking how I’ve been?”
It was Jung Siwoo and Choi Yeonwoo, whom I had only recently gotten to know.
As the two, who once shared the title “Miro’s Crown Prince,” smiled and exchanged greetings, an enormous cheer erupted from the fans gathered in the Destis and Enderview sections, loud enough to render people speechless.
-Waaaaaaaah!!!!!
…Wait, did we always have this many fans?
Noticing the unusually large scale of the cheers, I looked around, only to find a giant close-up of Choi Yeonwoo and Jung Siwoo’s faces displayed on a huge screen in the middle. One with silver hair and the other with black hair—add a female lead between them, and it would be a perfect romance novel cover.
There weren’t many idols left in the gym, so the fans, seemingly relieved that their main group was present, started to express their admiration freely. Well, this was just how Achaed usually was.
“But where are the other seniors? Aren’t all six of them coming today?”
“Ah, Luke has an overseas shoot, so he’ll be late. The rest are stuck in the waiting room.”
“Stuck?”
“By Downey hyung.”
“Ah.”
The Nam Tijoo PTSD that had been etched into my instincts kicked in. Even if I suffocated from awkwardness, I swore I wouldn’t step foot in that waiting room.
As I made that vow, Jung Siwoo spoke up as if a good idea had struck him.
“We’re bored, so we’re going to play a game. Wanna join us?”
“Us? Can we join?”
“The more people, the better.”
No, hyung. If we join, Kim Wonho’s youngest member might actually pass out.
That thought crossed my mind, but I couldn’t voice it. Then I felt someone grab the hem of my pants.
“…?”
“….”
It was Seo Taehyun, glaring at me with eyes that screamed, What the hell are you thinking, starting trouble again?
To defend myself, I hadn’t planned on things escalating like this. But my silent defense didn’t reach Taehyun, and eventually, Choi Yeonwoo turned to me and asked.
“Hajin, can we join too?”
“Uh, well….”
I blinked, hesitating. Seeing my reaction, Jung Siwoo added with an amused look.
“Hajin-ah.”
“…?”
“Scared?”
Good grief, what does this guy take me for? If you provoke me like that, of course I’ll
“Call.”
say yes.
This reckless, impulsive side of mine was truly the problem!
* * *
“Oh, come to think of it, the Achaed reviews should be coming out soon….”
Sunset University’s Gwamjam, a fan master of Kang Hajin, had been resting from attending events and watching from the front row, gathering living expenses in preparation for her return to school.
After finishing her morning shift, she was heading to the library to study for a certification exam when she suddenly remembered her precious boys’ schedule for today and took out her phone.
‘If it weren’t for my substitute shift, I would’ve applied to attend Achaed today…. But then there’s taxi fare, food costs… Oh, but Kairos is good at fan service, so I might’ve gotten more goodies than at a music show…. No, no. Where do I even have the time for this right now?’
Ugh, I wish I could throw away my daily life and just fangirl forever. If only fangirling came with a government stipend or something.
Maybe the answer was winning the lottery? Why does humanity have to work and earn money?
In the midst of her fatigued reflection on the meaning of life, she logged into Bluebird to cut off the chain of deepening thoughts. Several of her friends who were attending Achaed were bound to be posting fun clips or real-time updates by now.
‘The track and field events should be over by now, right? Usually, they hold a race in the morning and then the opening ceremony… But are my boys good at sports? Other than Doha… Actually, they do seem to have decent athletic ability. But the Miro Maze sports day was such a mess that I can’t really judge.’
Whatever it was, the reviews would reveal if her boys had done well in terms of appearance, sports, or fan service at today’s Achaed. Gwamjam switched her account from her personal one to her main fan account.
The first thing that appeared on her timeline was…
Kang_HD @kang_HD
Real-time Achaed review:
Kairos wrecked Janghong Gymnasium with ginseng.
Is this Achaed or a college sports MT…?
(Video of Kairos and other group members speeding through the ginseng game.mp4)
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“…?”
…They were good at games?