While Ryu Jae-hee and Kim Do-bin were filling the audio with a heated debate about whose role was less fitting, I took the opportunity to whisper in Gyeon Ha-jun’s ear.
“Are you okay? Your hand feels really hot.”
“So far, yeah.”
“How long do you think you can hold out? I’ll try to wrap it up as soon as possible, but let me know.”
“Won’t it cause a stir if we cut it too short?”
“If you collapse during the live stream, it’ll cause an even bigger stir.”
“Maybe an hour…?”
We should aim to finish within 40 minutes.
Knowing Ha-jun, who likely gave the maximum duration he could barely endure, I calculated the remaining time while glancing down at the script I was holding.
What’s left is the recording and behind-the-scenes of the music video, followed by communication with fans (Q&A).
I decided we should just combine these two segments.
As the music video ended, we sat back down on the chairs and I turned to the camera to speak.
“Does anyone have any questions about the recording or the behind-the-scenes of the music video?”
As I suddenly veered off the planned route, the manager monitoring the chat looked flustered and began signaling wildly, but I gestured towards Gyeon Ha-jun.
Knowing Ha-jun’s health hadn’t been good since before the shoot, the manager sighed and reluctantly nodded.
Ryu Jae-hee, sitting at the far end, handed me a phone displaying the live broadcast.
[I’m curious about what Eden oppa is like during the recording process!]
As I read the question, the members started answering one by one.
“Hmm… he’s strict. And scary.”
“Ah, I totally get that. When he stares through the glass and says, ‘Again,’ it really makes my heart race.”
“I’ve developed a phobia of the word ‘again.'”
“Yes, he’s quite strict. But we all understand that Eden is serious about music, so I also try my best to meet his expectations.”
I handed a water bottle to Gyeon Ha-jun, who was coughing quietly after giving a lengthy answer.
Why did it have to be you who’s sick today, when there’s no one else to give such heartfelt answers?
[What’s the most memorable episode from the music video shoot?]
Ryu Jae-hee quickly spoke up first.
“For me, it was when Eden hyung taught me how to shoot a basketball. Following his instructions, it actually went in better.”
“For me, it was the dart scene with Eden hyung. I’d never seen anyone hit the bullseye in one go.”
“I practiced a few times before the shoot. For me, it was wanting to play the model student role that Ha-jun took on, but getting rejected because it didn’t suit my image.”
“Honestly, it didn’t suit you at all.”
Seo Ye-hyun chuckled.
I was frustrated, but the chat was filled with praise for Seo Ye-hyun’s smile, which only annoyed me more. Still, I held back and continued the Q&A.
“What was the most memorable episode for our Ye-hyun hyung, who played the not-so-fitting popular kid?”
“I remember the bread in the school cafeteria being so dry that I choked. It would’ve been better with some milk…”
“Hyung, you took one bite and left the rest. Do-bin hyung ate it all.”
[Didn’t Do-bin eat the cheese ball that fell on the floor? LOL]
[Is Do-bin a dog raised by Reve? LOL Why does he eat stuff like that? LOL]
[Do-bin, listen to your older members and stay healthy~]
Finally, it was Gyeon Ha-jun’s turn. He mumbled awkwardly.
“Um… there wasn’t any particularly memorable episode…”
“Jun, didn’t you have an episode during the house party shoot?”
“That’s right! Ha-jun hyung was the only one who didn’t know that the duet on the makeshift stage at the house party was an homage to High School Musical!”
“Oh, there was that.”
“So I showed Ha-jun a clip from that scene on YouTube, and he perfectly reenacted it. We have a genius actor in our group.”
Having safely navigated to the last answer without overworking Ha-jun, I wiped a bead of cold sweat from my forehead. Even after seven years as a leader, the experience still showed.
[When is your music show performance?]
“We’ll have our first broadcast in two days on W Countdown. We’ll get to see our fans again after a long time.”
“See you in two days, our Daydreams!”
Ryu Jae-hee made a V sign with both hands and waved.
We continued answering some questions about schedules, like fan sign events, and as we were doing a light Q&A while skimming through the fan chats, strange messages started popping up.
[Is this the group that’s supposedly a rival pick?]
[Reve fans, please stop acting like you’re on the same level as KICKS~ It’s making us lose respect for your artist~]
[Why did you schedule your comeback at the same time as KICKS? Do you think you can win Rookie of the Year this way? LOL]
[KICKS Time: Currently 3rd on the chart!
Reve’s “All Right” or whatever: Currently 11th!
KICKS Time: Currently 3rd on the chart!
Reve’s “All Right” or whatever: Currently 11th!]
Well, thank you for that. I was trying to avoid checking the charts, but now you’ve put it right in front of me.
If we’re at 11th after just one day, the trend is quite promising.
KICKS’s song was around 24th or 25th a day after its release.
Before my regression, they were already a public favorite, and now with their upgraded version, I was confident we could reach No. 1 on the charts.
So, in this situation, the best course of action is to ignore these comments.
[Oh, the rival pick fans have finally arrived. We were wondering when you’d show up, you idiots.]
[Can you please not chant your rival pick mantra here? Why do you come to other groups’ live broadcasts just to cause trouble?]
[You’re smearing your artist’s reputation yourselves, LOL. At least we don’t disrupt other groups’ live broadcasts.]
[Wow, that’s a serious problem, LOL. Why are you acting like our oppas chose to overlap their comeback with yours?]
[They say they’ve lost respect, LOL. Did you even have respect for them in the first place? LOL]
[Oh, thank you. Because of you, we’ve lost all respect for KICKS!]
[By the way, KICKS’s song dropped to 24th place the day after release~]
[Are you afraid Reve’s song will make you fall in the rankings? Your jealousy is intense.]
Seeing our fans handle this, I felt grateful.
Yeah, who do our Daydreams support? At least they won’t lose to KICKS fans in this kind of battle.
[Eden, don’t take those comments to heart. Just ignore them. For us, Reve is always the best♥]
Feeling a sudden tightness in my throat, I quickly scrolled the chat up and down.
Now, there were more comments attacking the intruding messages than those focusing on Reve.
Actually, it was fortunate that they came to stir things up.
Thanks to them, we could end the live a bit early without the blame falling on us, but instead on the KICKS fans who barged in and caused trouble.
It was about time to wrap things up.
“Did you enjoy the time spent with Reve today? We’ll end here, but don’t be too sad; we’ll see each other often from now on. We were also very happy and enjoyed communicating with Daydreams after a long time.”
As I gave my closing remarks, a flood of disappointed comments came in.
There were no complaints about ending the live early, as expected, most of the anger was directed towards the KICKS fans.
“Dream of me! Have sweet dreams, Daydreams!”
“Goodbye.”
“Please continue to support us! We love you!”
“See you again! Goodbye!”
-The live broadcast has ended-
As soon as the laptop screen switched from the live broadcast back to the internet browser, I stood up, feeling stiff from sitting too long.
“Before your condition worsens, go to the hospital and get an IV. And don’t let Ye-hyun hyung take care of you.”
Gyeon Ha-jun, still sitting in the chair, looked up as Seo Ye-hyun, who was listening with folded arms, raised an eyebrow.
“Why don’t you trust me? No matter what, I’m still the oldest in this team. How can you not have faith in me?”
“Alright, how do you place a wet cloth on someone’s forehead when they have a fever?”
“Soak it in cold water.”
“And then?”
“Place it directly on the forehead.”
Hearing Seo Ye-hyun’s answer, Gyeon Ha-jun looked at me seriously and said,
“If I get worse, I’ll go to the hospital today.”
“Right. And you, hyung, just help him to the hospital. Don’t think about taking care of him. Someone who doesn’t even wring out a cloth before putting it on a forehead shouldn’t be doing any caregiving. Hey, Jae-hee, let’s go.”
“Yes!”
“We’re heading out first. Get home safe. Jun, make sure you rest when you get in. If you feel worse, go straight to the hospital.”
After pouring out my concerns, I dragged Ryu Jae-hee towards the studio that Hyung Yong-cheol had lent us.
Originally, I had planned to take Gyeon Ha-jun there to do some guide recording, comparing and adjusting the vocal ranges. But with him sick, I had no choice.
Although Ryu Jae-hee was more skilled, Gyeon Ha-jun always understood my requirements perfectly and delivered the desired results, so I felt more comfortable working with him.
Upon arriving at the studio in a taxi, Ryu Jae-hee, having been there once before, plopped down on a small sofa with familiarity.
I had him sit in the back, as I’d need him later after the work was done.
Not even an hour passed before Ryu Jae-hee started whining.
“Hyung, I’m bored.”
“Uh-huh, okay.”
“Hyung, I’m hungry.”
“Uh-huh, okay.”
“There’s a convenience store downstairs. Can I go buy something?”
“Uh-huh, okay.”
“Do you want anything?”
“Uh-huh, okay.”
“Is mild Jin Ramen cup noodles okay?”
“Are you joking, Jae-hee? You eat the mild Jin Ramen, and get me an energy drink.”
“Did you drink all the energy drinks in that trash can? Hyung, you’re going to mess up your stomach.”
“Uh-huh, okay.”
After sending Ryu Jae-hee to the convenience store, I slumped over the desk with my head down.
Damn, I’m so tired I could die.
How did I end up in this exhausting situation when all I had left was to leisurely work on Real Music?
As I lamented my life, a blue status window flashed before my eyes.
[Surprise QUEST★]
[▶Create a Concept!
– Description: Instead of showing your true self, create a persona to present to your fans! How about researching what kind of image your fans want to see from you and crafting a concept based on that?
– Reward: 10 Initial Intention, Random Ticket
– Deadline: Until the next activity
※ If you fail to create a suitable concept, a penalty will be imposed!]
Why a surprise quest all of a sudden?
But something about the content felt familiar. As I scratched my head trying to remember where I’d seen this before, a scene flashed through my mind.
It was during One Chance’s activity, during a radio schedule, when this had appeared in front of me as I clicked my tongue at the members crafting their personas…
I finally realized what I had been forgetting, the nagging feeling whenever I heard the word “concept.”
But by the time I realized it, it was too late. Damn it. I should have checked the quest window.
A status window, ominously flashing red, flickered madly in front of me.
[QUEST failed due to expiration!]
[A penalty will be randomly imposed.]
***
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