In the hallway of the broadcasting station, I spotted Ryu Jae-hee talking to someone and walked straight over, slinging an arm over his shoulder.
“What are you doing, rookie?”
“Exchanging numbers!”
It was a senior boy group member who had debuted eight or nine months before us.
“Hello.”
“Oh, yes… hello.”
As I lowered my gaze and casually looked down at the guy in front of me, he flinched and avoided my eyes.
Even with pink hair, it seems my expression isn’t softened.
Seeing that Ryu Jae-hee was clearly eager to keep the conversation going, I grabbed him and pulled him away.
“Let’s go.”
“Keep in touch!”
As soon as the guy walked away, I grabbed Jae-hee’s phone and deleted the number.
“Hey, why! I want to build my network too!”
“If you want to network, stick to decent people. Not guys like that.”
That guy was part of the idol social circle Choi Hyun-min belonged to before I came back.
I’d rather scrape away a bit of Jae-hee’s naivety and crush those guys’ heads than see him hanging out with guys like that and becoming a clubgoer.
Squinting his eyes suspiciously at my advice, Jae-hee asked, “Why? Do you know something, hyung?”
“He’s close with Choi Hyun-min.”
“You mean KICKS Hyun-min? Hmm, makes sense. Birds of a feather, right?”
As expected, quick-witted as he was, Jae-hee understood immediately, nodded, and deleted the texts from the guy’s number without hesitation.
Today was the final music show for [HI-Light] after four weeks of promotions.
Once again, REVE’s name was on the list of first-place candidates.
“If REVE wins first place today, we promise to carry each other while singing the encore song!”
Standing beside the MCs, I recited the first-place pledge we had decided on in the 89th REVE meeting.
Because we lost first place twice to a rival girl group on Music Camp and Music Center, the triple crown slipped away, but it seemed likely we’d snag a second-quarter Bonsang at the year-end awards.
Our title track was still holding the No. 1 spot on the charts for 11 consecutive days.
I raised one finger toward the camera to signal “Vote for No. 1.”
Back in the waiting room, I adjusted the sports headband on my head, pushing it slightly upward.
Our stylist, who had perfectly placed it earlier, immediately scolded me for touching it.
“How did you keep this on during the All Night, All Right music video shoot? I’m dying to push it up!”
“Right? It’s so annoying,” Jae-hee, who had also worn the headband throughout the shoot, nodded in fervent agreement.
It felt like just yesterday when we had to open the music show lineup, but REVE now performed toward the end of the schedule.
“Anywhere you want to go
I’ll take you there
Just tell me, my love”
Because it was a bright, bouncy song, the choreography, as Seo Ye-hyun had grumbled before, wasn’t too intense.
Even Seo Ye-hyun, who used to mess up this kind of choreography five times per performance, had improved significantly and now only made three mistakes at most.
The real question was whether he could live up to his bold claim of perfecting a synchronized dance in the next promotion cycle.
“If your heart races like mine does
Please, tell me so
So let me love you”
I made a finger gun gesture and gave a light wink.
I had long since stopped feeling embarrassed about such things. The awkward guy from the past who claimed his stiff smiles were the peak of his cuteness was dead.
Since this was the final stage of this promotion cycle, the other members ad-libbed much more than usual.
Ryu Jae-hee was practically putting on a talent show.
After finishing the performance and monitoring the playback, it was time for the grand moment—the first-place announcement.
“The winner of the third week of April is…”
Just a few promotions ago, the members would have been a bundle of nerves at this moment, but now they stood calm and composed.
“Congratulations, REVE!”
Pop! Confetti rained down.
After receiving the trophy and bouquet, I naturally handed the microphone to Seo Ye-hyun.
Listening to the thunderous cheers during his acceptance speech, I waved the trophy and bouquet toward the fans in the audience.
The intro of our encore song started playing. It was time to fulfill our first-place pledge.
As I pondered who to carry, Ryu Jae-hee darted over and leapt onto my back.
The sudden weight nearly made me stumble, but I barely managed to hold steady.
“Darn it, I was going to be the one getting carried!”
During Hyun’s part, I grumbled, and Jae-hee giggled as he held the mic close to my mouth for my part.
“Ha-jun hyung is already taken by Do-bin hyung.”
“I was going to carry you, though.”
Pushing the mic away, I replied, and Jae-hee shot back, claiming I had no sense of decency.
I simply retorted that I’d never had one to begin with and continued singing my part.
Meanwhile, Kim Do-bin, having climbed down from Gyeon Ha-jun’s back, dashed over and hopped onto Seo Ye-hyun, who had been standing alone. I let out a small sigh of relief.
I’d been planning to switch over to Seo Ye-hyun to avoid rumors of him being ostracized, but this worked out. Crisis averted.
***
– Jae-hee really likes the leader, huh. While everyone else hesitates, he makes a beeline for Yoon Eden Leader without a second thought.
– Ha-jun and Ye-hyun wobbled when Do-bin got on their backs, but Yoon stays solid as a rock.
└ Probably because Jae-hee’s smaller and lighter than Do-bin, right?
└ How much of a size difference can there even be between them? lol
└ Okay, okay. Sure, Ha-jun and Ye-hyun don’t do any leg workouts, and Yoon E-dun is secretly a gym freak who can squat 1,000 pounds.
– Why is Do-bin buzzing around like a little puppy? The moment he saw Ye-hyun standing alone, he ran over like a loyal golden retriever.
Another day of fan banter, with 70% internal monologues and 30% arguments.
Just as Kim Mo-yeong was debating whether to jump into the fray, an OA app live notification popped up at the top of her phone.
Forgetting her dilemma, she immediately joined the live.
[On Air] Official Cheat Day! (Feat. Permission from the Eldest)
“Hello, Daydream. We’re celebrating the last day of promotions with a mukbang live.”
Suddenly, the screen showed Eden’s face up close.
As his face moved back, the camera revealed a table in the dorm’s living room, laden with delivery food—fried chicken, pizza, baked spaghetti, and jokbal.
Knowing how strictly Ye-hyun managed their diets, fans began wondering where he was.
[Uh, it’s past 6 PM already.]
[Where’s Ye-hyun? Looking for him like a wasp searching for prey.]
[Did Ye-hyun faint after seeing this spread?]
[Did they tie him up somewhere in advance so the four of them could order this? lol]
“For the record, this is all happening with Ye-hyun hyung’s approval.”
“Wow, eating after 6 PM feels so new. After 6 PM, consuming anything other than water was practically forbidden…”
Do-bin pretended to wipe away tears, his words carrying a subtle jab, when Ye-hyun walked out of the kitchen holding a bowl of salad.
“Oh, and those snacks you ate the other day didn’t count as food?”
“Hyung said he’d understand because of special circumstances!”
Do-bin’s indignant tone and expression made Ye-hyun back down with a small nod.
[Wait, if Ye-hyun approved, was it because of low blood sugar? Does our puppy have hypoglycemia?]
[Oh no… could it be… that incident…?]
Fans who had an inkling of the situation decided not to comment further and shifted gears to teasing Ye-hyun, who was staring at the food on the table with a conflicted expression.
[Mentally calculating calories lolol]
[Ye-hyun actually has a calorie scanner in his eyes.]
“Wow, the four weeks went by so quickly. I can’t believe this album’s promotions are already over.”
“That’s right. I wanted to see Daydream for much longer.”
[Let’s go with a follow-up track promotion, like a highlight film!]
[Four weeks? That’s too short. At least do a month!]
[Where’s the maknae?]
“Introducing Ryu Jaehee and his ramen!”
Right on cue, Ryu Jaehee appeared, carrying a pot that he placed on a stand before heading back to the kitchen to bring out another pot.
[Are the ramen types different?]
[Is it just split because there’s so much?]
“Oh, the reason there are two pots is because we started making them separately after a fight over soft noodles versus firm noodles. The maknae line likes firm noodles, while Ha-jun hyung and Eden hyung prefer soft noodles. And Ye-hyun hyung? He doesn’t eat ramen, so he’s not part of the equation.”
Ryu Jaehee checked the live chat on his phone and answered the question.
“We fought? When?”
Looking confused, Eden asked. Ryu Jaehee pointed at him accusingly.
“Hyung, you can’t say that! You were the one who stormed off, asking why the noodles weren’t cooked enough, and then took the ramen back to cook it again. That’s how the fight started!”
“Me?”
Eden pointed at himself in disbelief. His expression showed he had no recollection, and Ryu Jaehee shook his head in exasperation.
“It might’ve been before we debuted, but it hasn’t even been two years since then.”
[As of today, I withdraw my support for Yoon Eden. Forcing soft noodles is crossing the line. Bye.]
[The fact that he took it back to cook it more is hilarious lolol Taste tyranny to the max.]
[How did it even escalate into a fight?]
Reading the chat beside Ryu Jaehee, Do-bin pouted.
“To be fair, calling it a fight feels unfair. We just got totally outdone.”
“Hyung, don’t phrase it in a way that could be misunderstood! It wasn’t physical… more like, um, mental… No, that sounds weird too…”
Sensing that the more he explained, the stranger it sounded, Ryu Jae-hee scratched his cheek awkwardly while Ha-jun stepped in to wrap it up.
“Anyway, we’ve been cooking it separately ever since we realized we had different preferences.”
[So Eden might let everything else slide, but he won’t compromise on ramen lolol]
[Wholesome resolution with everyone respecting tastes.]
[Kids, why not just take out the firm noodles first and cook the rest longer?]
“Oh, that’s a good idea. We already have too many dishes to wash.”
“Ye-hyun hyung, do you want some chicken breast for your salad?”
“No, I’m fine. This is enough for me.”
Do-bin subtly lifted a piece of chicken breast to offer Ye-hyun, but as expected, Ye-hyun declined.
Even though the pots were intentionally placed far from Ye-hyun, he got up and peered into the depths of one, narrowing his eyes.
“Why does this look like so much? How many packs did you make?”
“Four per pot.”
“Four packs for two people?”
Ye-hyun’s already large eyes grew even wider, prompting Ryu Jaehee to meekly defend himself.
“We actually made less than usual because we ordered chicken and pizza too.”
[Why did I think these kids were light eaters until now? Turns out they’re just typical teenage boys.]
[If four packs are less than usual, how much do they normally eat…?]
[Ye-hyun’s face is on the verge of fainting lol.]
[How much did they have to sneak-eat behind Ye-hyun’s back for him to be this shocked lolol.]
***
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