23. Debut (4)
Aegyo.
An active attitude that looks cute, showing affection. You could say it's a must-have for idols. However, idols with more years of experience, especially male idols, don't want to do this.
"Okay, who's going to show us aegyo?"
The MC brightly asks. The members are smiling, but they look flustered.
Seeing the chaos, I thought to myself.
'They will say something after the showcase ends.'
An idol shrinks and turns away when asked to show aegyo? There's no behavior this unpleasant. And we haven't even reached our years of experience. No matter who tells us to do something, we shouldn't even think, 'I don't want to do it.'
I know that kids at this age only want to show cool things.
I know that they're not used to aegyo because they were regular people until recently.
I know that I'm a total old fart. I know that, but.
"I'll do it."
I can't just sit by and watch.
I raised my hand and looked around. The other guys rolled their eyes and looked at me, as if they were surprised by my actions.
Baek Han-gyul's fingertips turned pale as if he had seen a ghost. He probably didn't expect I would make this choice.
"Oh, Mr. Yoo Young. You just raised your hand. Are you ready?"
"Yes, I am ready."
Does age matter? I am an idol who has been acting cute my whole life. This is easier than eating cold porridge.
Of course, I didn't intend to do this easy alone. That is why there is a concept of a water ghost operation.
[An act of getting others involved in one's own bad situation or situation with the symbol of "Let's go together!" This is commonly called the 'water ghost operation.]
'I have to take care of individual fans too.'
These days, in addition to those who like the group as a whole, there are many individual fans who only like one member.
In particular, those who are called malicious individual fans tend to perceive other members of the group as competitors. In other words, it's better not to monopolize this kind of attention.
If I were to do it alone, they would accept it as taking away the chance to see their favorite's cuteness.
I added with a bright smile.
"And... Not only me, but all the members have practiced aegyo in advance. I just raised my hand as a representative, and we plan to do aegyo together in order."
The members' lips twitched at the sudden declaration that wasn't a declaration. Fortunately, they were aware of it and didn't ask questions or refuse.
'Do it properly.'
When I turned my body and made a gesture, they all nodded. It seemed like they understood what I meant.
"Wow, you said you prepared hard, and aegyo at that! That's amazing. Good. Then, shall we start with Mr. Yoo Young?"
At the MC's signal, I put my hand on my cheek in a familiar manner.
I finished the aegyo in an instant and sat down calmly to watch the members. Despite the embarrassment, they were all good.
There were some who were embarrassed after the aegyo, but that felt refreshing and satisfying. There are fans who like that kind of behavior.......
'Oh, maybe I should have been a little embarrassed too?'
If it was Yoo Young's face, that would have been more effective. I realized it belatedly.
I felt strangely regretful, but there was nothing I could do because it was already in the past.
When the screams were deafening, the MC laughed and calmed the audience.
"Haha, calm down! You need to save up your energy so you can enjoy the title stage later~ Yes, yes. Calm down and let's take this heat and move on?"
The next question Ahn Jung-woo chose was, "Who do you think is the most handsome member in the group?"
I thought we could somehow get past this question if we just lightened the mood.
Because...... The intro members are all handsome. Even if I had to pick someone, it wouldn't be a ranking, but a difference of taste.
'I like a face like Yoo Young, but if I had to pick someone without Yoo Young, it would be Ahn Jung-woo. He's like a classic handsome guy...'
The voting began with the MC's playful voice. Even though it was just a vote, we just pointed to the member we thought was handsome. Anyway, the results came out quickly.
"The voting results are Ahn Jung-woo with 3 votes, Yoo Young with 2 votes, Seol Yi-soo with 1 vote, and Hwang Bo-kyun with 1 vote! Winner Ahn Jung-woo, please give us your thoughts. "
"Uh... I want to thank the members who looked at me so nicely."
"Oh, is this the leisure of a handsome person?"
Ahn Jung-woo's ears turned red for a rare moment. The MC didn't miss it. It was as if he was an entertainer who was determined to somehow get some screen time.
"It's a shame to just let it go like this, right? The handsome man chosen by the intro members! The member Ahn Jung-woo pointed out was Seol Yi-soo, but who do you think is the next most handsome person?"
After hearing the question, Ahn Jung-woo stood up and turned to the members.
At that time, Hwang Bo-kyun winked one eye and sent a silent signal to Ahn Jung-woo. The MC held back laughter at the blatant trick.
"Okay, Hwang Bo-kyun is trying to appeal here!"
"I'll pick Lee A-ram hyung."
"Hey, you...!"
"Oh my, the effort was overshadowed and neatly kicked!"
Hwang Bo-kyun jumped up in response to the MC's encouragement. Judging from his expression, it seemed like he was going along with the mood.
Ahn Jung-woo looked at Hwang Bo-kyun and said calmly.
"I'm sorry, hyung, you're not my type."
Give me your face and tell me properly, Jungwoo!!"
"Hey, Mr. Ahn Jung-woo is so strong."
"...It's okay, hyung. I think you're handsome."
"Thank you. Seung-ah..."
.......No, is that reaction sincere? Ryu Hyun-seung encouraged Hwang Bo-kyun, and as laughter erupted from the audience, Hwang Bo-kyun sat down and added an excuse.
"No~ Jung-woo, A-ram, and I, the three of us, share a room. So I thought he'd pick me out out of loyalty if I sent a signal."
"Yeah, I see. Okay, I understand~"
"Hey, you don't believe me?"
"Haha......."
And then the conversation naturally flows.
It's normal to be nervous or make mistakes when it's your first time in a place like this, but I didn't see any of that.
Whether it's playfully chiming in, tactfully organizing the mood so that it doesn't get worse, or sneakily throwing in a new TMI. It's a bold reaction for a rookie.
'But it's also strangely sloppy.'
Before we knew it, there was even talk about how Ryu Hyun-seung got lost with Hwang Bo-kyun, who came out to greet him when he first visited Lime Entertainment.
I occasionally joined in on the conversation and laughed depending on the reactions of those around me.
The interview talk with these members wasn't too bad.
***
"Thank you for your hard work!"
We approached each and every staff member and MC who had worked hard and bow to them. Ji Young-heon let out a deep sigh as if he had let go of his worries.
"After practicing for a bit, we'll head to the shop and then head straight to a music show recording. There won't be much time to rest due to our schedule, so I recommend taking some time to sleep during the ride. Please let us know if you have any health concerns."
We wake up at dawn to practice, perform on stage at the showcase, practice again without much time, and then have to go into the pre-recording for the music show.
I sat in the passenger seat, feeling a sense of stability in my daily life that I had returned to after a long time.
The members who had been excited until just a moment ago fell asleep as soon as they got in the van. They were energetic on stage, but I guess they were tired.
'Well, we had so many schedules even before our debut.'
These days, our YouTube channel is also important, so we had a lot to promote. Thanks to that, we had a lot of videos to film while preparing for our debut.
I turned on my phone and checked if the videos they were going to release today were uploaded properly. While I was at it, I also looked through the showcase reviews and reactions.
-I saw a review of the show and they said they looked pretty in today's outfit... When will they release the video?
-The kids are crazy in person ㅅㅂㅅㅂ I was so out of my mind the whole time I was just screaming
-Ha....I'm so pissed I can't go to the show
└I calmed down when I saw the M Company stage dance channel video uploaded 10 minutes after I wrote this.
-Is Young really a rookie? He doesn't tremble and speaks well. He's not the type to be outspoken, but he's strangely laid-back...ㅠㅠㅠㅠ
└Fr It seems like he's good at pushing and pulling and has a good sense of humor
[낄끼빠빠
└Plus, please include Hwang Bo-Kyun. Our leader Hwang speaks well.
-0215 Debut Showcase #Ahn Jung-Woo Preview (Showcase Ahn Jung-Woo Photos)
Fortunately, the evaluation that came out on the surface was positive. That is, on the surface.
After thinking for a while, I typed Seobang (*search prevention name) into the search bar. Immediately after, raw swear words flooded the screen.
-Opinion with conviction: Nyoung, they keep calling you a genius, but it seems like you're just some artsy guy who thinks he's hip. After a while, you'll come up with a weird concept and monopolize parts, and you'll make other members frown
[녕
They used it this way so that idols or people in the company won't be able to search it and usually it is full of raw and curse words.]
-Nyoung, Bbaeng gyul, and Hyeonjeong, don't these three seem a bit strong? I don't know about Nyoung, but the other two are 100% likely to be bullies. They look like they'd smell like cigarette smoke.
[뺑결
현읏
└Physiognomy is Science
[Physiognomy is Science = You can judge the other person's personality behavior by only appearance]
└Why is Nyoung so quiet? The other kids are more cute ㅋㅋ I almost threw up after seeing him acting all coy today
-Media play is really too annoying. If there are people who are into Nyoung, it's a real problem with their intelligence ㅋ Whenever 'your' oppa laugh, it shows that he had surgery
-Don't be annoying and cause trouble to the group, Nyoung-ah, please die on your own.
I felt relieved after reading the malicious comments. There were more attacks on my appearance and personality than on my skills or concept.
People who dislike us for no reason, fans of other groups who check us, those who enjoy leaving malicious comments, and those who work on comments from other agencies.
This kind of crude slander is always happening, and it was familiar. When you become a public figure, you get cursed at no matter what you do, so you get used to it even if you don't want to.
'It always feels like this when there's no controversy.'
I smiled faintly and went into my photo album. There were several photos taken at the showcase. The fan manager had already uploaded a group photo to the official account. In our case, the fan marketing team usually manages the official account, but the fan manager sometimes posts messages during schedules. It's a different story when the members write their own posts.
'What kind of photos should I upload........'
I turned my head and looked at the back seat. Except for Seol Yi-soo, everyone was on the verge of dying.
Since the members aren't in a position to write their own posts, it would be better to upload a group photo together.
-We just finished our debut showcase safely. I was really nervous. Did I do well? I was happy to meet the fans in personㅎㅎ I'm uploading a photo I took with the members as a souvenir #Intro
(+3 group photos from the debut showcase)
(+1 photo of Yoo Young from the debut showcase)
└You did really well, thank you for your hard work♡
└Crazy, so cute ㅠㅠㅠㅠ (head stroking emoticon)
└รักทุกวัน [I Love You Everyday]
└Thank you for uploading the kids' pictures, Young-ah... I am in heaven when I see Aram.
I pressed my eyes hard while reading the comments that were running. My bloodshot eyes from fatigue shone brightly in the light from the screen.
My heart fluttered every time I saw such affectionate words.
"You must be very tired. Close your eyes for a moment."
"Ah... thank you."
Ji Young-heon glanced at the passenger seat through the rearview mirror and said while turning down the heater. As I leaned back against the seat, I suddenly realized that Seol Yi-soo was awake.
"You are not sleeping, Yi-soo hyung?"
"Me? I'm fine. Go to sleep. You look tired."
"Hmm...."
It was hard to see him sleeping even in our dorm, but he might collapse if he kept doing that.
He seemed to sleep well when he was alone. He was a light sleeper, so he would wake up at the slightest sign of someone working, and on days when we worked overtime, he would often sleep on the sofa instead of going to our room.
'If he had insomnia, he wouldn't be able to handle it physically.'
Since we have a job where we can't show our emotions, you are mentally tired at work. As a result, a brief sleep was also important.
I left him alone because he seemed to be tolerable, but judging by his complexion, I think he was reaching his limit.
"Hyung, if you can't sleep anymore, go to the hospital."
"......Huh?"
"I know a few places that guarantee secrecy. Manager."
"Yes, if your schedule is free, I'll make a reservation."
"...I'm fine?!"
"Please take him with you no matter what."
"Mr. Yi-soo, I'm sorry."
I didn't ask because the reason for the insomnia was most likely personal. Even if we're in the same group, there might be something he wants to hide. But.
'I've seen a few kids who've lost their minds and are ruined in this floor. Health comes first.'
I don't like sweet potatoes and people who just believe their own words, and when you leave them alone, later they cause problems. From my experience, kids who say they're fine either don't know their own condition or they're not fine.
[고구마
If it's an unavoidable situation, it doesn't make sense to not go to the hospital when you can and just lie there.
Ji Youngheon coughs in vain at the hospital trip that was decided in an instant. Ignoring Seol Yisoo's empty face, I put earphones in my ears.
'Be friendly with the hospital. Don't make yourself sick for no reason.'
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