The showcase ended with an enthusiastic atmosphere.
As I came down from the stage, I felt a strong afterglow.
I thought that since I was used to the stage, I wouldn’t feel any thrill from a stage of this scale.
But the moment I realized my whole body was trembling with excitement, I couldn’t think of anything else.
Is it because it’s the moment of debut…?
“Huh, if I, a veteran, feel this way… what about the unnis who are debuting for the first time…?”
I might just cry.
Time to show the dignity of a veteran!
I turned my head.
As a true leader, I must show my grace…!
“I think I was really cool and cute today… Huh? Oh, no! I can’t believe I snatched Do-hee’s hard-earned popularity in an instant! But… I guess Chiyo can’t help it… it’s the fans’ free choice… But… if Do-hee-chan is watching over me and Seo-yoon unni is getting jealous… that might hurt a little…”
…? What the heck is going on.
“Hey! Kimchi! Stop being noisy and come here!”
“Oh my~ Woo-ah-chan! No matter how jealous Chiyo gets, I wouldn’t say such harsh words~?”
“What? I haven’t said anything too harsh yet?”
“Gasp…”
“Seo-yoon unni, come here too! The director is going to take a commemorative picture for us~”
“Really? So-hyun teacher is?”
“Seo-yoon, what do you mean by ‘teacher’ to the director?”
“What?! It was ‘teacher’ when we were young! I was allowed to call them that~ Right?”
“Yeah, yeah. Anyway, Na-eun, hurry up and come here. You look so pretty today that I want to take a picture. I’m super happy today seeing our kids debut.”
“Hehe, thank you!”
“Teacher, let’s take a picture together too!”
“Alright, alright~ First, you guys take a picture together. Then we’ll take one to post for the fans. After that, we’ll take one more~”
Hmm… Everyone looks fine.
Actually, they probably feel really good about it.
If it feels like walking on clouds…
That wouldn’t feel real.
“Well… I guess this is possible because I’m a veteran.”
As for the rookies… yeah.
Once they return to the dorm and relax, they’ll probably cry a lot.
A whole lot.
“Yeah, then I’ll show the true dignity of a veteran leader…!”
“Seo-yoon, where did Do-hee go?”
“Do-hee?”
“Oh, there she is! Do-hee~ what are you doing all alone in the corner, being cute? Come take a picture with the unnis! Hurry up!”
*
I think my hypothesis was wrong.
“Chiyo, are you finally going for your first alcoholic drink as an adult? If so, I might just kill everyone with my drinking capacity…?”
Even while waiting in the waiting room for my family, Chiyo Unni is jumping up and down.
“Seo-yoon Unni, what’s your drinking capacity?”
“What’s your drinking capacity?”
“Me? Hmm… just about a bottle of whiskey?”
“Pfft, pretending to be strong. That sounds weak…”
“What’s with that line? I kinda like it?”
“It’s a part of Chiyo’s collection of anime quotes. If you want to learn, you should lie in bed with Chiyo and watch some anime.”
This is… not too extreme, is it?
“That’s just my usual personality…”
Of course, there are some exaggerations.
But even so, it’s just a bit more than my usual self.
“Yeah, I guess we all have similar levels, both me and the unnis…”
No matter how accustomed I get to the thrill of the stage.
I overlooked the fact that I wouldn’t get used to the debut.
Of course.
“Do-hee, how… how can your mindset be so… pro, like a true professional?”
I felt a bit proud of myself for still being nervous as a rookie. I was also glad I was maintaining my original spirit.
I really liked that side of myself.
“Ugh… I think I’ve been confused even more because of Chiyo unni acting serious over the past few days because of the debut.”
I can’t help but feel annoyed at Chiyo unni for breaking my hypothesis.
“We don’t have an after-party today.”
“Huh…?!”
Chiyo unni felt like the world was crumbling.
“What do you mean ‘huh’? Are you not going to be on TV? Aren’t you starting promotions tomorrow? Planning to go out with a puffy face? Well, if you’re going for a winter steamed bun concept, that might work.”
“…Do-hee-chan, why are you so mad…? I’m just trying to relax. Today is a happy day. Calm down!”
“Yeah, Do-hee. Don’t come on too strong. It makes you look weak. Hehe.”
Ugh.
─Screech
At that moment, the waiting room door opened.
“Hey, everyone, your families have arrived.”
The Director pointed outside the door.
A family reunion, a moment to relax and chat as ordinary family members, escaping from being idols.
I too.
Though I’m truly a veteran.
For a brief moment, I wanted to step down from my mature persona.
As a daughter of a family, as a sister to a child.
“Wh-where’s Do-ah…?”
*
When a group gets a title saying they topped the music charts, it generally means the daily charts.
===========
[Debonaire Real-time Hot Back Chart Rankings]
[1st Place Debonaire / Debonaire]
[2nd Place Born Ideals / Debonaire]
[3rd Place As Fickle As Fortune / Debonaire]
[…]
[6th Place Byeolsatang / Debonaire]
They put all their songs on the real-time chart right after debut ㄷㄷ
===========
That said, a real-time chart topping isn’t meaningless.
1-hour charting HOT100.
So far, there haven’t been many cases where someone topped the real-time chart right after debuting.
In cases where you hit number one on the chart…
─ Is it even possible since it’s not one of the Big 4 entertainment companies?
─ Crazy, right?
The Big 4…
─ They included Monorush, Seven, and Inus, but what?
└ That was for audition program debuts, and this is a company debut.
Or it’s because there haven’t been any survival program groups like Seven’s [Bold] seasons.
In other words, it means this has received attention equivalent to a group launched by at least a Big 4 entertainment company.
In other words, it gained the strength to consistently push the general situation forward, and it’s already confirmed that they took number one on the daily chart.
─ Wow, but all the tracks are in the top ranks, 1st, 2nd, 3rd…?
└ It’s amazing. If they’re super good, they might line up on the daily chart too.
─ Honestly, it’s January, and there are no comeback groups, it’s an empty house robbery. Ah ah ah ah love, your heart is shaking, right!
└ For real, the part with the kids in the ‘Ideal’ is so cute… The first title is good too, but this style is totally my vibe, super fresh.
└ I think both are good! Of course, my personal taste is Debonaire! Their choreography is really sticky.
─ Before their debut, I thought they would surely do well if their songs weren’t total garbage from the YouTube quick clips. By the way, both title tracks are really well-selected.
└ So they showed the concept, and the two connected the storyline… Seems like the producing team is really doing well.
─ Debonaire’s initial album sales exploded, 220,000 copies in one day. I think it might come out less than Ailee, but considering the company and fandom? It’s truly a jackpot; they must have thrown a party.
─ I’ve never seen a piano track at number three in real-time before. Seriously… To be honest, I was surprised at six, but it keeps climbing.
└ Since Do-hee supposedly composed it all by herself, it seems like even people who aren’t interested in idols are curious and listen sometimes.
└ The truth is, my mom only knows about NND and Coral Blue after the 2nd generation of idols and mainly listens to classical music on the radio. But after Do-hee won that competition, she got curious that idols can do classical music, and today, she listened to the whole album.
└ Hahaha, how was the reaction?
└ I didn’t ask, but right now, Do-hee’s songs are playing on repeat in the living room, making the atmosphere a bit unnecessarily grand at this hour, haha.
However, the hype sometimes breeds resentment.
─ Do-hee’s star quality is really unbelievable. I think it’s no coincidence they’ve started calling her Korea’s princess… It seems she crosses generations… Everything about her is just perfect…
└ Seriously, stop the fuss, please haha. It’s because of fans like you that this Do-hee gets so much hate.
Comparisons are an inevitable trend among people.
Especially since it’s laid out in public like sports or idols, where rankings are frequently made and competition happens, the intensity only increases.
─ With this, one of the top 3rd generation girl groups has to be dropped, haha.
└ Let’s start the ancient traditional fandom Gauld Cup!!
└ Just the Big 4 are fine: Ailee, Threeme, Debonaire, Pure Girl.
└ Pure Gal.
└ ?? Haha, have you seen a team that sparkled and then flopped shortly after their debut? Ailee will probably keep it going because she’s a big player… But Debonaire… what a company, haha.
“Hey, is it just me or is Ailee going to pull off some major moves? But Debonaire… the agency, LOL.
Seems like I’ll definitely debut and hit career highs soon.
That also applies to Seven, who used to be in the same fandom.
— Ailee fans are gonna be stunned, LOL. They used to compare Debonaire to others… LOL.
— We’re all part of the same Seven fandom, right?
— I mean, we might say we’re the same fandom, but let’s be real—the core of it was a survival show, and Seven had the most intense fans.
— For real, after Do-hee, Sara had the most personal fans, so expect a battle between these two teams, haha.
— These guys even fought about how Seven would disband before they actually did, saying it was because of Topist and JS, what a mess, LOL. They were just trying to tear each other down.
Most of them were either agitating or stirring trouble as other fans or malicious individual fans.
In reality, those who attended the Seven concert and cheered closely were in a festive mood.
— Seven’s legacy lives on… Now it’s just Jeon Ha-rang and Gong Chae-rin left!
— What kind of group was Seven, anyway?
— An amazing all-kill group, second in girl group sales ever.
— For real, our youngest has some serious talent… How can piano music be this good?
— Seo-yoon’s getting more and more fabulous…
— The members of Debonaire are all gorgeous and talented, for real.
— Wait, now they’re splitting into two groups and doubling the content? No rest for the wicked?
— Oh… but doesn’t that mean double expenses?
— Ah…
They were just busy watching music videos and showcase stages, eagerly awaiting new content.
— I really want to see a music show stage, where do we start?
— When our kids disbanded, the mood with MWeb and Topist turned sour, so I don’t think MPulse will participate.
— Does it matter if Topist doesn’t? Honestly, that’s a bit awkward to say, but Topist isn’t exactly mainstream;
— I don’t know, let’s just keep calm.
Especially when it involves the combination of the former Seven members.
— So the first music show stage is on Friday? Melody Bank? With MC Ye-eun debuting? OMG?
— Oh snap, right? Wow, I’m already excited for Seo-yoon, Do-hee, and Ye-eun’s challenge!
— And it’s Seo-yoon’s first challenge too, wow.
And looking forward to that isn’t just a fan conversation.
[Seven 7]
[Seo-yoon Unni: Do-hee is going to be boasted about soon, just ignore it.]
[Me: Huh?]
[Seo-yoon Unni: I saw you taking screenshots earlier.]
[Me: Oh, LOL.]
[Me: (Chart photo) My song entered the top 3 in real-time, LOL. Hit 81 on the top chart in just a day, LOL.]
[Me: What do you think? Insane, right? Crazy!]
[Ha-rang Unni: LOL, so cute, my little baby.]
[Hana Unni: Congrats, congrats! Do-hee’s gonna be so happy, haha.]
[Sara Unni: I’m listening right now! I really love it, Do-hee! I like it!]
[Gong Chae-rin Unni: LOL, congratulations (celebratory bunny).]
[Ye-eun Unni: So what’s up?]
[Me: ?]
The main characters feel the same way.”
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