Chapter 214

Do-hee’s Home Mama was worried that the members would feel awkward, and there was someone else who shared the same concern.

It was a female college student who had just fallen for Woo-ah.

At first, she was simply captivated by Debonaire’s trailer video.

And it was just that she found their elegant cat-like appearance to be her type.

Curiosity piqued, she naturally began to look up their name.

Real name Jiwoo.

“How is someone’s real name G. Elegance…? Crazy match made in heaven.”

She started to track down each of Debonaire’s revealed concept photos.

With a strangely cold and sharp look, highlighted by strange tri-colored eyes.

But when she smiled, she had an innocent and round image.

Also, together with Do-hee, she was one of the tallest in the team at 172cm.

However, she still had no intention of creating a fan account or even the will to dive in.

This was because her (ex) idol, (ex) oppa had caused a social scandal and she had ended up leaving the fandom.

“I said I’d be an idiot if I fell for an idol again…”

What’s more, she had never really even gotten into girl idols before.

“But… maybe girl idols aren’t so bad…? ”

For now, she couldn’t help where her eyes were drawn.

She decided to at least listen to Debonaire’s debut song.

“This song’s good…?”

She also decided to watch the showcase.

“What? Why is the stage so good? Are they really rookies…?”

She scoured through each fancam.

And she quickly came to terms with it.

Sael (the person who is Elegance)

@UA_archive

250114 (picture)(picture)

─Woo-ah ㅠㅠ Keep fighting in your second week of activities~
#Debonair #Debonaire #UA #Woo-ah

But once she created a fan account,

Things that had been invisible started coming into view.

─Looks like the two of them will take all the spotlight, and the rest will become extras…

─I’m used to seeing popular members getting the limelight.

─I started noticing Woo-ah too, but it seems like it’ll just be the two of them getting all the attention…

─When you combine the views of all the other members, Jiwoo still has the most.

It was the malicious fans that were already piling up.

So they spat out nasty comments pretending to be concerned about the rookie members, who were only in their first week of debut.

Of course she knew.

Do-hee and Seo-yoon had already been active as Seven, and because of that, they started with a bit of buzz, which was only beneficial for fellow members in a company the size of Topist.

Still, seeing that her newly cherished ‘Woo-ah’ was being mentioned and criticized wasn’t exactly a pleasant feeling.

A thought crossed her mind.

“Ah… Is this what being a fan is like…?”

In fact, one of the reasons fans leave fandoms is because of the excessive emotional and mental drain.

The college student logged off the community.

And then entered the page of Debonaire’s famous Home Mama.

─Dol Ahyee @Dol_Ahyee

(Do-hee selfie) Thanks to Princess Do-hee who uploads a selfie as soon as she wakes up in the morning again today.

└Seo-yun @Jonna_seoyun

Ugh… This isn’t good. Next time I go to a fan meeting, I should ask Seo-yun to teach me the timing for Do-hee selfies.
If you go to a fan meeting, please share a selfie with Do-hee for Seo-yoon to learn.

└Dol Ahyee @Dol_Ahyee

If you tell Do-hee to learn, Seo-yoon will definitely have a meltdown, lol.

Usually, if renowned Home Mamas get along well, the fandom atmosphere often isn’t bad.

‘The existing vibe doesn’t seem too bad…’

However, they were both members of Seven, and their similar antics had made them quite famous among regular folks, so it wasn’t strange.

So, I end up worrying.

‘What if Woo-ah feels awkward around them…’

I decided to wait and observe the variety show for a few days to make up my mind.

Of course.

Once you catch someone’s eye, it probably won’t be easy to back out like you want.

And that day’s first aired variety was indeed the quickest airing music program on Fridays, Melody Bank.

It was a concept variety by KBC, titled [Idol Human Theater].

She connected to the channel just in time for the broadcast.

—Crazy Topists, how does it make sense that the debut self-content is coming out later than a variety show?

Meanwhile, chats with the same thoughts as hers were rapidly popping up, and today, the familiar background music of the human theater played as the show commenced.

[• This is where the Debonaire Masquerade Ball will be held]

Clearly a Topist practice room.

Yet, the subtitle at the bottom of the video read [Ballroom].

And there, sitting on the practice room sofa, was a rabbit mask.

—What are you up to again, lol.

[Do-hee (overly invested from the start): Hello. My name is the great Dotsubi. I’m the host of today’s Debonaire Masquerade Ball.]

—The great Dotsubi, for real, lol.

—Ah lol, it seems like they are sticking to the homage to Phantom of the Opera they did at the showcase since it’s before their debut, lol.

[Do-hee: Today’s masquerade mask code is simply oneself. Yes, I’m wearing the rabbit mask for a reason, as you all know.]

There was no reply.

Just two claps for ventilation.

[Do-hee (confident rabbit): Now, ladies and gentlemen! Please enter one by one!]

The BGM starts to play.

[Da-da-da~]

It’s Wagner’s Bridal Chorus!

[Seo-yoon: Da-da-da~]

Of course, it’s the puppy mask coming in.

Seo-yoon’s entrance background music.

[Do-hee: Excuse me. This isn’t a wedding venue.]

The skilled comedic Seo-yoon nervously removes her mask, looking flustered.

[Seo-yoon (wedding guest): Huh…? Isn’t this Kim Ji-yeon’s wedding?]

[Do-hee (very angry Dotsubi): Yes. This is a ballroom, by the way.]

The screen cuts to another camera angle showing the practice room.

Seo-yoon is sitting, and behind her, the members were lined up on the practice room floor.

Then, the voice of the production staff, a female PD, could be heard.

[PD: Who is Kim Ji-yeon?]

[Seo-yoon: Oh, she’s our cousin who just got married not long ago.]

The members in the audience seat behind them burst into applause.

[Congratulations on your marriage, Kim Ji-yeon!]

—??? lol

—Wow, the niece is lucky… to find out that her aunt is Kim Seo-yoon.
I was born and it turns out my aunt is Kim Seo-yoon.

Suddenly bombarded with congratulations, the original masked ball returns.

The practice room door opens, and this time, a cat mask makes its entrance.

Simultaneously, the female student watching live instinctively exclaimed with excitement.

With a runway model-like walk and long legs, it was obvious that Woo-ah looked elegant.

“Right! Cats are elegant!”

Anyway, the host, Do-hee, stepped forward to offer a polite greeting.

[Do-hee: Welcome to the masked ball.]

But the response they got was quite the spectacle.

[Woo-ah: So can we now ‘mask’ ourselves?]

[• Woo-ah’s first line sets the tone.]

[Seo-yoon: Wow, wow…]

As much as Seo-yoon reacted, the chat was instantly flooded with question marks.

─????

─Wow

─Huh?

─Ah

─Geez, lol

Even the female student, a fan of Woo-ah, looked momentarily confused.

“Uh, Woo-ah…? Is that a minus factor…? I can’t watch if you’re a variety show newbie…?”

But Woo-ah looked confident.

[Seo-yoon: Oh, don’t smile at that kind of thing.]

[Do-hee: No, it’s funny… the cat mask and the expression…]

It seems like there’s a member quietly chuckling to herself at that moment.

[Seo-yoon: I really… don’t get it. And Jiwoo!]

[Woo-ah: Yes, why are you calling me like that?]

[Seo-yoon: Well, you’re also a variety show beginner.]

[Woo-ah: Ye-es~]

The scene cuts back to an interview.

This time, Do-hee and Woo-ah are sitting together.

[PD: Do-hee is famous for her traditions. I’ve heard you enjoy dad jokes…]

[Do-hee (the high school student with a taste for dad jokes): No, it’s just that your tone and expression are so shameless that it’s funny. It’s not really the jokes themselves.]

[• Do-hee’s long excuses.]

[PD: Woo-ah, do you like dad jokes too?]

Do-hee nods while wrapping an arm around Woo-ah.

[Woo-ah: Honestly, I find it strange that Do-hee laughs at this kind of stuff…]

[Do-hee: …?]

But Woo-ah quickly slips her arm away.

[Woo-ah: I don’t get it either.]

[Do-hee: …What?]

[Woo-ah: I do it because she likes it though.]

Do-hee’s pupils suddenly expand dramatically.

[• Betrayed.]

“Phew… Wo-ah, you shocked me…”

[Do-hee: No way, I’m not amused by that low-level stuff either. But your expression… Kim Ye-eun had a bit more class…]

Back in the ballroom.

The entrances continue.

[Seo-yoon: The bride enters!]

[Do-hee: This isn’t a wedding venue.]

Despite their playful banter, with the next member’s entrance, the expressions of two, no, three of them suddenly synchronized.

[• The members are extremely flustered.]

[Seo-yoon: There was a mask like that outside…?]

[Do-hee: No, where did that girl get that?]
[Woo-ah: Ah…]

The camera slightly shifted to the side.

─???
─Haha
─What is this? Haha
─What’s up with them? Haha

The chat window rapidly filled up.

A tall idol was standing on screen as well.

[• Who are you?]
[Chiyo (Hahoe Mask): Hello.]

Wearing a Hahoe mask.
[Do-hee: Where did that come from?]
[Woo-ah: Isn’t that from the dorm…?]
[Do-hee: That?]
[Woo-ah: We went on a field trip to Hahoe Village last year.]
[Seo-yoon: …? Then when did we go to the dorm?]

The camera zoomed in tightly on the Hahoe mask.

Chiyo’s charming jaw aside, Chiyo’s face was brightly smiling.

The screen transitioned.

Chiyo and Na-eun were sitting in the interview seats.

Of course, the Hahoe mask was set aside.

[PD: Does Chiyo resemble the Hahoe mask?]
[Chiyo (Hahoe Mask): No. I’m totally the smiling type.]

─Taking off the Hahoe mask, suddenly cute;
─No way, smiling type or whatever, Chiyo, you’re Japanese;
─A Japanese person wearing a Hahoe mask, haha;
─Haha, even the pronunciation is Japanese;
─I’m already dizzy.

Anyway, the introductions must continue.

There are still remaining members, including the leader.

[Do-hee (still wearing the Dotsubi): Alright, then the last main character! Please come in!]

Everyone stood up and applauded as the last leader entered.

With the flair of a queen’s mask.

Despite Na-eun’s shy personality, she walked in confidently and gracefully like a queen.

Na-eun’s first variety show was very serious.

[Seo-yoon: Oh no.]
[Do-hee: Right?]
[Woo-ah: Indeed…]
[Chiyo (Hahoe Mask): What’s going on?]

But the applause from the members quickly stopped.

[Na-eun: …Hey, guys?]

Thanks to that, Na-eun’s entrance felt very strange and embarrassing.

[Do-hee: Ha… Dotsubi failed. My immersion is broken.]
[Seo-yoon: Sorry, after seeing that Hahoe mask, I can’t focus on your queen mask.]
[Do-hee: Ugh, the concept was ruined because of you.]
[Chiyo (Hahoe Mask): I can still do well, you know?]
[Woo-ah: First, take that off.]
[Chiyo (smiling): Huh…? My trademark. I don’t want to…]

Do-hee, feeling there’s no choice, set the mask aside and walked towards the camera.

[Do-hee: Alright, stop the masquerade and let’s move on to the next thing.]

And then she began to proceed to the next corner.

[Do-hee: Now that everyone has entered, shall we officially start introducing the members?]
[Seo-yoon: Sounds good! Me first! Me first!]
[Na-eun: …Hey, guys?]

[• The fallen authority of the leader.]

In contrast to Leader Na-eun’s sulking demeanor, the college student watching the show felt a natural question arise amidst the cheerful atmosphere, even though only a few minutes had passed.

“Even Woo-ah, but why do they seem so close…?”

Considering the debut preparation period, it’s not even been a year…

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