[Park Eun-joo: Team Leader, all the fans are lined up and the checks are done.]
The debonaire manager, Yu Young-ho, took the members to the waiting room and then headed towards the line outside the broadcasting station.
Seven years ago, the little trainees.
Do-hee was 11 years old then, and now she’s 18.
Woo-ah, who was 13, is now a legal adult at 20.
“Time really flies.”
When he first joined, he was just a rookie in the new talent development team, but now he has become a team leader in the management team responsible for Debonaire.
In a few years, as Debonaire grows, he might completely step away from the field and become a director.
Cough cough.
Stepping outside, the cold January air triggered a dry cough.
Even in this winter chill, fans were lined up in an orderly fashion according to the instructions of the new fan manager, Park Eun-joo.
All of them were certified fans of Debonaire, having passed checks that included proof of album purchases and difficult questions only true fans would know.
Naturally, their conversation topics were unified.
Specifically, about last night’s episode of Idol Human Theater.
“Wow, I seriously lost it last night and was chuckling in my room.”
“The humor was insane.”
“But hey, our kids have been around longer than the members of Seven…”
“I’m kind of feeling a certain way about that…”
“What’s there to feel bad about? It’s great if everyone gets along.”
“But was the debut member not decided for Seven, which delayed the debut?”
“Who knows, they say projects change every time. Anyway, since they debuted as Seven, I feel good about that.”
“Agreed.”
Feeling a bit proud from the kids’ compliments, he thought.
‘Our kids definitely have great humor, and I’ve been watching them for a long time—I know. There are no kids as good as them.’
Of course, sometimes he heard things that were hard to understand.
“What the… so noble… a couple of Woo-ah and Do-hee for eight years…? What about our poor Sara…? Our Sara…”
‘Hmm…?’
Well… it seems like they’re talking about “Alfes,” which uses same-sex codes in a creepy community, so maybe that’s it.
Though there are fewer girl groups compared to boy groups, there were still some.
Yet, it wouldn’t be appropriate for a mere manager like Yu Young-ho to step in.
After all, this was something that the topist and the big four entertainment companies were quietly overlooking.
Instead, the issue was this.
A woman in her twenties holding a banner with Chiyo’s name on it.
It seemed like Chiyo had gained a personal fan.
The problem was her whining.
“Hey, did you check Wiki? A new nickname got updated.”
“Again…? Ugh, it’s not like she needs more cute nicknames. Gaksital, Kim Chiyo, Kimuchiyo… Kimchi Sushi? What’s with Kim Ji-su… is she crazy?”
“But honestly, it’s funny. You laughed, didn’t you?”
“Damn… that’s the problem.”
“Is there a problem?”
─Uh…
Suddenly, Yu Young-ho burst into laughter and cleared his throat for no reason.
Chiyo was also slapped with countless strange nicknames within just a day.
Thinking about the nicknames given to the newly debuted members… it made sense for Chiyo’s ultimate fan to be a bit miffed.
First, Kim Na-eun had nicknames like “Magical Girl Na-eun” taken from her part in the title track and “Narun” derived from her personality.
Woo-ah received nicknames like “Cozy” because her face resembled a baby wolf, “Human Elegance” from her name and vibe, and simply ‘Woo-ah’ which suited her best.
Of course, there’s also the nickname given to the youngest member, Do-hee.
That’s right, “Dorahee,” which both Koreans and even foreigners know and use.
“Still, Rahee sounds cute, though. It’s a unique part that’s essential for what’s often called ‘moe’… but Kim Chiyo…”
“But Kim Chiyo, isn’t Kimu Chiyo cute too?”
“Ha… it actually sounds decent after thinking about it. First things first, let’s get rid of the Kimchi Sushi, please…”
“Kim Ji-su is good, why not just call her Ji-su from now on?”
“Can you not?”
The promotion strategy planning team will figure it out, I guess…
Anyway, the reactions among the fans were heated.
Right now, [Idol Human Theater, Debonaire Edition] was, despite being a YouTube variety show, quite exposed to the general public.
For starters, his YouTube Shorts were frequently updated with broadcast clips or edited content from the show.
@Idol_ahee (Subscribe)
─”The humor of Do-suh is something I keep watching today, haha.”
@GirlGroupArchive (Subscribe)
─”The members of Idol Human Theater Debonaire, hahaha!”
@IdolIssues (Subscribe)
─”Debonaire Do-hee revealed this member, who has shared half her life with Seo-yoon.”
Even on the male-dominant sites he occasionally checked, two hot topics were trending under Idol posts, getting bombarded with dislikes and called “obsessive.”
[The first-ever member of a girl group with the nickname Kimchi, haha!]
[Do-hee’s comedic talents introducing the new members today.]
Considering the variety show had just been released, its entertaining aspects were bound to become a hot topic among the general public quickly.
“We’re definitely hitting 3 million views.”
With a contented smile, Yu Young-ho approached fan manager Park Eun-joo.
“Let’s let the fans into the lobby, and there are some thank-you gifts? We should distribute those right away. There’s a hot pack inside.”
“Understood.”
Then he made his way back to the waiting room.
But just before he could even open the waiting room door after passing through the corridor…
“Are we becoming the number one singers today!?”
Chiyo’s excited voice burst through the door from outside.
It seemed she had heard from the staff that they were nominees for the top spot.
It seemed like I had heard it somewhere.
‘I was going to tell you! Haha.’
As the waiting room door swung open.
“No. Am I the target singer?”
I could also hear Do-hee’s teasing voice.
“I am too.”
Seo-yoon chimed in.
With a pouty expression, Chiyo rushed to Na-eun and hugged her.
“Those worthless people are teasing me, boohoo.”
“Yeah, yeah~”
Regardless of that, Do-hee and Seo-yoon were happily facing each other, pretending to shoot each other with finger guns.
“Youuu↝?”
“Yes, Me-ee↝”
They were totally vibing like American high school girls you’d see on Netflix, nailing whatever high teen concept drama they were filming.
“I-I… Those worthless people, I am worthless… boohoo.”
“Yeah, yeah~ Chiyo should hold it together~”
‘Hmm…’
Anyway, everyone seemed to be in a good mood.
Of course, it didn’t seem like there was a day since the debut that wasn’t like that.
Still, today seemed especially good.
Even if it was on SBC MTV’s ‘One Show,’ not a public broadcast.
Because getting the first #1 is a huge deal.
Yu Young-ho chuckled at the members who had waited long for this moment.
*
On the side, Woo-ah Unni, who was wearing a gentle smile, linked arms with me.
“Must be nice to be the target singer~ Will you make me the target singer too? Do-hee?”
I quickly nodded at the beaming Woo-ah Unni.
“Yeah, I’ll have to get the award with you one day.”
“Really?”
Of course, I was serious.
“Have I, Do-hee Lee? Ever missed an award in life? Nope.”
But even I felt a bit embarrassed about my shameless self-absorption.
‘Why is Manager Young-ho suddenly staring so much…?’
So, I teasingly poked at Seo-yoon Unni too.
“Just born with the talented DNA. That will surpass Kim Seo-yoon’s 5th place DNA.”
However, Seo-yoon, who usually reacted to my jabs like ‘Your face, La-hee is all excited again,’ was quiet this time.
‘What’s up with that?’
Turning my head in a déjà vu, I saw Seo-yoon Unni pointing with her eyes to one side.
“Oh.”
There was Na-eun Unni, who unfortunately failed to debut with Seven, in 8th place at the [Aggressive] final rankings.
“Huh?”
Of course, our sweet Na-eun Unni said.
“What’s up~ Are you guys suddenly watching me? When did you start doing that~”
She sent a gesture of not caring with a youthful smile.
“Ugh… so worthless…”
The Kimchi in her arms only continued to tease in her stead.
*
As expected, there were no surprises.
“Today’s special one on One Show is!”
Thump, thump!
“Congratulations! Debonaire!”
─Boom!
As the confetti burst from both sides, the members flinched in surprise, but I was grinning because I predicted the firework timing.
“Congratulations on coming in first! Let’s hear your remarks!”
I had expected to be in first place this week, so I wore my usual bright smile.
However, what I didn’t expect was the members crying.
The unnis who turned to me kept dabbing their eyes, and I could see emotions pooling in their eyes.
Even though we laughed when our gazes met, there were still teardrops falling.
Yet, Na-eun Unni, who promised to speak, held the microphone firmly with composure.
After nodding and bowing multiple times, she choked up while thanking the fans and glanced around.
“Our members…”
At the same time, Woo-ah Unni must have burst into tears because she covered her eyes with both hands, while Chiyo Unni was outright sobbing…
I knew.
Seeing me and Seo-yoon Unni rising to fame with Seven, they didn’t have to say it, but I could tell how anxious and mentally drained they felt.
Since we mattered to each other, they tried to be considerate and act calm, but at this moment, that façade couldn’t be maintained.
Being overwhelmed with joy often led to tears.
But I had no intention of crying.
I thought it was better to remain composed; doesn’t that show I’ve grown?
Honestly, I was worried the fans would label me a crybaby.
‘If my eyes just get a little red, that should be okay.’
I locked eyes with Seo-yoon Unni.
Suddenly, I nodded.
‘What’s up?’
Then I took the microphone from Na-eun Unni.
“It must have been exhausting and tough, yet our members always waited for us… Thank you so much, my love for you will never change…”
After that, Seo-yoon Unni spoke out of turn and burst into tears too.
Thanks to that, the atmosphere turned strange.
I felt like I should cry too in this environment.
‘We have the first-place encore live soon… If I don’t cry, I might have to sing alone…’
Of course, without in-ears, the cheers, the MR, and my vocals could easily get muddy, but that was the concern of others.
For someone like me with perfect pitch, the presence or absence of in-ears didn’t really matter.
‘Should I just sing solo? Show them what’s what?’
But every time Woo-ah Unni squeezed my hand tighter, it stirred my emotions, and that was the problem.
‘Ah… We can’t get teary before the first-place commemorative live broadcast…’
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