Chapter 128
***
“Today’s practice was the best bro, cya later . ”
After the practice, Lee JunYeol gave KangYoon a thumbs up before leaving .
Han JooYeon helped KangYoon in cleaning up the studio, without a word . Although KangYoon told her to go back and have a rest, she said that it was a natural thing to help out and picked up the microphone lines . Though, she had to learn from KangYoon how to store it away .
“Looks like senior Sedy is a peculiar person . ”
“JunYeol? Yeah, he’s a peculiar guy . ”
Rolling up the cables in an awkward fashion, Han JooYeon expressed her opinion of Lee JunYeol .
“He acts light-hearted, yet scary; sharp, yet blunt… he was incomprehensible . ”
“JunYeol has a lot of charms many don’t know of . How was the song though?”
“His voice was really good . As for other things… . ”
Han JooYeon blurred her words . Although she wanted to say that JunYeol didn’t even know her name, she endured .
However, KangYoon knew how she felt and spoke in a soft voice .
“JunYeol is very picky . He’s also haughty . It would have been hard for you to adjust to him . Well done . ”
“Yes . It was the first time I saw a person… . ”
Just as Han JooYeon was about to say what was on her mind, KangYoon interrupted her .
“However, he’s the guy who will make you rise . ”
“……”
Hearing that, Han JooYeon couldn’t say anything .
“Do whatever you can to make him join your side . That’s your first task .
“That sounds difficult… . ”
Han JooYeon pouted, but KangYoon was very firm about it .
“The first run was the best one, right?”
“…It was . ”
It wasn’t just good . It was incredibly rare for two voices to fit each other so well like this . Although they wasted time doing meaningless things, she did not imagine that the duet would go so well .
However, Han JooYeon showed little confidence in being able to bear with Lee JunYeol’s personality . KangYoon then gave her some stimulation .
“You don’t like MinAh going solo, do you?”
“… . Yes . ”
She would hate it to be behind a member of the same group . She was honest about that .
Hearing that, KangYoon smiled and patted her shoulders .
“You make your own opportunities . Don’t go looking for people for opportunities, and make them find you instead . That is a star . This Christmas concert will be the start . ”
“Yes . ”
KangYoon was satisfied with Han JooYeon’s response and turned around .
After that, the two cleaned up the studio without a word .
***
It was very rare for all members of World Entertainment to gather around in one location . This was because they had no company-wide meeting or conference to speak of . Even the artists had full confidence in KangYoon to do everything well .
A day in December .
A full-on meeting was called out at World Entertainment . All employees and musicians alike were gathered in the studio .
“*Yawn*, What’s up with today?”
Lee HyunAh yawned as she hadn’t had enough sleep . Lee ChaHee also rubbed her fatigued eyes . The other artists, such as Kim JaeHoon, had to stretch themselves out to chase out their sleepiness .
At that moment, the door to the studio opened and KangYoon entered . The artists were about to greet him when they saw that a group of girls had followed him in .
“Who… . E… Eddios?”
Kim JinDae, who had an extreme hangover due to drinking the night prior, thought he was seeing things . Seeing a top idol that only appeared on TV shows in real life blew away any trace of alcohol in his body . His heart pounded when he saw Han JooYeon a few days ago, and now there were all six of them!
Lee HyunAh and Lee ChaHee also chatted with each other to see what it was about . When Lee HyunJi waved at them to focus on KangYoon, they all calmed down and stopped speaking .
Seeing that the mood was a little calmer now, KangYoon told the girls to stand in front of him .
“You should all have seen JooYeon, but the others not, right? They’re Eddios, and they have joined us at World . Girls . ”
“One, two – h.e.l.lo! We’re Eddios!”
The girls greeted them in an energetic voice . Kim JinDae whispered to Jung ChanGyu when he saw a greeting that he only saw on TVs .
‘Huh… I still had doubts last time I saw her… . ’
‘I didn’t know I’d get to see the entirety of Eddios . ’
Jung ChanGyu’s thoughts weren’t that different from his .
The artists at World had already seen the news article . However, it just didn’t feel real to them . That was because it had no impact on them whatsoever . There was no change in the atmosphere of the company after they joined . It was on the internet that they saw the article, so some of them even treated it as a rumor .
Everyone other than Lee HyunJi and Jung HyeJin was dumbfounded .
The girls of Eddios thought that they would get a round of applause of welcome, but when they didn’t, they looked somewhere else and awkwardly laughed . This reaction was much different from what they imagined they would get .
At that moment, KangYoon scratched his head with an apologetic expression .
“Looks like everyone’s surprised . I should have told you before . Looks like that was my mistake . ”
“I should have given them a head-up . Your surprise was a horrible failure, president . ”
“Hahaha . ”
Only when Lee HyunJi lightened the mood with a joke did everyone laugh . KangYoon shrugged his shoulders and scratched his cheek .
When the mood got lighter, KangYoon introduced them starting with Jung MinAh . Like that, each of them introduced themselves . Fortunately, the awkward atmosphere was gone, and loud applause replaced it .
Everyone here knew who Eddios was . The men were especially cheerful . Kim JinDae clapped like a seal and could not take his eyes off them . He even ignored Lee ChaHee’s remark calling him an idiot .
With Lee SamSoon as the last, the members finished their self-introductions . KangYoon told everyone that this time was prepared for them to get closer to each other and gave Eddios some newly-bought seats
While KangYoon and Lee HyunJi talked about the Christmas event, the musicians, including Eddios, started their conversation with each other . Kim JaeHoon mostly talked with Han JooYeon and Christie An, while Kim JinDae and Jung ChanGyu talked with Lee SamSoon . Lee HyunAh talked with Ailee Jung, who sat next to her, and Jung MinAh, Seo HanYu, and Jung HyeJin started talking about cosmetics .
KangYoon, who was thinking about starting the meeting, decided not to after seeing them getting close to each other .
‘They’re adapting well . And here I was worried . ’
‘You’re right . Should we end the meeting here today?’
‘There’s a good mood going on . Why don’t we eat out today?’
KangYoon nodded his head in agreement at Lee HyunJi’s suggestion . The meeting was important, but it was more important to set the mood so that everyone could adapt to the changes . Since everyone was doing well already, he was planning to go a step further .
“Shall we eat out?”
“Where?”
“Where?”
Hearing the words ‘eating out’ Lee HyunAh and Jung MinAh simultaneously asked back to KangYoon .
At that moment, the two women met eyes .
‘Who’s she?’
Their eyes said so simultaneously .
Regardless, KangYoon decided on the menu despite the strange atmosphere between the two .
“How about some Budae-jjigae (army stew)?”
“Yes!”
“Yees!”
Jung MinAh and Lee HyunAh answered cheerfully yet again . The two were more than willing to follow KangYoon’s words .
“Miss HyeJin, please do the reservations . ”
“Yes . ”
As everyone stood up and cleared away their seats, Lee HyunAh and Jung MinAh became wary of each other . Their instincts told them something .
KangYoon, who knew nothing of that, left the studio first with Lee HyunJi .
“Uhm… . ”
Having missed the opportunity to leave with KangYoon, the two glared at each other .
***
After the meal, the members of World Entertainment returned to their places . White Moonlight to the practice room, Kim JaeHoon for his schedule, and Eddios back to their dorms .
Just one, Lee SamSoon stayed at the studio .
She and KangYoon were talking to each other in the studio .
“It’s been a while since the two of us talked to each other . ”
“I feel like I’m back to being a trainee again, team lea… oh wait . you aren’t a team leader now . ”
Lee SamSoon looked nervous . Although their positions had changed, the name ‘KangYoon’ weighed heavily on her .
KangYoon brewed her some coffee to calm her down .
“Let’s talk at ease today . Whether you like me or not, we’re in the same boat now . ”
“Yes . You don’t sound that different from the past, team leader . ”
“I’m old now . ”
“I feel like you’ve gotten younger instead . ”
KangYoon smiled . He felt good even if those were just empty words . Lee SamSoon definitely had the skills to make other people feel good about themselves .
“Thanks . I told you to stay behind because of some future plans . ”
“Oh, really?”
Lee SamSoon replied calmly on the surface, but her heart was racing . Jung MinAh and Han JooYeon got their own respective roles now . It was her turn now . She wondered what KangYoon was about to say to her .
‘What am I going to do? Hip hop? Rock?’
She fantasized herself in doing many other genres of music .
However… .
‘SamSoon . You told me you lived in the mountains when you were young, right?”
“Yes . I did, I lived with my grandmother . What about it?”
It was a very random question . Lee SamSoon was confused, and at the same time, got a strange feeling .
And just as she had worried –
“There’s a pilot program that became successful last year at Chuseok (Thanksgiving) . It’s called Modern Farmer, and the theme is for celebrities to go to the countryside and do farm work . I want you to partic.i.p.ate here . ”
“Whaaat?”
Her worries were on point . She wasn’t singing, but farming .
“W, wait . Farming?”
Lee SamSoon frowned . She didn’t seem so optimistic anymore .
Seeing her being rejected about it, KangYoon told her in a calm tone .
“There were shows that were located in the countryside, but there isn’t one actually centered on farming . Moreover, the producer knows a lot about variety shows . His team is top-notch at editing too . In my opinion, this is an opportunity . You must grab onto it . ”
“Haha… . ”
Lee SamSoon had a hard time .
She could see that KangYoon had asked that producer to take her in . A girl idol with a peculiar background of having lived in the mountains . Which producer would hate such a character? The problem was, she hated farming, a lot!
“This… Do I really have to do it?”
“If you don’t want to, no . However… . ”
“However?”
“It will take longer for you to gain back your popularity . When that happens… . Eddios’s comeback will be delayed to a later date, don’t you think?”
A delayed comeback? Those were some frightening words .
She could refuse . However, she shouldn’t . This…
Well, she only had one road ahead of her .
“Uhh… . I don’t like the countryside . ”
“Let’s endure for now . I won’t get you anything like it in the future . ”
“…Okay . ”
Lee SamSoon’s shoulders drooped down . A certain someone was going to sing on stage by herself, while she was going to do manual labor on the field . She could see her future self in agony .
Knowing what she felt like, KangYoon spoke in a soft voice .
“I can guarantee . If you do this well, your popularity will rival MinAh’s . ”
“…Really?”
Lee SamSoon’s shoulders jolted up when she heard that .
Half of Eddios’s popularity was thanks to Jung MinAh – there was such a saying going around . If her popularity could rival hers… it would be unimaginable . This was from KangYoon too, who didn’t like exaggerating .
“Yeah . I guarantee . ”
“…Fine . I’ll do it . ”
In the end, Lee SamSoon accepted the deal . Although she was pushed to it against her will, she was planning to do her best since she was doing it anyway .
After the discussion, Lee SamSoon left the studio .
“…Well, later, she might come to me asking for one . ”
After Lee SamSoon left, KangYoon called DLE TV Station . It was to tell them that she had accepted .
***
A snowing Christmas Eve .
White snow colored the world a beautiful white with flower-like snowflakes…
“…are bullsh*t . ”
Manager Kim DaeHyun grumbled while sweeping away the snow in front of Lunas . Who was it, that named snow as the ‘Devil’s b.u.mfluff’? He wanted to give that dude a hug for coming up with such a great name .
Even though he swept the snow clean, more snow fell down and covered his tracks .
“Please stop snowing!”
Manager Kim DaeHyun was shivering while sweeping away the snow .
People started entering Lunas while walking past such a shivering manager .
As this was a party for singles, most people came in twos of the same gender . Although couples could be seen here and there, there weren’t many . There were also some people who sized up others .
The women were naturally focused on Lee JunYeol .
“Sedy’s so awesome . ”
“I bought a ticket just to see him . ”
“Wait, who’s Han JooYeon?”
“Idunno, a singer maybe?”
(T/N: Han JooYeon is known to the public as her stage name “JooYeon” which is why some people don’t recognize her full name . )
If Han JooYeon of Eddios was the one featuring, then the order of contents would say ‘Feat . JooYeon of Eddios’ . However, there was just ‘Feat . Han JooYeon’ written on it . So many people didn’t show much interest .
When it was time for the show, the lights for the audience seats turned off and the curtain to the stage rose .
A band appeared under the spotlight . It was White Moonlight .
“h.e.l.lo!”
“Waaaa!”
The audience replied cheerfully to Lee HyunAh’s cheerful greeting . At the same time, the first stage began with the drums .
Although White Moonlight’s stage was shorter than usual, it still heated up the mood of the audience .
Kim JaeHoon’s following stage drenched the audience with emotions . He started off lightly, but the emotions that could be felt in his singing put everyone to tears .
Especially those who had no partner by their side .
“*Sob sob* . Why! Why am I single?”
“G.o.d d*mmit . I’ll be able to use the meteor spell soon . ”
“I’ll be able to summon a dragon next year . I don’t like dragons though… . ”
(T/N: Remember the myth where virgins turn into wizards when they reach 30…?)
Kim JaeHoon’s voice resonated within the hearts of men .
His stage ended when he was done ringing wringing the tears out of them .
“Waaa—-!”
“Thanks for listening . ”
When Kim JaeHoon’s stage ended, the crowd erupted in cheers .
At that moment, the stage lights suddenly turned off . The audience seats were also dark so there was no light anywhere . Then, a soft voice started flowing out along with some instruments .
“I know — that I should not hesitate — our halted story –”
It was a deep, plentiful baritone male . Eventually, the light turned on and the spotlights focused on one man .
It was Sedy .
“It’s Sedy!”
“Kyaaa!”
Unlike with Kim JaeHoon, where the male audience erupted, this time, Sedy received cheers from mostly the female audience . Moreover, there was the mood set up by Kim JaeHoon’s previous stage, so the reactions burned hotter than before . He lightly waved at the audience before closing his eyes . It was to focus on singing .
‘Aah, my heart is racing . ’
‘Can’t he be mine?’
‘No! He’s mine!’
The female audience started trembling already . A tall man with a melodious voice – Lee JunYeol was charming enough for any woman to fall in love with .
At that time, some of the male audience expressed their joy after listening to the lyrics .
‘Wait, isn’t this Love Day?’
‘There should be a girl too, then . Isn’t this a duet song?’
They looked around the stage for any figures . However, as the spotlights only shone down on Lee JunYeol, they were unable to see anywhere else . However, they did not give up and even squinted their eyes to see if they could see any better . However, they couldn’t even find a shadow, much less a silhouette .
“Let’s start our story — again –”
Just as some of the audience kept looking for the other singer, Lee JunYeol’s part was over .
At that moment .
“I know — that I am not alone — don’t be afraid —”
Another spotlight shone down on the stage and revealed a lady . And ‘Han JooYeon’ from the pamphlet showed herself . She was wearing a slightly tight one-piece dress with straight long hair . She had a puppy face and exuded the charm of wanting to keep looking at her .
The male audience, who were looking for a female singer, was about to cheer out loud . However, when they saw the girl, their heart started pounding non-stop .
“E… Eddios?”
“Isn’t that JooYeon?”
At those words, the audience erupted in murmuring .
Everyone started talking to each other . They never imagined that JooYeon of Eddios would be the one to show up .
“It’s Han JooYeon!”
“What, really? Awesome!”
“Hey hey! Keep your hands down! I can’t see . ”
If the female audience could be seen as lovestruck by Sedy, the male audience could be considered that they were dumbstruck by the appearance of JooYeon . The stage of the two started decorating the performance in a beautiful fashion .