Chapter 1129: The Warmest Season, Winter (1)

“Achoo!”

“Are you cold?”

“N-no... Senior.”

Seeing Jihyuk sniffle and rub his nose, I turned up the heater.

Jihyuk waved his hands.

“You don’t have to turn it up...”

“No. You look really cold right now.”

I raised the indoor temperature from around twenty degrees to twenty-five.

Hot air immediately began blowing, and I pulled off my sweater in one swift motion.

Now wearing only a T-shirt, I looked over as Jihyuk asked,

“Aren’t you cold, Senior...?”

“Maybe it’s because I just came back from Alaska. Even twenty degrees feels really warm now.”

“As expected of you, Senior...”

“...That seems like a strange thing to admire, but let’s move on.”

I rubbed my palms together.

“Now, shall we take a look at your homework?”

We were in my private practice room on the sixth floor.

It was time for Jihyuk’s private lesson, the first since I returned from Alaska.

I examined his work on the laptop and carefully gave him feedback one point at a time.

“Were you trying to pay homage to Debussy’s ‘Clair de Lune’ in the intro? It’s fresh. I like it.”

“Yes.”

“But the progression feels familiar. You probably aren’t used to ballads yet, but I think it needs a more distinctive concept of its own.”

Jihyuk meticulously wrote down every word I said in his notebook.

Like a model student who would even record his teacher’s jokes, he made me want to teach him with even greater enthusiasm.

After finishing the lesson, I closed the laptop.

“All right. Let’s end today’s lesson here.”

“Oh...”

“You’re confused because we’re finishing a little early, aren’t you?”

“No! Not at all!”

He waved his hands, but anyone could see that he was disappointed and wanted to learn more.

Smiling, I wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

“It isn’t good for a person to run nonstop every single time.”

“But don’t you run nonstop every single time, Senior?”

“...”

I had nothing to say to that.

“...Anyway, the point is that people need to rest from time to time. We’ll stop here today and go watch something fun.”

“?”

“This is the day you guys appear on the X Buster reality show.”

“Oh...!”

Surprise flashed across his delicate features.

I couldn’t help laughing.

He must have been so absorbed in his assignments that he had not even realized what day his own television appearance was airing.

Taking off his glasses and putting them in their case, Jihyuk said,

“Oh, that was today.”

“Let’s hurry. Everyone will be waiting.”

When we reached the sixth-floor lounge, everyone had already gathered.

“Senior, you’re here!”

Our adorable youngsters sprang to their feet.

“Hey.”

“Wooju, get over here. Sit here.”

The Scarlet members were already holding chicken legs in their hands.

“Hyung, Nayoon stole my food! Hurry up and scold her!”

“Jihyuk, come sit over here too.”

Our noisy little underlings were chattering away.

Aside from Senior Yoon Chanhyuk, who was probably burning himself out in the recording studio, it was safe to say that Lemon Entertainment’s entire roster of singers had gathered.

Oh.

There was technically one more person.

Me: [Do you want to come too?]

Jang Hanbyul: [Why would I go there...]

Jang Hanbyul: [(Photo of a lone long-haired man sitting apart from everyone at a gathering.jpg)]

I burst out laughing and sat down.

Ara, Scarlet’s leader and oldest member, swept back her pink-dyed hair and asked,

“I heard you ate something amazing in Alaska~ You guys are always going around eating delicious food without us.”

“You haven’t heard what happened to us, have you?”

“No.”

“Well...”

She tilted her head.

“Did something happen?”

It was exhausting just recounting everything that had happened in Alaska before the show began.

Starting with our encounter with Moonlight and moving on to the earthquake recovery work, laughter erupted from all around the room as we told the story.

By the time we finished, the title appeared on the television screen.

『 GO! BUSTERS—! 』

It was the debut reality show of X Buster, the rookie idol group from DNS Media, airing on KNet.

With CG footage of hooded figures hacking into systems and spray-painting their rabbit logo onto walls, the faces and names of each member were introduced one by one.

“So these are the rookies.”

“They’re our company’s rookies now.”

“It still feels strange, unnie. I keep forgetting Lemon bought DNS.”

While the Scarlet members chatted quietly, we all sipped our drinks and watched the title logo.

Then, just as the commercials began, I noticed something strange and turned my head.

“?”

Smiles formed on the lips of my members and me.

The Scarlet members also struggled to hold back their laughter as they looked toward the side of the room that had fallen silent.

It was because of the trainees’ expressions.

Excitement.

Happiness.

Joy.

Composure.

...The last one was Jihyuk.

Perhaps because this was their first time appearing on television, they kept swallowing nervously while checking the live comment feed.

Scarlet and NewBlack exchanged knowing smiles.

We know that feeling.

We know it very well.

Even Jinhu, who usually wandered around with a bright smile, was now repeatedly sweeping back his hair with a tense expression.

Still, he was trying to remain calm—

“Ughhh. Jihyuk!”

“Ghk!”

“What do I do? What am I supposed to do? Hey, give me some advice. I’m nervous. What do I do? Right now, I’m—”

We burst out laughing as he shook his same-age friend, who already had television survival-show experience, while groaning in panic.

Jihyuk choked on his drink and said,

“It’s nothing. My face is simply appearing on that small screen.”

“How can you be so calm? Senior, I’m not the strange one. He’s the strange one, right?”

Biju smiled.

“That’s right. Jihyuk is the unusual one. We were incredibly nervous when we made our music-show debut with Something.”

“I knew it.”

“Of course you’re nervous. It’s your first broadcast.”

While Jinhu groaned, “Right?!” Boksu, sitting beside him and chewing chicken, wore a gloomy expression.

“I’m already worried, Senior. I’m nervous enough about our trainee evaluation appearing on TV. How are we supposed to survive our actual music-show debut?”

“Well, that’s simple.”

Our youngest wrapped an arm around Boksu’s shoulders and winked.

“You get used to everything eventually, kid.”

“Pfft!”

“Pffft!”

We burst out laughing.

Yeonbom, Scarlet’s main vocalist, twitched one cheek as she sipped her beer.

“A baby just called another baby ‘kid.’”

“So our Jiho wanted to feel like an adult~?”

At the teasing from his hyungs and noonas, Jiho looked genuinely annoyed and gulped down his beer.

Then it went down the wrong way, and his face turned red as he coughed violently.

Ri Hyuk patted his back.

“Drinking beer doesn’t make you an adult. Control yourself.”

“Is that supposed to comfort me?”

I smiled as the two bickered like usual.

Then Jinhu, who had been watching the television, turned to me.

“Senior, there’s something I...”

“Yeah?”

“There’s something I’m curious about. May I ask?”

“What are you curious about?”

An uncharacteristically serious expression had appeared on Jinhu’s face.

Wondering what kind of question he was about to ask, I looked at him just as seriously.

“By any chance...”

“By any chance?”

“This is really only hypothetical... I’m asking in the conditional sense. Like, if.”

“?”

“By any chance...”

Jinhu hesitated, as though the word he was about to use felt impossibly awkward and strange.

Only then did I realize what he wanted to ask.

It was a word we had also found incredibly awkward back when we were promoting Something.

“Could we...”

Jinhu asked cautiously,

“Could we possibly gain some fans after today’s broadcast ends?”

The trainees’ eyes turned toward me.

I had no idea why they were all staring at me like I was a Rabbit Uncle doll that answered questions by raising signs marked [YES] and [NO]...

Fortunately, I had something reassuring to tell them.

“You will. Once today’s broadcast ends.”

“...!”

“...!”

The trainees beamed more brightly than anyone else.

Even Jihyuk, who had maintained his composure the whole time, gave a slight twitch of his shoulders at the word “fans.”

Swallowing, Jihyuk said,

“So once we show the viewers our performance today, some of them will become our fans. Because we performed well, we’ll gain fans—”

“No.”

Scarlet and NewBlack answered at the same time.

“They’ll probably become fans because you’re handsome and cute.”

“...”

“...”

The trainees blinked.

While we smiled at them fondly, Ri Hyuk asked me with his eyes,

Can I explain it for you?

Go ahead.

Ri Hyuk cleared his throat and explained.

“Fans of rookie idols usually aren’t new to being fans themselves. They’ll probably be watching because they want to check out a new idol group. But no matter how well trainees perform, it’s difficult to truly move people with your skill level.”

“...”

“So it comes down to visuals.”

“...”

“Your performance that day was good by trainee standards.”

Our mouths dropped open.

No, how could he say it like that...?

There are a hundred ways to say the same thing, and our hyung talks like he’s hitting people over the head with a frying pan...

The trainees were deeply shocked by the statement that even the performance they had poured their souls into would not satisfy the public.

They all turned to stone, looking as though they were thinking, Our stage was worthless garbage...

We turned toward Ri Hyuk.

“Boo, garbage. Boo.”

“Boooo.”

“An evil carp demon who wounds children’s hearts. Boooo.”

“Why are you all doing this to me?!”

We merely shook our heads at the indignant Ri Hyuk.

There were ghosts haunting the idol industry.

Ah, I want to stan a rookie.

Are there any decent rookie idols?

People who wanted to find someone new to support for all kinds of reasons.

And now, a promising program had appeared for them.

[GO! BUSTERS—!]

X Buster, DNS Media’s new group and the juniors of Street Boys.

It was a rookie group drawing attention through Gye Hongju, a survival-show star with a ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) cute face and exceptional rapping skills.

I heard these guys are naturally hilarious too.

Another member, Pulip, who was known as LB’s younger brother, had already gained some attention after flying a miniature drone around the dorm and crashing it into a pot of fish cake soup, creating memes like [Yesterday’s Rookie Reality Show Drone Soup.gif].

Maybe I should watch today.

Those always wandering in search of new rookies hesitated briefly.

Then, after hearing the news spreading online, they decided to watch that day’s reality show.

-DNS vs. Lemon, a battle between trainees... Who will emerge victorious??

The Lemon Entertainment trainees would also be appearing on the reality show.

That drew even more attention than usual.

-Holy shit, are those insanely handsome babies appearing?????

-If they’re Lemon trainees, they’re those kids who always wear masks next to Gyuho at NewBlack concerts, right?

-Yeah, that’s them.

-The tall one is totally my type.

On top of that, fans of Street Boys and NewBlack were gathering after hearing that their favorites would appear as judges.

The broadcast was already generating plenty of noise before it even began.

People who normally would not have watched began pouring in.

-Is that Pulip kid LB’s brother?? They don’t look alike at all.

-You’ll see the resemblance once you watch him.

-Guys, while you’re here, let me introduce our Hongju♡ (Photo) (Photo) (Photo)

-Promoting rookie idol X Buster~~!! Please give them lots of attention and support!

-They’re like a handsome version of Street Boys... Hyunsik must’ve developed a serious complex about visuals after watching Lemon lololol.

-Are you an idiot? Fuck off.

Amid the complicated mixture of comments, most idol fans felt the same thing.

-Lemon really is a major agency now lol. The level of buzz is completely different.

-You can definitely feel how much more attention they get.

-They’re basically a major agency.

-They are, but Street Boys and NewBlack have such insane name recognition now that it’s partly because of that too.

-International fans are interested as well.

X Buster had attracted that much attention.

There were several reasons.

They were the first idol group to debut after Lemon acquired SNH Entertainment and DNS Media.

Some people were watching just to criticize them, while others were genuinely curious about how they would turn out.

What all of them had in common was that they were paying attention to the idols who would become Lemon Entertainment’s future.

-It’s starting.

-Everyone get in here! It’s starting now!!

-Ah, why isn’t my chicken here yet?

With the caption [Previously], scenes from the prior week began to play.

The members danced in front of citizens while carrying out street missions assigned by the production staff, then ran excitedly around an amusement park during their break.

At the end, CEO Lim Hyunsik appeared.

[Your next opponents have been decided, boys.]

With a face like a bad-tempered bulldog, he threw down a challenge letter.

[Your opponents are... Lemon Entertainment’s trainees.]

[!!!]

The recap ended with shots of the trainees widening their eyes or covering their mouths in shock.

Then the main episode began in earnest.

『 Gangnam District, Seoul. DNS Media. 』

The members, dressed in training clothes inside the practice room, repeatedly took deep breaths.

They looked far more nervous than usual.

Even while practicing, their tension was obvious.

It made the viewers wonder.

Are they really that nervous?

X Buster had never been this tense on other stages.

As though answering the question, the screen shifted to an interview.

Pulip, wearing a backward snapback over his gray-dyed hair, clasped his hands seriously.

[There are a lot of rumors about Lemon Entertainment among trainees.]

[Really?]

At the production staff’s question, he nodded.

[Among trainees, Lemon Entertainment is known as the place where the very best gather. Their auditions are incredibly competitive too, so everyone acknowledges anyone who trained at Lemon.]

The viewers looked surprised.

-Since when was Lemon that prestigious??

-Lemon was always hard to get into lol. After Scarlet became successful and told everyone the company treated them well, it became known as a place talented trainees wanted to go.

-Just look at the NewBlack members... Their trainee pool was already insane back then.

-Good profit distribution + famous for taking care of artists.

-For job seekers, it’s basically like the Bank of Korea or some other top-tier public institution. The other Big Four are like huge corporations.

In any case, Lemon’s trainee pool was so famously strong that even the X Buster members were nervous.

After scenes of them practicing and holding strategy meetings among themselves—

The Street Boys members arrived with pizza to encourage the trainees.

[You’re going up against the Lemon kids, right?]

[Yes!]

[You can do it. We used to beat them ninety times out of a hundred.]

[Ooooooh!]

[Of course, once Sun Wooju joined, we started losing...]

[...]

The viewers burst out laughing as everyone silently chewed their pizza.

LB smacked his younger brother’s shoulder several times.

[Go out there and do your best! Show everyone what you can do, then tell them! Tell them, “This man is my brother!” Go say it!]

[Please stop, Senior.]

[What? Are you embarrassed by your own brother?! Whose money bought the pants you’re wearing right now?]

[Our mom’s.]

[Right. Mom bought them. Hehe!]

Everyone burst out laughing at Pulip gritting his teeth.

After scenes of the Street Boys members whispering their secret methods for defeating Lemon Entertainment—

[The day of the decisive battle.]

Footage played of CEO Lim Hyunsik and the X Buster members visiting Lemon Entertainment.

[At last, the first-ever reveal of Lemon Entertainment’s headquarters!]

[Continues in sixty seconds.]

But the viewers had far too much experience in the idol world to believe KNet’s characteristic bluffing.

Lemon’s headquarters haven’t even appeared in NewBlack’s own content or on terrestrial observational variety shows. How is second-rate KNet supposed to show it?

They’ll show the first floor and nothing else.

Just as the viewers expected, the footage of Lemon Entertainment’s headquarters was brief.

Only CEO Lim Hyunsik arriving with the trainees and CEO Park Gyuho welcoming them like the abbot of a temple received any meaningful screen time.

[Tension flows between the two CEOs.]

The viewers expressed their admiration.

-A twenty-year toxic relationship... So this is the good stuff.

-Proceed.

-Proceed with what, you lunatic? lolololol.

-Is this what people call supply without demand?

-Why does Gyuho look so much like a temple abbot today? lolololol. It looks like an abbot welcoming visitors.

The trainees followed CEO Park Gyuho as he chuckled warmly.

Then Lemon Entertainment’s enormous practice room appeared, drawing gasps from everyone.

-Wow...

-They really are a major agency.

-It didn’t look that big in NewBlack’s own content, but this place is fucking huge lololol. It looks like a warehouse.

-This is seriously incredible.

Everyone stared openmouthed at the practice room, which was equipped with massive facilities and all kinds of convenient equipment.

[Wow...]

“This is seriously no joke.”

The X Buster members wore the same expressions as the viewers as they touched the amplifiers and various devices.

[Knock, knock—]

A knock sounded.

The X Buster members stiffened like cats hearing an unfamiliar noise.

[May we come in for a moment?]

A pleasant, beautiful voice.

The scene changed to show handsome young men standing in the hallway.

No.

Their faces were covered by symbols such as (?) and (?), so no one could actually see them, but their silhouettes alone made it obvious that they were handsome.

I-I can feel it. The aura of handsome men...!

And the moment the door opened—

A ray of light appeared in the viewers’ eyes.

“!”

“!!”

It was the moment the children NewBlack had raised so carefully on meat and lettuce finally emerged into the world.