After the reading, the chairs made a loud noise as they were being dragged.
Ian approached Director Choi who was talking to the assistant director.
âThat⊠Director Choi.â
âYes, Ian ssi.â
Director Choi responded with a smile.
âThis scene. Can I also watch the filming?â
Ian unfolded the script and presented it to the director. Director Choi raised his eyebrows as if it was unexpected.
âI heard youâre busy these days, is that okay?â
âEven though Iâm busy, I think I have to watch this scene myself.â
It will be a lot of learning just by seeing the acting scene of a middle-aged actor with proven acting skills and a child actor who will be given the genius modifier.
Director Choi nodded in satisfaction.
âAll right then. I can contact you through the manager, right?â
Director Choi cast a glance at the assistant director and replied. The assistant director also nodded.
âThank you.â
âWhatâs the thanks for. You can go back now.â
Ian bowed his back and left the reading place.
âAh. I donât wanna go.â
Ian crumpled his face. As soon as he went back, there would be a dance practice and even a recording at dawn.
Ian was waiting for Park Dong Soo when he suddenly looked for an inconspicuous place.
Whatâre you doing?]
âSomehow I felt a bad hunch.â
He suddenly felt an indescribable feeling and an alarm went off somewhere in his mind.
Ian thought he had to hide now.
âUh, Unnie~â
When Ian hid behind a pillar in the parking lot, Lee Seo Hyun came out while talking to someone on the phone.
âIâve been looking for him, but I canât find him. I guess heâs gone already.â
Lee Seo Hyun gestured to the manager who took out the car.
âDo you like him that much? Well, heâs handsome. Everything around him seems to sparkle.â
She opened the door of the car that stopped in front of her and got in.
Ian stuck his head out and watched the car drive out of the parking lot.
âWhy looking for me?â
Ian urged Jin to answer.
Whose introduction do you think connects Kim Seung-hoon and Lee Hee-jin to date each other?]
ââŠAh, perhaps.â
Kim Seung Hoon and Lee Hee Jin were the protagonists of this yearâs Factfix.
âThen, is she something like a matchmaker1ttu-jaeng-i), matchmaker. A Korean term that refers to a person who enjoys setting up others on blind dates or matchmaking. The term comes from the Korean word âëê»â (ttu-kong), which means âlid,â and refers to the way a matchmaker often lifts the lid on a potential romantic connection between two people. or Madame Ttu2?â
Some people enjoy setting people up together. Just as there are people famous for this in the sports industry, they also exist in the entertainment industry.
There are a few more beside her.]
âThey got nothing better to do. So, what do they get?â
Just get a few meals out of it and feel vicarious satisfaction from seeing others swooning over romance?]
Hah. Ian let out a dejected laugh and got into the car.
Especially, when new idols start dating as a result of being introduced by them and get caught, they become the primary cause for fans to unstan and leave the fandom.]
âItâs the fault of those who fall for it and accept the offer.â
Anyway, fans who know that donât want to get involved with them.]
Like in Kim Yong Minâs case, people only come to their senses when they go downhill after being played with false hope.
Ian shook his head.
The picture of Kim Seung Hun and Lee Hee Jin is also taken by a sasaeng who turned away, you know.]
âWhat? Not taken by reporters?â
No. The sasaeng went crazy when she heard that âoppaâ is in a relationship, so she staked out for a month to take that.]
âDarn scary.â
At the beginning of his debut, Kim Seung Hoon spread out pseudo-romance3 and was also nice to the sasaeng. From the sasaeng perspective, it felt like she was being treated specially by oppa, but how dare he have a girlfriend? Thatâs how it happened.]
As expected, a feeding ban 4 is the answer to sasaeng from the beginning.
Ian thought he should tell the other members about it firmly.
She put the picture up for bid to the agency first, but do you know how much MI Enter quoted? 5 million won.
âItâs MI Enter, and thatâs all they could offer? Their big agency pride is dead.â
Exactly. So she took it to Factfix, sold it for 50 million won, and unstanned them.
âCrazy.â
And itâs ironic that when she got stuck with another singer, it was Pluto.
Pluto is a junior group directly under Lure that Kim Seung Hoon belongs to.
Perhaps, around this time? Members of Pluto and Pinky Lady are dating each other.]
âTheyâre already dating?â
Ian sighed. Itâs absolutely not because he canât date himself. Anyway, thatâs it.
Ian arrived at the agency and got out of the car.
He randomly chose drinks from the vending machine in the hallway before opening the door to the practice room.
âWow, look at the manâs scent wafting around.â
Some people are enjoying a fresh and exciting relationship, but here the air was stuffy with the heat of intense practice.
âLook at you, what a sight. How are you all going to get womenâs numbers like this?â
âWhy are you suddenly attacking us?â
âI bought some drinks.â
âThank you.â
Ian tapped Jo Tae Woong with his foot. Other members also got up and chose their drinks.
Kim Ju Young picked up a green can and checked it, then threw it away.
âAh, pine needle tea. You taste-illiterate5mat-al-mot). A slang term used to describe someone who is not good at distinguishing tastes or has a poor sense of taste. jerk.â
âThatâs mine, tho?â
âWow. Such a disaster really, I canât respect your taste.â
The six members distanced themselves from Ian in disgust. Ian grabbed the rolling can.
âWhy? Itâs tasty.â
As Ian opened the can and drank it, Jin next to him muttered a word.
I really canât hang out with you.]
âThose of you who donât know the tastiness of this are pitiful.â
âYouâre joking!â
Ignoring the membersâ jeers, Ian finished his drink.
* * *
After staying busy preparing for the comeback, drama, and competition, Ian finally arrived at the recording day of âWith the Legendâ.
âIsnât this completely a special treatment?â
Kim Hee Sang and Awy were scheduled to appear as wild cards, so the rehearsal was also prepared separately the day before. They used a separate waiting room and it was the largest room.
âAs expected, riding on Kim Hee Sangâs coattails is scary.â
âWill the day come when we also get to use this?â
âWhen will Seonsaengnim come?â
The members sat down on the soft sofa. They were planning to surprise everyone by suddenly appearing.
âI heard MyKit won first place yesterday.â
âReal?â
âUh, I heard it from Dong Soo Hyung earlier.â
Everyoneâs faces looked envious as they heard Lee Joo Hyukâs words.
âWow, theyâre going to get their phone. Jealous.â
âBut arenât we used to not having a phone now?â
Kim Hyun said while changing into the prepared stage costume.
âCan we win first place too?â
âWell⊠Probably not?â
Ian replied sternly.
âWe overlap with Mydea.â
âReally? Where did you hear that? Your pad was taken away.â
The camera floating beside me told me. Ian smiled dejectedly.
This year was the time when Mydea, who had already climbed to the top, would kick the roof once more.
They have already taken over the Oricon charts, and will also top the Billboard chart.
âWeâre screwed.â
Therefore, they easily surpassed a million units from the initial sales. Awy, who has not sold 100,000 units of initial sales yet, could not beat them. Everyone laughed as if they had given up.
Awy was dressed in leather and wore a durumagi over it. It was a different outfit from Kim Hee Sangâs suit, as they had to perform an intense dance.
âI think weâre kind of cool.â
At Park Jin Hyukâs words, everyone took all kinds of cool poses in front of the mirror.
Perhaps because they were wearing clothes they hadnât tried before, it looked even fresher.
âYou guys got here first, huh.â
At that time, Kim Hee Sang opened the door of the waiting room.
âHello, Seonsaengnim.â
âYouâre absolutely cool today, sir.â
Awy was embarrassed and coughed for nothing.
They guided Kim Hee Sang to a seat they had left empty in advance.
âItâs starting soon, right?â
Lee Joo Hyuk looked at the clock on the wall and said.
Just in time, a staff member who came in with Kim Hee Sang turned on the pre-installed monitor.
In the studio, the hosts of âWith The Legendâ were introducing the cast.
(These guys are really popular these days!)
(They are the people who set a record of winning first place as soon as they debuted. Pluto!)
Pluto walked into the studio. They were a six-member boy group from MI Entertainment.
(And now, the legend joining these guys! Park Sung Soo Seonsaengnim!)
âOh.â
Kim Hee Sang let out a small exclamation.
Park Sung Soo was a singer who was active in the same era as Kim Hee Sang. He sat between the members of Pluto with a soft smile on his face.
(What kind of stage did you prepare for today?)
(Today, we prepared a performance in a refreshing concept with these friends.)
(Refreshing concept? That makes me want to see it right away.)
(Please check out the details on stage.)
âI admit, Park Sung Sooâs refreshing concept is really surprising.â
Park Sung Soo was a singer who captured womenâs hearts with a concept that showed off his powerful masculinity in his heyday.
The hosts exchanged a few words with them and introduced the next singer.
(Next, seven jewels! Itâs Pinky Lady!)
Ian flinched for no reason and looked at Jin.
He had heard that three Pluto members and three Pinky Lady members were dating each other.
(Hello! Your vitamins! We are Pinky Lady!)
When Pinky Lady appeared, several members of Pluto were clapping shyly with their heads down.
âHaigoo, such a good time.â
Obvious, so obvious. This is why theyâre called rookies, tch.]
(And the legend who formed a team with these people! Lee Chun Ja Sonsaeng nim!)
Lee Chun Ja was a trot singer who still actively continued her music activities.
(We prepared a sexy concept today.)
âThis side is also shocking, right?â
As expected. This is the taste of competition.]
Ian glanced around the members. They were also touching their hands for no reason as if they were nervous.
Since the waiting room situation was also being captured on camera, Ian talked to Kim Hee Sang.
âEveryone looks impressive.â
âThatâs right. Especially Park Sung Soo, I canât imagine that friend doing a fresh concept.â
âWe wonât be pushed back, right?â
âUs?â
Kim Hee Sang scoffed. He was brimming with confidence.
Itâs natural for him to be like that because he had perfectly copied the dance that Awy had prepared.
Awy was also quite surprised by his dancing skills and speed of learning.
âDonât worry, I trust you guys.â
Awy turned their heads and looked at Kim Hee Sang.
âDonât worry about other people and just think about how to perform our performance perfectly.â
ââŠSeonsaengnim!â
Taking a deep breath, Jo Tae Woong leaned on Kim Hee Sang.
Kim Hee Sang guffawed and patted him on the back.
Kim Hee Sang treated Awy like grandchildren, appreciating their passionate appearance and value for music while working together. They were polite and serious young men who didnât behave like young people nowadays.
(Yes! The next is a powerful 13-member boy group! Itâs M.O.M!)
As M.O.M. flooded in, the studio felt full.
(And the legend who will be together with M.O.M! Lee Seong Ho Sonsaeng nim!)
Lee Seong Ho was a singer who competed closely with Park Sung Soo under the concept of soft masculinity.
Isnât everyone strong?]
Looking at it now, Park Sung Soo and Lee Seong Ho were fandom-type singers, while Kim Hee Sang was a popular-type singer focused on music sources.
(And, a three-member ballad group! Triple Man!)
âThis side must be focused on singing abilityâ
Following Lee Joo Hyukâs words, the legend was introduced on the monitor.
(And the king of singers! Kim Jung Soon Sonsaeng nim!)
âWowâŠâ
âThis is no joke.â
âHow did PD Kim cast these people?â
Kim Jung Soon, also famous for her CD-chewing singing ability6, still continues to demonstrate her talent by singing OSTs for various dramas and movies.
âPlease go to the front of the studio soon.â
Everyone stood up at the words of the staff.
Awy and Kim Hee Sang were planning to barge in when all performers thought that those four teams were over and were talking about each otherâs news or stages.
âWow, Iâm nervous.â
Kim Hee Sang was okay because they had time together, but their hands trembled slightly at the thought of standing in front of other legends.
Awy and Kim Hee Sang stood in front of a blackout curtain next to the studio.
âActually, these people here are not the end!â
âWeâre not the end?â
As the curtain behind the host was pulled back, the camera zoomed up to where Awy and Kim Hee Sang would sit.
âWe have another team to be together. First of all, they are trending these days. A 7-member boy group, Awy!â
Led by Lee Joo Hyuk, Awy rushed into the studio. All the cast greeted with applause, but their expressions were full of surprise.
âHello! Always by your side! We are Awy!â
The sound of Awyâs greeting resonated loudly, even louder than the 13-member M.O.M.
As Awy took their seat after being guided by a host, both hosts said with reminiscent faces.
âThe following is the legend who will be joining us with Awy!â
âWhen it comes to legends, we canât leave out this person!â
âThe long-awaited comeback is finally! Being shown on our program first!â