Entertainment Life With A Camera

Chapter 54

Aren’t they half number one singers?

“Everyone! Please love our comeback activities a lot!”

“Bye!”

The members crowded in front of the small phone that was barely enough to fit seven people and ended the Y app broadcast.

“Oh, we turned it off at exactly 6 o’clock. Perfect timing.”

“Let’s check the reactions before they take our phones away.”

It was 6 o’clock, the time when their songs were released on various music sites. 

As the members opened the internet window to check the reactions, a staff member who had been watching them through CCTV came in and took their phones away.

“Can’t we see the entry ranking later?”

“No, you can’t.”

“Nuna…”

When Ian pleaded earnestly, the staff member’s face turned red in an instant. 

She was not immune to Ian’s face yet.

“No means no. Ask your manager.”

She said firmly and left the practice room.

“…Can’t be helped.”

“Let’s cause less trouble next time.”

The members regretted it, but they didn’t say they would never cause trouble again.

“They’re so cruel.”

“They’ll at least let us see the ranking…”

The members only sighed in disappointment.

***

“Why don’t you stop being angry?”

The staff member who took the broadcast phone from Awi approached Park Dongsoo, who was looking at the CCTV camera of the practice room, and handed him the phone.

“I’m not angry.”

“They’re really nervous about you, you know?”

“Of course they should be, you worked all night that time.”

The staff member laughed soullessly as he remembered the chaotic situation that time.

“I did, but it’s already normal to work overtime… What difference does it make if I go in a few hours late?”

“Ah…”

“But they’re good at taking care of this here. That’s why it’s better.”

The staff member made a money sign with his thumb and index finger. 

After Awi caused trouble, President Lee Byunghun apologized and gave them double overtime pay. 

And that money was going to be used for Awi’s event expenses.

“I’ll stop being angry now. I’ll go upstairs.”

“…Okay.”

Park Dongsoo sighed deeply after sending off the staff member and monitored the situation in the practice room.

Nnet had not taken any action yet. 

They seemed to be busy putting out the fire in their own house, as if they had been caught by their weakness somewhere.

‘Sigh… It’s embarrassing to be angry at them… I should stop now.’

Park Dongsoo sorted out his thoughts after some deliberation.

Just then, it was past 7 o’clock and the music chart was reorganized. 

Park Dongsoo jumped up in surprise when he checked the ranking. 

He soon screamed silently and collapsed.

***

“You guys entered at number 12.”

Park Dongsoo, who had been jumping with joy, said indifferently with a stiff expression.

“What… what did you say?”

“What did you just say?”

“We’re 12th!”

The dance practice room was soundproofed, but the members’ screams could be heard outside. 

Park Dongsoo shook his head as he saw them.

***

“Look over here!”

“Right! Right!”

“Macho Park Jinhyuk!”

“Ian! It’s your brother!”

The way to the music show was noisy. The members squinted their eyes under the shower of flashes. 

The sound of fans and paparazzi calling them was loud at the scene.

“Wow, my eyes hurt.”

The members rubbed their eyes slightly as they passed through the photo zone and headed to the broadcasting station. 

They had even put on eye makeup to look pretty in the news photos, so they couldn’t rub their eyes comfortably.

“Awi, let’s go to rehearsal.”

Not only on their way to work, but also on rehearsal, they experienced the rise of their popularity in real time.

The PD glanced at Awi, or rather Park Jinhyuk’s face, and chuckled. 

His expression seemed to say ‘So you guys are those crazy ones?’

And this popularity continued in the waiting room.

“Are those guys the ones who…”

“Oh, that Nnet…?”

Staffs and singers who recognized Awi whispered to each other. Some friendly idol groups said “I listened to your song well.” as they passed by Park Jinhyuk.

“Hyung! We’re nominated for first place!”

And then Park Seodam, who was in charge of K company’s daily music show MC, ran into the waiting room and shouted.

“We are?”

“The song was released yesterday, what are you talking about? It will be counted next week.”

“No! Not that! The manipulation!”

“Really?!”

Kim Hyun and Park Jinhyuk jumped up. The members of the other group peeked at Awi from behind the partition.

‘K company is putting a rival company’s audition program on first place?’

[They can even put a machine on first place here.]

‘Machine? Ah… music manipulation.’

Among the public broadcasts, K company’s music show had a structure that made it relatively easy for male idols with weak music to win first place compared to other music shows.

“Is the manipulation that serious?”

“We have to check the ranking…”

“Should we ask the others?”

The members were about to get up and head to the other singers. Park Dongsoo, who had appeared out of nowhere, crossed his arms and watched them.

“Hey… It’s Nnet’s thing, do you think they’ll win first place?”

“Go back to sleep.”

Park Dongsoo’s eyes told them not to go anywhere. The members who had brightened their expressions with hope lay down again.

[His mouth is twitching, isn’t it?]

‘…Huh?’

Ian turned around at Jin’s discovery. Park Dongsoo turned his head and avoided Ian’s gaze.

‘What’s going on?’

***

“Please come forward, the first place candidates.”

Awi followed the staff’s instructions and stood next to Park Seodam, the daily MC of K company.

The members didn’t have much expectation until then.

The last song of the day was over and the camera light came on.

“Yes! The second week of June 2018! We’re only left with the first place announcement now…”

“I wonder who will be the first place this week, let’s see the screen!”

The camera in front of Park Jin-hyuk lit up and the score screen appeared. 

The digital music score was much higher than the other group, and the members stiffened their expressions. Could it be?

“The winner is… Ji… Jin-hyuk hyung?!”

“Congratulations, Mr. Park Jin-hyuk!”

The female announcer who covered up the short broadcast mistake of Park Seo-dam, the daily MC, handed over the first place trophy to Park Jin-hyuk. The pollen installed on the stage popped!

“Is this really first place?”

“Is this possible…?”

Park Jin-hyuk, who received the trophy nervously, asked Ian. Ian was also in a daze in this situation he had never experienced before. It’s N-net music, is this really possible?

“Mr. Park Jin-hyuk! Please say a few words.”

“…First of all, I would like to thank our company staff who worked hard because of us. And I love you, our manager hyung! I love you, AWY!”

“Thank you!”

The MC wrapped up the broadcast, and the AR music of Jujak was played on the stage.

‘Was Dong-su hyung’s smile earlier because of this?’

To do an encore stage, they needed an AR music file of the first place song. Park Dong-su must have known it beforehand.

“Thank you.”

“Good job.”

AWY bowed to all the performers. Park Jin-hyuk held the microphone and called for an encore.

“Our Jujak flies~”

Not only Park Jin-hyuk, but also the members of AWY who sang chorus sang along for the encore. They all smiled happily, but unlike the lyrics, they had a very bright expression.

[It’s good~ It’s a good time~]

Jin sneered at the situation.

Right after Park Jin-hyuk’s first place, K Music Broadcast’s SNS manager posted a message.

K_Musicbroadcast @K_Musicbroadcast

Second week of June 1st place♬ Park Jin-hyuk – Jujak (朱雀) (Feat. Hyun, Ian of AWY)

We don’t fly anything like Jujak~ Korea’s representative broadcast, fair broadcast KSB! Please look forward to next week!

…They hit it big.

***

“Dong-su hyung!”

“You knew it, right?”

The members who were quiet in the waiting room because of other singers changed as soon as they got on the van. Cho Tae-woong, who sat right behind Park Dong-su, hit the driver’s seat backrest.

“This hyung is smiling! He knew it!”

Kim Joo-young shouted after confirming Park Dong-su’s face with swollen cheeks.

“…Jin-hyuk’s song is still number one on the music site.”

Park Dong-su finally burst into laughter and said.

“Wow… This is crazy. My chest feels majestic.”

“The day when Ju-hyuk hyung buys us Hanwoo is not far away.”

Kim Hyun and Cho Tae-woong muttered.

“So are we first place singers now?”

“Half of us are first place singers, right?”

“Half? What do you mean half?”

The members who had a bowl of kimchi soup sighed and scratched their eyes.

“Guys… Technically, only Jin-hyuk is a first place singer…”

“Huh! Dong-su hyung! Then can I get a phone?”

Park Jin-hyuk suddenly raised his head.

“You want to get a phone with a song that caused trouble…?”

“…No.”

Park Dong-su laughed bitterly. Park Jin-hyuk lowered his head.

***

Unfortunately, the group’s ranking fell behind, and Park Jin-hyuk won another first place on a cable music broadcast.

“What do I do with only me being first place?”

“Hey, thanks to you hyung, we got a Blue Mic song too.”

“We’ll have more chances next time.”

It didn’t feel real that it was an individual first place rather than a group first place, and the digital album jacket photo also shone with the logo of ‘Idol Rapper’. Park Jin-hyuk sent two trophies to his home and forgot about them.

[N-net was under a lot of pressure from other broadcasters after ‘Project Idol’. They’re probably making auditions for all three companies right now?]

‘The situation is… ironic.’

Who would have thought that they would give a trophy to a competitor’s program music? And luckily, there was no comeback from the music bully singer, and it was an empty house without any machines.

“There’s no music broadcast schedule for us on Thursday.”

N-net eventually refused AWY’s appearance on their own music broadcast. It was a day off in a schedule that filled up a week without sparing cable.

“But N-net had a lot of content…”

“Someday we’ll be back on.”

They were happy to have a day off, but they couldn’t help feeling empty. The agency filled the empty Thursday with a stage they prepared themselves and uploaded it to the official YouTube.

“Oh, Jujak? Then let’s do our group song too?”

“How many people are there? It’s not much… There are seven of us. It’s only four more people… Then how about two songs? Yes, thank you.”

There was also a benefit. It was an event.

Park Jin-hyuk’s Jujak syndrome didn’t seem to die down, and the agency took advantage of the situation and sold them out. The event fee usually increased as the number of people increased, and it changed again when they became first place singers.

“A hip-hop festival? That’s perfect.”

“Oh, water bomber? How many days is it? All over the country? We’re fine with that… How many days is it?”

Summer was a time when there were a lot of events. Unfortunately, the college events ended before the comeback, but the other event schedules were overflowing. The staff started to fill the calendar with inquiries.

This was the price that made the staff work all night. AWY was scheduled to be ground on the schedule stone with event schedules.

After finishing the music broadcast schedule for three weeks, AWY went straight into preparing for their regular album and events without a moment of rest.

@Nana*****

A really cool drama!

I think it’s a drama that makes you cry, feel touched, and think a lot. Who is the main character? He’s so cool!

@SUZ***

I watched it with a light heart and got shocked! I’m watching it for the third time now. I think I’m falling for the main character!

@tong_12***

A warm and touching drama. The male actor is handsome and good at acting.

And Ian’s short play ‘I Want to Hear Your Voice’ was officially aired overseas and uploaded to the OTT platform at the same time. 

Ian didn’t know yet that this affected not only his overseas response but also AWY’s recognition.