In This Life, The Greatest Star In The Universe

Translator: MarcTempest

Editor: Rxel

Chapter 98

“Can you make it easier?”

“Yes, I would like you to go in with less force than now. It’s a scene where you insert it gently…”

The production staff who were watching the practice scene made that request.

They seemed to think it was too much.

Woojoo was flustered.

They did it as usual because they told him to do it naturally.

But he said he understood anyway. He didn’t have a good sense of what it meant to reduce the force.

“But…” The assistant director asked, “Do you always practice like this?”

“Yes. I did it as I always do because they told me to do it naturally.”

“…You’re working really hard. It reminds me of the time when I filmed the breakdance crew practice scene.”

He stuck out his tongue and Woojoo smiled and said, “Maybe the rookie idols are all similar to us.”

The time when idols could practice the most was usually when they were rookies.

They also had relatively few schedules, and a lot of desperation to make it.

They weren’t special.

Even the stories Woojoo heard from the seniors who debuted at TJ were that they practiced for twelve hours a day as a basic.

The production staff looked surprised by that explanation.

They all debuted like this…

Woojoo smiled awkwardly and went back to his siblings.

“What did they say?” Rihyuk asked him. “Do they want us to work harder?”

“No, they want us to reduce the force.”

“Force?” Junghyun blinked and asked, “How do you reduce the force… Like this?”

“Hey, that’s too much. Junghyun.”

They laughed at him who was flailing his arms and legs like a squid.

On the other hand, they were confused by the request to reduce the force, but they soon delivered the scene that the production staff wanted.

They liked it as soon as we did it casually.

They moved to another place with the production staff who were satisfied with getting what they wanted.

It was time to record.

They decided to shoot a few cuts in the second floor studio because of the story that went back and forth between their company and PBS.

Woojoo didn’t know what kind of deal there was, but as a result, their song was briefly played on the PBS documentary.

It was the official sound source of Night Sea, which was about to launch soon.

Maybe in the documentary, they would say ‘Doing singer activities’ and pass by with a cut of the melody and lyrics.

As Rihyuk and Woojoo were fighting to clear their throats in front of the promotional opportunity, the rest of them moved to another place.

“Where are you going?”

Bijoo answered as if he didn’t understand.

“We’re also doing an interview for the documentary.”

“Interview?”

“They said they would ask about what kind of person you are normally.”

“Oh…”

Rihyuk said with a regretful tone at my reaction, “It’s such a shame. If it wasn’t for the recording, I would have gone in and talked a lot.”

“No, you have to go with me.” Woojoo said to the two idiots who were giggling behind Bijoo, “I’m not worried about our second, but you two have to talk well when you go in. Don’t say anything weird.”

“Don’t worry, Hyung. I’ll talk well.”

“Yeah. I’ll tell them how great you are in detail.”

“…I’m feeling uneasy.”

Woojoo made an anxious expression as he looked at their cheerful faces.

Oh dear. Those guys.

When were they going to grow up?

“I’ll keep an eye on them.”

“Right, Bijoo. You’re the only one I can trust.”

“But Hyung, how much do we have to tell them? If they ask about your daily life and stuff…”

“Just be honest. Tell them what you felt.”

“Then can I say that you whine in the living room on your days off, or that you don’t fold your laundry and leave it to me and Rihyuk…”

“Bi, Bijoo.”

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry.”

Woojoo apologized with a pitiful face, and the members burst into laughter.

“Good luck.”

Woojoo waved to them as they left, saying that.

They looked like they were telling him to look forward to it, and he couldn’t help but smile.

***

2nd floor studio.

The production team marveled at the modern interior.

They were probably shocked by the pink sofa and the leopard-print cushion they saw in one of the rooms they passed by, but objectively speaking, it was well decorated.

A cozy feeling.

They heard that one of the members had a lot of interest in this place and decorated it. The photos on the wall were also hung by the members.

They were photos of the members wearing school uniforms and posing with flowers in the school garden.

They had a family photo-like vibe, and the production team smiled.

Meanwhile, they had something else they were interested in.

“Do all idols have studios these days?”

“I know, right? It’s amazing.”

“Oh, our members are an exceptional case.”

Yoon Seokhwan, the manager, answered.

“Woojoo has a talent for composing. This room was made for him to work comfortably.”

“Composing?”

The production team was amazed by their response.

They didn’t know much about idol activities since they had done research mainly on the characters.

“Oh, I know that.”

Only Jung Woojoong answered.

“I looked it up and it said that Woojoo composed Something, the song they sang with Jang Sowon.”

“Yes, he co-composed it.”

Manager Yoon Seokhwan answered. His voice was proud.

“He also made our debut title song.”

“You seem very proud of him.”

“…Did I show it too much?”

The manager smiled sheepishly and scratched his cheek.

“The song you’re going to hear now was also composed by Woojoo alone. Of course, with the help of our A&R team…”

“Oh, this is it. The song that the PD mentioned.”

“Yes, so please film it well.”

They nodded casually.

They had heard about the composition, but they weren’t particularly interested.

He was a talented guy, but the song that New Black composed was not their concern.

They were filming it just because the main PD told them to.

Soon, a staff member from the A&R team came down and sat at the studio table.

The song was already recorded, but he was hired to make it look plausible for the broadcast.

He pressed the talkback button and spoke to the idol members inside.

“Let’s start.”

The documentary team also started filming.

The [REC] screen with a blinking red light showed the two members wearing headphones.

The documentary team watched them with ordinary eyes.

It was a scene they were used to seeing at the culture station.

The scene they saw every time a voice actor did the narration for the recorded footage.

That was why they were watching it with a casual eye.

“…?”

A rich volume filled their ears through the high-end speakers.

A sophisticated intro.

They didn’t know if it was because of the high volume, but they made a small exclamation with their lips as soon as they heard it.

It felt like the notes coming out of the speakers were flowing into their ears.

‘…It’s good.’

They thought it would be an idol song, but what came out was a soft melody.

It was a song that suited the summer night.

A song that would make you fall into the mood when you walked alone in a dark park.

And when that intro ended.

They blinked their eyes at the voice of the vocal that followed.

Seo Rihyuk’s voice spread like paint in all directions.

‘He’s good.’

They thought that idols these days were not just anyone, and stuck out their tongues, when Woojoo’s voice joined him.

The two vocals became one and tickled their ears.

‘…It’s nice.’

The song was good in itself, regardless of the singer’s skill.

Even someone with a bad ear could tell its value, they supposed.

That was why they felt a subtle thrill.

It was like being an audience at a preview of a movie that was about to hit big.

“Manager, this is going to be released soon, right?”

“Yes, it was originally a demo song made by Woojoo, but we’re planning to re-release it as a polished song from our company. We’ve also prepared a promotion plan.”

“By the way, the title is…?”

“Oh. It’s Night Sea.”

Manager Yoon Seokhwan smiled. He seemed to empathize with what the production team was thinking and asked again, “The song turned out well, didn’t it?”

The three of them nodded silently.

***

Meanwhile, while Woojoo and Rihyuk were singing Night Sea as a duet, the other members were called to the company’s conference room.

It was because of an interview about Woojoo.

“What kind of person is Woojoo, or rather, Seon Woojoo?”

The three members showed different reactions to that question.

Bijoo asked for some time to think, Junghyun answered without hesitation, and Jinho quickly looked for the best angle and replied.

Their answers were as varied as their reactions.

But in the end, they all came to the same conclusion.

The production team wondered if they had coordinated their answers beforehand.

“Woojoo?”

And lastly, Rihyuk also answered after a brief thought.

He also gave the same answer as the other members.

***

As the recording of Around the World With Dice’s Chuseok Special was getting closer, they were busier than ever with their schedules.

And they experienced different reactions than usual.

“Uh, you… you… Around the World With Dice! Right?”

“Wow, you look so different from TV.”

“Can I have your autograph?”

There were more people who recognized them at rest stops or on the streets.

And they were not idol fans.

It was strange that when they were one or two apart, they would pass by and tilt their heads. But when they were together, there were one or two people who recognized them.

It was amazing.

From the time they were doing Something to now, there were hardly any non-idol fans who recognized them.

The power of entertainment was great.

People who were not interested in idols recognized them.

Of course, most of those few people didn’t know their names and said things like “Oh! That, Around the World With Dice!”, “Uh… that basketball!”

There were a few moments when Woojoo felt like he had to say “Hello, we are the rookie boy group Around the World With Dice”.

On the other hand, there was no big change in the fandom, apart from the public recognition.

The number of fan cafe members was the same, and their Soufflé were excited about Around the World With Dice’s Chuseok Special or the reality show spoilers, showing normal reactions.

Woojoo realized something from this opportunity.

Entertainment shows were the best for raising public awareness, but activities related to their fans were still their main job.

And their main job that they had been working hard on lately was promoting their music.

-[Entertainment IN] New Black interview “Surprised and grateful for the attention from the show…”

-New Black releases MV teaser before official launch of ‘Night Sea’

-[Exclusive] How did a fandom name become a Soufflé?

Hundreds of articles popped up everywhere after the company released the promotional materials, mostly flattering ones from major media outlets.

The official music of Night Sea.

They initially planned to just do a simple promotion and end it, but they heard that the Management Department changed the strategy after we appeared on Around the World With Dice.

They said let’s stir the water while it’s flowing.

So they did everything they could.

They did interviews with reporters who were friendly to them, including Mr. Oh from Entertainment IN, and went on various radio shows to promote.

Unfortunately, there was no entertainment show.

They got offers from various places, but they couldn’t do them because of Around the World With Dice’s side.

They said they had some materials that they promised to use for the special, and it would be a problem if they used them first on other shows.

Anyway, after finishing all these promotions, they were now in a car heading back to Seoul, looking at a tablet PC.

“Wow, I’m nervous. Nervous.”

The youngest one made a fuss.

“Why am I so nervous when I didn’t even sing? Why? Why? Hyung? Why am I nervous?”

“Because you’re blocking all the air conditioner wind for us?”

“…Hey, you’re quick with your wit.”

Jiho moved his seat slightly, and the vent that had been blocked until then gave them a cool breeze.

Bijoo adjusted the vent so that the wind would come evenly to everyone.

“I’m nervous too. Hyung. We all went to promote together this time.”

“Right,” Junghyun said, shaking his jelly, “I’m nervous too.”

“Don’t lie.”

“I’m actually not nervous, but I felt like I had to say that.”

Woojoo laughed at the guy who spoke calmly.

And their main vocal who hadn’t said anything until now was constantly refreshing the tablet PC screen.

“Get a grip, Rihyuk. Just hold on a little longer.”

“He’s anxious, that’s why.”

He then asked Seokhwan Hyung, who was sitting in the passenger seat, “Manager, when will our MV be released?”

“Wait and see. It’ll be up 10 minutes before the hour.”

“Yeah, wait and see. I’m waiting calmly too…”

“How are you calm? I heard you talking in your sleep last night. You said…!”

Woojoo covered Rihyuk’s mouth with his hand.

He tried to bite him like a crocodile, and Woojoo struggled with his mouth.

The younger ones laughed at them.

Bijoo mediated between them, and Junghyun asked something as if he remembered.

“Ah, right. What did Grandma say? Does she know that we’re officially debuting with Night Sea today?”

“No, I haven’t told her yet.”

They hadn’t talked much these days.

No.

Every time he called her, she kept asking him, ‘Hey, when did you get so good at dancing?’ How could he answer that?

Woojoo tried to dodge the question, but she was too persistent.

And she had this superpower of detecting his lies every time he made one.

She was like a villain who could see through him.

Woojoo wanted to change her name on his phone to Super Villain Kim Deoksoon.

Well, he guessed he would have to call her after they released the song.

“How are the fans reacting?” Junghyun asked, looking at his phone.

“They’re all excited. We’ve been promoting it every time we did a live broadcast. So there’s a lot of anticipation…?”

“Ah, speaking of live broadcasts, should we turn one on now?”

“Not now. Let’s do it after the song comes out and greet them,” Woojoo said, looking around at the members. “Remember what happened last time we posted the school uniform photos.”

“Oh, right.”

It was the second live broadcast when they took graduation photos.

Their Soufflé wrote and posted some promotional posts on the idol community, but the response was lukewarm.

-Is that okay to take pictures at someone else’s school without permission?

-It looks like they just took them without any approval.

-Yeah, is it just me or is that uncomfortable?

-I would be annoyed if I were a student at that school. Even though it’s outside, they’re outsiders taking personal photos.

As soon as someone expressed their discomfort, a few others followed with comments.

Their Soufflé deleted the posts in a hurry, but most of the reactions were not very positive.

New Black and the company were both flustered.

They thought they had done enough consideration before doing the live broadcast, but they didn’t expect that kind of reaction.

So they decided to reduce the frequency of live broadcasts and approach them more carefully.

Especially when their name was getting more known.

“Uh, there’s only one minute left!”

They gathered around the tablet PC and shivered.

Soon, the countdown started and they refreshed the company’s YouTube main page.

6:50 p.m.

[Woojoo & Rihyuk – Night Sea Special MV] was the title of the freshly uploaded video.

With eyes full of nervousness and excitement, they looked at the screen, and Riyuk clicked on it.

But instead of the video they expected, something else came up.

“Ah, what. I was startled.”

It was an ad that played before the video.

Woojoo said, feeling impatient, “Quick, skip the button… Huh?”

But after five seconds, they blinked their eyes with dumbfounded expressions.

They had no choice.

An unexpected scene was playing.

-I’m an ordinary college student.

With that narration, a handsome man holding a handrail in a shaky subway was looking at his phone.

A screen with a refined tone.

It was an ad that looked like a scene from a movie.

But the actor wearing a campus look and glasses was someone we all knew.

“…That’s me?”

Thanks to the youngest’s face on the screen, they immediately realized what was going on.

It was the ad they had filmed.

The SNS CF ‘Magic School Edition’ for the school uniform brand Everdream.