When I Opened My Eyes I Was a Superstar

-Hmm…for now, I’ll send you the file I saved, so give it a listen and let me know.

“Ok. I will.”

-It might not be to your liking.

“Huh? No. That won’t happen.”

-If you blindly…just say that it’s good, it’s hard to believe you…

Hearing Lee Kwon Woo say that while practically sighing, Do Wook laughed.

“That may be so for someone else, but if it’s your music, that’s how I feel.”

Do Wook could hear him give a big sigh over Do Wook’s response on the other end. However, it wasn’t meant negatively.

-I can’t feel bad if you say it like that…haaa…

After hanging up the phone, Do Wook waited for Lee Kwon Woo’s email to arrive.

“What’s up, what kind of call was it?”

Ahn Hyung Seo, who had been sitting next to him, asked with a twinkle in his eyes. Ahn Hyung Seo could also guess to a certain extent from hearing the content of the phone call. He was one of the members who was looking forward to Do Wook’s solo album the most.

Honestly, Ahn Hyung Seo was also one of the central vocalists within the team, so it wasn’t that he had no desire at all for his own solo album.

Anyone who sings wants to sing a song that’s meant just for them at least once, instead of a song where they have to share a part.

Still, there was a reason why Ahn Hyung Seo began to play the role of someone cheering and watching with anticipation from the sidelines rather than feeling jealous.

‘If someone from KK becomes the first to release a solo album, it has to be Do Wook.’

He was the one who would represent KK. Skill-wise, it was only right that it’d be Do Wook. In a way, they even felt sorry. It’s inevitable that there’ll be a lot of pressure the first time you come out solo after being in a group.

‘Moreover, while KK is at the peak of its popularity…’

If word of the solo album got out, that aspect would be the focus, and he would have to show his own music that was different from KK’s music and get the same good results as KK. If not, it was easy for solo activities to be branded a failure.

If there were something he could help with, Ahn Hyung Seo wanted to help Do Wook the best he could.

“He said he’ll send me a song.”

“Oh! Lee Kwon Woo sunbae?”

“Yes.”

“Ah, I really liked the song ‘Already Like This’!”

“Me too. It’s a classic.”

“Lee Kwon Woo is famous for not giving out his song. Everyone will go crazy if they find out you got a song.”

“…well.”

Seeing Do Wook be modest, Ahn Hyung Seo patted his shoulder.

“The song. Did you get it? Can I listen with you?”

“Of course. Please take a listen and let me know.”

An email had arrived from Lee Kwon Woo without Do Wook realizing it. He downloaded the file attached to the email onto his cell phone. While it was downloading, Hyun Seo was bouncing up and down excitedly.

The other members were listening to songs with earphones on, or were fast asleep.

After downloading the song, Do Wook lowered the volume and pressed the play button.

The song started along with Lee Kwon Woo’s signature piano melody.

“Ah….it’s already good.”

Ahn Hyung Seo said admiringly, and Do Wook nodded his head. You could tell it was a good song even by just hearing the intro. And when Lee Kwon Woo’s voice began to play as a guide, Do Wook’s eyes opened wide.

“This song is…!”

“Huh? What?”

Seeing Do Wook acting surprised, Ahn Hyung Seo asked, his eyes looking like a rabbit’s.

“Ah, it’s nothing. It’s…because the song is so good…”

“Yeah. It’s a very sad song. I can’t wait to hear the version with your singing, Do Wook.”

Do Wook slowly nodded his head.

‘I understand why Lee Kwon Woo was agonizing over it for a few days before sending this.’

Actually, this song was one Do Wook already knew. The fact that Do Wook knew it also meant that a different singer had sung it in the past.

The other singer was none other than Lee Kwon Woo’s original male duet singer. They had dissolved now, but it was the title song of the last album they released after reuniting.

It was a song that he would have used in such an important album, so you could feel Lee Kwon Woo’s affection for the song.

‘He gave that ‘Please Don’t Go’ to me…’

Do Wook actually felt a greater pressure than when he first heard the company’s proposal to put out a solo album.

‘Can I indeed perform this song well?’

Do Wook already knew how much love that song would receive, and how much love it had received.

Closing his eyes briefly then opening them again, Do Wook calmly organized his thoughts. It was Lee Kwon Woo who decided to give the song to Do Wook. Do Wook would do his best so that Lee Kwon Woo’s decision would not have been in vain.

‘And even if the future was changed because of me…’

There were things that Do Wook felt while living time again in a new body. The future was changing little by little because of him, but the very basics didn’t change.

‘Things like a person’s genuine effort doesn’t change.’

Therefore, Lee Kwon Woo’s duet album would have its own new good song.

Once he organized his thoughts, the feeling that he couldn’t wait to sing this song sprouted in Do Wook.

***

“Beautiful June weather! It’s the first recording of ‘Camping 48 Hours’!”

“The weather is very nice! On days like this we should go somewhere like the base of BukHan Mountain and dip your feet in the valley and eat chicken soup.”

“Man, you sound like a middle-aged man, hyung….”

“I became a middle-aged man a long time ago.”

Along with the loud voice of Kang Chun Ho, who was called the MC of the Nation, the recording of ’Camping 48 Hours’ began.

Comedian Lee Suk Geun and ex-singer Jin Won bickered and added to Kang Chun Ho’s comment.

He brought up BukHan Mountain, but the location of the opening remarks was a NanJiDo camping site near the Han River. The cast, who had already recorded ’Camping 48 Hours’ several times, were grateful that the filming location was Seoul.

It was because they had filmed in the ravines of GangWonDo or remote islands in the South Sea before.

“But what’s that camping car?!”

It was part of the script, but Kang Chun Ho asked about the camping car in front of them naturally as if he were curious about it.

At the location where the opening remarks took place, there was a tent as well as a parked white camping car that looked extravagant even at first glance. When Kang Chun Ho asked, all the other contestants’ gazes went towards the camping car.

Jin Won slowly approached the camping car and opened the door. When he opened the door, the colorful interior was revealed. It was a camping car with a double-decker bed, a dining table, and shower facilities.

“It’s the sleeping quarters for today.”

“Ooooohhh―!!!”

The contestants exclaimed at PD Um Woo Suk’s explanation.

“We’re not all sleeping together here, right? Only a couple of us will be sleeping here? I already know!”

The other contestants, who were happy about Jin Won’s comment, looked at PD Um Woo Suk as if asking, “What’s going on?”.

“Yes, that’s right. Only one member will be sleeping in today’s camping car. The rest of the members will sleep in the tent over there.”

After seeing the camping car, the tent looked too shabby. It was almost summer so the weather had warmed up, but sleeping outside was still a difficult task.

“One person?! One person even though it’s spacious? Isn’t it unfair?!”

Kang Chun Ho yelled. Following his lead, Lee Suk Geun also shook his head saying it was unfair. PD Um Woo Suk continued to explain.

“Starting today we’ll have a new member joining ‘Camping 48 Hours’”.

“Hurr!”

“Huh?”

“What?!!”

At the surprising announcement, the contestants showed a confused reaction. They had heard that there would be a new contestant, but even the contestants didn’t know it’d be today.

Only Kang Chun Ho, who was very influential, knew about it. PD Um even told him who would be coming, but he was pretty old so he didn’t know who Suk Ji Hoon was.

That was rather helpful. If it were someone that Kang Chun Ho knew, he might have been against it out of prejudice.

Of course Kang Chun Ho was also worried about how young Suk Ji Hoon was, but he knew PD Um Woo Suk’s intentions, so he had no choice but to concede.

Anyways, pretending not to know, Kang Chun Ho also gave a big reaction and made a fuss as if asking, “What’s going on?”.

“That member is the star of sleeping in today’s camping car.”

“Man, what the heck?! Are you discriminating already?”

“Who is it? Is it the president’s son or something?!”

The contestants were in an uproar over PD Um Woo Suk’s announcement. PD Um Woo Suk calmed them down.

“Now now, please hear me out.”

“Go on!”

“Now, we’re going to have ten men in disguise come out. After discussing it amongst yourselves, you’re going to guess who the real new member is. If you get it right, you’ll all go to the nearby cabin. If you get it wrong, you’ll all sleep in the tent while the new member gets to sleep in the camping car.”

“Wow! Haha. Cabin!”

Smiling like an idiot, Kim Jae Min was enjoying it. However, after hearing the explanation to the end, Jin Won frowned instead.

“How would we know who it is?!”

“Intuition?”

“Are you serious?!”

Lee Suk Geun shouted as if it were absurd. However, PD Um Woo Suk sent a signal before the contestants could protest any further, and ten men began to enter one after another.

***

“Do Wook. Thank you,”

Suk Ji Hoon said to Do Wook as he came out of the KVS dressing room after putting his disguise on. Gu Chul Min was walking in front of Suk Ji Hoon and Do Wook.

Even if there happened to be a fan here who knew KK well, they would have had no choice but to simply pass by the three of them. Although they might recognize the face of Gu Chul Min, who was the manager, and stop in their tracks.

The two of them were wearing disguises so heavy that it’d be hard for anybody to recognize them at a glance.

Suk Ji Hoon looked like an office worker in his 40s. That was how he looked when wearing a shabby suit and using makeup to make a decent amount of wrinkles around rimless glasses.

“What for?”

Do Wook asked in response.

He was dressed in rags. Additionally, he was wearing a wig that went down to his shoulders and had charcoal on his face, making it hard to imagine that it was Do Wook.

“Just everything…I feel like I’m always in your debt.”

“Ji Hoon.”

“Yes?”

“If I do something, it’s not for you. It’s for me. So don’t feel too obligated over it.”

He meant it. It wasn’t simply out of affection, but if the members succeeded, it was good for Do Wook too in the end. Suk Ji Hoon nodded quietly at what Do Wook said.

“I’ll work hard too. For me.”

“Okay.”

If each person did their best for themselves without harming others, everything would eventually improve.

“Pffft.”

“Haha.”

When they looked at each other while having a serious conversation, the two of them burst out laughing. It was because each other’s behavior was very funny.

The two of them headed to the filming location of ‘Camping 48 Hours’ as they laughed.

And at PD Um Woo Suk’s signal, they mixed in with supporting cast members and stood in a line in front of the ‘Camping 48 Hours’ contestants.

To say it bluntly, Do Wook was like bait. Since Do Wook’s face was more known, it was highly likely that they would recognize Do Wook, in which case contestants who think it was Do Wook in disguise would choose Do Wook.

If that happened, that could create a fun situation in which all the cast members except Suk Ji Hoon would sleep in the tent.

Do Wook was scheduled as a special guest to play about one game once it was announced at the NanJiDo camping site that Suk Ji Hoon was the new member.

At the same time, the media, to whom it was leaked to, started to pour out various articles.

—

Next chapter: Public interest in the new addition to ‘Camping 48 Hours’ reaches it’s peak, will the public be happy once the new member is revealed?