LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 192
Chapter 192
In the tense atmosphere, On Raon and his most dedicated fan, Aeris, couldn’t stay still.
– It was common knowledge among Aeris that the youngest member had received many offers for web dramas, CFs, and regular appearances on variety shows, but had turned them all down to focus on group activities.
– Didn’t the older members always thank the kid when they were on V Live? Did you ever hear them say that?
– Honestly, being a music show MC isn’t that prestigious… And it’s not like they’re giving all the stage parts to one person. Some fans were already complaining about the division of parts being like communism…
┗ Ah, I hate communism. If someone can’t do it, I don’t want to hear or see them, so just stash them away.
┗ If there’s a big skill gap, I think it’s better to let the more skilled person take the lead. But Orca is good, so it doesn’t matter much even if the parts are like a pizza.
┗ 2222 That’s right, they’re not forcing someone who could do better to be held back for fairness. This is comfortable enough.
┗ Honestly, it’s weird to time each part to the 0.01-second and make charts. Who makes those charts?
┗ Foreigners.
┗ It’s funny to see people complaining about the fairness of Orca’s parts. Their favorite members are all different. Honestly, everyone in Orca is good except one.
┗ ?
┗ What’s with this person?
Then, the conversation shifted to how Seed, a small company with no power or backing, and not particularly good at these things, wouldn’t have gone out of their way to push On Raon.
– I don’t think Seed has the capability to push anyone. If a music show PD invited them, they should be grateful and send him out quickly.
┗ That’s right.
– I wonder if Pick Heart’s manipulation compensation is going well.
– Never mind the compensation, we were exploited and still can’t appear on Music Bank. Let’s not forget that.
– Sigh… Still no news about the official fan club and light stick? I’m not expecting it before the next activity, but will it come out this year?
Seed was producing songs and stages with a quality that could rival any large company.
However, due to a lack of experience and manpower in other areas, they often showed frustrating shortcomings.
To resolve the issue quickly, they needed to recruit competent additional staff, but for Seed, which didn’t even have positions open for new recruits, it was a far-off dream.
Aeris had repeatedly inquired via email, and their dissatisfaction with Seed’s exasperating handling of matters had built up quite a bit.
Anyway, the first push member controversy ended with everyone criticizing the agency, the common enemy.
– Most people are happy regardless of whether their favorite is the youngest or not. Only a few are making a big deal out of it.
– Those still clinging to the brother-sister chemistry, did they even watch the sibling meeting?ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
┗ That’s right. They all seem like only children. If I saw my sibling while hosting and smiled, I’d throw up live on air and get banned from the station forever.
– I looked it up, and Orca’s fandom atmosphere has gotten worse. As they gain more years, it’s going to become more individualized.
┗ The atmosphere here is good, so keep your mouth shut and leave, outsiderㅋㅋ
┗ Why bother looking it upㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Such unnecessary effort and concern. Mind your own fandom.
– I’m excited to think that Raon will consistently release cute outfits once a week.
If such conflicts were frequent and intense, it would inevitably stress some fans to the point of leaving.
But, to be fair, fan fights were usually more intense in any fandom that wasn’t fully past its prime, so it wasn’t a big issue.
With original content and a moderate level of interaction and conflict, the fandom atmosphere stayed lively even during hiatuses.
Moreover, Seed wasn’t foolish, so they didn’t let ambitious and capable members sit idle.
After winning the audition program, Kang Ji-woo, who had built up a certain level of recognition in the broadcasting industry during his solo activities, was expected to join as a regular panelist for the next season of the music variety show ‘King of the Silver Screen’, where he had previously made a strong impression.
Even though he would be a regular panelist, it was a program with a large number of panelists, so the share of attention each person received wasn’t very significant.
However, being a regular on a well-rated terrestrial variety show was a sufficiently attractive opportunity in itself.
Ban Yo-han and Gyun Seong-ha were also preparing content for a mid-to-large-sized YouTube channel that mainly posted celebrity-related content, as well as a show tentatively titled ‘Munmu Gyeonbi Class 5’.
Lastly, Seo Moon-gyeol, the least suited to broadcasting among the Orca members, posted on SNS that he was currently taking a break to focus on songwriting.
Of course, he also planned to occasionally appear in Ban Yo-han and Gyun Seong-ha’s YouTube content as needed.
In the midst of these circumstances, the day of On Raon’s first broadcast as an MC for Music Pangpang was rapidly approaching.
* * *
Since the MC special stage was scheduled for an early morning pre-recording, I left the dorm much earlier than the live broadcast of Music Pangpang, seeing off Kang Ji-woo and Seo Moon-gyeol who were yawning widely as they woke up.
I was welcomed by the Music Pangpang staff and led to a waiting room with a sign that read ‘MC Raon (Authorized Personnel Only)’ prominently displayed on the door.
As I opened the door, I saw the room was decorated in a lavish and extravagant manner.
A large banner printed with a nonsensical joke: ‘Is this On Raon yours? / Yes / Then is this cold Raon yours? / Yes / You greedy child, as a punishment, Music Pangpang will take both,’ along with photos of me with sparkling and floral effects like the sticker photos I had taken with Muk Hye-sung, elaborate bouquets, and what seemed to be a custom-made cake with the letters ‘RAON’ on it, filled the room.
I had heard that Music Pangpang treated their MCs well, but seeing this level of dedication, almost like that of a fan, made me smile involuntarily.
As I burst into laughter and expressed my gratitude, the Music Pangpang writer who was with me also smiled, seemingly pleased.
While I was getting my makeup done for the first stage, there was a knock on the door.
As the staff doing my makeup was intensely focused, even widening her own eyes to concentrate, I couldn’t move and held my breath, so it was Kwak Sang-hyun who told the person to come in on my behalf.
“Hello.”
Lee Se-jun of Selection, from one of the major agencies, AJ, came in and greeted me, accompanied by a camera that was focusing on him.
Fortunately, the staff quickly noticed and paused her work, stepping back with the brush.
Thanks to that, I was able to stand up and greet Lee Se-jun immediately.
“Hello, Se-jun hyung.”
I had planned to go to him first, but since he came over, I could only raise my voice to greet him.
The person holding the camera towards Lee Se-jun appeared to be an AJ employee rather than a broadcasting station staff.
Lee Se-jun, who greeted me with a shy smile, was 22 years old, three years older than me and Gyun Ha-ram.
If we were to consider the debut order, Gyun Ha-ram, who started as a kids’ model even before elementary school and continued as a child actor, was the senior by far. Lee Se-jun, who debuted early last year, was second, and I, who debuted later that same year, was the junior.
Soon, Gyun Ha-ram also arrived, and somehow the three of us gathered in one place again, bowing and greeting each other.
In fact, this wasn’t our first time gathering together.
A few days ago, Gyun Ha-ram and I had visited the well-equipped AJ building to prepare for the special stage.
“Please take care of me today.”
“Likewise…”
“Please take care of me too.”
As the three of us exchanged such awkward pleasantries, a nearby broadcasting station staff member jokingly asked if we’d be able to do well later with such awkwardness.
All three of us responded with awkward smiles.
Amidst this, I felt particularly uneasy.
A few days ago, when we gathered at the AJ building, my trait, which had been quiet since catching the ghost hiding in the haunted house, sounded an alarm again.
[The trait 《Sommelier》 has detected an ominous aura from Lee Se-jun.]
However, despite such a warning, it was just a subtle annoyance without any specific reason.
At this point, I still didn’t know what kind of person Lee Se-jun, who appeared to be gentle on the surface, really was.
It was awkward to take any action without concrete evidence.
Come to think of it, even the first time the Sommelier warning appeared in the haunted house, it wasn’t such a serious matter.
Well, I’ll find out in due time.
* * *
“Ha-ram and Raon, please get ready first.”
“Yes!”
“Yes.”
After finishing my styling, I quickly mumbled the lyrics and headed towards the stage.
Lee Se-jun and everything else aside, the stage was my priority.
The song Gyun Ha-ram and I prepared was a straightforward duet titled “Wonderful Woman, Pretty Man.”
“Wonderful Woman, Pretty Man” was released about six years ago and was a sensational hit sung by the main vocalist of the top girl group Rosetta and a skilled solo male singer, sweeping the music charts and winning awards.
It was still ranked high on karaoke charts.
The song’s content was about a wonderful woman who wanted to appear pretty to him and a pretty man who wanted to look wonderful to her, developing feelings for each other.
In the end, they each highlight their attractive traits and successfully confess their feelings.
Though I was of course cool and handsome, I still had a rather delicate appearance, probably due to my young age.
As for Gyun Ha-ram…
He wasn’t particularly large or well-built like his older brothers.
But with his pretty features combined with tiger-like eyes and a bold expression, the more I looked at him, the more he seemed like a commanding general.
I learned that many people became fans of Gyun Ha-ram because of his unique charm.
In any case, seeing the visuals of the two of us, it was clear why the broadcasting station recommended this song to us.
Of course, remembering how Ban Yo-han laughed excitedly upon hearing the song choice only made me endlessly annoyed.