episode_0023

#23

“Haaahhh…”

“Ugh…”

4:51 AM

Not much time left until arrival at the salon.

The kids were all dozing off in the back seats, their heads bobbing up and down.

Judging by their appearances, it seemed Eun-chae and Se-ah had pulled an all-nighter too. The only one who looked relatively normal was Ha-rin, sitting in the passenger seat.

“……”

Ha-rin wasn’t sleeping, just fidgeting with her phone. She’d been staring at something on it for a while now.

“What’re you looking at?”

“Shorts.”

“Shorts?”

“Once we get to the music show, other groups will definitely come asking us to film TikTok challenges together… Gotta practice in advance.”

“…Impressive.”

That was a genuine exclamation of admiration.

This was something I, as their manager, was supposed to take care of—but Ha-rin handled even these minor details without being told.

“…I told the others to watch some last night too. Wish I hadn’t bothered.”

Ha-rin sighed, glancing at the other members sleeping in the back.

Ah… So that’s why they weren’t sleeping.

“It’s fine. There’ll be time for naps. Good thinking, Ha-rin.”

“…It’s been half a year since our third album. Sixth months since we last appeared on a music show. We have to be thorough. Even if it’s just appearing in one more TikTok or photo from a junior girl group, I want to get our faces out there.”

“Right. That’s the way.”

Typical Ha-rin. So dependable.

Music shows are inevitably places where over ten groups gather, so socializing and networking happen too.

In the process, groups inevitably take photos together for SNS or film dance challenge videos for each other’s new songs—mutual promotional favors.

This kind of activity continues from the commute to the waiting room, so appearing on the broadcast itself isn’t the full picture. Music shows are more than that.

That’s why we scrambled to get this appearance.

That’s why Ha-rin was…

“Manager.”

“Hm?”

“Why did you tell us to wear the sponsored underwear?”

“*Cough!* *Cough!*”

I almost hit the brakes but restrained myself since we were driving.

“D-Did I… say that?”

“Eun-chae said you insisted on it, made her swear to it.”

That little snitch, Eun-chae…

Told them to trust her, then sold me out?

“Well… It’s sponsored, so it’s basic courtesy? Right?”

“Do sponsors actually check whether we’re wearing their underwear or not?”

“Of course they wouldn’t…”

Although, thinking about those two perverts from ‘Venus’, they might do exactly that.

Would they show up today?

“But isn’t paying attention to even the unseen details part of being a proper celebrity?”

“…Wow.”

“What?”

“…Nothing. Just surprised you’re capable of cool-sounding lines too.”

That was just off-the-cuff, but it worked better than expected.

“So. Did everyone actually wear them?”

“Yes. …Want to check?”

SCREECH.

I stopped the car abruptly.

“N-No need! I’ll take your word for it.”

“Spot-check. Inspection. Double-check. That’s what you always say.”

“True, but… Ugh. No time. Let’s just head to the salon first. Kids! Wake up, we’re here!”

“Phew…”

As I roused the others, Ha-rin took a deep breath and unbuckled her seatbelt.

No need to check now… I’d see for myself soon enough.

*

At the salon, we finished quick makeup.

Hair, makeup, minor styling adjustments.

This wasn’t the makeup for the actual broadcast—that would be done live at the venue, along with a full outfit change.

So this morning’s makeup was purely for the commute.

Over an hour and a half of effort, all for less than five minutes of looking good on camera.

Do people even know how hard we work for this?

I got back in the van and waited for the girls. Ha-rin and Sa-rang finished first. Eun-chae had just wrapped up and boarded too.

“Where’s Se-ah?”

“She said her hair wasn’t fully dry yet, so she’s picking out a hat.”

“Hmm… Fine. We still have some time.”

From here, it’d take forty minutes to cross the Han River to the broadcasting station. With about an hour left, we still had breathing room.

“I’m hungry~.”

“There should be snacks in your seat. Have those.”

“It’s not sandwiches~. Just milk again.”

“There’s yogurt too. I’ll buy you proper food after the morning schedule. Wait a bit—eating now will make your face puffy.”

“Tch.”

At the mention of puffiness, Sa-rin reluctantly pulled out a yogurt from the bag and started eating.

Ha-rin in the passenger seat was already silently sipping strawberry milk.

“Ah. Let’s film one quick video on the way. Our fans will be waiting at the station—need to thank them.”

“Got it~.”

“Okay.”

Eun-chae and Sa-rang took the selfie stick and phone I handed them.

Say what you will, but they’re good at following instructions.

If they weren’t, I’d have quit ages ago.

“Two, three! We’re the radiant !”

“Dear ~! You haven’t forgotten what today is, right?”

“ is finally returning to music shows after so long! We’ll greet you properly at YBC’s broadcasting station soon!”

“Please come support us, and we’ll return the love with our best performance!”

“For those who can’t make it, don’t miss our 4th album’s debut stage tonight at 7 PM on YBC Music Center!”

Well done.

Four years of experience really shows.

Without needing prompting, they immediately uploaded the video to the group’s official SNS. Being this early, there weren’t many comments yet—but several fans had already posted that they’d arrived.

The small but fiercely loyal fanbase was ’s lifeline right now.

How could we repay them?

“Huff… Huff… Oppa! Sorry I’m late!”

Finally, Se-ah boarded the van and shut the door.

“No worries. It’s a forty-minute drive—snack a bit and rest.”

“Where’s the bread?”

She’s just like Sa-rang.

“Make do with that. I’ll buy you food later.”

“Ugh. Boo.”

Grumbling, Se-ah grabbed milk anyway and dove into taking SNS photos with the others.

With makeup done, every random shot was potential content. I let them be.

There’d be countless more photos to take during the commute itself.

*

7:20 AM. YBC Broadcasting Station parking lot.

Hundreds of people had already gathered, with traffic nearing weekday rush-hour levels.

Waiting in the car, we checked the order. Since arrival shots are a staple, staggered entry prevents overlaps when multiple groups arrive simultaneously.

While waiting, I gauged the atmosphere.

“Wow. Look at the ladders.”

The girls gaped at the surreal scene beyond the window.

Barricades lined the path for celebrities, with fans and reporters crammed behind them holding cameras of all kinds.

With crowds this dense, some inevitably climbed flower beds—but now personal ladders were everywhere, used by reporters and fans alike.

The sheer number of ladders rivaled that of actual press conferences.

The real question was how many of these hundreds were actually here for .

Popular groups already had banners on the barricades, with fans going all out.

had nothing.

“Ah! It’s !”

“Waaaah!!”

Before Se-ah’s words fully landed, deafening cheers erupted beyond the barricades.

, currently the hottest boy group.

They embraced a deliberately rude, bad-boy image—though behind the scenes, their sweet-dork charm went viral on SNS, skyrocketing their fame.

“WAAAAAH!! OPPAAAA!!”

Even inside the van with windows shut, the noise was ear-splitting. Camera flashes exploded one after another as reporters captured every step of ’s arrival.

“Insane.”

“……Could we ever be like that?”

Even during ’s peak after their second album, we never got reactions like this.

was undeniably the trend now.

I hated admitting it.

I hated their name too.

Knock. Knock.

“ , you’re next.”

A staff member tapped our window, delivered the message, and left immediately.

“Kids. Let’s go.”

“Yes!”

We drove slowly to the designated drop-off point, parking exactly where ’s van had just left.

I glanced back.

The girls’ nervousness was unmistakable.

“Relax. Just be natural. Smile. Hearts. Remember your poses?”

“Yeah!”

Ha-rin answered for them.

She must be nervous too, yet prioritized calming the others.

I stepped out first and opened their door.

Click.

“Let’s go. Leave heavy stuff—we’ll grab it later.”

“Okay!”

Facing hundreds of cameras, began walking forward.