The Idol Who Returned from Hell Chapter 32

I never imagined we’d spend two whole hours at the coin karaoke room.

When we came outside, the sun that had been beating down overhead had moved considerably to the side.

“Ah, that was so much fun! Thanks to you all, I feel like I really fulfilled my wish!”

“I’m glad if that’s the case.”

“Brother Si-hwan, you’re really amazing! How do you know every single song?”

That’s because I stayed up all night studying Korea’s entertainment industry like crazy while preparing for 〈ISL 2〉.

Since I couldn’t say that outright, I deflected vaguely.

“I live listening to music even when I’m resting.”

“That’s a lie. When you’re resting, you just sleep like the dead.”

“I think the premise was wrong from the start.”

“Huh?”

Ma Si-hyeok nodded briefly at Chae Ha-ru’s rebuttal.

“I’ve never actually seen Brother Si-hwan resting.”

“Did I make you practice that intensely?”

“Yes.”

“Si-hyeok experienced the same thing too. When we were preparing for our 〈Volt〉 stage, this guy even locked the practice room door.”

“I only got 3 hours of sleep during 〈HIT〉 practice.”

Kang Seon-woo jumped right into the sudden Ryu Si-hwan exposé session that had started.

That silver hairtail fish seems to like it whenever my story comes up.

“Wow, listening to this, Si-hwan was in the wrong! Did you want to beat our team that badly?”

“That’s not it—”

“I thought Hwi was the biggest perfectionist among people I know, but Si-hwan seems almost on par with him.”

When Seong-hwi’s story came up, Ma Si-hyeok, who had been looking bright, flinched slightly.

Since the topic I’d been wanting to ask about came up, I quickly steered the conversation in that direction.

“Speaking of which, Seon-woo, are you close with Seong-hwi? I heard before that you occasionally gather and talk.”

“Ah, before the first round? Well, when news broke that 〈ISL 2〉 was starting, talk spread throughout the major agencies. What did the producer in charge of me say… He said he understood I wanted to debut here, but if I dragged it out longer, it wouldn’t be good for me either, so I should consider it. So before the program started, I had met up with the major agency kids who would be appearing on 〈ISL 2〉.”

I haven’t had the experience of directly creating a stage with Seong-hwi yet, but watching from the side, I felt he had skills good enough to debut and then some.

The same goes for Kang Seon-woo, and it seems Seong-hwi was also stuck at the threshold of a major agency debut group.

“Do you have any stories you’ve heard about him?”

“I haven’t really had deep conversations with Hwi either. But roughly listening to what people around said, it seems there were quite a few problems when he was at X2. He had entered the debut group early on, but there were rumors that it kept falling through due to internal situations.”

Due to internal problems…

I felt the same emotions I had experienced before through Yu Ha-woon and Chae Ha-ru rising again.

‘Wasn’t it just the agency trolling again?’

It was understandable to be suspicious when such talk came up.

Seeing my hardened expression, Kang Seon-woo laughed awkwardly and patted my back.

“Are you a bit concerned because Hwi keeps saying things to you? I can’t say I know him perfectly, but one thing for sure is that he’s not a bad-hearted kid. I said it before, right? That he’s a perfectionist. He’s incredibly passionate and practices over and over until he gets results he’s satisfied with. You know how when people with similar tendencies meet, they get a strong feeling? That’s why he might be more interested in you.”

“I already have enough one-sided interest from you four.”

“One more wouldn’t hurt!”

I glanced at Ma Si-hyeok, who couldn’t hide his uncomfortable expression.

I had wanted to ask about this too.

“Si-hyeok, what happened during the first round?”

“Ah, that…”

Ma Si-hyeok seemed unsure if he should talk about it.

Then, looking into my eyes, he seemed to make up his mind and opened his mouth.

“It’s true that Seong-hwi took the lead in guiding us. But a few other people looked at me with somewhat disapproving eyes… So I think he put on even stronger pressure because of that. Honestly, if we had been swayed by what those people said and gone down a strange path, I think it would have been a complete disaster.”

“What I noticed when I watched was that even though you were also A-grade, you seemed to have fewer parts. I found that a bit strange. You dance better than Seong-hwi, and for the 〈Evolution〉 stage visually, it would have been perfect if you stood at center.”

“That, that’s…”

Ma Si-hyeok avoided eye contact just like when I first met him.

While pulling his mask even higher up to cover his face.

“I was too scared to interrupt the conversation, so I couldn’t even say I wanted to try it.”

“So that’s what happened.”

I had expected this timid guy wouldn’t be able to secure speaking rights for himself.

Still, I thought an experienced person like Seong-hwi would know how to compromise somewhat for an organic stage.

Listening to Ma Si-hyeok’s story, it seems he composed things even more centered around himself so as not to lose the initiative from his leader position.

‘He’s increasingly just painting the picture KNet wants.’

No matter how much of a competitor he might be, I couldn’t be completely happy seeing him receive one-sided disparagement through devil’s editing.

Kang Seon-woo, who seemed to have the same thought, patted my shoulder once more.

“I understand how you feel, but there’s nothing we can do about it. We’ll just have to wait and see until the second round.”

“Yeah.”

While we were walking down the bustling street, Chae Ha-ru pointed at one side of a building.

“Everyone, how about we try that too?”

“Try what? Try what?”

“Taking photos.”

On the first floor of a tall building was a 4-cut film photo shop that was currently popular.

Many people were already choosing various props to take photos with different concepts.

I was about to say why would grown men take friendship photos together, but seeing four soldiers entering right in front of us, I shut my mouth.

“Seems like a good idea. I actually like leaving records like this. It’s a historic day, right? The first day the five of us properly hung out together.”

“Not bad, leaving it as a record.”

“Right!”

Watching the younger guys enthusiastically agreeing made me feel strange.

‘This isn’t like we’re all dating together or something…’

Still, I entered the store without complaint and was picking out headbands.

{Master, Master! How about wearing the same dog headband as me?!}

Cerberus was enthusiastically recommending a black dog-eared headband from beside me, but I was just thinking of wearing a harmless Mi**** Mouse headband when.

“Oh, I found Brother Si-hwan’s exclusive headband!”

Looking at the desert fox headband Yu Ha-woon handed me, my plan crumbled before my eyes.

“Right, everyone said Brother Si-hwan resembles a desert fox.”

“I think it would suit you well.”

“Hurry up and put it on, Brother Si-hwan. I’m all ready to film.”

“Ma Si-hyeok, why are you filming this too—”

“It’s fun.”

Sighing at Ma Si-hyeok, who had been reduced to my personal camera director, I reluctantly put on the desert fox headband.

“Then you all wear animal ears too. I don’t want to be the only one photographed like this.”

“Okay, okay.”

So all five of us chose headbands and entered the booth.

Yu Ha-woon had a brown dog headband.

Ma Si-hyeok had a silver wolf headband.

Chae Ha-ru had a headband with deer antlers.

And Kang Seon-woo… for some reason picked up a rabbit headband.

“That doesn’t suit you at all.”

“Hey, I’m someone who even did cute face for self-PR. This much is easy.”

“Watching you doesn’t feel easy for me at all.”

It was my first time taking photos in such a cramped space with a group, so it felt awkward.

Then Yu Ha-woon, who seemed to have experience with 4-cut photos, enthusiastically directed us.

“The camera is here, so everyone should stop your faces around here. Um, since we’re wearing animal headbands anyway, how about we take one photo smiling brightly and then do whatever feels natural for the rest?”

“We’re still idol trainees, so making expressions should be easy!”

Kang Seon-woo’s confident words followed.

And that statement became all too realistic.

“Th-this is…”

“Anyone can see these are YouTube thumbnail ending poses.”

“It feels like we just came back from a music show.”

“Why are everyone’s expressions so serious? Hahaha!”

“Kang Seon-woo, your face is the most expressionless.”

We laughed absurdly looking at photos that came out almost like album jacket photos.

Still, they seemed to turn out pretty well, so we printed five copies and left the store.

Just as we were thinking about where to go next.

“I suddenly feel like the back of my head is tingling a bit.”

“The back of your head is tingling?”

“No, not literally, but I have a feeling—”

“Um, excuse me!”

We were all startled by someone calling out to us.

Turning around, we saw a high school girl hesitantly holding up her phone.

“Ah, I wanted to ask since you were taking photos inside. Are you the people from 〈Idol Stove League Season 2〉?”

Four gazes immediately fixed on me.

A feeling of indirectly asking if it was okay to say yes.

‘As expected, even with masks and hats, people who would recognize us will recognize us.’

Still, this level of witness account probably wouldn’t matter.

If anything, posts that could establish our relationships better would likely go up.

I nodded slightly and smiled with my eyes.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Wow! I’ve been a huge fan since Season 1! I’m watching Season 2 every week too! You’re all so handsome and cool that I really look forward to Fridays!”

“Thank you so much for saying that.”

“Could I possibly take one photo?”

“Of course.”

When was the last time I met fans face-to-face like this?

In my previous life, before debuting as Black Shot, I had met fans a few times through mini-concerts and showcase formats.

Memories from that time came flooding back, bringing an indescribable feeling.

“Thank you! I’ll be looking forward to the next episode too! Fighting!”

The fan who got a group selfie greeted us with a happy face and hurried back to where her friends were waiting.

“…I feel really strange.”

“How do you feel?”

“Just… how should I put it.”

Yu Ha-woon was looking toward where the high school fan had disappeared with somewhat wistful eyes.

“Meeting a fan who supports us like this directly makes it feel much more real. That if we really seize this opportunity, we could achieve that debut we’ve been dreaming of.”

“Really.”

“Debut…”

Everyone seemed to feel the reality in Yu Ha-woon’s words.

They probably all feel the same way.

Even with different stories, in the end we’re all running toward the same place.

Watching the guys who had become serious for a moment, I cleared my throat once.

“Well then, since it’s the day Kang Seon-woo dyed his hair silver hairtail fish color, let’s go eat grilled fish. I’m hungry.”

“Do you really have to tease my hair color by calling it silver hairtail fish?”

“Sorry, man. I already changed your contact name to ‘Jeju Silver Hairtail Fish.'”

“So fast!”

After that precious Ha-ru outside stay, time quickly passed again and it was time for episode 3 to air.

I wondered what more aggro they could pull with me.

But watching the broadcast, it seemed KNet planned to milk me dry until I became overused stock.