The Idol Who Returned from Hell Chapter 92

People watching the broadcast uniformly flooded the chat window with question marks.

―???

―Is it normal that every time Si-hwan brings up something serious like this, my chest tingles and I feel like I’m about to get a nosebleed?

―What what what is it that they’re talking about directly on K-Live

―It’s not bad news, right?

Once public opinion spread that it might not be entirely good news, fans were swept up in unnecessary anxiety.

Ryu Si-hwan, who had been watching the chat scroll by on a separate tablet, laughed heartily and shook his head.

[Hahaha, everyone, everyone, it’s not bad news. It’s just because I naturally have this kind of speech pattern installed, but it’s absolutely not bad news. Please watch comfortably.]

[Our kid is originally like this! Please understand!]

[……Seon-woo, won’t you leave my cheeks alone?]

[Hiik.]

Kang Seon-woo immediately lowered his hand and shut his mouth tight.

[First, the first announcement!]

[First announcement!]

[Starting tomorrow, self-produced content will be uploaded to our official NeoTube channel! Everyone applaud!]

[Woohoo!]

CENTIX responded enthusiastically following Ryu Si-hwan’s lead.

True to his nickname as a trainer, one of the aliases created during 〈ISL 2〉, he was skillfully guiding the members.

[Unfortunately, we can’t reveal what content we’ll start with. Please wait until tomorrow at 7 PM. When the video goes up, please give it likes and comments too.]

[There aren’t any of you who still haven’t subscribed, right?]

[If you still haven’t, subscribe right now!]

[Subscribe! Like! Set notifications too!]

[Pl-please do so, we’d be grateful.]

Even though only 5 minutes had passed since the live broadcast started, CENTIX’s energy seemed ready to burst through the screen.

Thanks to that, the (former) national managers were able to ease some of the worries they’d been carrying in their hearts.

―I’m so relieved that all the kids look healthy TT_TT

―ISL filming ended and they immediately went into debut prep and did all sorts of things, they must have had such a hard time, but it’s so good that they all look bright

―LOL their energy that doesn’t change even after moving into the dorm, very praiseworthy. I want to see the reality show soon

Ryu Si-hwan, who had been energetically swinging his arms to lift the mood, eventually sat down calmly as if nothing had happened.

[But we didn’t turn on a live broadcast just to tell you this. The most important thing is the next announcement.]

[Drumroll drumroll drumroll!]

[Everyone, what do you think it is? Try to guess!]

At Seong-hwi’s question, viewers threw out numerous predictions.

[Ah, it’s not a title song spoiler. If we did that, we’d get in trouble.]

[Choreography reveal? Hey, it’s too early for that, right?]

[Concept reveal other than Black & White versions? That would have been nice if it was real too, right?]

Even though it wasn’t easy to read individual messages from the chat window that was going up almost by the second, the members found wrong answers with amazing skill.

Chae Ha-ru, who had been intently staring at the tablet, suddenly pointed at the screen.

[Oh, Brother. I think someone just said it?]

[Really? It went by too fast, I didn’t see.]

[They really guessed it?]

As the members threw out one anticipation and curiosity-building comment after another, the watching fans clamored for them to hurry up and tell them.

Then Yu Ha-woon said something creepy with a bright smile.

[I’ve wanted to try this once! The time-wasting that Go Hyeon-ju did all the time.]

[Hahaha!]

[I told you, among us, Yu Ha-woon is the worst! Look at him, saying that with a smile!]

[Our youngest has grown up.]

[Why, why? It’s natural to want to try it at least once!]

The older brothers ruffled Yu Ha-woon’s hair affectionately, finding him too cute, but viewers were still trapped in a prison of time, suffering.

―Ah please TT_TT_TT_TT_TT hurry up and tell us

―I’m getting dizzy…… feels like my head is spinning

―These KNet bastards only taught our kids bad things

―Ha but getting deceived by Ha-woon actually feels good

[Okay, okay. Since everyone’s so curious, let’s reveal it quickly. Si-hyeok, ready?]

[Ready!]

[The truth is, we were originally going to record this during our reality show finale. But since I don’t completely avoid the internet, I kept seeing comments on SNS saying ‘I wish our fandom name would come out soon.’]

The moment fandom name was mentioned, the question marks in the chat window changed to exclamation marks.

―Fandom name!!

―Mom, I achieved my wish, finally I don’t have to keep being called national manager!

―You’re not going to build up expectations like this and then announce something weird, right kids? Please tell me no, please tell me the company didn’t interfere at all and you decided it yourselves

―I don’t want to get made fun of by muggles…… want something normal please…….

Ryu Si-hwan didn’t directly look at comments while speaking, but he still conveyed what most people wanted to know.

[The fandom name was selected through internal discussions among the members. This will be aired on the reality show later, so please definitely watch the live broadcast. There were really many different opinions, but when everyone heard this name, it was unanimously chosen.]

[Can I tear this off now?]

Ma Si-hyeok grabbed the board covered with a white sticker and asked urgently.

[The fandom that will be with CENTIX forever from now on is…… MILLENNIUM!]

Finally the fandom name was revealed, and the sticker Ma Si-hyeok was holding was vigorously torn away.

Then a gorgeous cursive letter M appeared.

[Our group name, CENTIX, contains the word Century, meaning 100 years, right?]

[That’s right!]

[Many people praise us through this, saying we’re ‘idols that come once in 100 years,’ but actually, you fans are more amazing than us.]

[So we decided on the fandom name ‘MILLENNIUM’ to imply that if we’re idols that come once in 100 years, then the fans who support us are precious beings who come once in 1,000 years!]

When Kang Seon-woo added the explanation, fans who learned the hidden meaning covered their mouths and tears streamed down.

―Wow I just thought of millennium babies but our kids thought of something like this…… This grandma is sorry, my creativity hit rock bottom

―My heart feels so warm kids T_T No, you’re more precious, without you there wouldn’t be us either

―Among recent fandom names, ours is the coolest right? Lol letting the kids decide themselves was a divine move for real, thanks Rave!

―If CENTIX kids are hundred-year-idols then we’re thousand-year-people LMAO

―※Please pay extreme attention to pronunciation※

Finally, CENTIX fans were able to enjoy the happiness of escaping from being (former) national managers.

And it wasn’t a name the agency just threw at them either.

It was a name that my favorites personally stamped while even adding meaning.

[From October 1st to October 14th, CENTIX official fan club MILLENNIUM official recruitment will proceed, so please show lots of interest!]

[Then we’ll end here for today!]

[We’ll give our greeting, two three.]

[All eyes on us! This has been CENTIX, thank you!]

[Everyone, see you later!]

[Bye!]

With Ryu Si-hwan’s lead, CENTIX enthusiastically shouted their closing chant and waved their hands.

After the broadcast ended, the newly named MILLENNIUM immediately went to various communities to widely advertise this fact.

[CENTIX First K-App Viewer Count.jpg]

A screenshot of viewer numbers captured by one MILLENNIUM also spread and garnered tremendous attention.

Of course, it wasn’t the real-time simultaneous connection record, but the total viewer count that gets tallied if you click on the live broadcast even once.

Still, everyone was amazed by the number that exceeded 550,000.

―It was 550,000 for the first broadcast?

―I was just staring at the kids’ faces so I didn’t even check the viewer count LOL that’s insane seriously

└When it was about 5 minutes in, Si-hwan said over 70,000 people were watching, that was concurrent viewers right?

└Yeah yeah that’s right, our firepower was really crazy

└Our hundred-year-kids were this popular? They were my small and precious idols

└Sorry but sir, CENTIX has never once been small. Does 5% cable ratings look like water to you

With this momentum, public opinion formed that there was sufficient firepower to chart on various music sites when the debut album was officially released.

But on the other hand, worries also came first.

―But what do we do about music show attendance? LMAO

└If you’re even 1 second late, you probably can’t go at all…….

└I’m from the provinces so music shows don’t matter to me, but I’m worried about big events like fan meetings or concerts ha…… won’t we get waiting numbers in the ten thousands?

└This person is going to practice ticketing from now bye bye

―Ha T_T I was going to try to attend all music show recordings but the future looks bleak sob

MILLENNIUM had both happiness and worries piling up simultaneously.

* * *

As soon as the broadcast ended, I pinched Kang Seon-woo’s cheek in return.

“Ow ow! Si-hwan, you’re too strong—!”

“That’s what you get for spacing out during a broadcast.”

“Sorry, sorry, sorry, I was wrong!”

Just 5 minutes into our first K-Live broadcast, Kang Seon-woo had nearly unconsciously dropped a massive spoiler.

At least I reacted immediately and changed the topic, but looking at the chat window earlier, I already saw some comments like ‘Did Si-hwan become leader?’

Cerberus, who had been leisurely chewing gum, also chimed in.

{That Kang Seon-woo guy seems funnier the more I see him. How can his soul be so clear and pure?}

‘Don’t you see that innocence makes me suffer every time?’

{Hey, life would be boring if daily life was too peaceful, Master. I’m personally grateful to that Kang Seon-woo guy.}

‘Now that I think about it, when did your way of addressing change from this human to this guy?’

{Since it’s obvious we’ll be endlessly entangled with each other from now on, I decided to loosen my boundaries a bit too.}

It seems Cerberus showed mercy in his own way.

Chae Ha-ru, who was drinking water, also quietly muttered.

“We have to reveal our positions and leader voting on the reality show, brother.”

“Right, right, that’s how it should be!”

“If brother acts like a time bomb every broadcast, I’ll have no choice but to use the last resort.”

“What resort?”

At Kang Seon-woo’s question, Chae Ha-ru quietly pulled out blue tape.

Everyone in the dorm living room burst out laughing.

“No, Ha-ru, where did that come from again?”

“When Brother Seon-woo tried to spoil, the manager casually handed it to me.”

“……I really might get tied up if I’m not careful.”

I sighed and bit into an energy bar with a crunch.

Just last night we had selected a leader through our own voting.

Ryu Si-hwan’s vote had gone to Kang Seon-woo, who had the best social skills.

For some unknown reason, all 5 remaining votes went to one side, and I was selected as leader.

The detailed positions that the agency officially announced a few days ago are as follows.

Kang Seon-woo, main rapper.

Seong-hwi, lead vocal/main dancer.

Chae Ha-ru, sub vocal/visual.

Ma Si-hyeok, sub rapper/main dancer.

Yu Ha-woon, sub vocal.

And the anticipated Ryu Si-hwan, center/main vocal/leader.

I was quite concerned about monopolizing three main-level titles by myself.

But rather, the other guys said this was natural and gave me applause.

So I’m the one leading CENTIX’s chant.

I’m also the one mainly handling hosting when we appear on content or variety shows.

Taking care of these kids who would be no different from a zoo if left alone also became my responsibility.

It was somewhat of a monumental moment for our group, so we were going to broadcast it through the reality show.

But thanks to someone’s loose lips, some MILLENNIUM already know that I took on the leader role.

Although it was a routine we had to do every day until October 23rd anyway.

I added a bit of spite and handed down severe punishment.

“Everyone gather. Today we’re doing an extra hour of practice. You know why, right?”

“Ah, Brother Seon-woo!”

“Brother made our sleeping time 1 hour shorter!”

“Take responsibility! Take responsibility!”

“I, I’m the chief sinner, kids. Beat me up to your heart’s content.”

“Really?”

When Ma Si-hyeok clenched his fist with the force emanating from his broad shoulders, Kang Seon-woo ran away from the dorm faster than anyone.

“Running away like a coward, brother?”

“Boo, coward Kang Seon-woo!”

“Boo, annoying Kang Seon-woo!”

“Haah.”

Among them, the most rational Chae Ha-ru shook his head as if pitying him.

“We’re going to meet in the practice room anyway, so why is he running away like that.”

“Seriously.”