As I watched the six floundering before me, my mind grew faint.
“Sigh…”
Bijoo’s eyes widened in shock.
Rihyuk stared blankly, while Junghyeon blinked rapidly.
The youngest looked as if his appetite had vanished completely.
Their gazes turned to me.
‘Brother, what do we do…?’
‘What should we do?’
‘Isn’t this a hidden camera prank?’
I wished it were just a hidden camera.I had heard they practiced the basics for a month. I didn’t realize it was from zero.
When the music abruptly stopped.
“Pant, pant…”
The handsome men, averaging 33.5 years of age, began to look around nervously.
Their faces tensed slightly.
Kim Euiji, the eldest, had an awkward smile on his tanned face.
“So, how is it? What do our New Black teachers think?”
“Ah, well…”
“Yes. We should hear the evaluation of the results of one month’s practice, shouldn’t we?”
They seemed to sense it themselves, looking down.
Only Cho Giseok’s eyes sparkled as he exclaimed, “Wow! The comments from New Black TV…!” with a joyful expression.
I glanced down at the notebook I had taken out for the choreography review.
Just one word was written there.
[Uh…]
The line trailing from ‘uh’ fizzled out towards the bottom. I had dropped the notebook in surprise, exclaiming, “Uh, what’s this?”
My hand holding the notebook trembled, and laughter leaked from among the staff.
“Teacher, don’t cry.”
“No, we’re not crying…”
“We don’t cry over things like this!”
To anyone looking, the four of us were clearly on the verge of tears.
I ran the numbers in my head.
They were probably aiming for a mid-June debut.
Considering the jackets and music video, we had about one and a half to two months left…
I had to make them ready by then.
“Sigh…”
A shaky breath escaped me unwittingly.
Amidst the laughter erupting in the underground practice room, the Mip members clung to our clothes, wailing.
“Oh, Blackies! We’re really sorry!”
“No, we’re fine, really…”
“Teacher! It’s our fault!”
After the commotion settled, we sat on the practice room floor and quenched our thirst with bottled water.
The model entertainer pointed at us.
“Look at our teachers, their hands are shaking.”
“Ah! That’s not it, Rihyuk teacher has essential tremors. I know because I’m a subscriber.”
“Subscriptions or whatever. You’re the biggest problem!”
They started bickering among themselves about who was worse.
Amidst the noise, we who had regained our composure encouraged them.
“First of all, you’ve worked so hard practicing for a month. It must not have been easy.”
The model entertainer glanced around and said,
“It seems our teachers are quite shocked.”
“Shocked, indeed. How could this not be shocking?”
“Just a few days ago, I saw the dance trainer, and their face had turned pale…”
I shook my head with a smile.
“No, I can see you’ve really worked hard, that’s why I said it.”
Kim Euiji, the eldest and a former athlete, was surprisingly unable to dance, and all the members were terribly uncoordinated.
It was like looking at my past self.
Fortunately, I had six years to reach debut level, but they only had one month.
Considering they started from zero, they had indeed worked hard.
As I pointed out where their efforts had shown results, their faces softened.
“But now you have to debut… Sigh…”
“Teacher, your pupils are shaking again.”
I took a deep breath and said,
“During the remaining time, we really need to maximize our dance skills. Even if it means staying up all night.”
“Yes…! I will work hard to avoid being last!” I declared with determination.
Chugi Seok, known for being the least skilled in choreography, responded with vigor.
It was then that the youngest member, Hong Seok, asked Bijoo.
“How about you, Teacher Bijoo? What do you think of us…?”
“Me?”
Bijoo blinked rapidly, taken aback by the question.
Laughter erupted in the practice room as Bijoo tried to dodge the question, but the hyenas wouldn’t let her escape.
“Teacher Bijoo, you’re known as a legendary dancer in the idol world! How do you rate us?”
“Umm…”
“You have to say something.”
The entertainers were determined to coax a harsh word from even the kindest member.
Bijoo smiled broadly and said, “The process is more important than the result, right? In that sense, it seems like everyone has been working hard.”
“So, how would you rate our skills?”
“Umm…”
“If we were to grade ourselves, with the best being an ‘A,’ what would our grades be?”
Bijoo glanced around, sensing the playful challenge in the question.
“Maybe a ‘D’…?”
“Come on! We want an objective assessment, not just something for the show!”
“Objectively? Really…?”
“Yes!”
Bijoo gazed into space, deep in thought.
“Just a moment.”
She spread out her right hand.
“…?”
Then, she folded each finger one by one until even the pinky was tucked in. Next, she raised her left hand and repeated the action.
And like riding a wave, her hands unfolded and returned to their original position.
As the cast looked on in confusion, Bijoo said with a laugh, “It seems like an ‘S’ grade.”
“What? We’re ‘S’ grade?”
“Yes. Q, R, S…”
Both the staff and the cast burst into laughter.
“I heard you were always firm when it came to skills, and it’s true.”
“The letter ‘S.’ Which number is that?”
“It’s the 19th, I think. A, B, C… We need to work harder.”
“‘S’ is perfect. It stands for ‘Special.’ Clearly, we’re the ones who need special attention.”
The members of Mip made a pitiful face at being ranked ‘S,’ the 19th letter in the alphabet.
Model student Joo adjusted his glasses and asked, “Then, Teacher, how would you rate yourself…?”
“I’m probably a ‘C’ grade?”
“That’s a very objective figure for yourself.”
“Teacher! Since we’re on the topic, could you show us ‘C’ grade dancers an ‘S’ grade dance?”
MC Kim Eui-ji skillfully steered the conversation as we all clapped and cheered.
Bijoo stood up with a shy smile.
“Could we have some music? Maybe ‘Nine’… Ah! Thank you!”
The production team gave the okay sign and immediately played ‘Nine’ through a phone connected to the amplifier.
“…Huh?”
Was it a different version on Mitube? The sound was off.
Though it was a subtle difference, the bass from the music video version was playing, not the original track.
Just as I was about to ask Junghyun about it, the solo dance began.
“Wow…!”
It seemed like the original choreography for ‘Nine’ had been improvised to fit a solo performance, and it was done in just about ten seconds.
We proudly smiled at the sight of the main dancer fluidly bending arms and legs with such finesse.
“Wow…”
I was bursting with pride and wanted to shout about how amazing it was.
Chugi Seok whispered excitedly, “That’s not the real choreography!”
“What? So it’s fake, hyung?”
“No, it’s not that. It’s not the original choreography; it’s improvised dancing.”
“But it looks so good, Teacher Bijoo is in a class of her own.”
The cast was awestruck by the wave-like movements and the way hands struck the air during the chorus.
It was a true feast of reactions.
And just as we were about to enter the second chorus…
Vroooom!
Everyone blinked at the familiar sound.
“Jeonguk?”
“Why is this song playing… No, why is it even here?”
Suddenly, with a booming ‘Baba-babam!’ the shout ‘Jeonguk! Jeong-guk!’ echoed, blending with the EDM beats.
The production crew seemed flustered.
Someone had played a remix of Nine’s song uploaded on MyTube.
“Ha-ha-hat!”
As everyone burst into laughter, I noticed a slight movement in Bijoo’s eyes.
A moment of quick decision-making.
He naturally transitioned into a lively dance, swinging one hand up and bouncing left and right to the rhythm.
Even his stage-ready, refreshing smile was on full display.
MC Kim Eui-ji, impressed by his adept handling of the situation, smiled and gestured with his eyes.
“We should all enjoy this together!”
“Let’s get up!”
Eventually, we all stood up and shared the excitement to the remix of Nine’s song.
I’m not sure who did it, but the remix was so catchy that it enhanced the beat, making you want to dance internally.
After it ended, I decided to ask the production team to find out who made it.
We need to bring them in.
“Woahhh!”
As we all joyfully finished our dance,
Bijoo, standing at the center, swept his hair back as a finale and aimed a finger gun at the camera, ‘Bang!’
He even flashed a light wink and a sly smile.
“Wowww!”
The MiF members clapped fervently, and Jiho hugged him from behind, exclaiming, “This is our brother!” emphasizing their closeness.
The director and staff applauded.
Even as we sat back down, the excitement hadn’t faded, and Kim Eui-ji said to the cast,
“Hey, this is no joke, huh?”
“To think such spontaneity could bring out art. We were just freestyling.”
“It’s amazing. He transformed completely. He almost devoured the camera just now…”
Bijoo was back to his usual, friendly self, smiling warmly.
Everyone laughed at singer Ahn Jae-hee’s comment that the kindest people often hold back a lot, only to let it out like this.
In the cheerful atmosphere, the members clapped their hands.
“S-grade. We all agree.”
“If that was C, then S would be more than satisfactory.”
“Honestly, we’re not even capital S, but lowercase s.”
“If he had danced any more, the teachers might have started swearing with words starting with ‘s.’”
The mood was light with laughter as we moved on from the dance session to the vocal evaluation.
“Wow…!”
Our faces brightened instantly.
Unlike the hesitant dancing, the MiF members presented their songs with confidence.
The cast shyly smiled as we clapped and enjoyed the performance.
“How about it? We sing well, don’t we?”
“Yes!”
“It might not catch the eye of the legendary singers, but this is our song.”
“No, you really sing well.”
I gave a thumbs up.
Not to mention Ahn Jae-hee, whose main profession is a singer, everyone displayed quite impressive vocal skills.
They must have been honed through choir performances or collaboration specials.
It felt like a ray of hope was shining through the previously cloudy outlook.
“What do you think, teachers? Overall?”
“Now, I see hope…!”
“Woahhh!”
We all waved our arms and cheered.
Then we began a serious discussion about the debut project.
“You just need to practice the choreography more. Even if it’s a bit lacking, we can compensate with the concept.”
“Oh? Do you have a concept in mind?”
“Yes, there is one… but this part needs a serious discussion with the experts.”
We were self-producing idols, guiding the MiF members towards their debut.
Providing overall direction and advice.
Naturally, we needed the help of experts for the details.
Singer Ahn Jae-hee asked,
“What about our song?”
“The song?”
“Will we get to try a song from Teacher Woojoo this time?”
Everyone’s eyes sparkled with anticipation, and I waved my hands with a laugh.
“It seems like a good idea to hold a competition for the song,” I suggested.
“I’m not asking you to write one despite being busy,” they said. “You know how there’s a recycle bin on the computer? Just throw us something from there, and we’ll make good use of it.”
We all burst into laughter at the recycle bin joke.
I had to explain various circumstances to the expectant entertainers and ultimately turned them down.
“In my case, my work pace varies greatly. Once I hit a block, it can last forever.”
“Ah…”
“There are so many ongoing projects right now, it seems difficult.”
If it weren’t for my younger siblings, even the original track for ‘Falling Blossoms’ would have ended up in the ‘Sorry for Being a Lousy Brother 😭’ folder.
Sending a smile their way, I received proud looks in return.
“What’s this, honey dripping from your eyes just among yourselves?”
“They really get along so well. Even while talking with us earlier, they kept exchanging secret glances.”
We were caught by the quick-witted entertainers and teased for a while.
Just when I thought the conversation about the song was over, Mr. Choo Ki-seok cautiously asked, “How about trying one of the tracks for the album…?”
Amidst the laughter, I cheerfully responded, “I’ll take on the challenge of a track. I just had a suitable idea come to mind.”
“Wow!”
“Just so you know, it’s a calm track, literally without a single dance move.”
“That’s still great. It’s a song from our beloved teacher!”
We made a pinky promise in front of the camera and even exchanged a token fee.
As I chuckled at the 5,000 won note, the cast erupted into laughter.
“Wow, we bought Sunwoo’s universe for 5,000 won.”
“Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve managed to book the hottest composer of the moment for the price of a burger lunch set.”
“Sunwoo isn’t someone to be treated like this anywhere else, we’re sorry, uncles.”
“But it’s still ten times the market rate. Just yesterday, Heo Kang-min said he’d do it for 500 won.”
Everyone laughed heartily at the price suggested by the CEO of KM Entertainment, one of the top four agencies.
It meant that there were plenty of people eager for a spot.
As I held the 5,000 won note and smiled at the production team and cast sending hearts of love, my younger siblings fumbled with their wallets.
“Not you guys.”
“Aw…”
“You start at 100,000 won.”
“Wow, look at that price. Thought it was ginseng chicken soup from the valley.”
They licked their lips and put their wallets away, and everyone laughed.
Then, I passed on a few instructions to the members of Mip, who had officially become trainees.
“First, you must practice the choreography very hard!”
“Yes!”
“We’ll send you the training video, so make sure to watch it.”
“Yes!”
I also gave them individual homework.
“Please write down a list of your favorite songs and artists. And if you could, bring a simple melody you’ve created.”
“A melody?”
“Yes, just a combination of notes that you like when you hum or play the piano. Bring that to me.”
They all responded eagerly, knowing it was for creating a track.
“And most importantly, please come up with a group name.”
“A group name?”
“Yes. It’s crucial since it will be the name you’ll be active under.”
Rihyuk glanced at me from the side.
‘Choosing a group name carefully… Where’s your conscience?’ his expression seemed to say.
I said with a smile, “The name determines the identity of the group, so please choose it carefully!”
“Yes! Understood!”
And with that, our first recording came to an end.
“Great work, everyone!”
“Well done!”
“You all did really well. Weren’t even nervous, were you?”
We shared contact information with the cast, took proof shots, and even created a group chat named ‘Idol Debut Project.’
While the company staff were getting autographs and selfies with the Mip members, I signed an autograph for Mr. Choo Ki-seok.
“Amazing…”
“But senior, we met at the Entertainment Awards.”
“Oh? We did? When?”
An Jae-hee nearby chuckled and teased, ‘Bro, you don’t remember?’ making Mr. Choo Ki-seok’s eyes go round in surprise.
“Really!? Why was I the only one who didn’t know… Ah!”
It suddenly came back to me.
“He looked so handsome at that time, I didn’t recognize him.”
“Senior?”
“Ah, now I remember… Those handsome guys were you!”
“Senioooor…”
It was shocking to realize that including personality, they wouldn’t even rank in the top ten.
He looked handsome?
I wonder how we are portrayed on NewBlack TV.
After the first recording ended, the members of Mip gathered in the practice room, having received dance lessons from a separate trainer.
“Let’s practice!”
The eldest brother, Kim Eui-ji, gathered the members with burning enthusiasm.
In the practice room, equipped with a camera on a tripod.
Just as they were about to start practicing, the managers entered.
“The production team sent us a video. They said to play this.”
“Ah. Did our Blackies send it?”
As the managers pushed a wheeled stand forward, a large TV appeared.
‘Sponsored.’
The TV logo was prominent.
On the screen, with a dramatic BGM, the words ‘Dance Class with NewBlack!’ in a 90s style popped up.
When Chu Gi-seok exclaimed “Wow!” in excitement.
-Hello, Mr. Producer, everyone!
-Today is the first day of ‘Dance Class with NewBlack!’
The dance instructor, Bijoo, waved his baton with a flourish, and with a snap, the location on the screen changed to the practice room.
-Wow! We’ve teleported!
Everyone burst into laughter at the crude editing.
‘Ah, they’re really funny.’
Bijoo, wearing non-prescription glasses, smiled kindly.
-To dramatically improve your skills, I’ll show you the basic routine I’ve put together.
-Now, please look at the screen!
Jung-hyun, wearing a drill instructor’s cap, blew his whistle, and Woojoo demonstrated the dance routine with a “one, two, three, four.”
While the veterans briefly suffered.
-Did you see that? We need to repeat this basic routine starting now. So, stretch out for 10 seconds.
-Follow our stretching moves!
The Mip members were bewildered.
‘Is this supposed to be a light warm-up?’
Their legs were split 180 degrees, yet their expressions were as serene as those practicing yoga.
“Ouch! My groin…”
-Even if your groin hurts, you must endure it! Now stretch out and relax~!
“Aaaaah!”
-Next time you come, if you can’t do the splits, our Jung-hyun will do it for you. Hahaha!
Everyone desperately did the splits.
“Hey! We have to do this! Jung-hyun will really do it!”
“If you don’t want to be split, you have to do it!”
After the painful stretching session, everyone was limping, clutching their thighs.
Bijoo laughed.
-Now, doesn’t your body feel refreshed?
-Yes!
“Those devils…”
A status window appeared on the TV screen.
-Basic Routine 100 times (0/100)
It was a 100-repeat of a 3-minute routine.
While the members prepared, the 70s hit song ‘Funky Town’ played as the training song.
As they continued their intense practice.
“Ah… I can’t do this anymore…”
About two hours later, after completing 40 repetitions, the members collapsed, utterly exhausted.
Only Kim Eui-ji, a former soccer player, and the youngest, Hong Seok, were persevering through sheer willpower.
Soon, everyone was leaning against the wall, dozing off.
Beep-beep!
Startled by a sound like a whistle, they all woke up.
“Argh!”
“What, what’s that?”
Looking at the screen, Woojoo was playing the recorder, performing the Cobra Song with a trill.
And then, with a swift whoosh, he vanished.
“What… what is this?”
Those sprawled on the floor widened their eyes in shock as they caught sight of Bijoo on the TV.
A gentle smile.
“You thought it was a recorded video, didn’t you?”
“…”
“Right. But did you know that we can also broadcast live on TV intermittently?”
It seemed to be a new feature of the TV, introduced through product placement.
While the Mif members were still in shock, Bijoo pointed to the practice room camera with a smile.
“Your every move is shown through this. It even has a motion detection feature.”
This, too, was part of the product placement.
As the members ground their teeth, recalling producer Shin Murok, Bijoo’s smile widened.
“If no motion is detected, it sends us a notification.”
“…”
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, so we can’t give up now. Let’s muster our strength together!”
To the broadly smiling Bijoo, the members said,
“Teacher, I feel like I’m really going to die.”
“Really? It shouldn’t be that easy…”
His mouth smiled, but his eyes were chilling.
Yet, regardless, the members, with an average age of 33, couldn’t muster the strength to move even a finger.
Model student Mo Bokju, having removed his glasses, collapsed and said,
“Tea… Teacher, could we perhaps rest for just 10 minutes?”
“Let’s rest for 30 minutes!”
“I’ll just take a break. You won’t be able to come here anyway, Teacher.”
As Bijoo watched the members lying defeated, he smiled kindly and flicked his finger.
“I can’t go there, but this friend can.”
“Huh?”
“I’ll show you. The new feature.”
That’s when it happened.
Ziiiiing—
The stand of the large TV, where Bijoo’s smiling face was displayed, began to roll towards them automatically.
“Aaaaahhh!”
Above the panic-stricken members, the large TV cast a menacing shadow.