87 - Upki Girl

< The Nonsense Showcase > "I'm Hong." "What?" Not Eunbit, or Seowon, not Aliya or Yona, but Hong? The most unexpected name left my mind frozen for a moment. Was she here for some kind of advice? "Uh, Hong, what's up?" I tried to get up to turn on the light, but she urged me to stay as we were, so I just sat up. Though it was too dark to see, it seemed we were both seated on the bed. "Do you have something to say?" "Yes." "Go on, then." "I don't know why I'm like this, but..." Oh boy, why is she making me anxious? Hong paused briefly before dropping a bombshell that hit my eardrums like an atomic blast. "I like you, Director. As a man." "Uh..." What did I just hear? The brain that had been frozen now completely melted away. I couldn't reply and could only manage a series of "Uh, uh..." The room, pleasantly cool and just right for sleeping, suddenly became stuffy and hot. "What do you think of me, Director?" "Well, Hong, I'm a manager and you're a singer." "Before being a manager and a singer, we're a man and a woman." Has she heard so much about losing weight and becoming prettier that her confidence has exploded? This isn't the Hong I know; I'm utterly taken aback. This feels like some surreal situation. "Please tell me quickly. What do you think of me?" What do I do? What do I do? What do I do! "I, uh, hadn't thought of anything... It's too sudden, Hong." "That's cruel. Then what was the point of all those signals you sent me?" "Huh? Signals? What signals?" "You said I'd be the prettiest if I lost weight. You said it'd solve everything. So, I did it." "That was because you needed to lose weight to be a singer..." "I did it not because I wanted to be a singer, but because I wanted to look pretty for you. So take responsibility." And then Hong started to sob, "Huk, huk." Oh, I'm doomed. Did I really do things that could be misunderstood by Hong? Surely not. If she misunderstood that much, it means she can't function in daily life. Oh, this is too much to take in. I'm so flustered, I almost want to grab her by the collar and start a fistfight. Why did she have to spring this on me the night before the debut, putting me in such a difficult spot? "Hong, firstly, it's my fault..." "What did you do wrong...?" "I apologize for being born." "That means you're rejecting my confession, right...?" "Yes, I can't accept it..." "That's too much. It's my first time confessing to a guy..." "Ha, sorry." "No, I'm the one who should apologize... Thank you for everything. Take care." "What?" "My diet has lost its meaning. Sigh, I might as well order a ton of fried chicken and head home." "Whoa, Hong, wait. Why are you doing this?" "Because it's a prank." "What...?" "Puhahaha, sorry, Director." The lights flicked on as numbers 1, 2, 3, and 5 barged in. Oh, damn... got tricked again... I pretended to have expected it, calmly smacking my lips. "I knew something was off. As expected, no way Hong would say that." "Look at him pretending nothing happened after being flustered." "Stupid, boing!" Seowon and Aliya pointed at me, taunting, while Eunbit and Yona belly-flopped onto the bed. "You guys really know how to live for fun. Who suggested it this time? Probably Eunbit again." "Ding dong dang." "What fun would you have without me around?" "Couldn’t live without you, oppa." "Of course. Director is practically one of our members; we’re missing something without you." At Eunbit and Seowon's response, Yona, Hong, and Aliya chimed in, one by one. "We're a six-member co-ed group, UpKiGirl!" "Wait, then we should change the team name. To UpKiGirlBoy." "Nope. Boing is not a boy but a senior." "Then UpKiGirlSenior?" "Today, we have as guests a girl group we nurtured and a senior we need to nurture. We won’t be able to invite him once he’s older." "Puhaha, Eunbit, you're hilarious." What is this? A nonsensical chatter fest erupted late into the night. After several more rounds of this banter, Yona mumbled, "Ah, laughing made me suddenly hungry." Everyone chimed in. "Me too. I want some cup noodles. Yukgaejang flavor, with some stir-fried kimchi." "Oh, awesome, now I can't stop thinking about it." "I want Jjinsang Braised Ramyun, mild flavor." "I'll have Udon Tempura." "Aliya wants Aglio e Olio." "Wow, that rhyme is epic. Aliya wants Aglio e Olio." "Should we call and ask for it to be made?" "Nah, we don’t need to go that far." Why are these kids acting like this in my room? "Hey, since when did you guys have late-night snacks? And do you plan to go on stage with puffy faces after eating ramen?" "Oh, right. We have our showcase tomorrow." "Wow, I totally forgot for a moment too." "Are you stupid? The reason we’re here is because of that." "What’s the link between the showcase and crashing here?" I asked, and Seowon answered. "Director is practically our member, so on a night like this, we should all stay in one room." "I'm fine, really." "We won’t feel comfortable. Aliya says she pities you." "Why pity me?" "Sleeping alone seems pitiful, you know. Even a puppy would snuggle up." "So, you're saying we should sleep together?" "Ah, suddenly I'm so sleepy... I'll sleep first." Moments ago, Yona, who claimed she was starving, sprawled on the bed with her eyes closed. Aliya snuggled next to her. In the end, all six of us ended up squished on the king-sized bed, like playing Tetris with our bodies. Eunbit and connected with Yeonhong over food they suddenly craved, laughing incessantly, while Seowon used my stomach as a pillow, leaning her legs against the wall as she played games on her phone. Five beautiful girls and one senior on the bed. People would be envious of this sight. Sure, I found enjoyment and didn't mind the bustling around me now and then, feeling that it wasn't so bad. But just like how parties are fun only when done occasionally, surrounded by these five girls almost daily, I started craving my time and space. At least when I sleep, I want to rest peacefully. "Oh, right. Seowon, have you talked to Yujin?" "No. Why?" "Seems like she's teaming up with Jaehui. They met with Yujin’s mother and settled things." "That's good." "Jaehui told me to wait and see." "Wait for what?" "She’s going to create a team and debut them, suggesting I better watch out. Maybe she’ll even fight the representative and restructure the team completely." "It's pointless. How long will it take to form a team, practice, and debut?" Yona, who was about to sleep, mumbled in response to Seowon’s comment. "Exactly. It’ll take at least over a year..." Eunbit looked at me and asked, "But oppa, are you still in contact with Jaehui? Is there something between you two?" "What are you talking about? She just thanked me for introducing Yujin and said she’d buy me a drink." "Boing. Don’t go getting free drinks. I'll give you a card. Let Boing pay." "Just don’t meet her. Should Director really be focusing on other teams now? Pull yourself together; we're not even sure if you’re giving us your all." I'm practically living like a monk because of how involved I am with your team, Seowon, you rascal. "I'm turning off the light." As Eunbit turned off the light, our conversation slowed, and everyone adjusted to find a comfortable position in the cramped space, preparing to sleep. The chatter completely died away when Hong started snoring, setting the end of the conversation. ―Shuuuup, Pururururung! ―Heeiip, Pururururung! "She lost weight, but this hasn't changed?" "You get used to it." Eunbit was the only one still awake. "Are we really going to sleep like this? It’s so stifling." "If you can't avoid it, enjoy it. I’m sleepy too." "Sleep well." "Yep, you sleep well too. Watch out for Aliya." I understood the meaning of those words in the early morning. After tossing and turning for a long time and finally nearly drifting off to sleep. "Um..." Suddenly, a hand slid under my shirt, climbing up towards my chest. Then, with surprising skill... unexpectedly smooth over my small abs... Hot! Very hot―! "Ugh...!" Calm down, you bastard, it's Aliya, after all! This isn't safe! In the end, I had to move to the room next door. *** ―UpKiGirl's 1st Single 'Hug Me' Showcase Cue Sheet 1. Video ― Intro 2. Song (Group Cover) ― "Becoming Prettier" 3. Song (Group Cover) ― "Satellite" 4. Talk ― Team Introduction 5. Song (Eunbit & Seowon) ― "Doll" 6. Original Rap (Yeonhong) ― "Diet" 7. Dance Performance (Yona & Aliya) ― "Black Spiderman" 8. Talk ― Song Introduction, Album Creation Episode 9. Talk ― Q&A Session 10. Video ― "Hug Me" Music Video 11. Song (Title Track) ― "Hug Me" 12. Ending Talk "One, two, three." "The girl group you raised! Hello, we're UpKiGirl!" The typing of reporters writing live articles carried unexpected weight. The atmosphere in the press seats, which had initially felt obligatory, shifted entirely after the second cover song, "Satellite." Those who finished writing their articles shared their opinions and reactions. "The kids are pretty good, right?" "Yeah, I agree, they're not bad at all." "Who among them was on No-Deu?" "The one second from the left and the one in the center." "And the one in Eye Contact?" "The girl to the right of the center." "Having had some experience, they sure are more relaxed." "She performed solo a while ago. I was there then too, and she was quite good." "Oh, I see. Haha, I know nothing about idols but ended up in the entertainment department." "Yeah, we all start like that... It gets interesting as you go." "Yeah, it's fun." "This group seems pretty solid. I've been on the idol beat for two years, and they have a good vibe." "Really? Do you naturally get a feel for such things over time?" "Yeah, certainly. The atmosphere in the press section is remarkably different when the group is good." "They're being dubbed 'The Second GBG,' which led me to search about it. There's quite a comeback wave of girl groups, huh?" "Yeah, it started last week and will go on until next week." "How do you think this group will fare?" "Need to hear the title track, but if the song supports them, they could hit at least a moderate success." "I don't know much about these things, but their looks are decent enough, right?" "They seem the best among the rookies I've seen lately." Even during Yona's time, the reactions weren't bad, but compared to that time, the feedback was noticeably different. And this was only after two cover songs. "Okay, let's have each of you introduce yourselves." "Hello, I'm Yona, leader of UpKiGirl." "I'm Seowon, the main vocalist." "I'm Yeonhong, the rap—rapper. Pleased to meet you." "I'm Jinliya, the main dancer." "I'm the beginning of UpKiGirl, Yoo Eunbit!" "Huh? Eunbit unnie, isn't your introduction different from usual?" "Isn't it supposed to be 'lead vocalist Eunbit'?" Hey, did they really need to point that out? Aliya and Seowon teased Eunbit about her changed introduction. The flow could have been disrupted in such a situation. Fortunately, the experienced female MC, Shin Jimi, smoothly managed the situation. "Excuse me, just a moment. Did Eunbit just change her introduction line?" "Yes. I changed it on purpose." Eunbit replied confidently. The MC let out a small laugh and asked again. "Why is that?" "I felt it was too plain, so I switched it. I wanted to stand out." "It seems like you really want to grab attention." "Yes, I want the fans' attention to be all on me." Though it could have come across as a bit arrogant, Eunbit managed to convey it cutely. The journalists chuckled, taking it as a witty remark. Of course, the headlines might take a more sensationalist angle. ― "UpKiGirl's Eunbit: 'I hope only I succeed.'" ― "Rookie Girl Group UpKiGirl's Eunbit: The Next Ambition Queen" "If we're allowed to change our introductions, Aliya wants to change hers too." Aliya's use of third person drew a smile from the MC. "Sure, Aliya, give it a try." Facing the press section, Aliya spoke with unexpected seriousness. "Everyone, don’t wear mink coats. It takes 70 to 200 minks to make one coat, and they get skinned alive." "Wait a second, Aliya, where did this campaign come from during the introductions?" "You said I could change it however I wanted." "Still, there should be some boundaries for changes..." ― "UpKiGirl's Aliya Calls for Mink Coat Boycott?" ― "UpKiGirl: 'Don't Wear Mink Coats!'" < The Nonsense Showcase > ends.