God Idol Project: Hope [GIPH]

Chapter 44: Fighting!

After checking the rankings on the music platform, we each retreated to our rooms.

My body was aching with fatigue and muscle pain, yet strangely, I couldn't fall asleep. I tossed and turned restlessly.

Lying in bed with only the sound of my breathing in the background, my thoughts naturally drifted to Hyunoh-hyung.

If it weren't for our meeting, I might still be living a dull, monotonous life without a voice.

What would Hyunoh-hyung say if he saw me today as an idol? Would he be proud of me? Maybe he'd encourage me, telling me I'm doing well as I pursue my dream of becoming a top idol.

When I stood on stage, singing my song, I felt chills all over my body, almost as if Hyunoh-hyung were there with me, enjoying it together. At times, I even had the whimsical thought that the voice I had was a piece of his soul.

The joy I felt on stage was immense, but after stepping down, an equally large sense of emptiness followed.

'If only I could meet Hyunoh-hyung in person, I wouldn't feel this void...'

Now, he exists as a beautiful memory for me. I'm no longer afraid to bring out those precious memories.

However, there are still moments when the longing hits me so hard it pierces through me, and all I can do is endure it.

Will there ever come a day when I become numb to this feeling?

I knew I had an early schedule tomorrow, so I tried to force myself to sleep, but my heart kept fluttering restlessly.

After massaging my aching chest with my hand for a while, I finally managed to drift off.

˚˖✧✧✧˚.

None of us were able to get up until the manager-hyung came to wake us. I'd tossed and turned for so long last night, and even Oran and Chorok-hyung, who are usually light sleepers, couldn't resist their fatigue.

Physically, yesterday's schedule hadn't been that exhausting, but we had all been mentally drained from adapting to the tension and newness of it all.

As we got up, prodded by the manager-hyung, the members started pointing fingers at each other's faces, laughing. Everyone was so puffy, we looked like a bunch of goldfish.

"I didn't even have ramen last night, so why do I look like this! This is so unfair!"

Park Ha grumbled, holding cold spoons over his eyes. Though honestly, I think it was from the crying yesterday.

I checked my own reflection in the mirror. I was a little swollen, but not too noticeably. It would probably go down soon.

After the chaos of reducing our swelling, we finally left the dorm and headed to the agency building a bit later than usual with manager-hyung.

Not only Teorra's staff but also other employees we had crossed paths with all congratulated us on our debut results.

It seemed that, as fellow artists under the company, they had taken an interest in our performance, which made us feel both proud and awkward as we bowed deeply, repeatedly thanking them.

It didn't matter that we were at the bottom of the Top 100 chart—we had made it. People would now hear our song, even if it was at the tail end of their playlists.

With music show appearances lined up, we had hopes of climbing higher in the rankings. Even though the viewership ratings for music shows were low these days, they still held significance, and getting the chance to perform on them was an honor in itself. Not every group got that opportunity.

Our first music show performance was on KBC Music Peak, a live broadcast program, so we had to be extra careful. We rehearsed, recorded the pre-show footage, rehearsed again, and finally, the live broadcast would follow.

I heard that unless you're a major rookie, pre-recording wasn't common, but our schedule included it.

It seemed that the relationship between Hanul Entertainment and KBC was decent.

After all, KBC had been the first to air our commercial, and now we were also having our first music show performance with them, complete with a pre-recording session.

"Hello, seniors! We're the rookie idol group Teorra. Please take care of us!"

We visited the seniors' waiting rooms one by one, delivering signed albums and greeting them politely. I listen to a lot of idol music, so I can recognize a song just from the intro, but I wasn't very familiar with which group performed which song.

So, I made sure to study up before we went around, making sure I knew each group's name and who was in it. If I messed up and made a bad impression, it could cause serious problems.

Fortunately, everyone welcomed us warmly. Even the seniors from Kiss Entertainment's 'Vanillazin' greeted us cheerfully in return.

It seemed unlikely that the 'Vanillazin' seniors had anything to do with the "director poaching" incident. They might just be putting on a good act, but it felt more likely that the interference came from their agency, Kiss Entertainment.

Most entertainment companies "plan" their idols, and the idols follow that plan. Hanul Entertainment, however, was an exception.

"Nam Chorok? Chorok, is that you?"

As we were walking down the hall after greeting the seniors, a middle-aged man who recognized Chorok-hyung approached us. He looked like someone who held a high position.

"How have you been, uncle?"

Chorok-hyung's network reached even here, huh? I was surprised, but it made sense.

With an actor father, it wasn't out of the ordinary to meet his father's peers at the broadcasting station. I wouldn't be shocked to see him casually exchanging greetings with top veteran singers either.

"With this makeup and outfit... You're an idol? Did you debut as an idol? What about your father?"

"Pretend you don't know, uncle. And don't forget to play dumb if my father asks about me."

His playful tone showed how close they were. Meanwhile, the rest of us awkwardly pressed ourselves against the wall, unsure of what to do.

We wanted to give them some privacy, but it didn't feel right to leave Chorok-hyung alone either, and there wasn't anywhere to disappear to in the narrow hallway.

"Chorok..."

"Dad will find out soon enough anyway, so there's no need for you to take the heat. I'm not a kid anymore, uncle."

Chorok-hyung's firm response made the man sigh. He patted Chorok-hyung's shoulder encouragingly before leaving.

Judging by the interaction, it seemed that Chorok-hyung's father wasn't too fond of the idea of him being an idol.

I could understand that. Most adults of that generation didn't have the best impression of idols.

And if his father was connected to the entertainment industry, he probably knew how difficult an idol's life could be, giving him more reason to disapprove.

But this was an issue for Chorok-hyung and his father to work out.

For someone as sharp-tongued as Chorok-hyung to be unable to persuade his parents... it must mean his father was that unyielding.

Back in the waiting room, we all gathered closely together. The partitioned space wasn't very big, and the soundproofing wasn't great, so we had no choice but to huddle if we wanted to talk without disturbing the other teams.

"Sorry for taking up your time with my personal issues."

It felt weird for him to apologize and draw a line like that. We're going to be spending more time with each other than our own families for the next seven years.

Wasn't he the one who told me not to keep my distance from the members anymore?

"I thought we were like real brothers... Was I mistaken?"

I had thought we were close enough that we'd step up to help if one of us was in trouble. I didn't even mind being called the youngest.

Since I didn't have siblings, it was kind of nice to be treated that way....

"Iwon... I'm sorry. I didn't understand our baby's feelings."

Did I unconsciously let my feelings slip out? Maybe I was more upset than I realized.

Chorok-hyung hugged me tightly, and I had to bow my head to hide my blushing ears.

I used to wonder why expressing my true feelings made me feel embarrassed. Now I understood that it was because they were sincere.

"I'm not a baby..."

"Aww, not a baby? Is that right?"

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to endure the embarrassment. There weren't many young children around us, so Chorok-hyung's baby-talk gave me goosebumps.

As I shuddered, the members burst into laughter. I glanced at Chorok-hyung's face, feeling a bit more relaxed.

"Since we already have a real maknae, we can't call you the youngest. Let's go with 'baby' instead."

"Don't make it sound like a done deal, Chorok-hyung."

At least let me have a say in this!

"If you're eighteen, you're supposed to be in your rebellious phase, but Iwon, you're so cute."

"I don't think you, Hong Oran, the cutest one here, should be saying that. And by the way, I was born nine months before you, so why do I always feel like I'm the younger one?"

"If I'm cute on the outside, you're cute on the inside. Is there an age limit on cuteness?"

Was that the case? I tilted my head in confusion as Oran launched into a lecture on cuteness.

Knowing he was cute and knowing how to use it, it seemed he had given this topic a lot of thought.

"Listen up, everyone. Cuteness is a powerful weapon. Think about babies, kittens, and puppies—it's a survival strategy. At first, you might just notice outward cuteness, but since that can fade, you have to cultivate it. However, cute behavior and thoughts? Those will keep us beloved as idols for a long time. That's the key to our longevity in this industry."

"Wow?! Is Oran-hyung a PhD in Cuteness Studies?"

"It's just wisdom for surviving as an idol."

"It sounds difficult... being cute."

"You don't have to overdo it, Jeton. Genuine cuteness is what makes it special. Forced cuteness can make you unlikeable. Just remember, cuteness saves the world."

Wow, that's... profound.

Oran was so serious about it that no one dared to respond. Instead, we all wore looks of sudden enlightenment, as if something important had just clicked.

"So, in conclusion, Iwon-hyung is a baby, right?"

"How does that even make sense?"

Now even the real youngest, Park Ha, was calling me 'baby'? After Oran's passionate speech, I couldn't bring myself to reject it.

Could it be? Was this Oran's plan all along?

I gave Oran a suspicious look, and he met my gaze with a knowing smile. Ah, it was all part of the plan.

"Unbelievable..."

Damn it, Hong Oran. I had fallen for it completely. The other members must have noticed too because they couldn't hide their shaking shoulders as they tried not to laugh.

Even Seohon-hyung? Unbelievable.

I tried to speak up, to put an end to being called 'baby,' but before I knew it, we were whisked off to rehearsal and pre-recording, and I completely forgot about it.

˚˖✧✧✧˚.

The schedule progressed smoothly. Everything felt new. The music show set, the PD, monitoring ourselves, the people in the audience watching us.

There were people cheering for us from the audience each time we stepped on stage.

It would've been amazing if they were our fans, but I had a feeling they were cheering for other groups. Our live broadcast schedule had been announced on our official account, but there was no way they could have known about our pre-recording.

Still, hearing their support energized me, and I was really looking forward to the live broadcast.

Would I be able to feel that same thrill I experienced during our debut performance?

Even though I hadn't been in the best condition that day, I still vividly remembered how it felt.

Returning to the station for the live show after a brief break at the dorm felt strange. I really was an idol now.

A year ago, if someone had told me I'd be entering and exiting a broadcasting station, I would've laughed in disbelief.

Regardless of how I felt, the schedule continued without a hitch. During rehearsal, some senior artists came to watch us.

Was that normal? I felt a bit self-conscious, like I was showing off in front of them.

But I focused as much as possible, determined to earn the compliment, "They're good for rookies."

Soon, it was time for the live broadcast.

We finished our makeup touch-ups and everyone prepared in their own way to relax.

Manager-hyung was filming us with his camera, but we were used to it by now, so no one paid attention.

"Let's get through this without any mistakes. Everyone, hands in."

"What if we all add our own little taglines before saying 'Fighting'? Like, 'The universe's cutest, Oran!' Something like that."

Oran's suggestion caused the tension before our first music show performance to dissipate, replaced by incredulity.

Cute didn't even begin to cover it—this was full-on shamelessness. Yet the other members didn't even blink.

Surely, we're not actually going to do this... right?

Fortunately, it was time to go on stage, so Oran's antics were cut short.

We piled our hands on top of Chorok-hyung's.

I had a good feeling. Even if we made mistakes, Teorra was bound to succeed.

"One, two, three! Teorra, Teorra, fighting!"

<To be continued...>