WETRIED TRANSLATIONS

[ Translation - Aren ]

I'm a Reporter, Please let me get off the Stage

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Chapter 22

On the premiere of <Dance Off>.

Chae Ire, Gong Haram and I decided to watch the first episode on Chae Ire's computer.

“How devilish do you think they will make Haedun Hyung look?”

Gong Haram asked, his voice filled with concern.

“They wouldn't really edit him that badly, right?”

……Even though I said that, I wasn't actually that confident about that.

Only time would tell what dirty tricks Producer Yang and that crafty writer Seo might have pulled.

Producer Yang even cursed behind my back after all.

 Who knows what kind of editing he might end up subjecting Haedun to.

―Hello! Welcome to the nation's first dance competition show! <Dance Off season 4>. This season features all male contestants, promising to be even more determined and intense than last season!

The host in this season was the same female singer who had hosted for the last all male season before.

―First of all let's watch each contestant's highlight and interview video!

The highlight video was chaotic and flashy like they were in any other audition show.

After that short video ended, a calm piano melody started to play.

It was time for the sob stories.

―Hello. I’m Kim Junhyung, the leader of the street dance crew called ‘Kui’, which has been going for three years now. Part time job? Yeah, I’ve done a bit of everything. But I tried not to get my legs hurt…… haha. It was okay, even if I didn’t shine or something. I was happy just enjoying myself while dancing. I thought that was enough.

“Typical.”

Chae Ire said bluntly, munching on his snacks.

―Hello, I’m an idol.

“There he is.”

All three of us leaned closer to the monitor at the same time.

―Mister Haedun has been an idol for five years, but……

―I don’t have a single famous song. Not. A. Single. One.

“……Isn’t that too harsh?”

Gong Haram spoke up.

“Maybe it’s because of the script?”

Chae Ire added with an awkward laugh.

―Actually, I have more stage experience compared to other dancers.

Oh, is he going for the humble angle?

―……So, I’m confident that I can do a lot better.

“Did he really just say that?”

I let out a squeak without realizing it.

If you have stage experience, shouldn’t you act more modestly, for goodness sake?

Suddenly, saying stuff like ‘I’m confident’, what the fuck?

No matter whether he was reading a script or not, this was a problem……

Seo Haedun’s notoriety should be skyrocketing right now.

[Member “Haedun’s” notoriety has risen to 80. Management is required!]

Huh? Why was that my problem?

[A member’s notoriety will affect the player’s physical condition! Proper attention and management are necessary!]

Oh, come on, what was this now? When did this thing start talking like a damn boot camp instructor?

While I was cursing under my breath, my hands diligently maneuvered to log into Pings.

<@ What’s with that guy on Dance Off? An idol suddenly shows up and starts running his mouth>

<@ If you’ve already been on a stage, just stfu and go away already>

<@ Looks like even WEEKANIZ is too embarrassed to even mention him lol>

Of course, the comments were quite fiery, coming in in real time.

But how was I supposed to manage this, huh?

<@ Seo Haedun has always been a total flop anyway, so he’s not really so different from the other dancers in terms of recognition>

Was this a compliment or an insult……?

Well, in the broader context this seemed to be a compliment, so I shared it.

<@ Haedun, you’re still so handsome ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ I’ve missed you ㅠㅠㅠㅠ>

<@ My precious Haedun, what have you been up to…… I love you>

I also shared obviously positive comments.

[Member “Haedun’s” notoriety has decreased by 1!]

Oh, so it seemed like sharing positive comments helped manage notoriety.

I stepped back from Chae Ire and Gong Haram and diligently started a campaign to share all the positive comments I could find about Haedun.

After that, no more pop-ups about me having to manage Haedun’s notoriety appeared.

―An idol? Honestly, I don’t know why an idol suddenly came on a dance program, but since he’s here, I just have to do my best to beat him, haha.

Sigh, just because an idol appeared on a dance program, did he really deserve to be criticized like that?

That guy seemed so much worse in terms of personality, but gets trashed just because he’s an idol.

I got seriously pissed on his behalf.

The show kept on subtly highlighting Haedun under the label ‘idol‘.

After the brief interview videos with each crew and dancer sharing their resolutions (or disses) the caption:

[First day of Filming]

appeared on the screen, along with some footage taken at the broadcasting station.

I could already picture what would be coming next……

―Hello! I’m Yuyoung from WEEKANIZ, here to cheer for Haedun.

“Wow, it’s been a while since I’ve seen Hyung on TV, hasn’t it?”

Even though I was right next to Chae Ire, he acted all excited when he saw me on screen.

Seeing ‘myself’ on screen felt extremely awkward.

―As you all know, our Haedun is an incredible dancer, but that hasn’t really been shown in our group activities~.

That punk Ahn Yuyoung, his eyes looked completely unfocused.

Anyone with a working pair of eyes could tell that he was incredibly nervous. It felt like being completely laid bare for everyone to see.

Broadcasts sure were harsh, huh?

Yet, maybe because it wasn’t the face I was used to seeing, it almost felt like I was watching a stranger on TV.

―Yes. It feels reassuring to have our leader acknowledge me so much. I’ll do my best.

Ressuring. may ass. Didn’t he look completely pissed?

Feeling a chill run down my spine, I logged back into Pings.

<@ Whoa…… Wolyoung and Haedun, what’s going on?>

<@ Wow, did they make up……?>

<@ Damn it, Yuyoung’s incompetence is rubbing off on Haedun!!!>

Of course, there were a lot of passionate insults directed at me.

<@ Wow, Yuyoung even went there to support him ㅜㅜ WEEKANIZ, please just start promoting again, I’m begging you here, you bastards>

I shared this somewhat aggressive but sincerely positive comment.

I didn’t have to worry too much about the notoriety for now.

However, as the episodes went on, it would get extremely crucial to manage Headun’s notoriety.

Incidentally, this season also allowed solo participants.

It seemed like they would choose one winner from the solo category and one from the team category.

Naturally the team category had more to offer in style and flashiness.

Many of the solo dancers had previously been part of a crew, gaining star status there before becoming independent.

Haedun was among them.

However, those who had gained star status had already formed their own cliques.

Haedun, in contrast, just sat there stiffly, keeping his back completely straight, not speaking to anyone..

And every time Haedun appeared on the screen, captions like:

[Nervous active idol]

popped up, which seriously pissed me off.

Did this kind of petty way of creating division between participants actually boost viewership?

……Of course it did. I knew pettiness was king in these shows.

Near the end of the broadcast, Kim Junhyung from ‘Kui’ came out for a solo stage performance. 

This was a so-called nomination stage, meaning that he had to pick someone to compete against.

―I choose Haedun.

Jeez, here it comes.

[Professional Dancer VS Idol Showdown!]

What was this?

I kind of got a bad feeling about them mentioning the ‘dancer’ first and then ‘idol’.

However, considering the premise of <Dance Off>, idols were indeed just meant to be ‘sacrificial lambs’ for a better storyline.

This was a show designed to shine a light on those who hadn’t had their moment in the spotlight yet. 

Idols on the other had already experienced being the ‘Main Characters’ on stage, which made them akin to a privileged class that humble dancers found hard to tolerate.

Seo Haedun walked onto the stage with a very solemn expression.

He was neither scowling nor smiling, but perfectly neutral. He was pretty good at controlling his expression. When we met, he always either looked grumpy or displeased……

―I would like you to not hold back, would that be alright?

Kim Junhyung spoke, using exaggeratedly polite language while openly glaring at Seo Haedun.

Haedun only slightly tilted his head.

―Be careful with your joints.

“Wow.”

“Haedun is really tough.”

What the hell, you crazy bastard?!!

Please, just be careful!!

“Aargh.”

I screamed as I grabbed my phone and started to frantically share positive comments about Seo Haedun.

What was this? Babysitting?

He was so dead when he got back……

* * *

After the first episode ended, I continued my campaign to cleanse those negative comments about Haedun with positive ones.

That was when I got a call from Composer Dojun with some very exciting news saying that the complete song was ready.

The title of the song was “Totter”, just like that hit song I had heard before. It sure was fascinating how destiny could remain unchanged even as time changed.

The demo lyrics also turned out pretty well, but of course, I was planning on making some revisions. I intended to recreate the lyrics of that hit song as accurately as possible from my memory.

The original lyrics were something about being unable to forget someone and falling apart over it or something along those lines.

Now that the song was ready, it was time to plan the concept.

The original concept of <Totter> was excessively dark…… If I remember right, the Idols were portrayed as ‘Demons’. 

Something like the fall or struggling of Demons?

……Honestly, the only reason this became popular was because the song was good, not because of the concept.

Even the fans back than thought something like ‘The song is amazing, but this concept sure is bizarre’

Hmm, the concept definitely needed some reworking. Especially for Yoon Sanho’s sake.

If we went with the Demon concept and put heavy smoky makeup on him again he might quit after 3 seconds.

Next, promotion.

Realistically, with our current situation, appearing on music shows should be out of question.

We had no other choice but to aim for making them invite us after our song became a great hit.

To make up for these missing appearances we would have to at least film a music video. Even a 4 minute music video was also part of commercial art.

Storyboard planning, shooting, and editing required a lot of skilled people.

Naturally with only our Manager Kim Kihun and the CEO at our agency, we had no other choice but to outsource these people.

The problem was the money.

Even with the 20% capital I managed to squeeze out of the CEO through some persuasion (?) it wouldn’t be easy to do, but we had to make it work somehow.

While brainstorming furiously, I played the completed song to the members.

The song started with a refreshing piano melody, transitioning into a chorus. It combined the rich sound of drums and the sound of 88-bass, culminating in a powerful synth sound, leaving no room for error.

―TOTTER TOTTER

Swaying

Your smiling face

Lingers like a mirage

“Wow, this is pretty good! The chorus is just too catchy.”

Gong Haram struck his palm with his fist in appreciation.

Baek Gyeom also seemed pleased with the song, nodding in satisfaction and giving a thumbs-up.

[Hidden Quest ‘Getting a Song is Like Grasping a Lifeline’ Reward! : +50 Points]

The status window even congratulated me for creating our first song.

“But Hyung, this is really impressive. How did you manage to come up with such a top-line? Will you include your name in the composition credits?”

Baek Gyeom’s question made me hesitate for a moment.

Wouldn’t this be…… plagiarism?

“I just hummed a little, that’s all……”

“Humming is part of making a top line, right? I have also been humming for about 12 hours a day. Hyung, your sense has really improved.”

I couldn’t bear to look directly at Baek Gyeum’s genuinely impressed face……

Well, what could I do? I needed to survive.

I cleared my throat and looked at the members.

“The concept will be…… ‘Doleful’.”

“Doleful? What does that mean?

Tae Oh was the first to ask questions.

“It’s like appearing pitiful yet strangely captivating that you can’t help but keep watching.”

Baek Gyeom elaborated.

“But Hyung, it’s true that the song is emotional, but the bridge after the second verse is kinda long, so if we go too much with that concept, it might feel a bit boring, right?”

Gong Haram gave a fairly sensible opinion.

“We definitely need to go easy on the makeup.”

Yoon Sanho, was only really concerned about his appearance. Yeah, he probably should be focusing on that the most.

I listened to all their opinions before speaking again.

“So…… We’ll just go with a ‘Power doleful’ concept.”

“……Isn’t that like asking for a hot iced Americano?”

I lightly brushed off Baek Gyeom’s jab.

This group desperately needed unity.

Watching the previous performances of this seven member group miserably failing to perform a simple synchronized choreography, I felt the urgency.

We needed practice, cohesion, and teamwork.

And to make all that happen, we needed a ‘vision’.

“……I’ll make sure this song becomes a huge hit. So just wait a little longer.”

“Woow.”

Yoon Sanho seemed impressed.

I looked at Chae Ire with a serious expression on my face.

“Ire.”

“Yes.”

“……What did you say your father does for a living?”

Whatever, I didn’t care anymore about how the relationship between the members had been before.

What mattered now was finding a source to get money from.

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