Chapter 126: The Singer in the Memories (11)

Yeong-Yee wasn’t often seen on broadcasts. But after recalling all her broadcasts from the past, I remembered that she frequently portrayed a highly professional image. Perhaps it was more fitting to say she was professionally entertaining, rather than just serious or sincere about her work.

I remembered that she completely transformed in front of the camera. Of course, in future broadcasts, Yeong-Yee’s unique personality was accepted as part of her charm.

I wondered,

‘Could the camera be an effective solution in this situation?’

“I’m sorry.” With a look of difficulty etched on his face, the manager emerged after a lengthy discussion with Yeong-Yee inside the practice room.

“Is she not willing to do it?”

“No, she has agreed to do the dance practice for today. I will try to convince her in the next few days, so please focus on your practice without worries.”

“Thank you for your hard work, Manager,” said Goh Yoo-Joon.

After that, I held back Goh Yoo-Joon and the manager for a moment before we entered the practice room to have a brief discussion.

“What's the matter?”

“Do you have something to share?”

I nodded and drew them closer with my arms around their shoulders. “Since Senior’s comeback is nearing and we can't afford to wait indefinitely to persuade her, I have a suggestion. It’s this...”

Hearing my idea, the manager flinched. However, he gradually smiled and nodded in agreement. “It could be a viable approach. I will see about making it happen.”

“Supervisor Kim hates disruptions in work more than anything, so if we bring this situation to his attention, he will likely approve it immediately.”

“I’m of the same opinion. I will work on convincing Yeong-Yee before our next practice.”

If this approach worked, we could prevent any upcoming issues beyond the live performance.

After our quick discussion, we prepared some beverages for Yeong-Yee and entered the practice room.

“Oh, did you bring drinks? Thanks. I’ve brought some lunch, so let’s eat together after practice.”

“Thank you, Senior!”

Despite some work-related challenges, Yeong-Yee was genuinely a kind person. It was rare in this industry for someone of her stature to extend such considerate care to their juniors.

“Shall we start the practice?”

“Yes!”

We then demonstrated the choreography we had practiced in front of Yeong-Yee. The first one was the hardcore rock dance of Tenten's techno song “Twice the Love.” The second one was the mega-hit new jack swing song[1] “OH! MY LOVE,” characterized by its light and lively dance. The last one was the famous summer city-pop “You in Azure Sea” known for its expansive limb movements.

Yeong-Yee seemed highly satisfied with our dance, smiling and nodding throughout our demonstration. When we finished, she even clapped her hands.

“For ‘OH! MY LOVE’ and ‘You in Azure Sea,’ I'd like you to be more naturally lively and cheerful, but with more practice, you will improve. Your dance skills already surpass those of my old members, you know?”

The manager beamed with pride and nodded in agreement. He said, “They have been practicing diligently, knowing that they would be working with such a respected senior. They are also exceptionally talented.”

“Thank you!” We felt happy to hear her praise.

Yeong-Yee placed her drink down and positioned herself between me and Goh Yoo-Joon. “Manager Su-Hwan, could you please play the song?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

The practice continued with Yeong-Yee joining us. While her dance moves were slower than what we had seen in videos and she skipped some parts, her undeniable experience showed through. She skillfully transitioned through the non-dance sections, showcasing an impressive stage presence.

“For this part, I want Yoo-Joon to come forward without dancing, playfully approaching me with subtle movements.”

“Understood!”

“Don’t worry about looking cool, just be as bright and joyful as possible. Hyun-Woo too, just focus on having fun rather than perfecting the dance.”

Although acting playfully on stage was a tough task for a newcomer, we were dedicated to practicing it extensively to meet Yeong-Yee’s expectations by the next session.

Considering Yeong-Yee’s stamina, we wrapped up the dance practice in about three hours.

After bidding her farewell, we exited the venue with the manager, who mentioned, "I'll drive you back to the dormitory," following a brief discussion.

“Oh, what about Senior Yeong-Yee...”

“She doesn’t want to accompany me today. She plans to practice the title song and leave on her own.”

Hearing his answer, we sent empathetic glances to the manager and headed to the car.

***

The car ride back to the dorm was quiet. It wasn’t due to any specific reason, but more out of consideration for the manager, who must have felt uneasy all day dealing with Yeong-Yee.

I exchanged glances with Goh Yoo-Joon and then asked, “When is the next practice, Manager?”

“The practice with her is in two days, but I will take you to the practice room again tomorrow.”

“Thank you.”

Then, silence ensued again. The manager was already a man of few words, but today, the silence on the way back felt particularly heavy. Seeing the manager, who always took meticulous care of us, in a bad mood was disheartening. I wondered if I should offer him some words of comfort.

“Hyun-Woo.”

“Yeah?”

Goh Yoo-Joon motioned for me to come closer with a gesture. Leaning forward, I brought my ear close to him as he whispered something. Instantly, I frowned and jerked my head back in disbelief. “What? No way.”

“Oh, come on, just do it!”

“You do it.”

“It wouldn’t have the same impact if I did it. You are the only one who can make it work.”

Our bickering caught the manager’s attention, and he looked at us through the rearview mirror.

As luck would have it, the car had just stopped at a red light. Now would be the perfect time. Goh Yoo-Joon nudged me with an encouraging, playful look.

Alright, the manager’s mood was down, so a little levity wouldn’t hurt. I braced myself and turned to the manager, saying, “Manager.”

“Yes, Hyun-Woo?”

Clearing my throat with an “ahem, hem!” I took a deep breath and blurted out. “...Whoa, ma, magic pen-dant!”

Silence followed.

“Uh, heh, uh...”

“...”

Goh Yoo-Joon was biting his lip, trying hard not to laugh.

‘

No... you could laugh. Just laugh, please. It’s too awkward otherwise.’

Having committed to the act, I cautiously scanned the manager’s expression from the rearview mirror. The manager stared back at me, his eyes wide open in a kind of stunned silence.

“Ah, sorry about that.” I offered an awkward apology, but instead of the usual “it's okay,” there was no response from the manager.

‘What’s going on? ... Does it work? Maybe?’

Goh Yoo-Joon and I tilted our heads to get a better look at the manager. “Manager?”

The manager gripped the steering wheel tightly, his hands shaking a bit. Glancing up at the rearview mirror, I finally saw the manager’s lips desperately trying to hold back laughter.

“It’s okay, just laugh. I feel more embarrassed now.”

“Ah... Hyun-Woo, why did you suddenly do that...”

𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Well, I heard the manager needed a good laugh.

“Just trying to lighten the mood.”

And I thought it would be safer while the car stopped, in case he burst into laughter.

“Pfft, uh, ha, ahem!”

“No, really, just laugh out loud.”

Luckily, it seemed the manager's stifled laughter cleared his mind. As the traffic light turned green, the manager resumed driving calmly, but the atmosphere in the car had become noticeably lighter. However, Goh Yoo-Joon still sat against the car window, trying to suppress his giggles.

*

The next day, news articles announced Tenten Yeong-Yee’s comeback with the ballad “The Single.” The album was already complete, and her entire schedule was set nicely. Our manager told us that her preparation for the live performance of the new song was flawless. Now, all that remained was our surprise appearance on Yeong-Yee’s first music variety show and the practice for Tenten’s medley.

As we warmed up in the practice room, the manager spoke up. “Hyun-Woo, I’ve already discussed your suggestion yesterday with Supervisor Kim. Now, I will try to get Yeong-Yee’s approval.”

“Oh, is that so? Thank you.”

The manager smiled. “Supervisor Kim actually liked the idea. He said filming our practice sessions behind the scenes would be something fans would enjoy.”

“The key is Yeong-Yee’s opinion though. If she’s not on board, I really hope you can convince her,” I said, as I wanted to avoid lip-syncing on music variety shows at all costs.

With the schedule already set, we couldn’t afford to spoil the performance due to any last-minute changes from Yeong-Yee.

“Leave it to me.” The manager assured us confidently.

Yeong-Yee’s professionalism shone the brightest in front of the camera, and we decided to utilize that fact. With her strong pride, it was unlikely she would say “I can't do the live performance!” in front of a camera. It was a bit of a forceful tactic, but it was necessary given our limited preparation time.

We left the rest in the manager’s hands and continued our practice.

“Hey, how about we practice with pens in our mouths, like old times?”

“I was actually thinking the same thing.” Goh Yoo-Joon handed me a pen, and I placed it horizontally in my mouth. It was an old technique we used to improve our facial expressions. Keeping a pen in my mouth helped relax the muscles around it, leading to more natural expressions.

We faced each other with pens in our mouths. We had seen each other like this before, but it still seemed funny. As we giggled at each other, the manager, who was watching from behind, quietly covered his mouth. Then, after a while, he suggested, “How about taking a photo of this scene and posting it on the official

BlueBird

account?"

“Huh? This scene?"

“Yes, Supervisor Kim asked for a little hint of what you guys are doing, and the fans are already curious about your recent activities. Of course, let’s take the pic with a less funny expression than you have now..." said the manager as he handed me his phone.

“Are you doing this because you find it funny and want to change your background photo again?"

“...No, not for that."

“Your response is a bit slow." Goh Yoo-Joon chuckled and turned on the camera. I then carefully positioned myself so only the end of the pen was in my mouth, to not distort my facial expression.

Chronos @Officialchronos

(Goh Yoo-Joon, Suh HyunWoo with pens in their mouths - dual shot.jpg)

We are practicing~ Wonder what we’re practicing?

#Yoo-Joon #Hyun-Woo

Comments RT Likes

The photo we posted quickly garnered a flood of likes within just a minute.

1. A fusion music genre that blends elements of rhythm and blues, hip-hop, funk, and pop, characterized by its upbeat, danceable rhythms and use of electronic sounds. ☜