The Idol Training Simulation I Messed Up

Chapter 22

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**ha-beom:** My friend #Haerang

#Monochrome is also releasing music on the same day!

Is it fate? (laughing emoji)

#or_like #end_of_waiting Please listen to both a lot!

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**haerang:** #Ha-beom #or_like

└ **ha-beom:** I wrote four lines for you!

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**Only Ha-beom @only******

20xxxxxx Idol Sports Championship Preview

Cheering for the camaraderie of these stunning people.

#Ha-beom #SPID #or_like #Haerang #Monochrome

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***

Woohyung stared intently at the monitor with the composition program open.

When he heard the sound of the studio door opening, he turned around quickly. As soon as he confirmed who had entered, he asked urgently.

“Yun-hee, did you check the reactions? What are people saying? No, wait. Don’t tell me.”

This was his first official release of a self-composed song.

He had not yet been able to check the reactions to the song himself, so he was anxiously staring at the blank monitor.

“Maybe that’s why the Director asked me to come and report to you.”

Yun-hee recalled the chaotic desk she had just seen in the office.

With the announcement of Jae Min’s return, official information was being updated, and articles were flooding the internet. The staff in charge of Monochrome were extremely busy at the moment.

Even so, the Director had sent Yun-hee to Woohyung’s studio for a brief moment.

As if anticipating this would happen.

‘She’s got him figured out perfectly.’

Just as she had expected, Woohyung was sitting in the studio, but his mind was clearly elsewhere.

If he had a habit of biting his nails, all ten of them would have been gnawed down by now.

As for the reactions to the song he was curious about… Although the situation had created some noise, there was hardly any negative feedback on the song itself.

Even the fans who initially complained about the sudden appearance of a breakup song soon figured out the meaning behind the lyrics after hearing the song.

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The lyrics are definitely meant for the fans…ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ I’m crying

└You can really feel how hard it’s been up until now, it breaks my heart…

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But isn’t the song really good?

Monochrome has always done upbeat songs, so I never imagined this, but objectively, it’s really great.

└I played it for my friends, and they all said the song was really well-made.

└It fits the winter weather perfectly…

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Are all the hands playing the piano Woohyung’s?

└Yes ㅠㅠㅠㅠ It’s definitely Woohyung when you look at the back of his hands.

└This is so exciting, oh my God.

└As soon as the song started, I saw Woohyung’s hands, and I banged my head against the wall, so now my room is basically a living roomㅠㅠ

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My heart dropped when Jae Min grabbed the microphone.

Oh my God, Jae Min… Seeing him sing after three yearsㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

└It’s exactly like before, which makes it even more touching…

└It’s been three years, so why is it only me who has aged?

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The song is so good…

It’s good, but it makes me cry…

└This feeling of being sad but also liking it… but it’s still good…

└The weather service is in chaos because of a sudden flood… Yeah, that’s because of my tears…

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I’ve been streaming it, but I was too busy watching the live clip, so I just now looked up the song info. Who’s the composer?

Is it really Woohyung??

└What????

└??????????

└Solo composition??????

└Also the lyricist????

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Has Newma finally come to its senses?

└Probably not.

└Newma feels kind of unfamiliar these days…

└Why do they keep dropping hints? It makes me anxious…

└Don’t let your guard down. It’s Newma after all…

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The fans went wild, especially when they saw the unexpected credit for both lyrics and composition in a member’s name.

Fan sites were flooded with posts analyzing every millisecond of the song, but no matter how good the feedback was, it wouldn’t be wise to show everything too openly.

So Yun-hee pulled up some objective data. The number of plays on the music streaming sites.

While it wasn’t enough to suddenly chart in the midst of fierce competition, it wasn’t a small number either.

It seemed there were quite a few people curious enough to listen, given all the buzz about the lineup changes.

“Even at a glance, I’d say your debut as a composer is doing quite well.”

“Haa…”

Woohyung seemed to relax a little, finally leaning back against his chair.

“Now stop worrying and finish your work.”

Woohyung had been refining the first song he had played for Joo-in.

Despite knowing how to finish it, progress had been slow, and he had gone through several water bottles in the process.

Seeing the empty bottles lined up on the desk, Yun-hee added a final comment.

“The Director also asked me to pass on this message.”

Woohyung, who had been about to leave the studio, turned his head to look at Yun-hee.

“She said she’ll let you handle the title track next time.”

The effect of that single sentence was immediate.

Now alone again, Woohyung instantly shifted into work mode, his expression serious.

***

After returning from the company to the dorm, Jae Min, who had been on the phone for quite some time, finally came out to the living room.

“What were you talking about for so long?”

Woohyung, who had been insisting that the members eat apples for the sake of their health, called out to Jae Min, but he didn’t come out until much later.

The dish of roughly cut apples was covered to keep them from drying out.

“It was my old dance team leader. He called to say he listened to the song.”

“Oh, what did he say?”

Woohyung, who had been sitting carelessly at the table, suddenly grew serious as he asked.

Seeing Woohyung’s face, Jae Min laughed.

“He said the song was good. The other team members liked it too.”

“Phew… But it couldn’t have taken that long just to say that.”

“Um. He said it was the first time he’d seen me sing.”

Given the lightness of the conversation, Jae Min’s expression wasn’t as bright as one would expect when he emerged from his room.

So Woohyung asked, even though it seemed like a personal matter.

“Is something wrong?”

“No.”

“When you say no, it usually means there is.”

Knowing Jae Min’s personality, if it were really nothing, he would have said so immediately.

Woohyung switched to his leader mode.

Facing that gaze, Jae Min felt like he couldn’t get away with keeping quiet, so he eventually opened up.

“Actually…”

By then, all the other members had gathered around to listen.

After hearing Jae Min’s story, they all ended up with the same expression as Jae Min.

“…If we adjust things properly, it might be possible, right?”

“We already received the album schedule. As long as the music video shoot doesn’t overlap, it should work…”

“But this is a personal matter. Isn’t it too much to ask the company to adjust their schedule?”

“We should at least ask. It would be a shame to give up without even trying.”

The members were more enthusiastic than Jae Min himself.

In the past, they would have given up without even discussing it with the company.

They had seen how often the company would shut down any suggestions as soon as they were made.

But things were different now.

“If we ask and the company says no, then we’ll have to accept it. But at least they’ll listen.”

“Right… If it’s Joo-in.”

“If it’s Joo-in!”

Han-yi, who had picked up the habit of calling her “Joo-in” from Jae Min, echoed his words.

Whether they used the same title or not, all the members shared the same thought.

If it was Joo-in, she would seriously consider it.

***

Woohyung and Jae Min cautiously made their way to the Director’s office.

“A dance competition?”

Jae Min’s return to Monochrome hadn’t only been about quitting part-time jobs.

He had also been part of a dance team, but they had readily supported his return to Monochrome.

However, it seemed there was still some unresolved issue related to that.

“It’s a world competition, and I participated in the Korean preliminaries.”

Jae Min had returned to Monochrome almost immediately afterward.

Jae Min, who usually appeared cheerful, spoke with an unusually uncertain tone.

“And everything was settled with the dance team?”

“Yes. But since I had to drop out, they’ve been struggling to adjust the choreography and the formations. So I was wondering if…”

If it might be possible.

From what Jae Min said, there was a considerable gap between the preliminaries and the finals.

So even if he hadn’t returned to Monochrome immediately, it would have been an issue.

Thanks to Jae Min’s quick decision, the dance team had been able to prepare quickly for his absence.

But even so, it was clear that having their original team member would have made a big difference.

‘Hmm… This is kind of my fault.’

Strictly speaking, it was an external matter, so I wasn’t obligated to resolve it. But it was something that could be resolved depending on my actions.

However, if Monochrome’s schedule would be affected, it wasn’t something I could decide on my own.

“Where’s the venue for the finals?”

“LA.”

If it had been in Korea, I would have let him go without much thought.

But since it was in the U.S., there would be travel time involved, and considering the time needed to prepare for the competition, he would need to set aside several days.

With so much to prepare for, it was difficult to give an immediate answer.

“Can I think about it and get back to you?”

“Yes!”

Jae Min didn’t seem disappointed that I couldn’t give him an immediate answer.

It really seemed like he was just asking if it might be possible.

After they left, I fell deep into thought.

If Jae Min had insisted on finishing the finals before returning, Monochrome’s hiatus might have been much longer.

I only had two years to work with.

Jae Min’s quick decision, supported by his dance team, had allowed us to respond in a timely manner.

‘I really want to accommodate them…’

Even though I felt grateful, as the person in charge, I had to consider the practicalities.

There were two albums planned as part of Monochrome’s comeback project, aimed at establishing and promoting the group’s identity.

If one schedule was delayed, the next album would also be pushed back.

After flipping through my planner and considering all possible scenarios, I decided to consult the production team.

***

“Monochrome, assemble!”

Whatever they had been doing, the members, who had been lying on the practice room floor with Han-yi pinned beneath them, immediately jumped to their feet at my sudden command.

It was the first time I had made such a grand entrance, so they all looked bewildered.

“We’re going to America!”

At my unexpected announcement, the members asked in shock.

“A-America, all of a sudden?”

“We’re going to shoot some footage for the music video.”

They all just widened their eyes, unable to react properly.

This was the first time they had heard anything about filming overseas. I had already given them the schedule for the music video shoot for the first comeback album, and it hadn’t included any overseas locations.

But that wasn’t all I had to say.

“And to watch Jae Min’s competition!”

This time, the members’ eyes shifted to Jae Min’s face.

Suddenly the focus of attention, Jae Min froze as he processed my words, then his expression brightened.

Still, he seemed worried as he asked me.

“Are we sure the schedule will be okay?”

“Well, there are a few~ minor changes.”

In fact, the overseas shoot had always been part of my plan.

‘It’s just that it was scheduled for the next album, not this one.’

It took some time to come to a conclusion because I had to figure out how to make adjustments without disrupting any external commitments and with minimal impact on the internal schedule.

It was a tough decision, but in the end, I just moved up a shoot that I had planned for later anyway.

And most importantly, it also reflected my personal wish.

“I’ve always wanted to do an overseas shoot!”