Chapter 26: Rising Sun (6)

The summary of the headline of the article Do Wook had seen was something along those lines.

Sul Lae Im injured her leg badly enough to be hospitalized for 4 weeks, and Gae Na Ri ended up getting injured too as she tried to avoid Sul Lae Im, who was falling. That was the whole story of the accident from this broadcast.

The situation was aired to the entire nation because it was a live broadcast, and it became an even more widespread major broadcast accident as related videos were uploaded and spread online. Even Do Wook remembered being very surprised when he saw the video later.

Do Wook looked at Sul Lae Im who was standing next to him as he recalled the content.

Sul Lae Im, who was looking at the camera unaware of anything, and the stage floor she was standing on.

At that moment, the tile-shaped plywood that was glued to the floor caved into the ground and Sul Lae Im’s body leaned. It happened in an instant.

Sul Lae Im was about to fall forward before she could even let out a shriek.

“Be careful―!!!”

As he yelled, Do Wook snached Sul Lae Im’s wrist and pulled her. Sul Lae Im said “ow” and let out a quiet yelp.

She was pulled by Do Wook and fell into his bosom. The floor that she had just been standing on had completely collapsed. If she had stayed in that spot, if Do Wook was just one second late in pulling her out, she would have dropped directly to the ground under the stage.

Sul Lae Im looked at the floor, and her body started to tremble when she understood the situation.

The cast that were on the stage were also surprised and didn’t know what to do. It was also true for Ahn Hyung Seo, who had moved out of the way to the left just in the nick of time.

The audience who had been watching the whole situation were in a big uproar. It was a relief that they didn’t all get scared and scream.

The staff were in a state of confusion and waited for orders from PD Hyun Joo Hyuk, who was in charge of the whole set. PD Hyun Joo Hyuk, who had been watching the stage from the situation room, dizzily covered his head.

Thankfully, when Do Wook yelled to be careful, the microphone was turned off so the sound wasn’t broadcasted. However, Sul Lae Im’s short yelp was already broadcasted.

Next week’s preview finished playing on the monitor and had not been able to move on to the next screen. It had been broadcasting a freeze frame for about 15 seconds.

…It was a major broadcast accident.

Nevertheless, PD Hyun Joo Hyuk had to be grateful that today’s broadcast accident was only to this extent.

If the floor had collapsed and Sul Lae Im got hurt…It was too much to even think about it.

On PD Hyun Joo Hyuk’s orders, next week’s preview was played again. While next week’s preview was aired on TV, the stage staff moved quickly and used left over different colored plywood as a temporary measure to fill in the collapsed stage.

“Are you alright?”

“······Ah.”

Do Wook, who checked that the microphone was turned off again, grabbed Sul Lae Im’s shoulder and gently asked her as he helped her up. Sul Lae Im couldn’t respond properly and her hand that was holding the microphone was shaking. It looked like continuing on with the broadcast would be impossible like this.

‘I should send her off the stage.’

However, the staff went off the stage quicker than Do Wook expected and the video that started playing again was almost finished.

“It’s ok so catch your breath and I’ll do the next remark. You can just stand there.”

Sul Lae Im barely managed to nod her head at Do Wook’s words.

There was no trace of her bright and pleasant self. From what Do Wook could tell, Sul Lae Im was barely nineteen. She was over ten years younger than him. As he looked at Sul Lae Im, who was very shaken, he felt pity for her.

A red light came on in Camera 1 in the center.

“We ask for your understanding for the brief disruption due to an accident on the scene.”

Do Wook slightly bowed his head and said hello. Following his lead, Sul Lae Im and Ahn Hyung Seo also bowed their heads. The singers who were on stage weren’t able to hide their bewilderment, but they still had calmed down a lot.

“Then we’ll announce today’s first place!”

When Do Wook said the remark in Sul Lae Im’s place, the screen divided into two screens showing KK and Gae Na Ri, thefirst place nominees. Ahn Hyung Seo made a remark every time the graph on the screen moved.

“Music ranking score…Album sales score…! After totaling the internet vote and live vote by text… Today’s first place is…!”

The scores appeared on the screen one by one.

Unrelated to the stage accident that just happened, the KK members felt nervous enough for their palms to get sweaty.

It was the first place position. Arguably, they practically took over first place at the same time they debuted. It was unprecedented for an idol that came from a mid-sized agency who didn’t debut with the so-called Top 3 large agencies like Ara.

He felt like his mind was going blank.

However, Gae Na Ri was also a strong solo artist. The release of the song, Spring Rain, was timed incredibly well with the season.

‘Getting nominated for first place is already meaningful. KK will have an opportunity next week too…Let’s focus on the broadcast progression for now.’

Do Wook thought as he looked at the screen.

Announcing the first place winner was originally Sul Lae Im’s part. Do Wook glanced to see how she was doing. Sul Lae Im, who made eye contact with him, nodded that she would be able to do it.

She grabbed the microphone again and started to speak.

“Frist place is…!”

Sul Lae Im’s clear voice rang out from the stage.

***

“Ah… I’m dead…”

Kim Won muttered, exhausted. As soon as they got back to the dormitory, Kim Won rested on the sofa. Typically, Oh Baek Ho would have scolded him to change out of his clothes and organize the luggage, but he let him be.

Oh Baek Ho praised Ahn Hyung Seo and Do Wook.

“You guys worked hard.”

“It was all Do Wook. I didn’t do much…”

Ahn Hyung Seo looked up at Do Wook. It seemed like he grew a little taller since the last time they measured their height.

Do Wook worked hard to take care of his body by still going on his morning exercise when possible even while doing events and resting as much as he could during off times. Thanks to that, he grew 1cm as Ahn Hyung Seo saw.

“That’s not true. You worked hard too… Everyone did.”

Do Wook said as he carefully looked at Oh Baek Ho and the members. Jung Yoon Ki, who was sitting down on the living room floor, said to Do Wook,

“Huuu… It could have been really bad if it weren’t for you.”

Everyone shuddered as they recalled the moment the first place nominee was announced.

Jung Yoon Ki then turned on his laptop that he had left in the living room and started rewatching their performance on Life Song from today. The members huddled in front of it.

On the other side, Ahn Hyung Seo muttered as he turned on the communal computer in the living room.

“I should put a post on the fan cafe…”

Ahn Hyung Seo, who was muttering, had bloodshot eyes. Oh Baek Ho was about to tell them to write a post on the fan cafe anyways, and he was satisfied with Ahn Hyung Seo’s initiative.

All the members were subscribed to KK’s public fan cafe. Currently, there were only introductions posted under the ‘From KK’ menu.

[Hello~~~! Our loving KK fans.]

It was when Ahn Hyung Seo had written that much and was about to press enter.

“Sniffle…Sniffle sniffle…”

Ahn Hyung Seo heard the weird noise and turned around. Suk Ji Hoon, one of the members who had gathered around the laptop, was moaning.

“First place…! KK!!! Congratulations KK~!”

The scene of Sul Lae Im announcing the first place was replaying on the laptop. Fireworks, along with roars of "wooooooooooo" exploded.

“KK, your thoughts please~!”

Sul Lae Im moved out of the way and the KK members gathered in the middle. Jung Yoon Ki, who was caught off guard, took the microphone from her and started to give an acceptance speech while stammering.

“First of all, I didn’t know we’d get first place but… Thank you… Thank you to the company employees who work so hard for us, the KK members, my parents who gave birth to me… And more than anything, thank you to all the fans. KK will work even harder going forward.”

It was a remark Jung Yoon Ki had prepared when he learned that they were first place nominees. However, he himself had no idea he would actually get to say the remark he had prepared.

Do Wook, who was the second to give a remark, was filled with emotions but suppressed it and spoke calmly.

It was a sincere voice different from when he was MC-ing.

“Thank you…Truly.”

As Do Wook gave this thank you speech, he got emotional and he briefly raised his gaze and looked at the ceiling. Lights that were bright enough to blind you were above Do Wook’s head.

‘Sorry but I Love you’ started to play along with the piano accompaniment.

By that time, Ahn Hyung Seo was already bawling his eyes out. Jung Yoon Ki, who had been consoling Ahn Hyung Seo, also burst into tears. Park Tae Hyung, who had been tapping his feet to the beat, had tear-filled eyes. Kim Won wasn’t crying, but he was filled with emotion and was running around the stage.

Only Suk Ji Hoon was indifferent, singing Ahn Hyung Seo’s part in his place.

“Moooom… Sniffle sniffle…”

That same Suk Ji Hoon was now bawling in the dormitory, crying out for his mom. In the car on the way back, Oh Baek Ho had praised Suk Ji Hoon that he was the most mature, but to the other members’ surprise, he completely looked like a child now. It was to the point that Oh Baek Ho would have been embarrassed.

Even though he seemed mature, at 18 years old, Suk Ji Hoon was definitely a young child. As they looked at him, who burst into tears after the fact, the other members could feel their emotions swelling up too.

All the hardship he had been forced to go through since a young age was making Suk Ji Hoon sad. The only thing that happened was they got first place, but it felt like everything he had bottled up inside until now was being washed away with the tears.

“I guess he really is the youngest. Yo, quit yur cryin’.”

Suk Ji Hoon did not stop crying even at Jung Yoon Ki’s words. The members each tried to comfort him and patted his back. They shared the joy of being first place while they comforted each other.

That was how the night they got first place went.

***

After waking up early and doing his morning exercise as usual, Do Wook sat in front of the computer and searched for articles related to yesterday’s Life Song episode.

Searching for articles every morning was his main task when he worked as a PR employee. He still periodically searched for articles out of habit.

It was easy to grasp the public’s reaction by how many articles the press wrote about the main article, and by looking at the number of views, recommendations, and number of comments etc. of each article.

Of course, no matter what article was written, there were people who posted negative comments and overall comments on articles that were overrun by internet trolls like that were not good.

However, Do Wook was able to easily differentiate between troll articles like that and actually negative articles.

The main article in the Portal Entertainment News category was the major news that happened yesterday. One of the five main articles was about KK’s first place in Life Song.

Below that, there were KK related articles referencing the press release given by HIT Entertainment’s Marketing Team.

Do Wook clicked on the article that had the most views among them and read the full article.

.

The article stated that they were as extraordinary rookies as the title said, getting first place within 3 weeks of debuting, along with lots of praises of them as the special MCs.

Do Wook thought,

‘The comments are pretty positive too.’

He also skimmed over the related articles that popped up below. It was related to the Life Song accident.

The article was about the VCR video stopping due to a stage device problem that occurred in the MC area while waiting for the first place announcement and the same being played again.

-That day, the cast panicked because the stage floor caved in…-

Honestly, the flooring issue that could have led to a more serious accident was a bigger issue than the screen freezing, but the article didn’t cover it much.

‘Then again, nothing big happened anyways…’

After the broadcast was over, the people from Life Song apologized to Sul Lae Im and gave their thanks to Do Wook. Besides getting very startled, neither Sul Lae Im nor the cast were badly injured so it was a matter that could be wrapped up with that.

However, Do Wook frowned when he clicked the related article underneath.

‘What’s going on?’

—

Translator's comments: Happy Thanksgiving from the U.S.! Welcome to Volume 2!

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