The members started to murmur.
They seemed flustered when the male coworker sitting next to them was described as a Goddess of Beauty. Wasn’t this the kind of thing that was above and beyond coworkers’ business?
“…….”
Look, Lee Hwayoung quietly put a hand to his mouth, shifted his gaze around, and then turned his head away.
The
Lee Hwayoung, no less.
Is it funny?
“Hmm.”
After staying like that for a moment, the guy seemed to regain his composure and stared straight ahead with a blank expression.
Hey, don’t you dare pretend you didn’t laugh
. I saw it all, you were totally cracking up.
“I think it’s a great idea, Leada. I’ll be watching Leada’s charm shines.”
“…..Me, me too.”
When Zen quickly struck first, Do Yuda stumbled to chime in belatedly. Zen seemed sincere, while Do Yuda looked like he was faking it because he couldn’t just sit back and let Zen score points on me.
“…….”
Woo Kangwon and Baek Kiryang looked like their thoughts had completely flown out the window, nodding absentmindedly. Well, it was unlikely that those two softies would ever say anything negative. Seriously, why on earth were our eldest members like this?
“If it’s Seungbeom-hyung, he will be able to do anything well. I believe in you, hyung.”
Even Lee Danbi, my last hope, didn’t step in to object it, leaving me with no place to rely on anymore. What on earth did the members think of me? A situation like this wasn’t how I wanted to confirm Lee Danbi’s trust on me.
‘Is this okay?’
I had to be the level-headed one, at least. If I let my guard down any further, the concept was bound to go completely off track. There’s a reason over-immersion is called
over
. It crossed the line by getting too immersed, that’s why it’s
over
. I appreciated how hardworking our employees were, but sometimes, when they charged ahead like runaway trains, it was necessary to rein them in a bit.
I knew better than anyone here that if things kept going this way, there would be no turning back. After all, I had once been reckless like a wild colt and ended up being scorned by Seo Yuseong. Though it felt like too grandiose a phrase for a situation like this, past failures do, at times, help people grow.
I let out a small sigh, cleared my throat, and gathered everyone’s attention. Then, I began to speak.
“Well, if something needs to be done, it will be done. However, I think we should give some thought to how the public will perceive it.”
When I brought up the matter in a slightly negative tone, the employees nodded and listened to what I had to say, as if they weren’t completely surprised.
“Certainly, the idea you’ve suggested is fresh and would easily become a hot topic. However, I think it deviates a bit from the ‘
proper concept that can satisfy the fans
‘ that you initially mentioned. Our group already has enough recognition, so there’s no need to take unnecessary risks in that regard, is there?”
In the idol market, where new groups were constantly emerging, the desperate pursuit for a fresh and eye-catching concept that hadn’t been done before sometimes led to cases where things went too far like this.
The people who cheered for the unconventional attempt to turn a man into a goddess were probably accustomed to that kind of culture, but they could never represent the general public. Even if the focus was on the fandom, a concept that made people think, “
What kind of people would like that, otaku?
” was simply going too far.
“These are opinions that were mentioned mainly for fun on SNS.”
We shouldn’t forget.
The countless ‘
LOLOLOLOL
‘ that followed the comments in favor of Aphrodite.
“I think it would be beneficial in the long run to set clear standards for how much of the fans’ opinions to accept. Also, it’s better to avoid assuming that the general public will understand inside jokes that only fans are familiar with.”
When the official side started adopting memes created just for fun by the fans, it could come across as insensitive, like they’re trying to get something without doing anything, or lacking in principle. There were plenty of other areas where the opinions of the fans should be actively considered.
Granted, when this meeting scene went to air, there would be jokes that the real concept was Aphrodite, but it was perfectly acceptable.
As I addressed that, the heated atmosphere started to cool down a bit, and the employees, looking a little regretful, began to discuss again.
“Then, should Seungbeom-ssi go with Zeus, the most suggested option?”
“Hmm, besides both being leaders, I can’t really see any similarities between Zeus and Seungbeom-ssi … His image as a womanizer and a debaucher is too strong.”
“Then, in the end, I think we should go with the Apollo concept, which suits Seungbeom-ssi’s image the best. After all, it’s better to choose from a name that is familiar to the public.”
“That’s a good idea. Apollo is also considered a symbol of a beautiful man.”
Just when the conversation was progressing too slowly, the employee who was wearing glasses gasped and, as if possessed, muttered something under her breath.
“Woah. Blond hair, green colored lenses. Laurel wreath accessory.”
“Woah.”
“Woah.”
Then, everyone’s eyes turned to me.
They studied my face, then smiled brightly and nodded.
“Best.”
…..And just like that, I was assigned the Apollo concept.
Is this okay?
.
.
.
“Next, we have the hyung line. Both Woo Kangwon-ssi and Baek Kiryang-ssi were frequently mentioned as Poseidon.”
I thought Baek Kiryang would be compared to something like a deer god or a scarecrow god, so I was surprised when they suddenly said Poseidon. Could it be because of his curly bluish hair?
I rolled my eyes in confusion and checked on the members, but they were all completely calm.
“Kangwon-hyung has a great body, so many people have mentioned him as Poseidon. But since he has a darker skin tone, I think a different concept would be more fitting than Poseidon.”
“I think Poseidon would suit Kiryang-hyung.”
“….Kiryang-hyung?”
When I quietly asked in response to Lee Danbi’s claim, the members shook their heads with expressions that seemed to say, “
There he goes again
“.
“Hyung, if we interpret the character like you do, no one will be able to relate. The only people who keep saying ‘
weasel
‘ and ‘
weasel
‘ when talking about Kiryang-hyung are you and his fans. And fans always say everything from ping pong balls to the sun resembles us, but we shouldn’t take that seriously!”
Why?
As I stared blankly at the screen with shaky gaze, Do Yuda, unable to watch any longer, clenched his fist, and shut his eyes tightly. Then, he trembled violently before yelling.
“Oh my gosh, where in the world is there a weasel over 180 cm tall! And Kiryang-hyung is not that skinny!”
“…….”
He’s so skinny. He’s just bones and skin … walking is all he can do.
“Hyung, just how insignificant do you really think of us? Do you know what people are saying about our members? They say we don’t look like a rookie group. You know our group’s average height is the second tallest after Prism seniors, right?”
Alas, my world fell apart today.
Or perhaps the logic of this world had betrayed me.
At the end of the world, Lee Hwayoung was leaning on his arm with a bored expression, as if he had expected this. Woo Kangwon was avoiding eye contact with me, and Baek Kiryang, looking embarrassed, had his ears turning bright red as he lowered his head.
“Leada’s expression is funny.”
Zen…….
Zen simply had no thoughts at all.
“Hyung, I’m sorry I haven’t been able to tell you this before, but I think you see us too much like babies.”
Lastly, since Lee Danbi’s death sentence was handed down, there was no one who listened to my words.
Everyone abandoned me and continued the meeting.
“Let’s finalize Kiryang-ssi as Poseidon, and how about Ares for Kangwon-ssi? If you see the outfits the costume team designed, it seems like they will suit Kangwon-ssi well. And the props too.”
“I’m fine with that.”
No, what’s wrong with treating those guys who still look like children as children? Even if we sometimes need to bring some laughs for the reality show, aren’t they being too hard on me?
‘It’s true that these kids look gentler than Prism. I didn’t do anything wrong
.
‘
When I thought about that, I suddenly remembered some of the comments I saw during my time with Prism.
Prism is really f**king mind-blowing. I saw them in person, and they’re just sooooooooo freaking scary. Big, dark-skinned men are all gathered together. how am I supposed to talk to them? ㅠㅠ Who was the idiot who said Lee Chise is relatively better? Seriously, clean your eyes properly. I couldn’t even ask for a photo.
└ Did you not know? Prism are … the most beautiful … when seen from afar…..
— The reason why Seo Yutae’s styling doesn’t look excessive partly is because of his visual, but to be honest, the members of Prism also contributed a lot. Seriously hahaha Prism is like a bomb dropped in the idol industry.
Back then, I thought everyone was just joking because of the strong concept. But if, by a one-in-a-thousand chance, that wasn’t an exaggeration and was actually their honest opinion, I wondered if the standards I had gotten used to—Prism and my own face—would align with the common sense of this world.
“Leada, please be cute. I’m good with that.”
Finally realizing that my standards had completely gone off track, I was left in a daze, unable to do anything but gently rub Zen’s head, which he had shoved toward me, as if polishing a bowling ball. As I sought comfort in stroking that thing with a texture similar to dog hair, the meeting was gradually progressing, and they were getting closer to settling on Lee Hwayoung’s concept.
“Nicholas-ssi has been mentioned a lot in relation to Apollo and Hades. His appearance, in particular, fits well with mythology concept, so I think he’d be perfect for the main role in MVs and teasers. We should consider this aspect as well.”
‘A 5-year-old brat lookalike … Hades concept?’
I rolled my eyes slightly and looked at Lee Hwayoung, who was standing next to Do Yuda. Then, Jack’s illusion kept overlapping in front of Lee Hwayoung, flickering in my vision.
‘Huh, no. That’s the cheeky Nicholas Hwayoung Lee.’
And then, startled by the sound of Lee Hwayoung clicking his tongue, I came to my senses and furrowed my brow. What a terrible mistake I made, confusing him with Jack-Jack. They’re two different people.
As I was making a face as if I was once again placed in the middle of the cosmos
1
, Do Yuda and Zen spoke in a serious tone.
“I should have known from when this hyung made Danbi wear a pink hoodie last time. He’s completely lost it.”
“If Kangwon-hyung treats Nicholas-hyung like a baby, it’s understandable. But Leada is scolding a brick with a body like a twig.”
No, as I just kept watching, these guys had no end to their nonsense.
You guys, try getting older. Didn’t the ones who were more than ten years younger than you automatically look young? I was the one who bought that brat popsicles when he was in his snot-nosed days. Couldn’t you at least show me half of the mercy you showed to the male Aphrodite?
I had so much to say, but no one would listen to me.
I was lonely.
‘Yuseong-ah, your hyung is suffering this humiliation among these snot-nosed kids.’
As Seo Yuseong’s indifferent ‘
so what?
‘ echoed in my head, Zen, who had been quietly looking over the provided Hades MV costume materials, spoke softly.
“The clothes are sexy.”
“…….”
As soon as Zen said that, the employees quickly averted their eyes and started making excuses.
“Given that the concept is based on Greek mythology, I think some revealing clothing is inevitable. But I believe there won’t be any issues because Pantheion’s members take good care of their bodies.”
Noticing that something seemed off, I immediately looked down at the materials and tilted my head.
‘It’s just this much. What?’
It wasn’t indecent, but compared to other god concepts, the outfit was quite revealing. It was basically just showing off the upper chest. They had said they would reinterpret it to avoid being too overwhelming even from a modern perspective, so it seemed like they compromised with a robe made of moderately thin material.
Zen, placing both hands together on his chest, shook his head and spoke calmly.
“My body is like a log. So even if I wear these sexy clothes, there’s nothing to show. Instead, I recommend Mister Lee, who has 19+ body.”
“Are you crazy?”
As soon as I heard Lee Hwayoung’s bewildered voice, I smiled brightly and leaned my face toward the camera, blocking the the view of the chaotic conference room.
And then, I made a gesture of cutting something with scissors.
Edit. Edit.
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Translator’s Corner:
You know human lives in Earth, right. Not in the cosmos. MC felt like he’s isolated and alone like being placed in the middle of the universe while everyone else is on Earth. ↩︎
omg anon who mentioned Apollo, you’re right on track….
Anyway guys, I can’t say anything if you asked about something that’s not explained yet because it would be spoiler. Trust me, you wouldnt want spoiler in this story. The author’s writing style is so good, it’s nice to just pick up pieces by pieces slowly instead of just rushing it all. Everything is actually already explained in detail, especially MC personality, so as long as you read carefully since the first chapter, you will understand his personality … he’s THAT consistent. If you can’t understand why he did ABCDEF but still want to read … be patient … everything will be explained by other characters’ POV in the future … you can’t just judge MC just based on his narration ….. I put unreliable narrator tag in NU for a reason T_T
Like I’m not lying when I said I like this story, this is actually my top #1 read for 2024 … I won’t be so loud about this if I’m not confident in my taste …. please don’t be so harsh on my Yutae ….. well, and each reader has their own interpretations, and I’m not the author so I can’t say who’s right and who’s wrong, everyone’s taste is different, but still …….. please look at him with warm gaze in front of me T_T I like him a lot, if isekai is real I hope I can get isekai-d to this story universe so I can be his fans, MC i love you …
Okay that’s too long. Ugh, I mentioned in the last chapter that my environment is currently on creepy mode, and today I found out all my housemates already went back home and MY LANDLADY TOO WENT TO HER CHILD’S HOUSE IS ANOTHER CITY FOR NEW YEAR T_T I’M IN THIS QUIET HOUSE ALONE omg I’m doomed #prayforme