Chapter 31: Virus Video
Minjun burst into laughter as he watched the zero-star video on his grandmother's phone. He decided to visit June now that he was home. The trainees are given some time off until the airing of the first episode. After that, they'll pretty much continue filming for the next two months.
Minjun and his grandma couldn't stop laughing as the lousy dancing of the zero-star trainees was shown. June watched them with a tired look. He had already watched it himself, and he wondered if the concept was a bad idea after all.
[HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.]
And worse, Fu couldn't stop laughing inside his head. This damn system. Sometimes June wonders if he really wants him to debut or not.
The music continued to resonate in his small room, and he watched from behind as his fellow trainees danced with serious enthusiasm, executing quirky yet synchronous moves that matched their respective animal outfits. The bear clumsily attempted a breakdance move while the bunny hopped around with boundless energy.
Aside from June, there were a few vocal cracks here and there. C-Jay, dressed like a lion, even growled during one of his notes, but it came out as a cheesy bark.
The video finished, and Grandma and Minjun couldn't stop laughing.
"When Minjun said you were going to join an idol show, I almost couldn't believe it," Grandma said. "But you were serious."
June gave them a dead look. "Stop playing that," he said, snatching the phone from the little kid's hand. He glanced at the view count and saw that it was stuck on 5,600 views. He clicked Azure's channel and saw that the five-stars had more than 100,000 views already. Even the two-stars passed the 20,000 mark.
June sighed. He definitely failed this time. He clicked on the zero-star video again and read some of the comments.
- Kekeke, what is this?! A school talent show?
- It's like watching a group of inflatable tube men at a car dealership.
- A guy with a mask on an idol survival show? What a joke!
- HHAHAHAH fuck, I can't stop laughing.
- Hey! Isn't this the guy on the bus with the little kid? So, he's actually going to film for Rising Stars during that time?
- I think I just got motion sickness from watching them.
June sighed once more and completely turned off the phone before tossing it on the couch.
"You sang quite well, big brother," Minjun said, giving him a thumbs up. "I'll ask my friends to watch your video tomorrow so your level can win."
June ruffled Minjun's hair. "Thanks, kid."
"Minjun's right," Grandma said. "You do sing pretty well. I was surprised when you first sang."
"Thanks, I guess," he grumbled. It doesn't take away the fact that their performance was horrendous and downright embarrassing, though.
"By the way. How long are you planning on wearing a cat mask on the show? You're a good-looking lad," Grandma said.
"My wounds," he said. "They're not healed yet."
"Oh, that's right," Grandma said, inspecting his face. "I'll give you a cream and a pack of face masks tomorrow. Apply the cream on your wounds so they can heal faster. Then, wear a mask every other day so your complexion brightens too. And make sure to eat more; you need more meat on your cheeks."
June nodded. "I'll do that, Grandma."
Just then, Minjun yawned, so Grandma held onto his hand. "We'll sleep first. I'll see you tomorrow, alright? Come down to eat some lunch with us."
"Yes, good night, Grandma. Good night, twerp."
With that, the two of them left his apartment. However, before they left, Minjun turned around and smiled at him.
"We'll only watch your video, big brother!" Minjun said. "I'm sure the other videos aren't as funny as yours."
June scoffed. "Just go to sleep, kid."
He closed the door and locked it before opening his phone and tracking the views once again.
5,765.
A whopping 165 views were added in the span of minutes.
Ah, whatever.
June went inside his room and plopped onto his bed. Practicing and filming for the last couple of days felt quite tiring, so he's been itching to rest. He's definitely going to sleep until noon tomorrow.
After a few seconds, he was able to fall into slumber.
***
June's sleep was interrupted by his phone's loud, continuous beeps. He groaned and glanced at the bedside clock.
10:07 AM.
He was determined to get more sleep! Who are the little shits that disrupted his sleep?
He squinted his eyes as he looked at the multiple texts from Jangmoon and C-Jay. There were a couple more texts from the other zero-star trainees, too. He frowned. Since when did they decide to act all friendly with June?
June was surprised that they were still excited despite the Power Up! booster expiring. It's like they attached themselves to June after the performance. They even kept pestering him for his number, so he had no choice in the end.
He opened the texts and immediately sat up.
- Brother, it's insane!
- I think we're going to win!
- The response to our performance video is crazy!
June quickly left the messaging app and went to Youwatch. His eyes widened in surprise when he looked at the number of views on their video.
6,567,890.
He rubbed his eyes and made sure he was indeed looking at their video. He couldn't be mistaken. It's really theirs. June then looked at the other levels' view count and saw that the five-star trainees just passed 3 million views.
"What the heck?" he muttered as he clicked on the video.
He went straight to the comments.
- My child thinks this is hilarious~
- HAHAHAHA shit. I'm not even a fan of idols, but this is hilarious.
- People actually watch this shit?
- Ah, the guy with the cat mask has a good voice ^_^
- I might actually tune in to Rising Stars.
- Holy! Already 5 million views?
- This isn't a viral video. This is a virus video.
He let go of his phone, the video playing in the background. Then, a smirk appeared on his face.
His plan actually worked.
They're definitely going to see their performance on TV.
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Chapter 32: Part Time
Alright, maybe winning wasn't too good. Their video practically played more than ten times on TV every day. It would just be short snippets, but June always cringed while watching them. The Azure broadcasting station isn't even the one showing them the most! They practically became a national meme after their video went viral. However, he couldn't really complain since more people have grown more curious about him.
June opened his phone and turned the camera on to see how his face was doing. What Grandma gave him seems to be doing wonders. His skin was already brighter, and the wounds were finally drying up. They were still there, though. So he might stick with the cat mask until they fully heal.
Besides, it's fun not being judged based on your appearance in the competition. June would like to enjoy it a bit more.
He scrolled through some of the pictures on Joon-ho's old phone but found nothing except screenshots of idol culture. This kid's life seemed to be such a mystery. June decided to explore his phone further, proceeding to the note app.
June's eyes widened in surprise when he saw a lone note entitled—" I shouldn't have seen what I saw."
He opened it and immediately read the content.
"In shadows cast by the veil of night,
A glimpse of darkness, stark and tight.
A secret hushed, a truth untold,
A tale of sin that must be stowed.
Eyes wide, my heart began to race,
I stumbled upon this somber place.
A truth too heavy for me to bear,
A burden I must forever wear.
To the grave, I'll take this weight,
A solemn vow, a sealed fate.
I'll bear this knowledge, dark and deep,
A secret held, my soul to keep.
So, here I stand, burdened by this weight,
A silent witness to cruel fate.
A tale of crime I'll never share,
To the grave, my secret I'll bear."
June frowned. This felt like lyrics to a song, or maybe it held a much deeper meaning than he'd thought?
Before June could ponder upon it, though, his phone suddenly beeped, a sign he had received a text message. He sighed. He swears if it's one of the zero-star trainees again…
They've been pestering him nonstop ever since they won the benefit. Calling him a "genius" and a good "big brother."
What a joke. Some of them were older than this body! Big brother, my ass.
June opened the text and found that the sender was called "monster."
From: Monster
"You better pay on the 20th, you little shit. You need to pay two months in total."
To: Monster
"Who's this?"
From: Monster
"Playing pretend now, huh? You're lucky I haven't kicked your sorry ass out. It's your landlady, you shithead!"
June raised his eyebrows in surprise. Well, now he knows why Joon-ho named the contact as such. He glanced at the calendar and saw it was already the 16th? As far as he knows, the former Joon-ho was broke, so he probably doesn't have any money stashed up.
Where the hell is he supposed to get money?
June was supposed to return to their filming site on the 24th, just in time for the first episode, so he still has time to look for money.
To: Monster
"I'll give it to you on the 23rd. How much do I owe you?"
From: Monster
"You better do that, little shit. You owe me 400 dollars."
June sighed and turned off his phone. At least it wasn't too bad. This apartment was shitty as hell, so the price is quite reasonable. He still doesn't think it's possible to earn 400 dollars in a week, though.
Should he ask Grandma for help?
Nah, that'd be too much. She already feeds him on a daily basis.
But maybe she knows some part-time jobs he can do for a week. With that thought, June went down since it was time for lunch as well.
June entered their small apartment, not even bothering to knock. This was like his second home now.
"You're here?" Grandma said, bringing out a pot of hot noodle soup for their lunch. "You're just in time. Come and grab a plate."
June helped arrange the table with Minjun. Then, they ate in peace. Honestly, this felt like the closest thing he could consider family now that Mei Ling wasn't with him.
"Grandma," June said as he finished his plate. "Do you know any part-time jobs I can do for only one week?"
"Why? Are you going to pay my grandma for giving you free meals now?" Minjun asked.
"Minjun," his grandma scolded.
"A job?" she asked. "But aren't you going back to film Rising Stars in a week?"
"Yes," June said. "That's why I need a short-term job."
"Well, you came to the right person," she smiled. "My old friend, who owns a family-owned convenience store a few blocks from here, is looking for a temporary worker since their son, who manages it, went on a trip to Australia. They're looking for someone to work the register for only a week."
June smiled. "Then, could you recommend me to work there?"
"Of course," she patted his shoulder. "I'm sure my friend will immediately hire you. They haven't found a part-timer yet since nobody wants to work for just one week. However, they're paying a pretty good amount—7 dollars per hour."
June nodded in approval. He'll be able to gain enough money for his rent if he works the entire week.
"When do you think I could start?"
Grandma brought her phone out. "Do you want to start now?"
CREATORS' THOUGHTS
SandKastle
SandKastle
A bit of a breather chapter while waiting for the first episode!
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Gifts
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received Weekly Power Status
200+ Power
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32 Power
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