Producer with no Regrets - Chapter 796



Only Noblemtl

Episode 796

One fell down grandly like a slapstick comedian.

As the second verse began and Bugbug made his first move, the screen clearly showed Bugbug’s front.

In a blunt manner, one slapstick comedy was broadcast simultaneously on three large screens.

The director seemed embarrassed and quickly changed the screen to a scene of a drone swooping down.

Even when looking down from above, one person caught my eye, having fallen over and sat there dazed.

“Phew.”

Laughter was heard from the side. Seongpil turned around and saw Seiko.

“Ahaha!”

It wasn’t just Seiko. Faint or loud laughter echoed everywhere.

It was a funny scene.

Because he didn’t trip or simply mess up a move, he fell while waving his arms and taking strange steps.

If one of them had done that on a variety show, there would have been laughter and praise from everyone around them.

But one place that stands out is the stage.

‘It’s over.’

Seongpil had a gut feeling.

He recalled an interview with an idol who said that during their debut stage, their pants came undone and they had to keep pulling them up while dancing.

It is said that he burst into tears after the performance.

Such a minor mistake, of course not minor since your pants kept falling down, but even such a mistake can break your mentality.

Even those who have prepared for years to become idols often fall apart due to very minor accidents on stage.

But one thing… … .

‘Of course, but I’ve never practiced for this kind of situation.’

Of course, they must have known that they would be performing in front of 13,000 people when they filmed the program. However, it probably didn’t come to that in reality.

A small underground live house with a garden of 100 people.

That was the only universe where one could breathe as an idol.

For someone like that, the stage called Yoyogi National Stadium would not be approachable.

‘It’s hopeless.’

Seongpil’s teeth were chattering.

I thought of the malicious comments about bugs that were pouring out on SNS. The gossip that made Sungpil frown every time he checked the program’s response.

If this scene were to air, what on earth would people say?

‘No, the future is not the problem.’

I have to deal with the laughter of 13,000 people right now. Can that middle school kid do it?

I’m a middle school student. I’m still at an age where I’m shy about going up to the podium and giving a presentation to my classmates.

But if you endure this much ridicule, it wouldn’t be strange if you lost your mind.

If this stage is aired, it won’t end with 13,000 people.

More than 3 million people will watch it in real time, and if it spreads through social media, more than 30 million people will watch one slapstick comedy.

Seongpil, who drew all of that future in less than a second, couldn’t help but tremble.

It’s not like I’m making a fuss over something like ruining a stage or a broadcast.

“one…….”

This is the crossroads where a person’s life will be ruined.

The moment he realized that, Seongpil immediately admitted it.

‘My ability.’

It’s gone.

The moment he thought about that, Sungpil lowered his head. It was hard to look at him any longer. He couldn’t bear to watch the sight of an idol’s dream being shattered.

* * *

One’s vision is 2.0 in both eyes.

Even when his friends started wearing glasses one by one, Hana’s eyesight did not deteriorate at all.

That was one of the things I was proud of.

That boast drove one into despair. Her excellent eyesight allowed her to see each and every expression of the audience so clearly.

‘You’re smiling… … .’

I noticed people laughing at me. Their faces were shaking like crazy. It was because one of them was shaking.

It was the first time I realized that the human body could vibrate so violently.

Tears flow without warning.

‘It’s over.’

The fuel that would have taken him to the stage of his dreams was all gone before it even reached the ignition point.

It was right in front of my eyes.

One looked around like a person falling into the sea unconsciously reaching out.

When he looked around to see if there was anyone who could help him, he saw only time moving, excluding himself.

The BugBug members danced with embarrassed faces. They all had a look of concern for each other. However, no one helped them up.

If you deviate from the performance like this, that member will lose his balance and fall.

It’s that kind of stage. It’s like a torrential stream. Once you step into it, you’re swept away. No, you can’t even think about stopping dancing and starting something.

One of them turned his head the other way.

There was the Girls’ League. They were looking this way, in the same pose as when the second verse started.

They didn’t even take one in. They probably just glanced at it and thought it was all over, making that scary expression they had on their face.

‘This is loneliness.’

A vacuum of relationships that no one can touch.

There is no savior on this stage.

How many seconds passed? 5 seconds? 6 seconds? 10 seconds… … .

One of them is on the floor doing some slapstick comedy and it’s been about 10 seconds now. I’ve just wasted about 1/7 of the second verse doing nothing.

At that moment, the voice of an old friend echoed in my head.

‘So what? It was a compromise.’

A friend who sharply criticized one.

I’ve been resenting that guy.

But, oh, that’s really true.

‘I am paying the price of my arrogance for pursuing my dream on a vague and compromised subject… … now… … .’

Because dreams are merciless to a human who is not fierce at every moment.

One of them finally burst into tears.

The desperate scene was reflected in the corner of the screen.

* * *

Verse 2, it’s Bugbug’s turn.

Then the Girls’ League retreats to the edge of the stage and poses, yielding the stage to another group that has shown up at the party, and waiting to see if they are worthy of being crowned ‘Prom Queen’.

That is, the Girls’ League is watching Bugbug.

I’m watching Snow White.

‘ah.’

Snow White lets out a groan in her heart. She couldn’t dare say it out loud.

A performance is a well-made play. You can’t let yourself get ruined just because the other actor did a bad job.

That’s why Snow White is completely immersed in her role. She just watches.

Still, it was impossible to completely hide the regret. Not only for Baek Seol-ha, but also for the other members of the Girls’ League.

‘one…….’

All the members look at one another and groan inwardly.

We’ve all had that experience once or twice. Even if it wasn’t a spectacular failure, it was an experience where we almost ruined the stage.

Everyone remembers that time and sympathizes with Hana.

What Baek Seol-ha remembered was the ‘New Asa’ stage.

I went up on stage with a performance that I wasn’t fully proficient at. If Shin A-reum hadn’t helped me, I might have collapsed like Snow White and cried.

Yeah, one is crying.

From the moment she fell, the perfect stage went down the drain, but since she was crying, it was impossible to recover any further.

But Snow White didn’t blame anyone.

‘I understand.’

One of them is just a middle school student.

Telling someone like that to overcome a crisis like Baek Seol-ha did during ‘New Asa’ is truly violent. Furthermore, even Baek Seol-ha was able to overcome the crisis with Shin A-reum’s help.

One has no members to help.

I wanted to stride over to her and help her up. But even if I helped her by destroying the stage setup, no one knew if she would come to her senses.

Snow White closed her eyes tightly.

I remembered the time when I was an idol when I was around the same age as Hana.

‘If I had made the same mistake back then… … .’

My dream of becoming an idol would have been shattered.

All Baek Seol-ha can do is not to blame Hana after the show ends. At the very least, she should not laugh like the majority of the audience.

Because that laughter would have already become a storm and torn one’s entire body to pieces.

* * *

Seiko laughed heartily, saying, “This is what happens when you put underground idols on TV!”

She closed her mouth as the laughter and boos from the audience grew louder. She covered her mouth as if she was nauseated, and her complexion was clearly not good.

“Seiko?”

Himura was worried and carefully wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

“Seiko, are you okay?”

“… … .”

Seiko looked up at the stage with wavering eyes.

Then Himura could understand why Seiko was acting like this.

Seiko was reminded of her past.

One of them falls on stage and bursts into tears. And then there’s laughter and boos from all sides.

That was a mechanism that triggered Seiko’s past trauma. One of the people on stage felt like her past self, and she felt unbearably uncomfortable.

“are you okay.”

Seiko straightened her posture, gently shaking off Himura’s worries.

“are you okay…….”

Seiko unconsciously took on a serious expression.

At the very least, I thought it would be polite to take this stage seriously.

Laughing, pitying, jeering, comforting, it all hurts.

If Seiko were there, she would want people to take her seriously. So that they would know that the stage is not a deathbed where everything is over, but a stage for life that is still in progress.

But, it’s hard.

“I’m going to die… … .”

I’m going to die.

Those words came out unconsciously.

If Seiko, or rather, the Seiko of the past, were in that position, I would literally want to die.

The one enduring such pressure was a middle school girl. She was a child who was too shy to even stand in front of people.

As that thought crossed Seiko’s mind, she turned her head away from the stage again. And then she saw.

“Director Paku… … ?”

Seongpil lowered his head to the floor like a defeated boxer.

He was holding his hands together as if praying.

It was the complete opposite of the always confident Seongpil. It looked so pitiful and sublime that I couldn’t find the courage to talk to him.

“Paku… … .”

The moment Seiko reached out to Sungpil’s shoulder, it was then that she realized what a producer was.

Seiko has so far ignored the idol group.

Because it’s a doll created by the producer.

But now that I see Sungpil, I can realize that the producer’s hand can only reach him when he is off stage.

From the moment they stand on stage, idols escape the producer’s hands.

What the producer can do then is.

‘Just believe.’

I just believe in idols.

The stage, where the producer can do nothing, is truly a battlefield for idols.

The producer must just fold his hands and pray like a mother who has sent her children and husband off to the battlefield.

what?

‘I hope idols can overcome this on their own.’

Seiko’s five senses returned to their original state after a brief moment of being absorbed in the monk-like appearance of Seongpil.

When I came back, I felt the same atmosphere as before. It was full of jeers, mockery, and laughter…

“ah.”

Himura groaned.

And then the mood changed.

Seiko reflexively turned her head towards the stage.

“ah.”

And Seiko couldn’t help but let out a surprised sound like Himura.

“astir…….”

70 seconds of verse 2.

One of them, who had been lying down and crying for about 20 seconds, is now getting up.

With legs that trembled more than a newborn calf, he stood up with his small feet supporting the ground, like a miner’s slave stretching his back for the first time, looking pitiful.

Finally, one of them raised his head.

Her face was still soaked with tears, but her eyes were different. They were shining.

Her lips were trembling as if she had cried less, but her eyes were fixed firmly and looking into the future.

He moves his arms slowly with those shining eyes.

I’m trying to dance.

“I woke up… … .”

At those words, Seongpil slowly raised his head that had been bowed. And he saw. Hana, who had been shedding tears until just now, standing up.

Seongpil was thrilled.

I couldn’t hear the same laughter anymore.

Because everyone realized something like Seongpil.

The fact is that what is unfolding before our eyes is a miracle.

“Dance… … … … .”

A silence fell over the concert hall, making it hard to believe that it was filled with 13,000 people.

The crowd was overwhelmed, as the Roman citizens watched Cicero speak in the forum after Caesar’s death.

The reason the Roman citizens were overwhelmed was because they realized that after Cicero’s speech, no one would shout for freedom in the public squares of Europe for another 1,000 years.

It was the same here.

There will never be another one.

Idols who are the same.

“Again… … I woke up… … .”

Everyone was silent, knowing that no child would ever be able to continue performing after enduring the laughter and ridicule of 13,000 people.

As is often the case with those who witness miracles.

* * *

One thought.

‘I feel like I’m going to die.’

The thought of losing both my dreams and my future drains all my strength.

‘I want to die right now.’

Now, whatever happens to dreams, it doesn’t matter.

‘I want to be comforted instead of laughed at.’

If I could go back in time, I would never… … .

‘Never… … .’

On this stage again, again, again… … .

‘… … I have to get up.’

Even if I go back to the past, Hana will stand on this stage again. Because, Hana’s dream is to be an idol.

One of them slowly got up, his hands on the ground.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see the audience. Everyone is still laughing.

The instinct to be comforted welled up in her. The things that came to her mind were her father, who had finally acknowledged her dream, and Seongpil, who had recognized her and come to her.

One erased them both.

‘What I need right now is not affection.’

Rather, people need to laugh at me.

What she needs is.

‘The harshness that pushes my back.’

One of them stood up, kicking the ground, shaking its legs like a newborn calf.

Finally, I straightened my back and stood up. The audience was engulfed in silence and the silent audience came into view at a glance.

‘What does my face look like now?’

That can’t be good at all.

One tried to step.

Her body didn’t move right away. The pain spread through her blood vessels throughout her body. Her fingertips and toes were tingling.

‘My future is all gone. It’s all over. I’ve failed.’

One barely managed to move. She joined the ranks of the bugbugs and began to dance.

‘I failed… … .’

but.

‘Even if you fail, you have to do it. Because you got up again.’

I’ve been practicing desperately for two months.

‘I didn’t practice to fall down.’

The movement starts from the chest, travels up the arms, past the wrists, and blossoms out through the fingertips.

Proprioception, the sense of where your fingertips are pointing, where your arms are positioned, and the confidence that all those movements have been performed correctly.

This step was so hard to learn because it moves in the opposite direction of the upper body.

Even in the midst of heart-wrenching pain and anxiety about the future, one felt an ecstasy as if one had entered into complete heaven.

It was because of this moment.

‘Yeah, that’s why I tried so hard to dance and sing so naturally… … .’

One second of swinging your arms.

And then one second to take the next step.

1 second, 0.1 second, 0.01 second, every second contains the essence she has accumulated. She can clearly feel every grain of sand she has stepped on and accumulated so far.

The grains of sand accumulated in one body are saying this.

‘Don’t make us into nothing.’

Protect us.

Please don’t give up on us, the people who have put in hundreds and thousands of hours to build us up.

One answers by dancing.

‘I won’t give up.’

Perhaps this is the crossroads between first-class and third-class.

The tears that had been gathering in his eyes flutter away as he turns his gaze as if throwing his head.

‘A first-class person is not someone who is perfect in everything.’

It shouldn’t be.

‘He’s someone who doesn’t let go of opportunities that come his way.’

You have to be that kind of person.

‘A person who can use past failures as nutrients to fill the future. A person who can overcome failure and move on to the next stage.’

One decided to become first-class.

Fortunately, this stage is filled with both first-class and third-class performers. She has the opportunity to learn what first-class means.

Third-rate is bug-bug.

‘When I fell, everyone was confused and worried.’

The Girls’ League is first-class.

‘I didn’t feel anything when I fell.’

Because you’d think it would happen naturally. If a member of the Girls’ League had fallen, they would have been so indifferent.

Because, of course, so obviously.

‘I have to get up. No, at least I shouldn’t be a nuisance… … .’

As I thought about it that far, I realized something.

‘Oh, how much I… … .’

Were you living in an easy world?

I was tempted to give up after failing once. I was determined to fail. Even though I didn’t fail.

I feel sorry for myself. I almost lost everything because of one mistake.

It was an insult to the time I had put in.

‘I didn’t fail. I made a mistake.’

Just one time isn’t enough to end everything.

The time that Bugbug appears in the song is 2 minutes and 30 seconds, excluding the first verse, which is the Girls’ League’s exclusive stage. (There is an expression above that 20 seconds out of 70 seconds of the second verse were wasted, so please check this part.)

‘I only cut off 20 seconds of it.’

I still have 70% of my future left.

There is no time to be caught up in the past.

‘I don’t have any. I don’t have any.’

Because they’re idols.

What she sees is the flowering of accumulated time.

A single grain of sand, piled up without giving up until the end, leads her above the clouds.

* * *

Sungpil sees the light.

It’s probably a mistake.

Seongpil is the only one who feels that way. Nevertheless, there is nothing that can express that appearance except light.

To Seongpil, ordinary people are darkness.

No matter how crowded the street is, he seems to be walking in the dark.

Sometimes, some people stand out.

Just a tiny spark.

If you keep moving forward while taking in such intermittent light in your eyes, you will eventually encounter it.

A big light.

Candles, bonfires, it’s hard to express it with words like fire, it’s light itself, it’s life force itself.

‘Rika did it.’

Although such light is innate, it is sometimes visible. There are times when what was clearly a candle becomes a bonfire, a forest fire, and then light itself.

Seongpil looks at the stage.

Miyoko is moving towards the center, facing Baekseolha. Seongpil’s eyes are fixed on Hana behind Miyoko.

His eyes were focused on Hana. It was as if Sungpil’s mind was open only to her.

“light…….”

Thunderstorms that can be seen by everyone even when covered in thick clouds.

The light that had been crouching in the clouds descended to the ground. No more laughter could be heard from the surroundings.

* * *

The Girls’ League and Bugbug stage has ended.

One of them ran to the corner as soon as he entered backstage, grabbing a bucket of cleaning supplies.

“Wow!”

He vomited loudly.

Celebrities, celebrities, and staff waiting backstage look at her.

One of them clutched the bucket and gasped for breath. He croaked and then burst into tears.

A handkerchief was brought in with a face covered in tears, snot, and vomit.

“Eububububub!”

The handkerchief rubbed Hana’s face roughly, as if wiping a window. When it was over, Hana knew who had wiped her face.

“Hey, Miyoko-sister… … .”

One of them seemed like he was going to cry again.

But I held on desperately.

‘What did you do well enough to make you cry… … .’

You need to apologize. You need to apologize first.

I have to apologize to all the BugBug members and staff… … .

“One, good job.”

“… … .”

I decided not to cry… … .

“But before that.”

Miyoko stepped aside in front of Hana. Hana, who was about to hug Miyoko and cry, was flustered.

As Miyoko stepped aside, the only things that came into view were the members of the Girls’ League.

One of them became a thought. He had just gotten down on his knees to vomit. He was about to put his hands on the ground and bury his forehead in it.

“one-!”

Snow White hugged Hana tightly.

One thought was, it feels like being hugged by your mother.

“Good job! You woke up well!”

“Ah, ah, but, I, made a mistake… … .”

“are you okay!”

Snow White hugged Hana even tighter.

“There will be hundreds of more stages to come! What’s the big deal about failing once? You did well! It’s really great that you got up!”

“… … .”

Eventually, one of them burst into tears.

For the first time in a long time, I felt like I was complaining to my mother, whom I had forgotten about a long time ago. I freely poured out my emotions to Baek Seol-ha.

Everyone backstage watched the scene with delight.

At that time, Jang Ha-yang quietly approached the Bugbug members. Nishino, who was closest to Jang Ha-yang, reacted with a start.

“Of course, you guys did a great job. There were no mistakes. That’s great, but apart from that, it was a very well-made performance.”

Jang Ha-yang hugged Nishino lightly as if praising him. It felt like steam was floating over Nishino’s head.

“Yes, yes… … .”

Jang Ha-yang’s embrace started from Nishino and reached Miyoko. Jang Ha-yang hugged Miyoko tightly.

“You worked hard, Miyopi.”

“… … .”

Miyoko looked over Jang Ha-yang’s shoulder at the members of the Girls’ League. Still, in Miyoko’s eyes, she saw the beasts that had bitten her when she was young.

But the emotions that should have welled up did not arise.

Miyoko smiled brightly and hugged Jang Ha-yang.

“thank you.”

I feel really good.

Because it is praise from an idol.

* * *

After looking back on their achievements so far, the Girls’ League and Bugbug said goodbye in a warm atmosphere. With this, the recording of the final episode of ‘Girls’ League X Bugbug Invasion!’ has ended.

“See you at the after party next time!”

The applause from dozens of people at once was huge. I had already experienced the applause from 13,000 people, but I was still surprised.

As I was applauding a little late, my shoulders trembling, the staff members passed by one by one and greeted them.

“See you next time on site.”

“Even if I become famous later, I can’t pretend not to know?”

“What are you talking about? You’re already famous.”

“Oh, really? Should I get it signed in advance?”

“Isn’t it too obvious that you’re doing this after not receiving it for months?”

“Right… … .”

“Will you sign for me?”

“Hey, you coward!”

Several people came to get an autograph. One of them didn’t have an autograph, so I wrote his name carefully.

The staff also received it in a notebook they carried around with them, so it didn’t have much meaning. It just had a strong joking feel to it.

Because from the beginning, if they were celebrities, they were people I had seen until I was sick of them.

But among them, there were some serious people.

“One, I’ll cheer you on.”

“Oh, thank you… … .”

The filming ended in such a chaotic atmosphere. The CEO of Invasion Entertainment approached Bugbug while wiping away his cold sweat.

“Hey, guys, are you having a hard time? Well, you’re all probably tired, so let’s have the after-party later. I’d like to give you a ride, but I don’t have a car… … . As soon as I make money, I’ll buy a van!”

The representative gave the members taxi fare. It was excessive for taxi fare. You could tell how happy the representative was by the amount.

Bugbug left the studio and trudged down the hallway.

Wakana looked at the bills in her hand, crumpled them, and put them in her pocket.

“I’m going back to the handball club.”

“Oh, you’ll be busy, why? Can you make time?”

“I don’t know. Well, um, what should I say? We lived as idols for two months, right? Well, it wasn’t what I had in mind… … .”

“Are you trying to quit?!”

Wakana covered Nishino’s mouth.

“That’s not it, but I guess I just want to live a little more humanely… … .”

“It won’t keep going like this, right?”

Miyoko gently mediated between the two.

“We’re not K-pop idols. Still, I think it’s time for each of us to think about our futures.”

“… … .”

“It’s good to follow your heart right now, but it’s better to think about it after your head cools down.”

The members left the broadcasting station without saying a word. When they came out the front door, one of them suddenly stopped walking.

“You go first, sisters. I have somewhere to stop by.”

After saying that, one of them started running quickly. The others didn’t have time to stop him.

One of them headed underground, remembering the information she had heard earlier. When she arrived at the underground parking lot, she saw many cars. She wandered around the parking lot aimlessly and finally found it.

“Why is Shuichi here again? What about Estas?”

“I’ve been keeping my hands off Estas for a while… … .”

“Yes? Why?”

“Ugh, uh-uh-uh… … .”

“Hey, Producer!”

Seongpil, who was talking to Shuichi in front of the van driver’s seat, turned around in surprise. At the same time, all the van’s windows opened and the Girls’ League members peeked their heads out.

One of them flinched and took a step back without realizing it.

“Ms. Hana?”

“Ah, ah, d, I have something to tell you… … .”

Seongpil turned his head and looked at the van. The girls’ league members also looked at him. After a while of staring at each other, Seongpil took Hana and slightly separated from the van.

“Yes, go ahead.”

“I, uh… … .”

One of them lowered his head as if to bury his chin in the collar of his coat and fiddled with the front of his coat.

For a while she didn’t open her mouth.

It may be that it was not possible.

“Ms. Hana, please speak without feeling uncomfortable.”

“… … .”

One of them put the front seat down. Then he raised his gaze and tried to look straight at Seongpil, but it was burdensome to look at, so he lowered his gaze again.

No, I uploaded it again.

“I, I, I want to be an idol!”

“You’re already an idol.”

“Ah, it’s not idol (アイドル), it’s idol (IDOL)… … . I, uh, I’m… … !”

One of them screamed so loudly that the parking lot shook.

“I’m going to become an idol!”

“… … .”

Seongpil scratched the edge of his eyebrow with his index finger. It was a gesture of trouble.

“By any chance, could you please include me as a trainee… .”

“no!”

One of them shook his head. Sungpil burst out laughing without any resistance at that cute reaction.

“Eh, eh? Why, why are you laughing, laughing… .”

“No, please continue speaking.”

“… … I, I will become an idol. So before that, I will become a trainee… … . I, I… … .”

“sure.”

The affirmative came before the story was even finished.

One of them opened his eyes wide and looked at Seongpil.

“whenever.”

Seongpil smiled affectionately at her.

“Come to the audition.”

“……ah.”

Just this warm response alone made me feel like I had the world. But even though it was childish, I really wanted to ask.

“I, I, I, do I have any hope… … ?”

Seongpil stared blankly at something.

Then one realized that he had made a mistake.

It would be like a patient with an incurable disease asking the doctor, “Can I get better?” Of course, the doctor cannot give a definitive answer.

“I’m sorry… … .”

At that moment, Seongpil knelt down on one knee.

As Sungpil’s vision suddenly went down, Hana was startled. It was something she had never imagined before: she was looking down at Sungpil.

When Hana was panicking, Seongpil grabbed her right hand with both of his hands.

“one.”

Another one was a surprise.

It was ‘Hana’, not ‘Ms. Hana’.

She blushed and trembled with joy, surprise, and embarrassment.

“I respect you.”

“……to?”

“What you showed on stage that day was amazing. If it were me, no, most people would have collapsed. But you got back up again.”

“… … .”

One was the warmth transmitted from the hand that Sungpil had wrapped around him. His hand was much warmer than an average person’s. No, I don’t know because I don’t hold people’s hands that much, but anyway, it was hot.

The heat warmed one heart.

“I respect you not as a child, not as an idol, but as a human being.”

And Sungpil let go of one hand. Regret leaked out from one lip.

Seongpil raised his knees and looked at Hana with serious eyes as if he was looking at a colleague.

“You can do it. Not just idols, but anything.”

Seongpil turned his back.

“See you in Korea.”

One looked at the back of Seongpil as he left. Even after he disappeared, the vision remained, and for a long time, she did not take her eyes off him.

“yes.”

Sure, we’ll meet again.

* * *

Underground live house ‘Starlight Stage’.

Normally, it would be a place where 100 people would have to worry about whether to fill it or not. But today, the atmosphere was completely different.

Not only the concert hall, but also the waiting room where the audience waited, and even the stairs leading to the ground and the surrounding area were all filled with people.

There were at least a few hundred people there, maybe even more. People passing by were either annoyed or curious about the inexplicable traffic jam.

At the epicenter of that interest, the ‘Starlight Stage’, there was an underground idol who had recently become rapidly famous.

“Hello, this is Bugbug!”

The 30-minute performance was filled with cheers. Among them, only a few were old fans of Bugbug. As usual, I tried to reserve tickets for the performance leisurely, but it was already sold out.

In the end, only old fans who really, really loved Bugbug and never missed the opportunity were able to attend.

“Ugh, my little bug bug is like this… … .”

“I guess we might not be able to contact each other anymore… … .”

“Eh?! Did the company announce this?!”

“That’s not it, but usually when you become famous like this… … .”

“Ah, how could this happen!”

After the show, Bugbug had an MC time. The members talked about their daily lives, shared their upcoming schedules, or even cried with emotion.

“Okay, Hana-chan.”

Finally one got the mic.

Miyoko gently stroked one shoulder with her hand and took a step away from her.

One of them laughed awkwardly and said to the hundred pairs of eyes looking at him:

“I, Kasei Hana, am graduating from Bugbug today.”

silence.

And what followed was this.

“Why, why?!”

“Now that you’re famous, did you sign a contract with someone else?”

“betrayer!”

“You have a celebrity boyfriend?!”

The complaints came mainly from old fans. The first-time audience members seemed dumbfounded by the announcement of one’s graduation (leaving the group).

Soon, the concert hall became a crucible of chaos. One was hearing accusations, confusion, and questions, while the other was seeing something else.

The Girls’ League was reflected in her eyes.

The lights of five people shone, beautiful, splendid, cool, elegant, and strong.

Behind the Girls’ League, the silhouette of Seongpil can be seen.

The person who told me that I could do it, even though I had fallen down badly on stage.

“sorry.”

The Girls’ League is one way.

A path that others tell you not to take.

The Girls’ League is a dream.

A dream that others tell you not to have.

The Girls’ League is one love.

A love that others tell you not to encounter.

The Girls’ League is a path, a dream, and love to Hana. The road to get there will never be smooth.

It will also be frustrating.

You might even despair.

One day you might give up and start blaming yourself.

still.

“Thank you so much for everything so far, everyone. In the distant future… … .”

Even so, even if the path forward involves denying everything about yourself, still.

“See you again.”

It’s a dream I want to live.

‘Girls League X Bugbug Invasion!’, the end.

* * *

Girls’ League X Bugbug Invasion!

Final episode viewership ratings, 16.2%.

Minimum 5 million, maximum 20 million live viewers.