After
"Are you really Miro?"
"Didn't everyone already figure that out?"
Even now, on TV, Hyunsoo and I are having a conversation.
Seeing myself talking on the screen from the other side feels so embarrassing.
"Could you maybe change the channel? I feel a little shy seeing myself on TV."
The thoughtless words I said back then are now being broadcast on TV…. My face is burning red.
"Is that really important right now??"
"No way, I'm watching this to the end."
Looks like no one has any intention of changing the channel.
If the temple bothers you, the monk should leave.
I subtly turned my head so I wouldn't see the TV.
The sound still kept coming, though.
"Anyway, do you two know each other? Do you have his number?"
"Yeah, I do."
"What? How? Wait, no—don't tell me you used to be a celebrity? Like an idol or a model or something?"
I shook my head at Haru's question. Celebrity? No way.
"I was just a college student."
"Then how did you two get close?"
"Um… we're not really close."
"Not close my foot…! Look at you two chatting away on screen."
Well… that's true, but still….
"I knew it…!"
Just then, Maho, who had been sitting there in a daze, suddenly turned her gaze to me as though she'd realized something.
"It's you."
"…What?"
"The part-timer!"
Saying that, Maho immediately grabbed her phone and played Wonderland by Slim Gold.
She quickly skipped ahead to the featuring part.
"This is you, isn't it, Miro?"
To think she figured it out this far… Or is it too much that she only realized now?
"You only just noticed? I even posted in the group chat, practically begging someone to figure it out…."
"You little brat!"
"Ahh!"
Maho jumped up from her seat and tackled me.
The impact was nothing like when Mai used to hit me—I went flying backward.
"You dare deceive your unnie?"
"Ughhh."
"I was so happy thinking we shared the same taste in music, and I told you so many things!"
"I really do like Hyunsoo's songs!"
"I didn't want to learn Slim Gold's name like this!"
"Wait, but that was even in the profile…"
It hadn't been there before, but now even my real name was listed on the profile.
"Silence! No objections allowed."
"I—I have to make you pay for deceiving me."
"Roa-unnie?"
"You're close with band people like that, and you dare try to fool me?"
As if things weren't bad enough, Roa also lunged at me.
I didn't stand a chance—beaten up by two unnies full of energy after a hearty delivery meal, I ended up rolling on the floor like a crumpled tissue that didn't make it to the trash can. Meanwhile, the rest of the members stayed glued to the TV.
"Let's just watch it all the way through."
"Seriously though, you're gorgeous. Even with a cap on, you've got that aura."
"I can't believe that girl sprawled out on the floor is the same Miro on screen."
"But listen to what she says—she's spouting nonsense as usual."
Isn't that a bit harsh?
Only Bokshil came over and rubbed against me.
As expected, you're the only one on my side.
While I was being healed by Bokshil, the variety show kept going, and surprisingly, I had a lot of screen time.
Wait, didn't they edit any of the conversations out?
With the performances included, the runtime must be really long.
"Miro really hasn't changed a bit."
"How can she just babble like it's her own livestream even during a variety shoot?"
"Not even celebrities can beat Miro's nonsense-fest."
Nonsense-fest? Is that how they see the things I usually say?
Well, I guess I do tend to speak without thinking too deeply….
Listening to my members' brutal criticisms while watching the show, I soon saw the other band members appear, and with my spur-of-the-moment suggestion, the performance began.
"Wow."
"What's this?"
The scene was edited with dramatic flair.
[That's killing the vibe, in the best way.]
[Wow, so this is what a band should be.]
There I was, sitting with my legs crossed, strumming the guitar.
Hyunsoo stood and sang passionately.
And Ayoung's drums filled in my sloppy playing and added raw energy.
With those three elements, plus the power of editing, the workshop performance looked like a picture-perfect scene.
This is definitely going to be a highlight clip.
Even I, who was there in person, thought it looked amazing—what would others think?
Looking around, sure enough, everyone was glued to the TV.
The PD's got real talent.
As the performance heated up, it neared its climax.
That's when Hyunsoo grabbed the guitar I'd been playing.
[Since you shoved this on me so recklessly, nuna, you can sing too, right?]
Ugh, watching it on TV makes me cringe.
I didn't feel it at the time.
"Kyaa!"
"What the heck?"
"That's crazy, oh my god."
Unlike my reaction, the members stomped their feet and smacked each other's backs in excitement.
Hyunsoo handed me the mic, then took the guitar and began to play.
[Ha.]
I let out a wry laugh and quietly cleared my throat.
Then, the second highlight of the song arrived.
The camera pulled back to show the staff filming, then panned to the band members watching.
It cut to Ayoung drumming, then to Hyunsoo on guitar.
Finally, it zoomed in on me again.
Right at the musical climax, the screen showed me singing.
"Wow."
Someone among the members let out a gasp.
Truly.
Thanks to the editing and perfect timing, the scene was picture-perfect.
This is definitely going to make waves.
Even the Mirodan, who don't usually watch TV, might catch this as a YouTube highlight.
Someone will probably ask if that's me. What should I say then?
On the broadcast, only my upper body was shown, and I was wearing a mask that covered my whole face. There weren't any moles on my arms or neck that could give me away either.
At most, it'd be my voice?
Since I'd been streaming for quite a while, my natural voice—not the broadcast tone—would sometimes slip out.
Some people might even try comparing with that.
Well, I'll deal with it if that happens.
Ending that line of thought, I turned back to the TV.
Before I knew it, the performance had ended, and now another song began, this time with the other band members joining in.
That was fun back then.
I should drop by again sometime.
Don't they do busking or anything?
Would I get scolded if I asked to join in?
While I was having those pointless thoughts, the broadcast kept showing the performance. After it ended, they even aired a clip of me learning guitar from Ayoung.
…Why do I keep showing up? Haven't they edited enough?
They even showed me going home. Then Hyunsoo eating dinner with the band members and falling asleep, which wrapped up Hyunsoo's episode of the variety show.
And afterward—
The members' eyes were all on me again.
"You're not, like, involved with Slim Gold, right?"
"What's with that high school kid being so sweet?"
"Come on, be honest, is there something between you two?"
They were all riled up, but unfortunately, absolutely not.
I shook my head, telling them not to worry.
"There's nothing like that. Honestly, I think I'm a bit too good for that, don't you?"
Smack!
"Argh!"
"This kid, seriously…."
"But really, how'd you end up tied up with them?"
At Haru's question, I hesitated, then explained about the vocal academy.
"An academy?"
"Yes, after passing the second audition, I enrolled right away."
"Wow, such initiative. What if you hadn't passed?"
"Even then, I think I would've made it through streaming."
"Can't argue with confidence when it's backed up."
Still, I believe it was thanks to passing the audition that I was able to grow this quickly and comfortably.
The Six really are the best.
"Anyway, my instructor there introduced me, so that's how I did the featuring."
"Whoa, but didn't your agency say anything?"
"At first I wanted to do it under Miro, but since Hyunsoo wasn't famous back then, they rejected it. So I signed the contract as my real name, Kim Suhyun."
"Wait—they rejected you?"
"Yeah, I was told it wasn't allowed."
"Insane…."
Haru's reaction was understandable.
If the currently exploding hit song by Hyunsoo had credited the heavenly-tier project 'Miro' as the featuring artist…
The promotion would've been unreal.
"But I actually think it turned out better this way."
"Why?? Would've been great promotion."
"If there are too many viewers, it gets… overwhelming."
It might sound ungrateful, but I mean it.
It feels like something I couldn't control, like a dam overflowing.
Excessive viewership would be poison to me.
"I get what you mean."
Anna, who had indirectly experienced my stream today, nodded.
"True… it was kind of like that."
"Yeah, it caught fire whenever she opened her mouth."
"Seeing her side of it, I realized she does have her own struggles."
But then, they all started looking at me with sympathetic eyes.
"Why are you looking at me like that? I get along fine with my viewers."
You're making it sound like my streams are a burden.
"No, no. It's just—you've got the mental strength for it."
"Kind of like… clear-eyed crazy?"
At Haru's words, Roa and Maho nodded, while Anna and Mile looked clueless.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Oh, nothing."
"What, you using trendy slang just 'cause you're younger?"
"Come on, you're not that much older than me."
"…True."
Not that much older? Really? In your twenties, even a couple of years feels like a big gap.
I thought that, but didn't say it aloud.
Seeing Anna's slightly upturned lips, it looked like she already knew.
"Anyway, let's hit the convenience store first, yeah? None of us even have toothbrushes."
Everyone nodded at the suggestion.
I guess once you know how terrifying dental bills are, you don't hesitate about things like this.
And with that—the members staying over for the night marked the end of a hectic few days.