Chapter 189

After the pre-recording of the Opening Ceremony stage.

On the way back to the waiting room.

“What do you think about your first stage performance?”

“Eh, it’s my first time as an MC… but it was so much fun! And thank you to all the fans who came for the morning recording. I’ll continue to work hard as an MC!”

The Yulgangayo PD personally stepped in with a behind-the-scenes camera.

“What do you think Seven’s unnie members would say if they saw today’s stage?”

Seven disbanded quite a while ago, but their mentions are still frequent, so this seemed like an interview aimed at generating buzz.

“Hmm… but everyone’s reactions will likely be different.”

“How so?”

I paused to think, picturing each member one by one in my mind.

First, there are the predictable ones.

“First off, Sara Unni is the most obvious. She’d probably go on endlessly about how cute everything was all day. Oh, already getting voice support.”

With that specific description, PD smiled and urged me to continue.

“The next predictable reaction would come from Chae-rin Unni, right? ‘Dohee, you did well on stage,’ she might say.”

“Uh, isn’t that less predictable and more just normal?”

“No, here’s the thing—Chae-rin Unni didn’t actually watch because she was asleep. She probably overheard us talking about it in the living room and just gave a general comment.”

“Ah, really… Chae-rin Unni sleeps a lot, huh?”

“Yes, usually during breaks. She seems to lack stamina, so she gets very tired after working. Hana Unni considers her one of the main targets for stamina training, though she escapes punishment because she dances well.”

“I see. What about the other unnie members?”

PD seemed to want explanations for all the members, so I vaguely recalled the dorm atmosphere and spoke casually.

“If Sara Unni is watching her own straight-cam while giggling, then Hana Unni might be watching seriously while smiling. Like, ‘Did I perform well? Did I mess up?’ Although, I’ve never received any critiques from her.”

“Why not? Are you just that good?”

“Yes.”

PD burst out laughing loudly.

And he asked first…

But it’s true.

“Harang Unni would probably say something casual like, ‘Wow, Dohee’s stage presence is insane!’ But if you look closely, it’s all praise. Actually, this unni gives the most compliments.”

“On the other hand, Seo-yoon Unni, it’s obvious without even seeing. She’ll tease me while pretending to compliment me. Once we get back to the dorm tonight, she’ll probably say stuff like, ‘Ah, of course, our youngest Dohee! Of course, our center Dongnang!’ Adding random flowery language. Sigh…”

“And finally, Ye-eun Unni.”

Honestly, this unni has the most variety, so I’m not sure.

It’s impossible to predict.

Still, the safest guess is…

“I’m not sure if I should say this, but this unni is currently the MC for K Music Broadcasts, right? Maybe that’s why she’s still fueling rivalry with me? Earlier, she sent me a KakaoTalk message with her MC photos. Anyway, she’ll probably send me her special stage straight-cam randomly later today.”

PD chuckled softly, seemingly satisfied, and nodded.

“Thank you for the fun interview~ Now, head back to the MC waiting room and relax until rehearsal starts~”

“Neh.”

Of course, the waiting room wasn’t exactly relaxing when I returned.

“Senior, the stage was great!”

“Ah…! Yes, yes!”

It was awkward meeting the “Yes-Yes Bot” again.

* * *

After the pre-recording ended, both Averse Two and Dohee’s fans, regardless of affiliation, received two boxes each upon exiting.

One was a light blue box with the Averse Two logo.

The other was a white box featuring the Topist logo and bunny stickers, belonging to Dohee.

Both contained snacks and photocards, symbolizing mutual respect between the fanbases in the form of reverse tribute.

Most fans were positively viewing the MC duo, given that cases of MC camaraderie developing into romance were rare.

Apart from a few intense stalker-fans, generally, MC camaraderie was welcomed by fans.

Dohee’s Home Mama (Homemama) was no exception, being among the cleanest fans.

In fact, immediately after the recording ended, she befriended a compatible Averse Two fan and started chatting.

@A_bus_toliz: [First impression of real-life Dohee] Princess vibes are crazy, but also fierce. Visual genius. Where’s Seung-bin? Dohee, you’ve made it big!

@dol_Ahyee: Thanks for the biased compliments. Please keep sending applause and cheers. Though Seung-bin might get hurt hearing this.

@A_bus_toliz: We need to push her harder. Too much coddling isn’t good for our girl.

@dol_Ahyee: Hmm… Our Ra-hee grows strong even with constant praise…

@A_bus_toliz: True, but their members are famous for tough love.

@dol_Ahyee: Seo-yoon is the main culprit…

Indeed, Home Mamas with high attendance often crossed paths, sometimes having followed the same group before.

As they chatted idly, Dohee’s Home Mama sat in front of the TV at 3:40 PM.

Finally, the live broadcast began.

“It’s happening, it’s happening!”

And the Special Stage.

Though vividly seen during the pre-recording, watching it on video felt different.

The intro music played as soon as the broadcast started.

Dohee, dressed in a sailor one-piece, matched the concept perfectly with a mischievous grin and a refreshing smile as she turned 360 degrees for the cameras.

– Oh, this is my favorite special stage song!

– Such 2000s vibes! 😂

– Her face rotates 360 degrees, but every angle is stunning. Unreal!

Dohee flawlessly performed alongside Joo Seung-bin, wearing scuba goggles, with zero signs of tension.

[Why do you keep growing bigger only for me? (Mannmann!) ]

[Why do you feel so distant despite being close? (Mannmann!)]

Dohee’s first attempt at a cute rap, along with the choreography where they punch and dodge each other, fit perfectly.

– 😂 Dohee’s rap tone is so fresh and adorable!

– Uga’s special stage is awesome, and his expressions are hilarious! 😂

– Clearly, music show MCs should be idols, not actors.

[I’ll send myself to you~]

[My ocean~ My sky~]

[Just hold me tight and drift off to sleep~]

This cover stage felt less like a cover and more like the two owned the song, especially since new music show MC stages are always highly anticipated by all rock panel fans. Social media was flooded with posts tagged #Yulgangayo, filled with comments about the two MCs.

– Once again, her visuals are genius-level.

– They suit each other so well…

– The production team has great taste; they deserve raises!

Naturally, Dohee’s Home Mama contributed significantly to these posts.

@dol_Ahyee: Seven begins, wow what a grand start. Cool Dohee blowing bubbles, cool Dohee festival starts, beach club opens, beach Dohee club discount event begins, sailor Dohee event starts, sailor Dohee festival starts, sailor Dohee marching band enters, cutie Dohee enrolls, cutie Dohee graduates and re-enrolls, Ionsthed re-enrolls, Ionsthed party starts, Ionsthed makes an appearance.

* * *

While the pre-recorded special stage “Sea” aired, I reviewed the cue cards I had read repeatedly during rehearsals.

Lost in thought for a moment, PD’s cue signal dropped.

Joo Seung-bin immediately grabbed the mic, waving and starting the opening call.

“Where are you going on Sunday~?”

“Yulgangayo~”

I quickly waved and chimed in.

“Live broadcast on SBC.”

“Yulgangayo~”

Following the rehearsal script, I delivered my lines.

“Hello, everyone! This is the new MC of Yulgangayo, this week’s Ee! Ee Dohee~”

“And this week’s Ju! Ju Seung-bin!”

“Finally, our new MCs greet you through Yulgangayo! Waah~”

“Dohee-ssi, it’s August now, and it’s unbearably hot. Can you feel the heat of this stage?”

“That’s why we prepared thoroughly~ to sweep away that stifling heat with cool vibes.”

I sang a snippet of the special stage “Sea” lightly while making small gestures.

“My ocean~ My sky~ Did everyone enjoy the special stage?”

The audience applauded and cheered.

“Really? You’re saying our passionate preparation made the stage hotter?”

“Whoa, Dohee-ssi, aren’t you a bit too confident for your first day?”

“Shh, Seung-bin-ssi. In situations like this, just nod.”

“I’m a baby MC… but I believe the viewers will continue to support our baby MCs!”

As the audience responded with “Yes,” I bowed politely.

“Looking forward to your continued support!”

“Now, Seung-bin-ssi! Let’s set aside our nervousness and introduce this week’s ‘Eeju’ comeback!”

“Yes! The legendary group returns in full force. Super…”

* * *

“Senior, you worked hard today~”

“Dohee-ssi too. Well, I’ll be going now!”

“Yep~ See you next week!”

The first broadcast ended safely.

A sense of accomplishment arose, easing some of the initial awkwardness, thankfully.

There were no major mistakes, so I won’t be teased by the unnie members or fans.

Is it because I’ve appeared on music shows many times as an idol?

‘Completely like an announcer.’

Of course, I had to speak in the unique cute and lively tone typical of music show MCs.

But it wasn’t particularly difficult.

Since I’ve forced myself to act this way countless times, it feels natural now.

Annoying how familiar I’ve become with it.

But soon, I’ll make a re-debut with Debonair, which will have a much cooler concept then.

I need to aim for an image transformation.

‘From now on, I’ll try to appear more gentle and refined in variety shows… Phew.’

I hope that day comes soon.

---