Chapter Text
“We’re only allowing you to continue as idols,” the agency’s CEO huffed, clearly displeased by the decision, “because the company is going under. People seem to love you, even with your… unconventional behaviors. There is no other option. You continue, or we sue you for damaging the company's reputation for the entirety of your career as idols.”
The five members looked at each other. The leader of the group, Shadow Milk, grinned wildly. He had been waiting for this for so, so long. 5 long years of no activity or noise from the group due to a forced hiatus, and most of their fans had moved on. Nevertheless, the members of the group still made headlines, even if it was controversial and mocking. It was what they had to do, to keep their names inside the minds of netizens.
‘ Leader of idol group B4DBEAST lies to fans once again about potential comeback’ , ‘ The Destruction King of the Idol World; Destroying fans’ dreams and the group’s reputation at once! ’, ‘ Apathetic Idol PRACTICALLY Says She Doesn’t Care About Music ’, ‘ Idol Late For Every Event—Spotting Sleeping Outside On Park Bench! ’, ‘ Where IS She? Forgotten and Silent Member of the World’s Worst Idol Group ’.
It had been a long, hard, and rough five years. But.. this made it all worth it. Silent Salt looked more relaxed than usual, Eternal Sugar was awake for once, the edges of Mystic Flour’s mouth seemed to tilt upwards, and Burning Spice looked excited, so many looks Shadow Milk had not seen on his members in a long time. But they remained silent, waiting for his answer as leader, even though he was the youngest.
“I think we’ll do it.”
“Then it is so. But there is one more thing. Our head chairman, Elder Faerie, requested that he be your primary manager to keep an eye on you five. That’s the only way he would agree to this deal.”
All five members had adverse, (mostly) vocal reactions to that one.
The first was Burning Spice. “I’ll destroy you both for this…!”
“That better be a lie,” Shadow Milk threatened, pointing a sharp, manicured fingernail the CEO’s way.
Mystic Flour just sighed. “Disheartening, if I could find it within me to care…”
“And then you wonder why I’m always asleep when this is what awaits me in the waking world!” Eternal Sugar whined, slumping back down in her seat. Her eyes blinked tiredly, signaling that she was no longer interested in the discussion. This needed to end.
“...” A writing utensil flew barely inches away from the CEO’s face, landing stuck in the wall behind her. And when the CEO had the gall to stop gawking at whatever landed in the wall and turned to face them, Silent Salt’s harsh death glare was there to greet her.
“We know that you all don’t have the best relationship with him,” the CEO sighed. “But we genuinely can’t afford to hire any more staff. We barely scraped together the funds for your comeback. I had to sell my car,” She laid her head in her hands, looking as pitiful and apologetic as possible. “So please.”
“Don’t put on such a falsely pitiful face! He’s the reason you’re even in this situation! We were your most popular group, and he made the decision to bench us.” Shadow Milk inhaled, standing up from his seat. “Five years, gone. To go and manage our rival group because he was in love with one of the members!”
“Let’s not forget how much your own actions contributed to that, Shadow Milk. All of you, actually.” The CEO sighed. “I’m serious. Become successful, and we can hire someone else. But until then,” She scanned five’s faces for any trace of a defiant expression. “He stays.”
“Fine! Fine, whatever! Come, my siblings in sin. We have a comeback to prepare for! That wretch will not distract us from our plan.”
“Preparations start tomorrow! Try to put your trust in us, and we won’t fail you!” The CEO yelled after them as they grumpily filed out the office door.
“Yeah, like that worked out last time,” Shadow Milk mumbled under his breath. “Back to the dorms?” He questioned his members, looking back to see Eternal Sugar staggering in Mystic Flour’s arms. “Back to dorms, it is then.”
The walk back to the small, dingy apartment was filled with emotions— some excited, some angry, some apathetic. They talked about the possibilities. Would the group succeed? Would the public accept them, as their slandered, imperfect selves? They had to put themselves at the mercy of the press, the internet, and the fans… all of which were known to be ruthless critics.
They arrived at their dorms after a long time, the walk having been tedious and time-consuming. Mystic Flour gingerly placed Eternal Sugar on the couch and lay beside her, not speaking a word of complaint about carrying her the entire walk home, even though Shadow Milk knew it was hard. Eternal Sugar was heavy, even if you couldn’t say it to her face. And she was sorry for relying on her bandmates so often, even if it wasn’t her fault. Because despite what the media thought, she wasn’t drunk, lazy, or on other substances. She had narcolepsy, that’s what it was at first, having small naps whenever she could. But then the stress the agency forced on her made it worse, so bad that she was nearly passing out on stage. And then the hiatus left her depressed (which caused her to have episodes more often), and unable to pay to get her medication.
It was … sad. Pitiful. Sometimes, Shadow Milk wonders if he makes good decisions as a leader. Sometimes he wonders if he makes good decisions at all. He entered the room he shared with Burning Spice and occasionally Silent Salt. Mystic Flour and Eternal Sugar sleep on donated cots beside the kitchen, and Silent Salt sleeps wherever she wants. He and Burning Spice have a stolen bunk bed frame and two thin mattresses, the same mattresses they’ve been sleeping on since their teenage years.
He gave up his life as an esteemed scholar and prodigy for this. After searching for the Truth of the world for so long, he delved into a profession where the way to be successful was to lie. To put on a fake face and personality, one that the public could love and admire… and it happened that he actually had a talent for singing and dancing, a talent that wasn’t appreciated in the walls of the university. He would never go back to being his old self, even if he struggled as an idol.
Shadow Milk climbed up the ladder to his bunk, softly plopping face-first on his pillow. It was a bit too early to go to sleep, but it didn’t matter. Burning Spice had taken over the kitchen, making dinner for everyone. The comforting smell of warm and aromatic spices filled his nose and calmed him down from the stresses of the day, lulling him to sleep.
-
“The title track and b-sides are already prepared, all you have to do is sing them.” Their producer, Black Lemonade, handed the group a pair of headphones and watched as they all passed it around. “It’s a pretty intense song! You’re going to blow away the competition. It’s different from the music other groups are releasing right now.”
“You’re right about the intensity.” Mystic Flour nodded. “I think it’ll bring lots of attention.”
“How could it not? I produced it myself! Now, get your lines and take your places at the studio, we’ll start in a few.” The group climbed into their booths, warming up their voices and situating themselves.
“ 더욱더 교묘해져, my mistake, oh ,” Mystic Flour practiced her lines, mimicking what she heard in the headphones. Her lips pursed in discontent. “Hm.”
Black Lemonade corrected her. “It sounds off, I know. Parfait sang the demo, and you know her voice doesn’t suit songs like these. She told me to tell you all to sing it in your own voices.”
Burning Spice spoke up. “Why the hell didn’t you do the demo? It’s your song.”
“Something…about cutting costs. Ask that CEO of yours. But I think you’ll do well anyway since I’ll be here to help you. Here, Mystic Flour, you have a deeper voice, try to sing in your natural range.”
The singer sang the line again, this time humming contentedly. “That’s better.”
With Black Lemonade’s help, they successfully finished recording the title track of their new album—one that reflected the truth of the struggles they’ve went through. Parfait was their friend, along with the songwriter, and had told their story so well! Their deceitfully sweet voices, telling stories of hardship… Yes. It will do well. It had to.
Next on the schedule was the dance practice. That was Shadow Milk’s specialty! (Not that he wasn’t good at singing. He simply told his stories better through body language than vocals.) His moments were revered for being dramatic, but also controlled and graceful. And oh, his expressions! They were dramatic and over-the-top and undeniably his , but he always managed to make them fit the energy of the song. His stage presence allowed him to capture the eyes of the crowd; it was said that when paired with Eternal Sugar, their charms combined made for a lethal combination. The Princess and the Jester, the story told a million times…
Eternal Sugar, with her sweet, sultry vocals and princess-like demeanor, was a fan favorite among netizens. But beyond the cute face and voice lay a rap powerhouse, just lying in wait. Most people don’t expect the vocalist’s voice to carry so much power and weight, especially as a rapper. But she had trained as a rapper with Silent Salt since her childhood days before she had ever thought about being an idol.
And Silent Salt… well, she lived up to her name. To outsiders, she was cold and intimidating. One of the best rappers in the industry, known to be completely silent whenever she wasn’t spitting bars. It confused the public! Surely, she must have things to say…! But the group’s main rapper, dancer and former producer said whatever she needed to using her music, raps, and powerful movements, instantly silencing any critics. Pun not intended.
Shadow Milk was dragged out of his thoughts by Lilac, their dance instructor. After hours of perfecting the choreography for the first part of the song, they started to practice the chorus part.
“Shadow Milk, Eternal Sugar… come to the center here. Silent Salt, please stand in front of them. Burning Spice, just to the left here… that’s right. Now from here, form twenty-three… twenty-four… twenty-five…stop!”
Eternal Sugar flopped on the floor with a tired exhale. Lilac ignored it, instead opting to calmly focus on her fellow members. “Mystic Flour, I know it’s hard for you, but please try to put more passion into your expressions and movements. Maybe… smile? I’ve seen trainees more passionate than you.”
“Hah! My trainees, right?!” Shadow Milk smiled proudly. “Trained them myself! No need to lie and say my little minions aren’t the pride of this shitty company!” The juniors, training to be idols, had grown attached to their debuted seniors during the years of their hiatus. It seemed like all five of them had taken a liking to at least one of the trainees, and had given them valuable training in the area of their specialty.
Lilac sighed. “Yes, I can definitely see your theatric influence in Black Sapphire and Candy Apple… Maybe Mystic Flour can take some classes from them.”
The vocalist bristled in response. “I simply don’t see the need to put on such a dramatic show. And I especially,” A creepy smile filled her face. “Don’t see the need to take classes from children .”
“Black Sapphire is an adult! And Candy Apple is almost there anyways,” Shadow Milk huffed. “But wouldn’t it be embarrassing if young trainees could do it better than a seasoned idol?!” A taunting tone entered his voice, guaranteed to piss Mystic Flour off.
“Don’t aggravate me, jester .”
“But I’m only telling the truth, clear as day! You and that little furball of a trainee, stiff as statues! Are you sure they didn’t inherit your talentlessness?”
Burning Spice laughed loudly, joining in on the ridicule. “If you destroyed that apathetic shell of yours, it’d make our performances less boring!” Of course, he knew what Shadow Milk was doing, but it wasn’t like he would give up a chance to poke fun at his teammates.
“You…!”
Lilac, sensing the tension, tried to break it off. “Break time’s over. Return to your places.”
Mystic Flour hissed as the group returned to their previous formation. “I’ll prove you wrong, fool.”
“I’d like to see you try,” Shadow Milk whispered in that taunting voice again, so loud but so quiet at the same time.
And then the music started back up, and they began.