“What are you talking about? It’s the face you see in the mirror every day.”
“Oh, um… It doesn’t look like that in my mirror.”
When he heard a woman’s laughter next to him, Sol finally noticed Min-ju holding a camera. This time, perhaps thanks to the effect of the Stability Potion, he was able to respond properly while looking at the camera. Of course, his answer wasn’t as smooth as Tae-oh’s or the other members’. Sol, still in a daze, mumbled incoherently. Min-ju seemed amused by his confused response and added with a laugh:
“I think we need to get a new mirror for the dorm.”
“Do I really look like that?”
“No way. What are you talking about? You look way more amazing in person.”
Min-ju jokingly put on a serious expression in response to Sol’s question. For Sol, who had neglected himself due to severe depression and helplessness, the person in the photo looked unfamiliar.
“That’s right, hyung. If you go out looking like this, everyone will think you’re a celebrity and a crowd around you.”
Deuk-yong, who had been staring intently at Sol’s photo on the monitor, looked at Min-ju and Sol with a puzzled expression, as if wondering what they were talking about. After blurting out his thoughts, Deuk-yong glanced briefly at the dazed Sol before fixing his gaze back on the photo.
“Sometimes I think this hyung must have come from a primitive era without electricity or mirrors.”
“I think so too. We must not have any mirrors in our dorm.”
At Deuk-yong’s words, Ji-ho, who was standing nearby, nodded in agreement. Tae-oh, who had been quietly listening to their conversation, also couldn’t take his eyes off the monitor filled with Sol’s photos and said,
“It’s true, the vibe is definitely different from usual.”
“That’s right. If I had passed by you outside, I wouldn’t have recognized you as Sol.”
Agreeing with Tae-oh, Ga-ram chimed in as well. At that moment, the four men, including Min-ju and even Sol himself, all nodded in agreement. Sol thought he wouldn’t be able to recognize himself either if he compared his appearance from this morning with how he looked now.
It wasn’t just about showing his face. This morning, the man in the mirror had been pale, with a tired and gloomy expression. But now, it was like looking at a completely different person—his eyes were sparkling, and he looked like a vibrant young man in his twenties.
Sol remembered once seeing a volunteer video on TV where they gave haircuts to homeless people. While inner change was important, outer change also had an impact. Seeing a different version of oneself could boost confidence and give the courage for a fresh start and a new self. Although the Stability Potion played a part, Sol’s much brighter attitude, along with his changed appearance, made him feel like a new person.
“Wow! Can I, uh, have this picture?”
When Sol’s photo on the screen changed, Deuk-yong let out such a loud exclamation that it echoed throughout the studio. The staff, who had been staring blankly at the photo, burst into laughter at Deuk-yong’s booming voice. Everyone looking at the picture was thinking the same thing.
The photo was slightly blurred, as if Sol had moved. His gaze wasn’t directed at the camera, and whatever was so amusing, he was laughing naturally, completely relaxed. His smile was pure and radiant.
It seemed to be a moment when he was laughing at the gestures of the other members. The way he smiled broadly, showing his teeth, felt as warm as being on a sunlit beach.
Sol, who usually had a delicate and sharp appearance that made him look beautiful but cold, was smiling in this photo like the warmest person in the world.
At Deuk-yong’s outburst, Ji-ho playfully poked him in the side.
“What’s this? I thought you said you wanted a bad photo.”
“This is amazing.”
“Me too, me too!”
Deuk-yong, seemingly oblivious to Ji-ho’s words, kept alternating between looking at Sol’s photo and Sol himself, exclaiming in awe, “This is amazing.” Ga-ram, who had been silently dazed next to him, suddenly clamored that he also wanted a copy of Sol’s photo.
“You know you can’t have it, right, guys? Hurry up and get changed.”
If Yeong-ho hadn’t stepped in to mediate, they probably would have stared at the photo for a long time. Deuk-yong would have insisted on getting the photo of Sol smiling brightly, even if he had to throw a tantrum. When Yeong-ho pushed the members away, only then did the five of them begin preparing for the group photo with the staff. As they entered the dressing room, Ji-ho suddenly hugged Sol from behind. Sol was a bit surprised but didn’t resist, and he held onto Ji-ho’s arm draped over his shoulder.
“What’s this, Sol? You had us worried, but your photo came out great.”
Sol felt good about Ji-ho’s compliment. He was grateful to Ji-ho for willingly switching places with him earlier. When Ji-ho had approached him through the harsh lighting like a baton pass, Sol had seen him as a savior.
“Thank goodness, right?”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
Ga-ram slightly bowed his head to meet Sol’s gaze and asked. Sol, feeling as if his feet were slightly lifted off the ground, smiled and answered. While he was enjoying the slightly excited mood, Tae-oh, who, unlike the other members, had no particular reaction, as usual, brought them back to reality.
“Hurry up and change your clothes. The sooner we finish, the sooner everyone can rest.”
“Yes!”
Although feeling good and excited was understandable, they couldn’t afford to let their guard down. Responding to Tae-oh’s remark, everyone answered loudly in unison. Even Sol, who usually responded weakly and went along with the flow, shouted loudly today, just like Deuk-yong.
Changing clothes while already having makeup and hair styled was actually quite difficult. Unlike the individual profile outfit, which was a shirt, this time it was a tight black turtleneck that fit snugly to the body. Since the opening was narrow, it was quite challenging to put it on without messing up the hair or makeup. Additionally, a few more accessories than before were added, requiring the expert touch of a professional.
“You haven’t pierced your ears.”
“No, I haven’t.”
At the stylist’s comment, Sol glanced at Ga-ram standing next to him and responded. Not having noticed before because he hadn’t seen him wearing accessories, Sol realized that Ga-ram had quite a few piercings in his ears. As piercings dangled from Ga-ram’s ears, Ga-ram’s different appearance momentarily entranced Sol. The stylist brought an ear cuff for Sol, who didn’t have pierced ears. The ear cuff, which he was wearing for the first time, pressed against his ear, making it burn slightly.
While they were touching up the makeup again, Yeong-ho left a barley tea drink for them. A quick glance revealed that he had handed out coffee to the staff in the studio. Deuk-yong, holding the barley tea bottle, made a pouty face and mumbled to himself, “Chocolate milk…,” making Sol burst out laughing. There was no chance.
Once they were ready, the members were shuffled around like luggage. It was literally like being moved around. For some reason, they kept switching the order of the five members who were lined up in a row.
“Why are you all staring like that?”
Even as they were being rearranged, everyone bent their waists and stared at Sol, making Sol finally ask with a puzzled expression.
“Is it because it’s fascinating?”
“Because we want to take pictures next to Sol?”
“Not me. If I stand next to Sol, I’ll look like a squid.”
“You’ll still look like a squid no matter where you stand.”
“Ah, Ji-ho hyung, you’re really too much.”
It seemed that Sol wasn’t the only one who found Sol’s change unfamiliar. Ga-ram, Ji-ho, and Deuk-yong all couldn’t take their eyes off Sol. Of course, Tae-oh was included too, but since Tae-oh had always been the type to intensely observe Sol, it wasn’t exactly a new reaction.
Filming together with everyone was much better than filming alone. The staff, who were gathered in front of the camera and monitor, were busy organizing the five members. They constantly exchanged opinions, changed positions, and continued shooting.
“How about we swap these two?”
At the photographer’s suggestion, they placed Sol in the middle, with Ga-ram and Tae-oh on either side, for the final shot. With the relatively slender and delicate Sol in the center, Tae-oh and Ji-ho on the left, and Ga-ram and Deuk-yong on the right, the scene had an oddly balanced feel.
“Good. Last shot.”
“OK, good job everyone.”
“Good job!!”
At the photographer’s shout signaling the end of the shoot, all the members bent at a 90-degree angle and loudly greeted the staff. Then, curious about the group photo, they all hurriedly gathered around the monitor. Naturally, the loudest reaction came from Deuk-yong.
“We really look like a group.”
“DK, we are a group.”
“Yeah. We’re a group.”
“We’re a team.”
Everyone repeated the same words like broken records. It was only natural—looking at the photo of them all together gave them a special feeling. It’s not that they weren’t a team before, but seeing themselves dressed in matching outfits and taking pictures made them feel like they were truly one team. It also made them feel like real idols.
“Wow… This really feels like we’re debuting.”
At Deuk-yong’s words, the five of them momentarily looked at each other. They exchanged glances, their hearts full of emotion, until the unusually quiet Tae-oh finally broke the silence.
“…Let’s make sure the five of us debut together like this.”
“This time, for real!”
The words Tae-oh had finally managed to utter felt heavy. Ga-ram and Ji-ho, who had struggled for so long, seemed to feel something different, and their voices trembled slightly as they responded, almost choked up. Sol, finding the unusually quiet Deuk-yong strange, craned his neck to check on his face at the very end of the line. The youngest member of the team was on the verge of tears, his voice quivering.
Seeing this, Sol burst out laughing. He was in an exceptionally good mood today. If this was what the system meant by “small happiness,” he wondered, almost like someone who had never been happy before, what greater happiness would feel like.
Finally, when Deuk-yong, overwhelmed with emotion, wiped his eyes with a sniffle, Ji-ho called out, “Makeup!!” as he lamented the sight of Deuk-yong’s already half-erased eye makeup. Seeing Deuk-yong with only one eye’s makeup left, making him look lopsided, Ga-ram burst out laughing. His relaxed laughter was pleasing to see.
A warning window appeared in front of him, signaling that there was little time left to resist the penalty. Sol, not wanting to miss this moment, took in the sight of everyone, wondering if he might become addicted to this potion.
As he memorized the appearance of each person, trying to etch this feeling into his memory, Sol’s eyes met Tae-oh’s.
“Don’t run away.”
It was just a simple phrase, yet it carried a lot of meaning. It wasn’t a warning. Tae-oh’s words implied that no matter what happened from now on, everyone would help as if it were their own problem, so there was no need to run away. Sol alternated between looking at Tae-oh and the three who were busy laughing among themselves, then nodded slightly.
“…Okay!”
