BlueChat heavy user HM, also known as ‘Harang Mom’, fell in love with Kim Harang the moment she saw Black Sea’s debut stage. Despite HM’s fickle nature, to everyone’s surprise, her love for Harang only grew stronger over time. The one hour before sleep was the only time HM truly felt joy amidst her grueling exam preparation life.

And now, a new tidbit threw HM into a frenzy.

‘A drama… a drama? Our Harang acting… when did he grow up so much?’

Although Harang was the same age as her own kin, that didn’t matter. In her eyes, Harang was, and always would be, Black Sea’s youngest and ‘her baby.’

As usual, HM turned on her phone with a fluttering heart, and a notification from OTube popped up.

[(Making Film#1) Welcome to Sing in High School!]

‘Oh…!’

Clicking the notification as if possessed, HM’s face lit up seeing the thumbnail of Yooil, Harang, Byul, Hyena, and Eunho crammed together like sticker photos.

– Sing in High School Behind the Scenes

Soon, with subtitles, the actors’ faces appeared.

– Actors, this is the making film camera! Please say hello!

“Ack…!”

HM covered her mouth. The faces of Harang and another actor filled the screen.

‘Damn, so handsome…’

HM’s eyes sparkled as she focused on the video, a level of concentration she never had while studying.

– Nice to meet you.

– Wow! Hello~

While one actor greeted formally, Harang cheerfully greeted the camera like a true idol.

– You two seem really close!

Responding to the making film director’s comment, Harang giggled and pointed at Yooil.

– Of course, Yooil hyung is my teacher!

– What are you talking about?

Seeming to enjoy teasing the flustered actor, Harang continued playfully.

– Everyone, let me introduce you! He’s my acting teacher!

– …You know this is all a joke, right.

Despite the actor’s rebuke, Harang kept smiling sweetly and whispering to the camera.

– It’s true, hyung is really a teacher!

“Ghhhh.”

A sound like someone getting the wind knocked out of them escaped from HM’s mouth. The cuteness was lethal.

And the actor next to Harang was also attractive. A blend of softness and coolness. His expression and the atmosphere changed with his mood.

‘His name was… Han Yooil, right?’

If it weren’t for being a fan of Harang, one’s eyes would naturally be drawn to him.

HM replayed the video several times, clutching her heart each time Harang appeared whispering to the camera.

Excited, HM began pouring out posts on BlueChat.

[@HM_0110 Wow, only one month left till Sing in High School]

[@HM_0110 I wish I could close my eyes and it’d be one month later. I feel dizzy with excitement]

With the number of replies increasing in real-time, HM’s anticipation for Sing in High School grew as she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

“It’s me, Auntie.”

Arriving a bit earlier than usual at the set, Yooil was on the phone with Jin Hayoung in the waiting room.

– Oh, Yooil. You’re doing okay?

“Of course. Totally fine.”

Hearing Yooil talking about his hard work, Jin Hayoung raised her voice.

– No, you’ve been the one working hard, juggling school and acting.

“Well, it’s still way better than doing part-time jobs, you know.”

Indeed, it was more physically demanding. He felt his stamina draining in real-time, prompting him to start exercising again.

Fortunately, one thing that did go well was Yooil’s grades, which turned out quite decent. Whether he could maintain them in the future was another question, though.

“I’m really fine.”

– Take care of your health, and make sure you eat properly.

Things were different now; everything was alright.

Compared to a year ago, many things had changed.

After listening to his kind aunt’s voice, Yooil hung up the phone and slowly leaned back in his chair.

But his break didn’t last long.

Knock, knock.

A polite knock broke the silence. Yooil, with a resigned smile, invited the visitor in.

“Come in.”

For some reason, Yooil’s dressing room had started to get more visitors.

Harang visiting every break was expected, but Yooil was surprised when Byul and Hyena came by.

In fact, when Yooil first saw Hyena looking at him outside his dressing room, he mistook her expression for anger. She was staring at him with slightly tense, sharp eyes, her mouth firmly closed.

But when the thin lips of the seemingly aloof Hyena parted, a small, cautious voice emerged.

“Sorry to come so suddenly…”

“…Yes?”

“Senior Harang… has been boasting about you… I was curious.”

【…?】

Byul, arm in arm with Hyena, squinted her round eyes into crescent moons and said,

“Would it be alright if we practice together?”

That day, when Harang, who arrived a few seconds later, saw Hyena and Byul at the door, he stopped dead in his tracks. The expression on his face was the most serious Yooil had ever seen.

“Uh… hello, Byul… and Hyena…”

“Senior, you can just speak comfortably, you know~”

Byul said assertively, but Harang’s expression didn’t soften easily.

“We asked Senior Harang how to act… better…”

Byul continued after Hyena’s words.

“Senior Harang said he improved a lot after practicing with Actor Yooil!”

…What exactly did he say?

Harang conspicuously avoided Yooil’s scolding gaze.

“…Of course, it’s fine. My dressing room might be a bit small, so it’s better if we practice outside.”

At Yooil’s words, Hyena and Byul’s faces lit up.

Byul’s manager, who had been anxiously standing behind her, also seemed relieved.

Anyway, after that, even Byul and Hyena started practicing together before the shoot.

“…If everyone’s fine, shall we briefly read through today’s script?”

“Yes!”

“Sounds good.”

Today, Yooil began reading through the day’s shoot with Harang, Byul, and Hyena.

Ji Eunho, who arrived late at the set, also sneakily joined, sitting with a chair. And so, each of them became Seon Gihyeon, Harang, Hyobin, Heena, and Lee Taewoo, sitting in a circle, starting to read the lines.

The staff, who had been eyeing each other, quietly started filming this scene with their phones.

Finally, as they checked the last of the continuity and waited for the camera to be set, Director Kim Kyuoh also had a pleased expression.

His mindset had significantly changed from when he first started this drama.

In a reality where even making one movie is difficult, ignoring the wishes of the production company is not an option. This drama was no exception. Casting idols in the leading roles was not his choice but the production company’s. That’s why he initially didn’t have high expectations for the acting.

However, a lot changed after he saw Han Yooil at the audition.

Especially after viewing the final cut of Episode 1 yesterday, Kim Kyuoh felt even better today. The quality was even better than he had anticipated.

‘The synergy between the leads is better than expected.’

He tried to suppress a smile and spoke.

“Alright, let’s start the shoot~”

At the director’s cue, the leads of “Sing in High School” stood up with brighter faces.

* * *

Creak.

The sound of the door opening announced the arrival of none other than Seon Gihyeon.

“What’s up, class rep? You joining in too?”

Hyena asked with a puzzled face, while a bright smile lit up Hyobin’s face.

“Wow, Seon Gihyeon! I didn’t know you were interested in this too!”

Hyobin, with her short hair and round eyes, looked like a little puppy rushing over. 

Little did she know, Seon Gihyeon had joined because he was spurred on by the participation of Kim Hyobin, the top student in school.

Seon Gihyeon’s gaze swept the interior of the club room and clashed with Lee Taewoo’s.

“You sure you’re in the right place?”

“…”

Instead of replying, Seon Gihyeon gave Lee Taewoo a cold stare.

With a tsk, Lee Taewoo stood up and tilted his head.

“Guess it’s not what you expected.”

“And you know what I was thinking?”

“Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably different from a model student’s thoughts.”

Taewoo wasn’t phased by Gihyeon’s cold remarks. The cheerful smile on Hyobin’s face began to fade.

“Hey, stop it, you two. Isn’t fighting in class enough?”

Hyena snapped sharply, and the two fell silent. The chilly atmosphere was broken by the sudden entrance of Harang.

“Guys! I made an awesome track yesterday!”

Harang, with his usual sunny demeanor, scratched his head at the unexpected reaction.

“What’s up?”

“You… never mind.”

“Let’s listen to Harang’s song first!”

At Hyobin’s suggestion, everyone reluctantly gathered around Harang.

Just when everyone stood with faces devoid of expectation, a drum beat flowed out of Harang’s phone. Soon, the bass and electric guitar joined in, and the music started in earnest.

A simple yet refreshing melody.

It was music that naturally made you nod your head.

“…!”

In a word, it was excellent.

“You made this?”

“Wow! What is this?! Harang, did you really make this?”

Hyena and Hyobin’s eyes widened as they listened.

“Who played the instruments? How did you get the guitar sound?”

“I just used a program.”

Harang scratched his head and replied nonchalantly. The three kids stared at Harang, dumbfounded.

“Let’s listen to it again!”

And so, the kids crowded around and listened to the music again. Seon Gihyeon also listened with his eyes downcast.

He didn’t want to admit it, but it was a good track, Gihyeon thought.

“Got a title yet?”

“No… not yet.”

“We need to write lyrics too!”

“How about we each write some lyrics? It could be fun!”

Amid the chattering kids, Seon Gihyeon quietly looked down at his fingertips.

Then.

“Class rep! You have to do it too.”

Hyobin grabbed Seon Gihyeon’s arm, her puppy-like eyes sparkling.

“…”

Seon Gihyeon looked at Kim Hyobin with a complicated expression.

– Can’t even be the top in a regular high school, and you think you can do something big, huh?

– If you’re born my son, you should at least do that much.

– Who’s the top student in school? …Ah, right. That girl, what’s her name, Hyobin. From now on, your goal is to beat that girl.

The top student in school.

The one thing that troubled Seon Gihyeon the most was none other than Kim Hyobin, the top student.

The very reason Seon Gihyeon decided to join ‘High School Superstar’ was because of Kim Hyobin.

The camera captured Seon Gihyeon’s troubled expression in a high-angle close-up.

“…As expected.”

Director Kim Kyuoh nodded in satisfaction.

Though Seon Gihyeon’s internal struggles were outlined in the script, translating that into a visual narrative was another story altogether.

The scene demanded meticulous direction, but above all, it required a delicate performance.

If not portrayed properly, the emotional line could have become ambiguous and lackluster.

However, Han Yooil had managed to capture it perfectly.

“…Cut!”

Director Kim Kyuoh, who had been diligently monitoring the scene, nodded in approval.

“Okay.”

The assistant director, who had been nervously awaiting Kim Kyuoh’s verdict, exclaimed brightly.

“The scene is okay!”

“Great work, everyone~!”

Before leaving the set, Kim Harang leaned towards Yooil and asked,

“Hyung, did you know the final trailer for the drama came out today?”

“…Really?”

Harang took out his phone and showed Yooil a video.

– Sing in High School

The title, in a casual yet sophisticated white design, appeared on the screen, followed by rhythmical music as the main characters were introduced one by one.

Then, the cut of Lee Taewoo and Seon Gihyeon facing each other appeared.

– Do you dislike me that much?

– To be honest… I dislike you.

Though it was just one line of dialogue from each, the confrontation between the two seemed quite intense due to the editing.

Brion quietly displayed the reactions to the trailer in a corner window.

【┗ I wasn’t expecting much, but now I’m excited after seeing the trailer;

┗┗ Same here…

┗┗ 33333

┗ Byul, I love you…

┗ A pretty one next to another pretty one next to another pretty one…

┗ Wow, Hyena’s beauty, what’s with that?

┗ The kids seem to be better at acting than I thought?!?

┗┗ I wish people would stop criticizing without even watching

┗ Why is everyone so good-looking? Crying here

┗ Ji Eunho’s angry acting is really good

┗┗ 222

┗┗ Han Yooil as well…

┗┗ I want to know why they are fighting right now】

“Hyung, what are you looking at? Is there a bug?”

“…It’s nothing.”

Thus, with the anticipation of each idol group’s fans and high school drama lovers heightened, the first broadcast of “Sing in High School” approached.

However, two days before the release of the first episode of “Singin High,” something unexpected occurred.

An event unfolded that not only involved the drama participants but also plunged the waiting audience into confusion.