Chapter 35
“Why?”
Luha lowered her sunglasses slightly and peered at Yoon Taejin through the gap.
“…No, I just think Lumis and that kind of concept don’t really match, you know?”
Taejin tilted his head, puzzled.
His reaction was understandable.
BLAZE Ⅶ (Blaze Seven)
“Burning flames, unquenchable passion!”
With that fiery catchphrase, the seven-member boy group made their debut —
all about blazing charisma, molten-lava passion, explosive energy, and flashing lightning.
They came out emphasizing every kind of intense concept possible.
Naturally, their music style was consistently powerful —
upbeat EDM-based dance tracks.
Their choreography? Always energetic and dynamic.
Their stage performances? Needless to say, the signature ending pose was iconic:
a nip patch and ripped-shirt combo.
At one time, they were called “wild idols,”
and mockingly nicknamed “unextinguishable flames = glowing pink nipples…”
Thanks to that, wasn’t their first endorsement deal… nipple patches?
Slurp—
Luha sipped her drink through a straw.
“Well, maybe a little image change is good at this point.”
She set her drink down with a soft tap and straightened up.
After the 2nd round of performances ended, the RE:VIVAL production team displayed the list of songs for Round 3 on the screen.
Out of six songs, three were girl group tracks.
Of course, you could reinterpret a girl group song and make a good stage out of it,
but realistically, reinterpreting a boy group’s song was usually the safer bet.
The reason Lumis chose “Burn It Up” was clear —
they wanted to show a powerful performance unlike anything they’d done before.
“Anyway…”
Luha’s eyes drifted toward Yoon Taejin.
“Why me again?”
“…?”
Taejin tilted his head again.
“Seriously, how many jobs do I have right now?
Variety show appearances, producing, and now you want me to arrange songs too?
I did the last round already!”
“You get paid, don’t you? Then work.”
“…”
Luha pouted.
“Hah… so this is what workplace exploitation looks like in small companies, huh?”
“Small company? …Really?”
Yoon Taejin looked genuinely wounded.
Luha sighed faintly and looked up at the sky.
“Luha, we’re ready to start!”
A staff member called from afar.
“Ugh…”
Luha let out a deep sigh and got up from her seat.
“Being too good at things really is a sin…”
She shook her head and started walking off, handing her sunglasses to Choi Eunbi —
who took them as if it were second nature.
* * *
The Lumis members had changed into new outfits for their self-filmed content.
They sat together on a picnic mat in the middle of a park.
“Wow! Look, look, a dog!”
Kang Ian exclaimed with an exaggerated expression.
“Our puppy is Ian~ good boy~!”
“Woof!”
Ryu Sian patted Ian’s head affectionately,
and Ian, ever innocent, played along naturally.
“Guys, did you hear!?”
Baek Doha suddenly shouted out.
His tone was awkward, his face stiff — a textbook example of a variety show newbie.
“Whoa, you scared me!”
“Hyung, at least use a blinker before you start talking!”
The members laughed teasingly.
Doha gave a helpless laugh and continued his line.
“Um… so, today, we’re getting a new Lumis member! You knew that, right?”
“A new member?”
“How old!?”
“What, Jinwoo, you don’t want to be the youngest anymore?”
“…I’d just like someone quiet, honestly.”
Each member chimed in with their own wish.
“Well… technically the new one’s younger,
but whether they’ll actually be the youngest, I’m not sure.”
“Oh no…”
“Jinwoo, hang in there!”
“Don’t worry! You just have to establish dominance early!”
“Can I really do that…?”
Then Ryu Sian suddenly stood up, pointing toward the middle of the park.
“Oh! Isn’t that them?”
The camera swung around to follow his finger.
“Huh!? I think it is!”
“Who is it?”
“They look small, don’t they?”
Each member reacted in turn —
a perfectly scripted kind of reaction you’d expect from a self-produced idol show.
But that only made them look even cuter and more lovable.
“Wait, that silhouette… no way! Hyungs, I’m never escaping being the youngest!!”
If this were on TV, you could already imagine the scene —
dramatic du-dun sound effect and a blurred mosaic over the mystery person’s silhouette.
“Whoa!”
“What the— it’s Luha!?”
“Luha!!”
The Lumis members all shouted at once.
“….”
Standing among them now, Luha waved lazily with a back scratcher instead of her hand —
her droopy eyebrows and lips clearly saying, I do not want to be here.
“…Luha has finally become a member of Lumis!”
Baek Doha shouted quickly.
The screen would’ve exploded with celebratory CG and text:
“Congrats! The arrival of Rank #1 — Luha!”
* * *
“Uh… I’m really happy!”
Baek Doha said awkwardly from his chair.
“Hyung, be honest!”
“Doha, liar!”
The other members sitting on the mat shouted teasingly behind him.
(Producer: Are you happy to be reunited with Luha?)
“Of course! We had so much fun filming ‘My House’s Youngest,’
so I think we’ll show great chemistry this time too!”
(Producer: Great chemistry… right?)
Doha glanced nervously over his shoulder.
“Come here—!”
“S-sorry! Just this once, forgive me!”
Luha chased Ryu Sian around the picnic mat, swinging her back scratcher.
The camera followed the two running in circles.
“No comment… please…”
Ryu Sian sighed once seated again.
“Well… I did show some strength in the arm wrestling and thigh wrestling games.
After that, Luha kinda… yeah?”
(Producer: Sian, no spoilers!)
“Ah…?”
Sian blinked blankly.
Next up was Cha Eun-gyeol.
“…What? Living together in the dorm too?”
(Producer: Nods)
“…I just hope I can use my own toothpaste.
Salt toothpaste… it’s awful.”
(Producer: …Salt toothpaste?)
“…Luha only allows that one.”
Cha Eun-gyeol sighed deeply.
(Producer: …)
Then it was Kang Ian’s turn.
“Rank? Pfft! As you all know, the top rank in the Lumis House is me.”
(Producer: Not Luha?)
“When it comes to cuteness! Ppuiii~!”
Kang Ian puffed up his cheeks.
(Producer: …Hahaha.)
Finally, Ha Jinwoo’s turn.
(Producer: How does it feel not escaping being the youngest?)
“Hmm… It’s okay! Actually, Luha inspires me a lot.
One time, when we were preparing for our RE:VIVAL position battle—”
(Producer: Jinwoo! Spoilers!)
Broadcast interruption: Please stand by.
* * *
“They’re too cute—!”
A Lumis fan couldn’t stop smiling — her lips practically touching her ears.
On the Lumis channel, which usually only posted behind-the-scenes clips,
a new video had just dropped:
[Rank #1 Appears! | Lumis House EP.1]
And alongside them — their dependable ally, Luha.
Even though My House’s Youngest had ended after only four episodes,
fans could tell —
it had all been part of the network’s scheme to transition Lumis out of the show.
Still, that was fine.
Thanks to Luha, Lumis as a group was finally starting to stick in people’s minds.
While the RE:VIVAL performance videos still got their fair share of mocking comments,
the reaction on the Lumis channel — full of true fans — made her smile.
— PD-nim!! Welcome!!!
└ Lee Gunwoo PD + Lumis combo!? Plus Luha too!!!
— Sian’s still using salt toothpaste? Poor baby LOL
└ Rank #1 Luha is so tiny and cute ♥♥♥♥♥
— A Lumis self-content video after a million years! I’m so hyped!!!
└ Lumis House! The concept is so good!!!
— LOL please upload the next episode fast!!
— Ian’s aegyo is world-class! Ppuiiing!!! ♥
— So that’s where Luha’s been! Hanging out with the hyungs, haha.
— Welcome back, Hamang~ ♥
Even though they were all in Korean, it was still a huge change.
“Ah, it’s nine o’clock!”
Her fingers flew across the keyboard.
Tonight was RE:VIVAL Episode 2 broadcast night.
[Title] RE:VIVAL airing soon! Already so excited!!!
[Content] (Photo: Baek Doha making a hand heart)
She posted it in the fandom community.
“How have you all been?”
“Good!”
The idols appeared on screen.
“Gasp!”
She covered her mouth.
“Our baby got a solo shot!”
Ha Jinwoo, waving brightly at the camera — his face filling the screen.
If you want to lift your idol’s spirits, you have to flood the feed immediately.
She reopened the comment window.
— Did you see Jinwoo’s solo shot!? So cute ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
└ Jinwoo, I could die happy now bbb
└ He’s literally adorable af
Being a small but tight-knit fandom, their unity and communication were top-tier.
“This is a good start!”
Honestly, even objectively, her boys were the best-looking ones there.
In a show with this many idols, getting an early solo shot wasn’t a coincidence.
That had to mean something big was coming this episode…
Her excitement grew — until her eyes froze.
“…What… what is this?”
[Title] Are these rankings real?
[Content] How is a rookie group with no song in 3rd place? AMP Music and Vista rigging together or what?
— Team B12 got 4th? Lumis worse than them? That’s a joke.
└ Not even a fan but honestly Lumis did better.
└└ Things are tense rn, don’t start drama.
— AMP’s already acting up lol
— Chill, it’s only the beginning.
└ Exactly.
The atmosphere turned uneasy.
Once Vista’s rookie group Beat Twelve Y appeared, the tone of the community shifted.
When the rankings were announced, the outrage only grew.
The fan cautiously lifted her hands off the keyboard.
If she said anything now, it might backfire on Lumis.
Sometimes, silence was the best defense.
“…Tsk.”
After that, it was hard to catch even a glimpse of her boys’ faces.
So many groups, so many members — they only showed up in wide shots.
Still, there’s hope… right?
Then her jaw dropped.
“Arm muscles are the most important!”
Serin, always known for her graceful and elegant image, was suddenly flexing her biceps and talking nonsense.
Meanwhile, Baek Seoyoon — usually queen of charisma and sharp remarks — was standing on a chair shaking both legs.
[Title] What even is this? Losing my mind lol
[Content] But honestly, seeing Serin mess around like that? Weirdly likable now lol
— I’m dying of laughter ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└ Right?? omg agreed
— Is Serin okay these days? LOL
└ Seoyoon is hilarious ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└└ Didn’t like her in ep1, too full of herself, but now she’s a fave lol
The segment was pure absurdity —
but thanks to Serin and Seoyoon’s sacrifice,
peace temporarily returned to the fandom community.
“But wait, wrestling? Are my boys gonna be okay…?”
The fan didn’t yet know that the real “powerhouse” of that scene
was about to be one of her Lumis members.
