Dawn of Apollo Chapter 3

Special commentary

SUNNY: Boo!!!

JACOB: The bloody scoundrels! They took-a Sunny's clothes!

[We're not sure what accent Jacob is trying to pull here and we don't dare ask him.]

JUNGMO: Yes, scoundrels indeed. 

[Jungmo laughs - high and sweet, like the sound of crystals tinkling - and somewhere off camera is an audible gasp, followed by groans. We guess this is one of our audio engineers. Perhaps next time, she could be so kind as to edit herself out of the mix.]

SUNNY: Wow, Jacob, they made you...mean!!

JACOB: For sure, that's 'cause I asked them to write me as a cheeky bastard.

...What, don't you believe me? It's true!

SUNNY: Oh, no - I believe! You're looking ahead to the movie adaptation and you want to juice up your part! 

JACOB: [laughs] Oh yeah, maybe! "It's all coming together...my long-term master plan!"

MINHO: Very long term.  

[Yunsu play-punches Minho in the arm, and they break off into a side conversation about the perceived quality of the novel.]

SUNNY: Get that money and multifaceted characterization, Jacob!

No but seriously, say more! How come you asked to be the villain? Don't you think you're actually a nice guy? ...I do!

JACOB: Well, shucks, Sunny, I dunno...I guess I just thought it'd be better for the story if somebody could come along and stir the pot once in a while?

Besides, people already think these things about me. If I wasn't "in character" wouldn't the writers come under fire? 

JUNGMO: ...And that's the kind of person Jacob Lee really is. 

SUNNY: Leader, they showed you the story before everyone else saw it, right? What did you think when you and Jacob first came on the scene? Did it feel sorta weird? 

[Jungmo is still smiling, but it is a considered smile and he is being very careful with his words.]

JUNGMO: ...Mmm. Well, I guess I should first say that it wouldn't have been my preference to reshape the personalities of the members. Something that regularly steals my sleep is the notion that Muses might genuinely misunderstand us, whether we seek to mislead them or not. That the aftereffects might last forever. But in this case, it really was Jacob's choice. 

I think we could one day compensate him by making him the hero, perhaps even within this series. Recently, I suggested to the writers that we could create a redemption arc for fictional Jacob. 

[Jacob says nothing, but makes some embarrassed noises.]

SUNNY: That's so cool of you Leader! Well played. ...And, a loveline? 

JUNGMO: [laughs] And who would you want Jacob to have a loveline with?

SUNNY: Well he's already wearing my clothes.

JACOB: Okay that's enough fun!!

...Does anyone else have anything to say about this installment?

Hyuntae, buddy?? ...Go for it.

[A few moments pass as Hyuntae looks around and haltingly speaks into his mic.]

HYUNTAE: This...Fast Sunshine...how is it powered? OW!

[Reflexively, Jacob's rolled-up copy of the novel enters stage right and smacks Hyuntae on the chin. With equally little thought, Hyuntae dives forward and grabs Jacob by the collar. They tussle angrily without result.]

[A few minutes more to get everyone settled again. Yunsu is in the toilet longer than expected, perhaps looking for alternative employment, so Jungmo takes over.]

JUNGMO: This is something of a non-sequitur, and I apologize in advance. But I just wanted to take a moment to express how wonderful it's been to slow down and partake in this roundtable with all of you. 

[In the background Jacob tries to smack Hyuntae with his copy of the novel, and gets a mean backhand. Jacob makes a scrunched-up face, as if he is howling into the void but nothing is coming out.]

JUNGMO: I know it's been an exceptionally busy last few months of promotions, performances and lives. To say nothing of ordinary growing pains, and heartache - some days, we cry without knowing exactly why we're overwhelmed. But for a few minutes at a time, we can gather in this studio and talk about something freely and without consequence, something that is only meant to delight. And in these moments I'm reminded of who we are, the real us.

It's as if I'm peering through a time passage into our dorm days. We didn't know we would be a team at the time, but gradually found each other. Through hundreds of thousands of seemingly meaningless interactions, we built an invisible bond, and this year that bond was bolstered in a way that we never anticipated - with our debut. But we're still the same people, and the hundreds and thousands of small gestures continue to compound.

To tie it back to the premise, it's not unlike the journey of our characters. Abandoned in the universe, struggling for connection. Entangling, without really seeing. The miracle of their coming together is our miracle. 

I want to express that I'm grateful for that miracle. No one truly knows how long a journey will take when it begins. As we take each step, I'll be glad if we can always remember the act of discovering, entwining, and being - our story. And if we can continue to build on the miracle of our existence by being present and engaging with each other. As Leader I will always try to protect our ability to do that. I hope it gives you some relief that I am committed to all of you. 

[A pregnant silence as everyone absorbs the weight of Jungmo's words. And then,]

HYUNTAE: ...I thought we were grouped together because the staff saw us fixing the downstairs vending machine that one time. 

[Silence, and then, the sound of Jacob's flat palm striking his own face.]

SUNNY: Shh, Hyuntae!! If Leader says it's a miracle then it is.

MINHO: Be cool, man.

HYUNTAE: But what did I do now!!

JACOB: How about I give you the miracle of early retirement - [to Jungmo] Leader!!

[But Leader is too busy laughing and shaking his head. Laughing that crystal laughter.]