Chapter 92
I’m translating the chapter as formatted HTML and keeping the in-universe notices in styled blocks, per your rules. I’m preserving the performance flow and dialogue separation so the English reads like a published scene, not a gloss.CHAPTER_TITLE: Breakwater Team (3)
Only then did Hala’s eyes fully take in the Breakwater Team’s outfits.
They wore clothes hung with pockets and harnesses, black techwear layered with a vest that brought to mind body armor and magazine pouches. They looked like special agents assigned to some classified military operation in a future city.
Fine scars had been painted across the bridge of their noses, their cheeks, and their foreheads. It made them look like people caught in the middle of a war.
What is this...? It’s already fun.
The concept itself was eye-catching, but there was something else that drew her gaze. Gal Neoul and Baek Yuri were both holding hand microphones. Just seeing two powerhouse vocalists with handheld mics made her anticipation rise another notch.
When the lights went out, the whole venue slowly fell silent. Even in the dark, there were still a few people calling out the team members’ names, but one by one they closed their mouths and held their breath.
Zhiiing— zhiiing—
[METEOROLOGICAL AGENCY: Magnitude 7.1 earthquake in Seoul / Protect yourself from falling objects, evacuate after shaking stops]
[FOREST SERVICE: Severe landslide alert issued for North Chungcheong and other areas / Residents and visitors in landslide-prone areas must evacuate immediately.]
[MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR AND SAFETY: South coast tsunami advisory issued / Vehicles in coastal and low-lying areas must evacuate immediately, and caution is urged regarding safety from falling structures.]
[MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR AND SAFETY: Heavy rain and strong winds expected due to advancing typhoon. Refrain from going out and watch for falling objects. Power outages occurring in multiple areas.]
[SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT: Alert issued for all areas of Seoul. Citizens are requested to move to shelters immediately. Children and the elderly should be evacuated firs]
With the continuing vibrations and the flood of emergency messages appearing at once, a prickling chill ran over her skin. Worse, the last message did not even say what the alert was for, and the sentence ended unfinished.
Over the rows of emergency alerts that kept rising on-screen, a red warning window flickered into view with a crackling mechanical voice, then began flashing. In moments, countless identical warning windows sprang up and filled the screen.
As the situation grew urgent, the lights dropped down over the Breakwater Team standing onstage. The contestants each struck poses that made it look as though they were staring seriously at electronic devices, then exchanged glances with one another.
Weeeeeeeeng—
A sound effect rang out like the automatic doors of a spaceship or a secret base opening. The Breakwater Team looked around and quickly re-formed their positions.
Unlike a moment before, they now seemed to have dropped into a guarded stance, tension coiled tight through them.
Thud, thud, thud, thud.
The rough, heavy bass riff and pounding drum accompaniment hammered at hearts already clenched into knots.
In that atmosphere, as though something might burst out of nowhere at any second, Ha On-ha at center raised a finger to his lips and looked straight ahead.
Shh.
Then he gestured for everyone to come closer, as if he were a special agent sent to rescue civilians hiding behind buildings in a city under attack.
At that instant,
KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA! KREEEEE—!
Ay—
Matching the harsh entrance, Ha On-ha marked the beat with his feet and signaled the true start of the song. The beat that crashed in after that was so polished and forceful it sent goosebumps racing from the top of her head to the tips of her toes.
W-what...? Was it always this kind of song?
If you listened closely, the demo they had heard last time was still there beneath everything else. But once the instruments and electronic sounds were layered over it, the song’s atmosphere changed completely.
Every element blended together with stunning precision, transforming it into something packed with momentum, like the score of an action film.
[The operation has already begun
Are you ready?]
Softly trailing endings, touched with a breath of air. Ha On-ha let a small smile curve his mouth as he moved with restrained control, riding the rhythm.
Kyyaaaah!
Cheers exploded from the audience surrounding the stage.
The contestants moved in perfect coordination according to their assigned pathways. Standing in a circle with their backs to one another, they danced and spun like horses and carriages on a merry-go-round, trading places as they turned.
[You don’t need to be afraid
Everything will go according to plan]
Following Logan, who leaned back and jerked his chin forward with a combative tilt, Baek Yuri came in with a rough pull in his throat.
[Your head must be pounding
The Siren ringing so noisily—!
It feels like everything could collapse any moment
The precarious Collapse!]
The complex yet distinctive melody meshed with Baek Yuri’s voice and sparked a powerful synergy. The choreography was full of details that could easily have made it look messy, but his clean, uncluttered lines made it feel sharp and exhilarating instead.
[You look anxious]
What followed was choreography that swept a knee across the floor and crossed the feet. Woo Cheong whirled forward with dazzling speed, then used the recoil and the strength of his core to snap his body upright in one smooth motion.
[You can hide behind me—!
Face the rough waves head-on
No need to hesitate with us]
Gal Neoul stepped into center, and in an instant the formation turned into a triangle.
The great motion binding all six of them into one seemed to evoke a massive fortress, or perhaps a colossal shield. As though it could block every danger, whether surging waves, bombs, or anything else that came at them.
[I’ll be your BREAKWATER
Because if you want, I can become anything]
With a dreamy tone, Gal Neoul gave the addictive low-register melody all the lushness it deserved.
The audience, thrilled beyond reason, hardly even remembered to breathe. Their hearts clenched and released in spasms that felt ready to split them open.
[Lu Lu Lover———!]
Thud!
Ha On-ha surged forward again for the dance break. Over a frenzy of trendy, unusual electronic sounds, green lasers swept everywhere, and sparks burst in the background that flashed across the screen.
Every footwork pattern from the six contestants landed precisely and with weight. Each turn of the head and bend of the elbow was disciplined and sharply angled.
Kyyaaaahhh!
Screams so loud they seemed to tear throats apart erupted from the audience.
[A maze that seems endless
Sorrow with no end in sight
Maybe even Blue swallowed by the song
If the sea of that unease tries to swallow you]
As the mood flipped, Yeo Do-bin’s boom-bap came in and wrapped itself deliciously around the audience’s eardrums. Yeo Do-bin was one of the contestants with outstanding vocal ability, and the unexpectedly high-level rapping sent the crowd into silent internal screams.
[You can hide behind me—!
Face the rough waves head-on (head-on!)
No need to hesitate with us]
[I’ll be your BREAKWATER
Because if you want, I can become anything]
Over the contestants’ voices, Gal Neoul’s live double-tracking piled on in dazzling layers. Baek Yuri’s ad-libs, too, rushed in without pause, driving everything toward the highlight.
[Even if our whole bodies break apart
I’ll protect you]
Logan and Woo Cheong formed the pair. Crossing their arms and turning together, they slid out to left and right. Once again, a shield-motif move crashed through in a large, brilliant wave.
[I’ll be your BREAKWATER
Because if you want, I can become anything]
Thud!
[Lu Lu Lover—]
The contestants stood back to back with arms slung over one another’s shoulders. Like the rocks piled into a breakwater at a harbor, leaning into one another and locking together as they faced the waves.
Shuuuuuu—
With a sound like doors closing, the relieved contestants ended the stage by clapping hands and slapping high-fives.
Ahhhhh!
Encore! Encore!
Hot cheers poured down. And then—
[Voting will end in 10 seconds.]
A female voice synthesized by machinery began the countdown at once.
[10. 9. 8. 7....]
Shit! I was so focused on the stage I forgot to press the button!
Hala grew frantic and started hammering the Pass button over and over in quick succession. She got the sense she was not the only one pounding the button hard enough to break a finger. From all around, the sound of frantic button presses rang out.
The Breakwater Team drew ragged breaths and secretly wiped the sweat beading at their chins and the bridge of their noses.
Gal Neoul collapsed with a little pfft, propped one knee up, and rested his arm on it as he glared at the camera with a fierce look. Since he no longer had the strength to stand, it was a compromise of an ending pose. Logan and Yeo Do-bin, beside him, slowly sank down as well.
[...3. 2. 1. Voting closed. Voting closed.]
The lights came up brightly, and the Idol Travel logo appeared on the screen.
“Wow—ohhh!”
Applause burst out from the judges’ panel. The owner of that applause was choreographer Miles Kim, who leaned his upper body forward as far as it would go.
“Good! Woo! That was nice, wasn’t it?”
It was a simple evaluation, but one everyone could agree with.
“Thank you!”
“Thank you~”
Logan and Yeo Do-bin sprang to their feet and straightened into the respectful posture of trainees being judged.
Gal Neoul, exhausted to the point of collapse, seemed not to hear the critique at all. He stayed seated, grinning brightly toward the audience until Ha On-ha and Baek Yuri grabbed his arms from both sides and pulled him up, and only then did he rise a beat late and compose himself properly.
Hala raised her microphone, then yielded the turn to Woo Yong-dam. Woo Yong-dam cleared his throat with a hum-hum and said, “Hmm. I watched the Breakwater Team’s stages during the intermediate evaluation and the rehearsal too. Everyone was even better than they were in practice, and it was fun to watch again.”
Relief and pride spread across the faces of the Breakwater Team members onstage. Woo Yong-dam continued,
“The vocal difficulty was pretty high, but Woo Cheong contestant learned from the other members and improved a lot. And the choreography, too... were you taking revenge by any chance? Woo Cheong contestant?”
“Huh?!”
“At this point, I’m starting to wonder if you were getting back at Yeo Do-bin contestant for making the song so difficult.”
Woo Yong-dam gave a mischievous smile and looked at Woo Cheong.
“Hey! No, it wasn’t me! The culprit is On-ha hyung! Hyung, confess! Hurry!”
At Woo Cheong’s accusation, the judges and audience burst out laughing.
“Cheong and Logan were accomplices too~”
“Hahaha. I’m joking. I’m saying that as praise, because you did well.”
Woo Yong-dam’s gaze moved from Ha On-ha to Gal Neoul.
“Contestant Gal Neoul must have had a hard time, right?”
“Yes. I did have a hard time.”
Gal Neoul answered honestly.
“But... maybe because it was difficult, I feel even more proud of it.”
Woo Cheong let out a gleeful giggle and shook Gal Neoul’s arm.
“You finished the stage really well without making it obvious how hard you were struggling, and you kept your expression under control too. You worked hard.”
“Thank you.”
Woo Yong-dam praised Baek Yuri, Ha On-ha, and Logan in turn, then fixed his gaze on Yeo Do-bin.
“And last, contestant Yeo Do-bin.”
“Y-yes......!”
“If you’ve got any self-composed songs left over, can you give just one to me?”
......
Yeo Do-bin stared blankly with his mouth hanging open. It seemed to take him a moment to process what Woo Yong-dam had said. At the awkward, buffering look on his face, Hala couldn’t help laughing.
After a long moment, Yeo Do-bin’s answer came out in a squeak.
“......Y-yes?!”
“I’m preparing a solo album right now. I’ll leave my contact information later, so make sure you call me.”
“Uhh, yes...! What an honor, no...! It’s an honor...?!”
“Oh. You promised, right? No taking it back?”
While Woo Yong-dam teased Yeo Do-bin half in jest and half in earnest, Hala seized the opening and raised her microphone.
“This team could debut just like this.”
“Right, right.”
Miles Kim nodded in agreement. Hala went on to shower Yeo Do-bin with praise, saying she had known his composing ability was good, but she had not expected him to be so strong at rapping too.
“I think this stage was a chance to rediscover Yeo Do-bin contestant.”
“Th-thank you......”
Yeo Do-bin smiled despite the barrage of praise, looking awkward and flustered under the flood.
“And Baek Yuri contestant. I already knew Baek Yuri contestant was talented, but seeing it this time, I realized he’s good at writing lyrics too.”
“Thank you.”
Baek Yuri bowed with a relieved expression, as though he had been carrying a great deal of worry.
While the judging continued, Jeong Ondo, who had come up onto the stage and stood waiting beside the Breakwater Team, quietly nodded as well. After the critiques ended, Jeong Ondo took the microphone.
“All right, then. I’ll now announce the Breakwater Team’s voting results!”
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