Chapter 128: 3rd Competition (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 128: 3rd Competition (1)
Compared to Choi Je-ho, who was currently wrestling with All-over, life practicing at Green Line was paradise.
No one gave me the cold shoulder for being an artist from another agency. Thanks to that, I was able to focus entirely on practice.
Still, it didn't sit right with me to just receive without giving back, so I maintained at least the minimum level of courtesy within my power.
First, since the company looking after me was an act of pure goodwill, I would express my gratitude with the utmost sincerity.
Second, just as Berion respected my minority opinion, I would treat them as true colleagues.
I had resolved to stick to these two rules while I was indebted to Green Line.
Moreover, keeping those two promises wasn't even that difficult.
As a human being, it’s only natural to be grateful for what you receive and want to maintain good relationships.
"What’s this? A heating pad?"
"Yeah. I bought it to use at the dorm, but... was it Hee-rang? His knees didn't look too good. This one is still unopened, so take it if you need it. Our youngest says this brand is the best."
So, I shared things I had spares of...
"While I was picking songs, I pulled a few that I thought would suit you guys. Do you need them?"
"Songs that would suit us?"
"They’re ones I shortlisted while choosing my competition song, but I ended up excluding them because the vibe didn't quite fit. They’d suit you better as individual covers, though."
I handed over the songs that had been dropped during the selection process. It felt a bit awkward to call it a "gift" since I’d just stumbled upon them while working, but still.
Oh, and I bought them a first-aid kit since they said they didn't have one at their dorm.
I never wanted to see a group of kids living together without a single basic medicine ever again.
Since I heard Berion had foreign members, I used a label maker to stick large English labels for "Headache," "Stomachache," "Cough," and "Chills" on everything.
Anyway, I only did that much, but...
"Hyung, are you going straight to sleep when you get to the dorm? If you have time, see Hee-rang before you go. He said he really wanted to say hello."
"Just stay and have breakfast. There’s a really good bean sprout soup place around here. President Moon, bean sprout soup is health food, so it’s fine, right?"
"Yeah, Hyung, eat before you go. Maybe you could teach me how you pick songs while we wait for the delivery?"
With the 3rd Competition right around the corner, these guys weren't just getting close to me themselves—they seemed determined to introduce me to every single other member.
Don't they get tired after practicing all night? Their stamina is incredible.
And what? Eat breakfast?
I’m tempted by the soup, but I’m not the kind of person shameless enough to freeload breakfast at someone else’s agency.
Besides, I have to head straight to the dorm as soon as practice ends. The Spark brats are waiting for me.
"I can teach you how to pick songs, but I’m skipping the meal. It’s not polite for an outsider to linger at a company for too long. I’ll have another chance to greet Hee-rang."
I politely declined and quickly packed my bag. All three of them looked dejected simultaneously.
At this point, shouldn't Green Line have put an older member in Berion? It feels like these kids are desperate for a guiding hand.
Sighing, I pulled three powdered sticks from the front pocket of my bag. It was the sugar-free pear and bellflower root tea powder I often made for the Spark members.
I handed the sticks to Moon Yeon-gyu and said, "When you get to the dorm, mix these in some water, drink up, and go straight to sleep. The competition is almost here, so hang in there a little longer."
Moon Yeon-gyu looked deeply moved by my words.
You don't need to be moved, Mr. Moon Yeon-gyu.
It’s just that our team’s center warned me he’s going to wreck the stage in a bad way, so I figured I should at least do my part well...
After many twists and turns, the day of the 3rd Competition dawned.
Thanks to some resting and others doing whatever the hell they wanted, everyone in Spark looked radiant. Except for me, of course.
"Hyung, are the Berion sunbaenims the only ones overworking you?"
My dark circles were so heavy that Jeong Seong-bin asked me that with a straight face. Consequently, I got scolded the moment I stepped into the shop.
Today, for the first time in a while, I was about half-free from planning the costume concepts.
Choi Je-ho and Lee Cheong-hyeon would be wearing the outfits coordinated by their respective units, and I would be wearing the one I’d matched with Berion.
Since my workload had decreased, I poured my soul into the outfits for Jeong Seong-bin, Park Ju-woo, and Kang Gi-yeon instead.
I went with elegant Seonbi hanboks that matched the Awangsil concept perfectly.
To break it down, for Park Ju-woo, I dressed him in a light sky-blue hanbok reminiscent of a white puppy to highlight his "indifferent puppy" keyword. To make him look cute, I even bought a dog paw stamp and worked hard stamping it onto his sleeves and the hem of his overcoat.
Since Jeong Seong-bin is our team leader, I considered giving him a royal robe, but that would inevitably spark controversy over favoring a specific member and lead to another explanation broadcast. So, I substituted it with a soft pink hanbok.
I tried to add a touch of pink blush to appeal to his "warm-hearted handsome man" side—at least by Spark's standards—but...
"Wait..."
"Why does he look like a young master who just turned of age and got drunk on his first cup of medicinal liquor?"
...And so, he went back to being a fresh, sober Seonbi. It was my fault for trying to emphasize a "tender" side to these guys.
Finally, I put Kang Gi-yeon in a pale yellow hanbok.
Considering his image, purple would have suited him well, and he has indeed worn a lot of dark tones until now, but...
Taking into account the demand for Kang Gi-yeon’s "youngest member" moments, I went with a special "Extra Episode: Chick Class Gi-yeon" concept this time. It’s a secret from him, though.
"Hyung, don't we have to wear the gat?"
"Why would you wear a gat! It’ll cast shadows on your faces!"
I’ll save the gats for the Season Greeting where we can use lighting correction. I won't tolerate them in the indoor filming of Awangsil.
Having them sit side-by-side on the sofa in their pastel tones made them look like a row of rainbow rice cakes, which was nice. I didn't forget to pin the Royal Examiner's Flower Badges they received from the last competition onto their chests.
≫ A holiday self-produced content without hanboks?
Life is bleak.
└ If we hold out, they’ll wear them at least once.
There were so many outfits the Sparklers had once yearned for.
I’ll dress them up as much as possible before I resign. Hang in there, you Spark brats, until you’ve worn them all.
While the three non-participants were dressed in "cute and precious" styles and finished their preparations to watch, the three participants were truly "three men, three colors."
I wore an explorer-like outfit to match the main theme of the animation, where the protagonist's party sets off on an adventure.
I’d worn neckties before, but wearing a scarf was a first, so it felt quite foreign. I asked if I looked too much like a Boy Scout, but the stylist, as always, just showered me with compliments, saying it suited me perfectly.
Of all things, I was in charge of the intro this time, so I even had to carry props.
When I was with Spark, Jeong Seong-bin usually handled this kind of thing. I guess this is why fans go crazy for "Intro Fairies."
Lee Cheong-hyeon was the definition of a pitch-black mad dog.
I don't know what kind of stage he prepared with Log, but not only were his top and bottom jet black, he was decked out in a black harness and a leg holster. He was doing the absolute most.
He even wore red colored lenses today. Someone should really get this guy a lens commercial.
"What are you guys, assassins?"
"It’s a bit early to be shocked."
With that, Lee Cheong-hyeon shook the object in his hand.
"Is that... a muzzle?"
A muzzle made of leather straps, the kind a large dog would wear, dangled from Lee Cheong-hyeon’s hand.
"You brat, I specifically told you not to cover your face—"
"I know, I know! I’m taking it off after the first verse!"
"If you’re taking it off, don't pull it down, flip it up. So you don't hurt your nose."
Anyway, that guy has completely ruined any chance of a "refreshing" concept. That bastard probably would have loved it even if I’d made him a "cyber warrior."
Lee Cheong-hyeon was a shock, but Choi Je-ho was even more extreme.
His hair was styled with wax for a rebellious look that was intimidating enough, but he was flaunting his solid muscles in a stunning deep blue crop jacket with only a see-through top underneath. I wondered if it was okay to show such a provocative sight to teenagers.
"Your hair color looks a bit different too? Did you have time to dye it?"
"Spray."
Under the fluorescent lights, Choi Je-ho’s hair shimmered with a subtle purple hue mixed with blue.
On a dark stage, the color will probably only pop when he’s under the highlights. Not a bad choice.
Looking at these two, I felt like I was the only one who had become the protagonist of a peaceful, healing exploration game. Rap and dance are truly terrifying things.
Just in case there wasn't enough reaction footage for Awangsil, we all chatted enthusiastically about which unit we were looking forward to.
After about thirty minutes of talking, the curtain rose on the 3rd Competition.
The first position battle began with the Rap position.
The combination of Sticky and Berion was quite good.
Whether both groups decided to play to their strength—brightness and cheerfulness—they chose a singing rap song about a man who had just fallen in love.
It had a slow tempo, but the chemistry was great, and the simple concept made it easy to enjoy.
The live reaction was also positive. Thanks to choosing a song that was more mainstream than typical hip-hop, many people could be seen singing along despite the rap lyrics.
'Berion might be hit-or-miss, but their planning ability is solid.'
The consistency of Sticky, who pushed a "lovely guy-next-door" concept as stubbornly as Spark pushed their "youth" concept, was also noteworthy.
The next ones up, Parte and All-over... were powerful.
They left a strong impression from the start with their gothic outfits and intentionally heavy makeup.
That wasn't all. The chemistry between the members, who were said to have been friends since their trainee days, was evident on stage.
Choosing Emo rap to blend Parte’s mythical image with All-over’s dark and aggressive vibe was also a good move.
The previous stage was decent by Awangsil standards, but the following stage was much more impressive both visually and aurally.
Well, what can you do? You just have to blame the luck of the draw.
If they had performed like that during the 2nd Competition instead, both Sticky and Berion would have likely received better results than they did back then.
Parte wasn't about to keep failing forever, either.
Sure enough, following their 2nd place finish in the last competition, it was clear they were fired up this time.
Excellent. This is what makes it worth watching for the viewers. The program needs to do well for Spark to become more famous, too.
It was all well and good enjoying the performance, but I suddenly thought of our team’s youngest, who would be backstage right now.
'Lee Cheong-hyeon... I wonder if he’ll do okay?'