Chapter 129: 3rd Competition (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 129: 3rd Competition (2)
Lee Cheong-hyeon’s rap style was quintessential K-pop.
No profanity, no harsh or jarring tones—just a clean flow that would weave in and out as the song transitioned.
Rather than aggressively asserting his presence, he sought to blend naturally with the music.
At least, the Lee Cheong-hyeon I knew had never rapped in any other style.
Unlike other idol rappers, he hadn't released mixtapes or experimented with different genres.
So, Lee Cheong-hyeon in an all-black slim-fit jumpsuit, wearing a harness and even a muzzle?
Honestly, I couldn't picture it. If anything, I was worried he was leaning into a "dislikeable" concept that idols should usually avoid.
Did I not pay enough attention to him because he’s good at everything?
I couldn't exactly drag him off the stage now that he was already up there. My anxiety deepened.
Cheong-hyeon’s parting words about "tearing up the stage" echoed in my ears like a final testament.
Ignoring my nerves, the performance heartlessly began.
Red smoke billowed from the black LED screens.
At the very front of the stage, Lee Cheong-hyeon crawled out from the floor, lifting his head as his red-tinted eyes flashed.
『Can you hear it? The sound of me barking
Bowwow, wow!』
The moment I heard that first line, I realized the concept of this stage.
Cerberus.
The three-headed watchdog that guards the gates of the Underworld ruled by Hades.
Wait, did they choose Cerberus just because there are three of them?
I didn't know whether to call it simple or intuitive. More importantly, he wasn't "tearing up" the stage; he was "barking" on it.
『I only aim for one guy
Because I’m the "it" guy
Born this way, what can I do?』
Compared to the impact of the visual performance, the lyrics seemed like standard rap fare, albeit with a touch of madness.
『Give up and turn back
Escape? Fuck that
That’s just how this game goes』
…Actually, never mind. It was pretty intense.
If they had given this part to Lee Cheong-hyeon while he was still a minor, I would have stormed the stage and staged a sit-in, broadcast be damned.
I would have screamed at them to trample over me if they wanted to perform. Fortunately, I didn't have to resort to such a disaster.
The bigger problem was that the overlapping concept and those blunt, direct lyrics… seemed to point toward a very specific target.
Of all things, they chose a creature from Greek mythology and paired it with lyrics about hunting down "one guy."
To anyone watching, it looked like they were out to maul the Parte team.
Furthermore, when facing two teams, targeting only one could be interpreted as the other team not even being worth their time. I was witnessing a literal "two birds with one stone" strategy unfold before my eyes.
Is this the world of rap? Is this… competition?
I wandered lost in this newly discovered world of hip-hop.
Leaving me in my state of chaos, Lee Cheong-hyeon ripped off his muzzle.
『Stop flapping your jaw and speak with your mouth
I’m the only one allowed to bark
Bullshit is my specialty
Don’t even look at this stage
I’m the only one who can tear it up
Wowed everyone!』
The rap poured out of the wall-mounted speakers, fast and crystal clear.
As we sat frozen by Lee Cheong-hyeon’s shocking transformation, we could hear cheers and reactions erupting from the waiting rooms on either side of us.
Someone in the next room kept shouting, "He tore it up!"
It seemed Cheong-hyeon really did tear something up. Not the stage, but a sack of habaneros.
My ears were stinging. For the first time since becoming an idol, I was afraid to monitor the footage.
"How was I?!"
"I thought you were a lifelong resident of the Underworld."
"Ha!"
Lee Cheong-hyeon looked deeply moved by my words.
"You were really cool, Cheong-hyeon. I was surprised."
Jeong Seong-bin also offered a smiling compliment.
That’s how you’re supposed to praise someone. I should take notes.
Feeling thoroughly satisfied, Lee Cheong-hyeon went around hugging the members.
His body was radiating heat; the endorphins must have been in full swing.
On the other hand, Choi Je-ho, who had to get ready to go out soon, had a look on his face that was nothing short of frigid.
Perhaps because I’d threatened to make him sleep outside the front door if he didn't smile in front of the cameras, his eyes looked somewhat "alive," but having watched the bastard for years, I knew.
That guy wanted to go back to the dorm more than anyone else right now.
For a guy who usually didn't care about the stage, his reaction was unusual.
Conversely, I started to look forward to just how "amazing" of a show All-over would put on.
Choi Je-ho’s unit was second.
It followed a well-received, sultry pair dance performance by Sticky and Parte.
While the previous stage focused on a small number of original members at the start before bringing in a massive number of backup dancers for a grand synchro-dance, Choi Je-ho’s team chose to fill the stage entirely with just the members.
And that was definitely not a good choice.
I didn't even need to see the whole thing. The balance was a mess.
Even within Spark, Choi Je-ho was famous for capturing everyone's attention the moment he was noticed and never letting go until the performance ended.
What happens when you put people who can't even pull their own weight next to a guy like that?
There’s only one answer: the audience sees no one but Choi Je-ho.
Even I, a total novice when it came to dancing, could understand the comments saying Choi Je-ho’s control of intensity was incredible.
But if he monopolized the spotlight even when he was backing off to the side to let others shine, how was anyone supposed to see the performance as a whole?
I had expected this to some extent when Choi Je-ho said he would just focus on doing his own job well.
But still, this is bad…
The atmosphere Lee Cheong-hyeon had hyped up so much began to sink uncontrollably.
The Spark members, knowing Je-ho’s skills all too well, probably found this situation even more pitiful.
Fortunately, Choi Je-ho returned with a refreshed expression after finishing the completely unbalanced stage.
It was shitty working with them, right? Rest easy, you won't have to see them again.
"Whoa, I think my voice is going…!"
"Drink some water, Cheong-hyeon."
As the recording dragged on, voices began to grow hoarse one by one. Lee Cheong-hyeon quenched his thirst with the water bottle Jeong Seong-bin handed him.
The vocal unit performers are going to have a hard time.
Kim I-wol had just left the waiting room. Lee Cheong-hyeon’s gaze naturally drifted toward the door.
"I wonder what song he’s singing."
"Me too."
Agreeing with Kang Gi-yeon, Lee Cheong-hyeon took a seat in an empty chair.
"Has anyone heard what song I-wol Hyung picked?"
Cheong-hyeon asked, but no one raised a hand.
He’d been so secretive about it, calling it "confidential." He really was a tight-lipped guy.
"I’m looking forward to it, though. Hyung practiced a lot."
Jeong Seong-bin said with a smile.
In fact, out of the three members participating in the 3rd Competition, Kim I-wol had the longest practice hours.
Lately, Kim I-wol’s routine involved coming home just before dawn, saying, "It’s great that the Green Line practice rooms are open 24 hours," catching a few winks, and then heading back to UA for individual practice.
I wished people would realize how tenacious that man was.
Lee Cheong-hyeon always felt a bit regretful about that.
Though his grit had been proven through the unexpected means of his CSAT scores.
The conversation about what kind of stage Kim I-wol would show quieted down as the vocal position performances began.
Kim I-wol and Berion, the first ones up, appeared on the screen.
"I feel this every time I monitor him, but doesn't I-wol Hyung stand really straight?"
"Yeah."
Choi Je-ho nodded at Cheong-hyeon’s remark.
Kim I-wol always maintained perfect posture.
Despite living together for over a year, none of the members had ever seen him stand with his weight on one leg or sit with his legs crossed.
Perhaps because of that, Kim I-wol always stood out when several people were lined up.
I guess that’s why the dance teachers tell us to keep our shoulders back and our backs straight, Cheong-hyeon mused to himself.
On the screen, the four performers finished their affable interview with Yur and prepared for the stage.
As the four of them stood in a line holding handheld mics, the LED screen lit up in white.
Simultaneously, an intro that everyone in the waiting room had likely heard at least once began to play.
『The blowing wind
Beckons to me
Telling me it’s time for an adventure』
"It’s the song from 'New World'."
Kang Gi-yeon muttered the title of the animation that had once defined an era.
Now that he mentioned it, the characters' outfits did have that vibe. Realizing it late, Lee Cheong-hyeon clapped his hands. "You're right!"
The simple, upbeat drum beat and rhythm guitar accompaniment were almost identical to the original.
Did they intentionally leave the arrangement almost untouched?
It was the exact opposite of the 2nd Competition, where they had drastically overhauled the song. Lee Cheong-hyeon leaned forward in his seat.
Kim I-wol wasn't the type to cut corners because he was lazy.
So there had to be a reason for this choice!
Finding that answer was like a puzzle or a game to Lee Cheong-hyeon.
What’s the reason? To highlight the harmonies? Or…
While Cheong-hyeon pondered, the song continued.
The parts kept switching, but nothing felt out of place. The original was sung by a single artist, but even with four people sharing the song, there was very little sense of dissonance.
Yeo Seong-chan opened the intro brightly, followed by Kim I-wol, who maintained the building momentum leading up to the highlight without a break.
The highlight, which everyone would sing along to, was given to Cha Se-han.
Moon Yeon-gyu’s presence wasn't particularly prominent in the first verse, but from the second verse onward, the harmonies and ad-libs grew richer, and he began to show his strength.
His ad-libs in the third verse chorus were especially brilliant.
However, Kim I-wol was still the most eye-catching.
Though he didn't like to step forward, it was clear that as the number of vocalists decreased and his teammates' capacities fell short, he had taken on various parts to compensate.
『Inside my heart
There must be a map
A map leading to my dreams
My heart leads the way
Making me run without a moment to stop』
Furthermore, Kim I-wol’s solid yet soft voice had a knack for evoking the OSTs of that era.
Even when he wasn't at the forefront, his participation in the harmonies alone brought the feeling of the original song to life.
At the same time, Lee Cheong-hyeon realized why Kim I-wol had staged the performance so close to the original, and why he had willingly accepted his parts despite the poor circumstances.
It was for the public, who hoped their memories would remain unchanged.
In other words, it was a sign of respect for the emotions the original song provided.
The costumes and the song were all tailored to the story of the cartoon we would have watched back then.
Rather than showing something new, the focus was on evoking nostalgia for the past.
The singing style and vocal color were also kept close to the original. This created a sound that was the least jarring to the ears.
So that the listeners wouldn't be interrupted while they reminisced about their memories.
It’d be pretty jarring if you were getting ready for an internal high note and the song suddenly changed, Cheong-hyeon chuckled to himself.
If they had simply copied the original exactly, they might have been criticized for being no different from a coin noraebang.
But they didn't stop there; Kim I-wol’s team maximized the original’s strengths.
In the parts that originally featured flashy animation, the four of them layered harmonies to the maximum to make the music rich. In the electric guitar solo—a part many consider the most heart-pounding—they turned up the guitar volume louder than the original to leave a more intense impression.
『Let me dive in
Into the heart-pounding
New world』
Within that, the members sang as simply as the original, or perhaps even more cleanly.
Not trying to overwrite the memory with something else, but simply acting as a conduit to bring those memories back.
"He really put on a stage that’s just like him."
Lee Cheong-hyeon rested his chin on his hand and smiled.