Chapter 193: Sharing the Final Version (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 193: Sharing the Final Version (2)
Summary of previous events: The boys' outfits were a total serve, and I wondered if I-wol was the mastermind, but it looks like he isn't.
That was the state of Baek Hae-won’s mind.
She really needed to study more. Her vocabulary was absolute trash.
While the song paused, the screen returned to the meeting room.
It was the same as before, showing a photo of a man being dragged away, but this time, a 24-hour countdown appeared with it.
Simultaneously, the events began to rearrange themselves.
During the daylight hours, Kim I-wol headed to the place where the man had been taken, rescued the person under protection, and relayed the news to headquarters.
After securing the man's identity, Park Ju-woo and Lee Cheong-hyeon blended into the rush-hour crowds to sneak into the company, performing the groundwork to support Choi Je-ho and Kang Gi-yeon. In the darkness, the duo’s joint operation was a magnificent success.
As the sky gradually brightened beyond the shattered glass they left behind, those who had been blackmailed busily reached for their phones.
An order was issued to deal with the whistleblower who had dropped out late. However…
『This surging emotion
As the price
It is more than enough』
…In reality, the man was in the meeting room with Kim I-wol, watching the news he had leaked to the world being broadcast as the morning news. He was perfectly safe.
The sky was the foreshadowing. I was so distracted by their faces that I didn't even notice.
‘Then who was the man in the fire?’
When the area around the tied-up man had turned into a sea of flames, the surroundings were clearly bright.
As if reading Hae-won’s thoughts, flames engulfed the screen.
Jeong Seong-bin’s soft voice echoed in her ears.
『I will stay
Backstage
Until you come
With a joyful heart』
As the camera zoomed in on the ear of the man trapped in the flames, a small, transparent in-ear monitor could be seen.
The man tilted his head a few times, then, without a hint of panic, untied the ropes binding his wrists himself.
The movement of the ropes sliding off his fingers and him removing the blindfold followed in a smooth sequence.
The man’s hand moved toward his neck.
Veins popped on the back of his hand as he tucked it inside his shirt collar. With the sound of skin tearing, a prosthetic face mask was peeled away.
Jeong Seong-bin, finally revealed, shook out his hair. The sight of bits of fake skin still clinging to him here and there actually made the scene even more impactful.
『Hiding the traces, quietly
Behind your back
In the closest place』
Removing the earphone from his ear, Jeong Seong-bin leisurely walked out toward a spot the fire hadn't reached yet.
Beyond the flames, the morning sun was rising.
『COMPLETE』
A stamp slammed onto a black background, and the music video ended.
≫ Hey guys (all 150 million of you), let’s watch the Spark MV
Don’t blame me later for not telling you about something this good sooner
I’m telling you clearly right now: watch it
└ Where did that 150 million come from? LOL
└ [Whistleblower] It includes the future population
└└ Just how far into the future are you looking, oh wise one…
└ Just grab them and count them as part of "the guys"
≫ Seriously, f*ck, they hid this kind of concept and pushed the "refreshing idol" thing all this time?
I can’t go back to the time before I knew Mission Spark. I just can't.
└ They served us so much "refreshing" content because they knew it would end up like this…
≫ Then did Pep tie Seong-nen-i’s ropes???? And put the blindfold on him??
No, think about it. Whistleblower rescue > swapping the hostage with Seong-nen-i. Timewise, it only makes sense if Kim Peps tied up Seong-nen-i.
But looking at the MV, isn't Seong-nen-i the boss? Is this allowed?
└ Maybe Peps was just an ordinary office worker who wanted revenge on his boss.
└ ???: Oh, Team Leader, you made it back alive? Oops, my bad;;; You’re back?
└ LMAO
≫ I want the maknaes to become adults soon
I just want them to grow up fast
└ LOL, first time I’ve seen someone so desperate for their idols to get older
≫ Kang Gi-yeon in a jumpsuit passes by, then blonde Lee Cheong-hyeon appears
White-haired Park Ju-woo passes by, then crop-top Kim I-wol appears
Lens-wearing Jeong Seong-bin passes by, then Choi Je-ho on wires appears…
└ The blessings of Spark are endless
≫ I was wondering what the flower on I-wol’s back was
I think it’s a White Dogwood flower! They also call it Hongseomok.
The shape is so unique it was hard to find… hah
(I looked at it super zoomed-in, so I might be wrong!!! ㅠㅠㅠ)
└ I think this is right ㅠㅠ The flower language of Hongseomok is "I will protect you." It fits the MV and lyric concept perfectly.
└ White… Dogwood… the bark has a reddish tint… and it turns redder as winter approaches…
└ That’s literally a flame. You UA perverts.
≫ But Spark is really consistent
They’re performing righteous roles with faces that look like they should be filming a noir movie.
Even if it’s not a "refreshing" concept, they maintain a role that’s… I don’t know how to describe it, confident? Flawless?
≫ I only realized the background for the group choreography was a total wasteland after watching the MV five times.
└ That’s because the boys’ faces are the Louvre.
≫ It’s pretty funny how the MV is a secret agent spy operation, but the lyrics are romantic.
└ The lyrics are basically a love confession lol
└ I was fooled by the MV and missed the important part…
Ah.
I’m happy.
I feel fulfilled.
My fan heart is overflowing.
These handsome, cute, pretty, and sexy boys are our boys!
When emotions surge like this, there’s something that must be done.
The album unboxing that arrived just in time.
Baek Hae-won had scoured various online malls to get the best possible unreleased photocards. For a student with limited capital, selection and focus were essential.
The package from the carefully selected vendor arrived three hours after the MV was released. She didn't know why it felt like a gift when she had clearly bought it with her own money.
They said if you bought six albums, you’d get the unreleased photocards for all members like a full set of Dragon Balls. So, Hae-won had dropped the money for six without hesitation. It was a stroke of luck that the damage to her wallet was minimal since it was a mini-album.
‘I hope they didn't just throw in random B-cuts just because they're unreleased photocards.’
The essence of being a fan lies in the photocards. Random photocards, version A through C photocards, unreleased photocards, lucky draw photocards, music show photocards, fan club photocards, Season’s Greetings photocards…
Even though she knew it was a marketing tactic, the desire to own the photocards burned within her every time she engaged in fan activities.
Since I-wol had repeatedly urged them, saying, "Everyone, I'm so grateful you buy the albums, but please only do so when your own happy life is guaranteed!" she had made this purchase somewhat rationally.
Should she say she reached a peaceful compromise by giving up the clothes she had haphazardly put in her shopping cart to buy the boys' albums instead? For the sake of being with them, she was fine being a "one-suit gentleman" this autumn.
Anyway, he was such an upright man. A man like that deserved to be shown what's what through streaming.
Looking at her phone, which was running hot with infinite power from a portable battery, Hae-won picked up another phone she was using for streaming to film an unboxing video—just in case she needed it for a refund.
“Alright then~ I’m going to do an unboxing for Spark’s new mini-album!”
Even though she never uploaded anything to MeTube, she probably wasn't the only one who spoke in a "vlog tone" while filming. Hae-won carefully sliced the box tape with a utility knife.
The first thing on top was the unreleased photocard. At a glance, it looked like they were taken in their stage outfits.
First came Kang Gi-yeon in techwear, then Lee Cheong-hyeon wearing round glasses and a hoodie while drinking soda, Park Ju-woo in a white gown with a surgical mask pulled down, Choi Je-ho in a tight muscle-fit outfit with various accessories like belts and chokers, and finally, Kim I-wol in a black turtleneck with wireless in-ears. They all poured out.
“Wow, the photos are insane… No, wait, I’ve seen all six unreleased cards, so let me check the album photocards now.”
Hae-won used some rather raw expressions for a vlog as she flipped through the albums. A card fell onto her sleeping socks.
“Aaaaah!”
Hae-won covered her mouth.
A photo of Kim I-wol (ver. A), looking as if he were wiping away lipstick from his lower lip with his index finger, was in her hand.
She didn't need defect verification or anything else. Hae-won ended the video recording and quickly switched her camera app to photo mode. Then, she leaned the photocard against the wall where the fluorescent light hit best and started taking pictures.
Hae-won’s unboxing wasn't bad. Even though Kim I-wol was her bias, most Sparklers were strongly "all-fans."
Besides, the quality of all the photos was incredible.
Version A had a similar vibe to the concept photos, while Version B felt strongly like "off-the-record" after work.
Kang Gi-yeon, with the top of his techwear removed to clearly reveal his shoulder muscles outside his halterneck, and Lee Cheong-hyeon loosening his tie were enough to paralyze her reason.
Kim I-wol, removing his in-ears with a languid expression, gave off a shockingly adult impression despite his neat attire.
‘Did our I-wol go to the design team?’
Reasonable suspicion kept cropping up. She checked the UA website, but there was no such thing as an organizational chart. If this small-time agency really sent I-wol to the design team, she was going to start a fax protest.
Hae-won’s Spark-induced euphoria broke through the limit. Now, she was in a state where she could do nothing but instinctively mutter her love for Spark.
But that was only for a moment.
‘I want I-wol’s Version B photocard.’
A powerful desire for possession took over Hae-won’s brain.
‘Version B I-wol is the one taking out his earphones!’
She felt like she wouldn't be able to sleep if she didn't have it. Eventually, Hae-won began searching for Spark photocard exchange posts. Fast reviews and exchange posts from people who had received their albums were already going up.
As a pro-exchanger, Hae-won scanned the market prices across social media and marketplaces.
Thankfully, it hasn't reached "Banpo Xi" prices yet. I knew you guys were "filial sons," but still, thank you.
But don't worry. Once the transfer deal is done, even if I can't send you to Banpo Xi, I'll send you to Sebitseom. I'll write 500 promotional posts on social media every day, so just let me off the hook today.
Without a moment's hesitation, Hae-won sent a DM to a post that said, "Selling Kim I-wol ver. B for 0.4 (convenience store delivery only)." By providing the name of the convenience store branch, her work for the day was done.
As it turned out, Hae-won’s judgment was correct. A few days later, she would hear the lamentations of her acquaintances, crying because the market price for Spark members' photocards had soared well over ten thousand won.