Chapter 321: Second Up
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 321: Second Up
A man wearing a helmet that looked like it belonged on a spacesuit came to a halt between collapsed buildings and brown-tinted streets. He opened a worn-out bag and pulled out a piece of paper that had been folded many times.
As he unfolded the tattered sheet, the words 'National Highway Map' were visible in the corner.
The man, wearing thick gloves, wiped the glass of his helmet, revealing Choi Je-ho’s eyes. A low-toned voice settled over the ground like ancient dust.
『The sun is setting』
Choi Je-ho looked back and forth between the paper and the signpost standing before him. Behind the half-bent sign, nothing could be seen.
Just as he was looking around with an annoyed expression, an orange light flickered on a device fastened to his waist. Turning around, a sandstorm rolling in from the distance filled Je-ho’s vision. His clothes fluttered in the wind. It looked like a scene straight out of a movie.
『Wherever I go, all that remains
Is an empty city
Eternal silence
Only the traces of people』
Kang Gi-yeon’s voice blended with the screen, doubling the dry, parched atmosphere.
A hand reaching out from the smoke suddenly grabbed the elbow of Choi Je-ho, who had been hurriedly clutching his map. All that could be seen was a motorcycle glove.
Without even knowing who the person leading him was, Choi Je-ho relied on the silhouette and the grip on his arm, plunging into the smoke along with them.
『If only for a day
I could be swept away
And blend into a crowd』
A solo shot of Choi Je-ho sitting in a cramped space filled with junk passed by.
The screen returned to the smoke, showing Choi Je-ho arriving at an underground bunker, followed by a massive iron door slamming shut behind him.
Kang Gi-yeon, having removed his gas mask, took off his gloves and ruffled his hair with his bare hands. He then used an air compressor near the entrance to meticulously blow the dust off himself and Choi Je-ho.
The space, which had been narrow at the entrance, gradually widened as they moved further inside. Finally, when they opened the inner door, a small, rectangular hideout appeared.
Park Ju-woo, dressed in tattered long sleeves and organizing groceries, and Jeong Seong-bin, wearing old overalls and checking materials, turned their gaze toward the unfamiliar outsider.
Lee Cheong-hyeon, who had just woken up and was rising from beneath a pile of fabric, and Kim I-wol, who was reading a thick book through cracked glasses, reacted much the same way.
Whenever the red light on the gauge flickered, the six boys would eat the preserved food stockpiled in the bunker, or dream of whether a better environment still existed through the map Choi Je-ho brought and his explanations.
『If only I weren't alone
If all the stars
Were my friends』
Park Ju-woo, lying among the sleeping members, opened his eyes alone. Above his unreadable, deep gaze, a map of constellations drawn on the bunker's ceiling was reflected.
The camera rapidly zoomed in on one of the countless stars. It transitioned to Kim I-wol trapped in a small space, giving the impression that he was inside the star itself.
Sitting on a wooden ladder in a space surrounded by high bookshelves, Kim I-wol looked intellectual and noble.
In the individual cuts, it was clear they tried to keep the color palette similar to the drama scenes while highlighting each member's unique characteristics as much as possible.
Inside the narrow stacks that seemed to smell of old books, Kim I-wol looked up at the sky. The following part represented his inner thoughts.
『Until the very, very end
To a new place
Searching for hope』
On the day the gauge turned green for the first time since Choi Je-ho arrived at the bunker, the members put on their hand-stained protective suits and ran outside.
They sprinted toward the forest. As far as possible from residential areas, to a place untouched by urban civilization.
Beyond the forest lay the vast sea.
『Setting off on an endless journey』
In front of the night sea, the members began taking off their protective gear one by one. With clumsy movements, Choi Je-ho carefully lowered the zipper of his coveralls, which had been zipped up to his neck.
Choi Je-ho took off his helmet. The sound of waves, which had been silent until now, rushed in along with the music.
It felt as if the waves were being captured in Choi Je-ho’s eyes. His expressive acting, more mature than when he appeared in a senior artist's music video, drew Won Chae-hee deeper into the experience.
Lee Cheong-hyeon, checking if there was any gas left in a lighter he found on the beach, lit a small sparkler.
Park Ju-woo held the crackling sparkler and went to the water's edge, watching the sparks reflect on the surface.
Jeong Seong-bin sat beside him, rotating his wrist to watch the trails of light left by the sparks.
Choi Je-ho sat next to Kim I-wol, who was lying down with his eyes closed using a log as a pillow, soaking in the sea breeze. He watched his teammates playing with a deflated ball.
At Lee Cheong-hyeon’s wave and call, Kim I-wol brushed himself off and stood up.
However, when Choi Je-ho remained motionless, Kang Gi-yeon reached out a hand to him.
In such a harsh environment, happy days become increasingly rare.
Food supplies dwindle, and the gauge glows only red, regardless of day or night.
And when a certain news report came through the radio, which only broadcasted occasionally if you tapped on its corners...
The members looked at the dates carved into the wall with bittersweet expressions, or finished making their peace by stroking the junk they had collected over time.
Just before falling asleep side-by-side in the cramped bunker, Choi Je-ho asked Kang Gi-yeon a question. His voice was drowned out by the music.
Kang Gi-yeon simply answered with a smile.
The next day, a day when the gauge glowed green for the first time in a long while.
The members threw off their protective gear, just like that night in early summer, and ran across the beach as the sun began to set.
They dipped their feet into the sea they hadn't entered before and shouted at the top of their lungs. Sand flew in all directions every time they kicked off the ground.
A calm melody, contrasting with their bright faces, played in Jeong Seong-bin’s voice.
『But if
The end truly comes』
Rain began to fall over everyone playing. It was a downpour on a clear day.
The raindrops falling onto the murky turquoise water caught the sunlight, shining like crystals.
The sea was carved out like a giant gemstone. The boundaries between sky, rain, and waves blurred together.
『I will stay here
In the desert
To watch the setting sun』
A soaking wet Kang Gi-yeon shook the rainwater from his hair. Then, he pulled on Choi Je-ho’s damp hand.
In the distance, the other members were gesturing toward the two of them.
『The sea of sand
Where the sunset falls』
On the walkie-talkie of the coveralls Choi Je-ho had left behind, a green light flickered faintly and repeatedly. It was the last light seen before the screen went dark.
『On A High Note』
A story had come to an end. Beautifully.
Spark’s first post-apocalyptic MV was innovative in many ways.
≫ The last bit of humanity left in a world destroyed by humans?
How can you not cry after watching this?
└ I said I wanted to see cyberpunk, I didn't say I wanted to see my life gauge go punk, Teacher.
└ They said it was a full album, so they really went all out. But guys, you went too hard. My heart can't take this.
≫ How can you show us an MV like this and then title it >>Let's End This Splendidly<
I can't forgive this. I'm suing.
└ It's good but sad... I'm happy but I'm crying... What is wrong with my heart?
└ Was the dusty baseball ball in the highlight medley for this?
└ Oh please
└ T_T T_T Please T_T
≫ Okay~ Cut~~ Good job everyone~
Now let's all go grab a meal~~
Gi-yeon's emotional acting was so good~
Don't forget to grab your coffees
And check if you've left any belongings behind~~~
└ OP, are you crying?
└└ T_T T_T T_T T_T T_T
└ LOL T_T I feel you. I'm currently in the state of that one wailing meme.
≫ Tell me they didn't die.
Tell me they all held on and happily welcomed the Day of Earth Peace.
└ Couldn't it be interpreted as a happy ending...? The walkie-talkie light didn't turn red... and there was a rainbow...
└ Since ancient times, rainbows have symbolized longevity. I have no evidence, but that's how it is.
└ Starting today, this Sparkler is going to start recycling diligently. I can't let my boys face a world-ending future.
≫ A lot more people think it's a sad ending than I expected.
I thought it was a solid happy ending.
The cause of the destruction was polluted dust, but it rained all over the world.
└ Right? I thought it was a happy ending too T_T
≫ Is it true that I-wol came up with the items for this MV (not that he doesn't always)?
The part in OAHN where Je-ho brings Gi-yeon in.
I heard it was inspired by how Gi-yeon came to UA because of Je-ho.
└ I learned what people mean when they say a "learned pervert" is scary by watching I-wol.
└ So Gi-yeon taking Je-ho to the bunker in 'End' is just the narrative flipped, right? I was wondering if there was some behind-the-scenes stuff I didn't know.
└ It's true the narrative is flipped, but also... they say during their trainee days, Gi-yeon always wanted to be with Je-ho whenever there was group practice. Neither story is officially in their self-produced content or videos, but since it was important in the making of Spark, they recorded it in a different way.
└ Then the muted question in 'End' must be "Why did you bring me here?" since it's the same narrative with just the characters swapped.
└└ This is it.
≫ [Summary] Breakdown of roles in Spark's 'End' MV
I brought this from elsewhere, so it might not be 100% accurate, but I picked the most plausible ones + the ones with the most likes!
There are too many foreshadowings and Easter eggs... I'll make another post for those!
I-wol: Researcher (Responsible for researching survival methods, designing the bunker, and managing equipment). The setting was that he kept sliding his glasses down or squinting because they weren't his and the prescription didn't match.
Je-ho: Survivor (The sole human survivor from a densely populated area, geography expert). He's the outsider who can tell the others about the forest where the bunker is and the world outside the nearby sand desert, which is why the kids gather to listen to him.
Seong-bin: Manager (Leader of the bunker). Literally the person who manages everything in the bunker. Seong-bin also has the authority to open the bunker door when members go out.
Ju-woo: Food Management (Especially plant-related). He spends most of his time preserving food, like sorting what the members bring back or turning it into dried food inside the bunker.
+ They say they gave him this role because Ju-woo is a "plant parent" in real life...!
Cheong-hyeon: Scout (Responsible for procuring food and checking the surrounding environment). Although the members take turns going out, Cheong-hyeon is often shown moving at night. This was apparently taken from his habit of working late at night.
Gi-yeon: Scout (Main role is the same as Cheong-hyeon). He mostly operates during the day and is the scout who travels the furthest (if you look at the activity range drawn on the bunker wall, Gi-yeon's is the widest). It seems to reflect how the members often say Gi-yeon has a wide field of vision and tends to see the big picture, even when choreographing.
I gathered as much as I could from member interviews + live comments!! Everyone, please listen to 'End' and 'On A High Note' a lot! haha
└ Adding to this, the role reversal moments in OAHN:
I-wol: All-night researcher → Lazybones
Je-ho: Outsider → Veteran 3rd-year captain
Seong-bin: Generous leader who even accepts outsiders → Prickly vice-captain
Ju-woo: Quiet plant research enthusiast → Super social senior
└ Cheong-hyeon: Loyal type who works at night for his teammates → Ill-tempered delinquent
Gi-yeon: Wide-vision explorer → Pitcher who only looks at the mitt
I hit the character limit, so I'll put the maknaes separately T_T
└ Addition) The bunker seen from above → Home plate shape
The digital chart performance, album sales, and buzz were incomparable to last year. Thanks to the synergy created by the two music videos being linked yet separate, theory videos and international reactions were easy to find.
'I was worried because it's a full album and I didn't want it to feel like there was nothing to see.'
I finally felt at ease. Looking to the side, Lee Cheong-hyeon seemed to feel the same, as he was currently melting into the sofa with his head hanging awkwardly off the edge.
He had finally released the revised version of 『Winter Night』, which he had obsessed over until the very end of the last album. It was essentially a tribute remix for those who purchased the album.
A music video that had the entire budget poured into it, an aesthetically brilliant album design, visual beauty that shone even through the dust, and music that couldn't be better. On top of that, there wasn't even a common shipping delay issue. Everything was perfect.
"Everything is working out better than I imagined."
"Right? It's such a relief."
Lee Cheong-hyeon, melted like cheese, said as he let out a sigh of relief.
"It's at times like this that humans must not let their guard down."
"Hyung, why don't you go get some rest? You need to turn your brain off once in a while."
Cheong-hyeon teased.
But life is a series of crises. You never know what will happen or when if you let your guard down.
I tucked a cushion near his waist and reviewed the issues I had written in my diary. Then, I muttered to myself.
Brain, get to work. You've rested plenty!
...Or so I thought.
≫ @spArk_official
Spark’s multi-talented eldest, I-wol’s ‘Ask Me Anything’ is back after a year! 🎉
If there was anything you were curious about regarding I-wol, now is the chance!
Please leave your questions in the comments by September 3rd (Tue) 00:00 ✏
(Example: Q. What is I-wol’s favorite number?)
Sparklers, we look forward to your fiery participation! 🔥
#Spark #spArk #Iwol #Yiwol #QnA