Chapter 415: Concert (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 415: Concert (2)
The aftermath of the sexy concept’s whirlwind was intense. Groans of adoration could be heard from every corner of the venue.
“Sparklers, you always tell us you love whatever we do, right? But there’s definitely a specific concept you love more. I’m sure of it.”
“The difference in the volume of the cheers is…”
Faced with the cold hard facts from Kang Gi-yeon and Park Ju-woo, the Sparklers lost all pretense of dignity. They really wished the boys would just look the other way for once.
Next up was a friendship duet by Jeong Seong-bin and Park Ju-woo.
While this pairing had been seen a few times before, today’s unit stage held a special significance.
As they were sharing the lines of the first OST Jeong Seong-bin had ever released, the volume of the instrumental track faded out low, and then…
『Seong-bin.』
…Park Ju-woo’s VCR began to play without warning.
『Surprised? I wanted to do a surprise event, but I didn’t think I could pull off a prank on you… so I’m filming this now, ten hours before the concert.』
Park Ju-woo looked bright and innocent, despite pulling a stunt that sat somewhere between timid and bold.
『…It feels like a dream that we, who spent our trainee days together, can stand side-by-side at a concert today and sing your song together.』
The Sparklers, who had been laughing at Park Ju-woo’s antics, suddenly felt the mood shift.
After Jeong Seong-bin released his OST and performed solo stages on My.Singer's.Genre and Idol Dynasty Annals, public opinion trying to drive a wedge between the two had increased significantly. Had it not been for Kim I-wol’s issues, a controversy over discord caused by "unequal promotion" might have erupted first.
『Even when we weren’t preparing for a concert, you always told me to let you know if there was anything I wanted to do. You might have thought I meant a band, but…』
Park Ju-woo spoke in his usual slow pace, but his voice was even more tender than usual.
『My wish is… to sing and dance with the members forever, on the stage where we’re standing right now.』
On stage, Park Ju-woo looked over at Jeong Seong-bin. Seong-bin couldn’t take his eyes off the screen.
Every Sparkler knew how much Jeong Seong-bin wanted people to hear Park Ju-woo’s singing.
Whenever Park Ju-woo posted a cover song, Seong-bin was the first to listen. Whenever they filmed karaoke content, he was the first to thrust the remote and microphone into Ju-woo’s hands. To that very Jeong Seong-bin, Park Ju-woo was speaking.
『My one and only, most precious friend in the world, Seong-bin. Thank you for asking me to be an idol with you.』
He was saying that he was so incredibly happy with his life right now.
Jeong Seong-bin’s shoulders shook as he wept. Park Ju-woo had to sing the second verse alone. Patting his friend’s shoulder, Ju-woo finished the song—the first song his friend had ever presented to the world on his own—until the very end.
Following the tearful vocal stage and a joyous rap stage, the maknaes showcased some insane diction. Clad in protective suits with various accessories—a look often seen in post-apocalyptic films—Lee Cheong-hyeon and Kang Gi-yeon served up a full-blown rap performance that was dizzyingly brilliant.
When Kang Gi-yeon took advantage of an instrumental break to strip off the top of his protective suit and tie it around his waist, fans everywhere clutched their heads in distress.
When Lee Cheong-hyeon stopped dancing for a moment to approach the audience, the fans were too stunned to speak. They had seen him at fan signs, at "off" events, on their way home, and even on music shows, but a Lee Cheong-hyeon who had intentionally dolled himself up for a concert was a literal masterpiece. It made everyone want to immediately join the "Cheong-hyeon Love Squad," a private organization presumably created and joined solely by Kim I-wol.
After the song ended, a video began to play. A lavender-haired Lee Cheong-hyeon was sitting in a park with a laptop open.
『Hyung, look. He’s shooting bubbles at the kids.』
Radiant spring weather. Faded purple hair. The polite speech used in private settings that they hadn’t heard in a long while.
It was Lee Cheong-hyeon from the early days of their debut.
The camera panned toward a fountain. There was Kang Gi-yeon, standing among young children, firing bubble guns from both hands.
『Je-ho hyung, it’s raining…』
『You want me to make Kimchi pancakes?』
『Yes…!』
As if it were a common occurrence, Park Ju-woo boldly demanded Kimchi pancakes, and Choi Je-ho naturally stood up from the sofa. Park Ju-woo watched the entire time as Choi Je-ho poured the batter into a greased frying pan.
『Seong-bin, what are you doing?』
『Decorating my notebook.』
Laughter erupted when the familiar notebook appeared. Saying they were stickers Choi Je-ho had brought from Gwangju, Jeong Seong-bin carefully peeled them off one by one and stuck them in his notebook. The arrangement wasn't exactly aesthetic.
『Hyung, give me the camera.』
『You want a close-up?』
『No, I want to film you.』
『Me? Why?』
『Because only I’m showing up.』
Following a reluctant voice, Kim I-wol appeared. The fans went wild at the sight of Kim I-wol in a plain T-shirt and sweatpants. They had seen "natural concept" Kim I-wol, but "real natural" Kim I-wol was as rare as thousand-year wild ginseng.
『How should I pose for you?』
『Uh… I think I’ll look weird no matter what I do.』
『Give me a finger heart.』
In the early days of their debut, Kim I-wol was constantly asked to make hearts with his hands. This was because of how he insisted on using both hands, even if it meant putting down whatever he was holding.
Even when it was just the members in the dorm, Kim I-wol drew a heart with both hands. His shyly smiling face filled the giant electronic display.
The sound of a piano flowed from the speakers…
『I remember you
Who used to watch over me』
…The first line of "The Third Letter" began.
The members, sitting side-by-side on stools, took turns holding the microphone.
『At the end of my drawings
You were always there
To meet you
I drew and drew even in my dreams
You, and us』
『Wondering if someone would take it
This hand I worried over
I carefully reached out
With a trembling heart』
『You held it for me
Because that hand was so warm
I wanted to hold on forever
And just keep running』
『Erasing and erasing again
I took the long way around
But still, you know
Won’t you listen?』
Memories of the first time they heard "The Third Letter" came flooding back. It was a time when they were moved just by the fact that the boys had released a fan song. Now, Baek Hae-won understood the weight behind the lyrics.
Kim I-wol picked up the microphone.
『Tell me it’s okay
To hand over this heart』
The past two years of Kim I-wol, who had tried to show only his best side to the fans, flashed by. No fan who had witnessed that effort could remain indifferent.
『Let me give it a name』
She knew that every move Kim I-wol made was for the fans. Giving them the nickname "Sparkler" and titling every one of Spark’s songs would be impossible without affection. And a very deep affection at that.
『And call it love』
Her eyes met Kim I-wol’s. His eyes, dark as the universe, smiled toward the fans.
The emotional rollercoaster continued to surge relentlessly, carrying Baek Hae-won and over 15,000 Sparklers with it. The travel tissues she had packed just in case were already long gone.
Even when the fan song ended and it was time for comments, the Sparklers continued to wail. It was because they knew all too well the ups and downs the group had faced from the release of "The Third Letter" until now. The flustered members tried their best to comfort the sobbing fans, but it was no use. From the first row of the floor to the limited-view seats on the third floor, everyone was in a sea of tears.
“Sparklers, if you cry like this, we can’t show you the next content!”
At Lee Cheong-hyeon’s firm words, the tears stopped as if by magic. Choi Je-ho, who was laughing as if he couldn’t believe it while telling them to stop crying, was so charming she wanted to lock him up right then and there.
Baek Hae-won quickly wiped her eyes. Sparklers were good kids, after all.
A chalkboard drawing appeared before the well-behaved audience. A piece of chalk moved slowly, writing out words.
[Recess]
When the stage brightened again, desks and chairs had been set up. One by one, the members of Spark, now changed into school uniforms, entered from the edge of the stage.
While the other members took their seats, Jeong Seong-bin entered dragging a whiteboard. He then wrote "Class Meeting" in large letters on the board.
“Guys, we need to have a meeting now. Can everyone focus?”
As soon as they heard Jeong Seong-bin using informal speech, they knew. It was a skit!
“Class President, why does our class have meetings so often?”
Lee Cheong-hyeon raised his hand and asked. His voice sounded genuinely sincere.
“This wouldn’t have happened if there were fewer suggestions. But the grievance box was full, so I had no choice.”
Jeong Seong-bin shook a small box sitting on the desk.
“So today, we’re going to take some time to resolve our classmates' grievances. I hope everyone will think about these as if they were your own problems and help out.”
“Can I put in a grievance about having too many meetings next week?”
“Sure, I’ll pass that along to the teacher.”
Lee Cheong-hyeon lowered his hand at Jeong Seong-bin’s sharp response. After confirming there were no other complainers, Jeong Seong-bin pulled a slip of paper from the box.
“Here’s the first suggestion. It says, ‘When we get a break during PE class, I wish people wouldn’t stare at me so intensely.’”
“Ju-woo.”
“It’s Ju-woo, isn’t it?”
Kim I-wol and Kang Gi-yeon’s gazes simultaneously landed on Park Ju-woo. Park Ju-woo’s flustered face was plastered across all three electronic displays, including the main one, in massive detail.
“It… It’s not me…!”
“You’re the only one who would say something like that.”
At Choi Je-ho’s blunt remark, Park Ju-woo’s face turned beet red.
“Actually, it is me…”
“You should have tried insisting it wasn't you at least one more time…!”
Jeong Seong-bin’s genuine pity was hilarious. The friendship between the two was truly a beautiful sight.
“It’s because you guys stare too much…!”
“We do?”
Kim I-wol asked back. Park Ju-woo nodded vigorously.
“We’re just timing it.”
“You even set a timer, and yet you still stare…”
“Because it’s a waste of time if you’re late.”
“Sometimes I want to rest for just ten more seconds…”
The banter between Choi Je-ho and Park Ju-woo, where one side was overwhelmingly weak, was also entertaining. The funny thing was that even though Park Ju-woo was leaning, he didn't completely collapse.
“You guys love working out! But I only like it…!”
“No, we don’t love it either.”
“Don’t lie.”
Park Ju-woo turned serious at Kim I-wol’s words. A chill, perfectly suited to his natural looks, didn't just drip from his face—it poured.
“That can’t be explained by anything other than love.”
Lee Cheong-hyeon leaned back and laughed. It was a sign of intense agreement.
“But Ju-woo, you like arm day, don’t you?”
“It’s not like we only do arm day…”
Kang Gi-yeon tried to soothe him, but failed. Park Ju-woo looked truly sorrowful.
“I don’t hate working out. I’ll work hard. But I just wish the break time was a little longer…”
“So you felt pressured because the staring felt like a burden?”
“No, it’s just that I-wol and Je-ho’s eyes are scary…”
Jeong Seong-bin’s attempt to sugarcoat it also ended in failure. The camera zoomed in on Kim I-wol and Choi Je-ho’s eyes one after the other. The sharp, upward-slanted eyes of the hyungs were directed fiercely at Park Ju-woo. One could only hope the main vocal’s safety would be guaranteed even after this content ended.