Chapter 117
Chapter 117
Loud sirens wailed over the dark stage.
Wee-oww Wee-oww Wee-oww
Then, with the crisp, rhythmic sound of shattering glass, the sirens transformed into a beat.
[HaHaHa!]
The moment a child’s laughter played as a sample, dazzling lights flared to life, revealing seven figures sitting on the stage.
It was TeSTAR, every member clad in a glossy black zip-up hoodie worn with a rebellious slouch. Various emoticons, painted crudely in white and red, covered the hoodies at random.
Then, like a bolt of lightning, Cha Yu-jin lunged forward as the intro began.
[Look over here~]
At the sound of the child’s narration, Cha Yu-jin tucked his hand under his chin in a V-shape.
[Every time I call you
My hands get anxious over the MIC
Today I’m gonna show you the real deal
So wish me luck]
Cha Yu-jin playfully bared his canines, hitting the melody precisely to the beat.
As the other members joined the formation in pairs following Yu-jin’s lead, TeSTAR began a rough, synchronized dance accompanied by rhythmic clapping. A sense of relaxed, high-spirited defiance oozed from their movements.
Even as he was grabbed by the shoulders and pulled back by the other members, Cha Yu-jin kept his eyes on the camera, throwing out gestures.
[You’re aching for it (that’s a sickness too)
Well, that goes without saying
Stop overthinking
And just give me a bunch of cheers
Shout out loud]
With a wink, Keun Se-jin raised his hand, and the two members beside him flipped through the air with martial arts-like precision. They each gave a casual glance at the active camera before retreating.
[Shout out to me
I only take gratitude in full]
The comment section was flooded with a mix of delight and bewilderment.
People who knew the original song and those who didn't mingled together, pouring out their impressions, but the conclusion was unanimous: "This is fun."
Leaving behind the flurry of excited comments, the performance continued.
Whoosh.
Lifted into the air by the other members, Park Moon-dae soared toward the front of the stage, clutching a handheld microphone.
[If you want to pass through here
There’s an upfront fee
You can’t just leave, sit right there
Watch this stage and enjoy]
The suddenly soaring notes of the pre-chorus flowed from Park Moon-dae’s lips with effortless nonchalance.
At that moment, the formation shifted as the members spun across the floor and sprang up. They took turns popping into the camera frame next to Moon-dae’s face before being pushed aside to make room for the next. They all looked like mischievous troublemakers, yet they carried a certain raw, street-smart edge.
After glaring at each member one by one, Park Moon-dae smiled and pointed a finger at the camera.
[I only let the enjoyers pass
Shout out to me
I only take it in full]
It was a refreshing high note, delivered with a slight rasp. His piercing voice rang out clearly over the AR track, which had been intentionally set low, bringing out the raw flavor of a live performance.
Meanwhile, the highlight of the song was unfolding on stage.
[Shout out to me]
[Shout out to me]
As the song dropped, the beat became slightly more relaxed and heavy, and the siren sound morphed into a Middle Eastern-style riff, flowing loudly and flamboyantly. It was a powerful chorus.
[You gotta enjoy it to survive
Shout out to me]
A jumping choreography followed, filled with intricate footwork and rapid movements. Never forgetting to ride the rhythm and keep the atmosphere alive, the members handled the difficult moves with ease, clearly enjoying their own charisma. That "excited brat" energy burst across the stage.
And people realized.
People who had watched Idol Inc. but hadn't been interested enough to follow music shows or clips were now seeing TeSTAR again, thanks to the year-end broadcast special. And the fact that their first stage happened to be a song by another controversial rookie group made people talk even more.
At that moment, during the climax of the choreography, something fluttered atop the members' hoodies as they shook their heads and jumped.
Animal ears.
TeSTAR had attached fabric shaped like the animal ears representing each member to the tops of their hoods. As the intense chorus choreography kicked in, the ears flapped around, revealing their presence and showing off their charm.
The concept, which could have been too aggressive and overwhelming, was slightly neutralized at the end by this touch of cuteness.
[HaHaHa!]
Then came the climax at the end of the song. It was a chorus without vocal parts, where the choreography grew faster and faster as each member added their own flair between moves. The song concluded with the impressive sight of TeSTAR, unable to contain their energy every time a solo shot caught them during the synchronized dance.
[Shout out to me]
The cut ended with Kim Rae-bin, sitting in the center, yawning and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
The camera transitioned to broadcast Onyx’s stage, but the comments were still exploding over TeSTAR’s performance.
However, the moment Onyx’s stage began, the atmosphere turned awkward. Onyx had also chosen TeSTAR’s debut song, "Magical Boy," but... the performance was far too bland.
The audience's excitement cooled instantly. At the same time, more and more people began looking for the original performance of the Onyx song TeSTAR had just covered. The moment they saw Onyx’s next stage, they had an intuition.
Wait, is TeSTAR actually way better at this than the original group?
Most people who looked up Onyx’s performance of "The Enjoyer" ended up sighing, and a few even screamed as they rushed to write posts.
As soon as the special stage for Part 1 of the Gayo Daejeon ended, clips were uploaded to various communities and social media.
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[SBC Rookies Special Stage]
: I attached the original stage too!
(Video) (Video)
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Immediately, the comments were dominated by talk of TeSTAR and Onyx. These were the same things being said throughout the special stage. The reactions to the complete one-on-one match, where not a single arrangement had been changed, were blunt.
Furthermore, it wasn't just a difference in skill. There was a depth of difference in their interpretation of the song.
Onyx’s debut song, "The Enjoyer," was a high-energy hip-hop track clearly designed for an intense performance. Usually, rookies practice their debut song for at least a few months, sometimes over half a year. Naturally, Onyx had practiced this song with a sense of solemnity and tension, thinking of it as their big debut. While that sentiment wasn't entirely out of place, the song’s actual vibe was closer to something mischievous, street-wise, and aggressive.
And TeSTAR had interpreted the song exactly that way.
Because Onyx’s fandom was thin, people didn't filter their thoughts and poured out their impressions ruthlessly. Of course, the people obsessed with TeSTAR’s controversies didn't disappear just because of one stage.
However, when a blatant comparison resulted in such absolute superiority, the previous arguments tended to look ridiculous. People who found this rare situation—with such clear winners and losers—entertaining flocked in to mock the trolls.
Then, the direction of the criticism shifted slightly.
But even this didn't work.
Even the comments on Onyx’s original stage video, when sorted by "newest," were filled with outcries from people who had come from the Gayo Daejeon video. Since TeSTAR’s official video for "The Enjoyer" hadn't been uploaded yet, people had come to watch the original as a substitute.
The brutal comments left by the general public, not fans, showed the public opinion even more clearly. There was no need for a judge's decision. It was a K.O. victory for TeSTAR.
And the next day, Park Moon-dae received an unexpected congratulatory gift.