Chapter 131
Chapter 131
The performance of "Waiting is Good," which the contestants had performed on Idol Inc., was a stage that continued to rack up views even now, thanks to its uniquely Eastern and poignant atmosphere.
Of course, besides this song, TeSTAR had quite a few successful team performances under their belts. Naturally, opinions on which stage they wanted to recreate varied throughout the entire concert preparation process.
—I think the Hero concept would be the best for scaling up for a concert!
—In-Into the New World... I feel like... I could do better if we did it again...!
—Vampires! I want to do that one!
—Guys, do you have any interest in covering a VTIC sunbaenim's song? I think we could pull it off now...
—...Calm down, hyung.
However, most of these ideas were dropped during the discussion phase. The main reason was that the lineup had changed too much. If they weren't careful, they could be accused of "stealing songs from the eliminated contestants."
But this song, which Keun Se-jin had aggressively pushed for, had no such risks.
—Haha, all the members are right here!
Except for Gold 1, every member of the "Moon Rabbit" team had successfully debuted as TeSTAR. Furthermore, Gold 1, who was set to debut soon, had even sent a text giving his enthusiastic permission on the condition that he could use it for his own concert later.
And so, TeSTAR was able to prepare for the stage with excitement.
And now.
Seven silhouettes draped in dark durumagi appeared at the front of the stage.
The sound of a daegeum echoed.
Wooo—ooong. Woo-oo-oo-oong. Woo—oo-woo-ooo.
An elegant yet mournful sound. It was a sound every member of the audience had heard at least once.
At that moment, one silhouette turned gracefully. Then, with the hem of his durumagi fluttering, he kicked off the ground and leaped backward into the air. That straight, sharp line soared higher than ever before before descending forward.
On the fluttering navy durumagi, the magnificent golden patterns of a gonryongpo shimmered.
“……!”
The audience failed to grasp the situation for a moment, but the second the details of the rabbit mask were caught on the screen, they began to scream.
“Ahhh!”
“Holy crap!!”
Following the "Talent Show," the nostalgic rabbit had made its appearance. And this time, it was luxuriously adorned.
—At every corner where I wait for you
I’m always fluttering with excitement
Beneath the rabbit masks that the members whipped off, ornate jade norigae swayed. The costume details, twice as dazzling as they were during Idol Inc., created beautiful circles and glitters every time the tall silhouettes moved.
TeSTAR brought back the mysterious atmosphere and the slightly non-human synchronized choreography exactly as it had been. No, if anything, it had become more intense.
—I like the waiting
Because my wait is long
And always joyful
Thanks to the increased number of members, the formation and overall movement in the chorus choreography were even more grand.
—I know I’ll run into you
When this waiting ends
My heart is already brightening
Park Moon-dae hit the high notes of the chorus with a clear voice. On his face, captured by the screen, a bit of glitter from the unit stage still remained.
And the second verse, which had been cut during Idol Inc. due to time constraints, continued without being edited this time. The friends who had newly joined the Moon Rabbits took over the new lines.
—In every moment that flows by again
My focus stops on you
Cha Yu-jin gave a smirk and created flashy movements with light footwork. He even incorporated the hem of his durumagi into the choreography.
—It doesn’t matter if we just pass by
Because I already know for sure
The Moon Rabbits performed as if they were so overwhelmed with joy they didn't know what to do, and the audience, infected by that energy, groaned and cheered as they enjoyed the stage. The venue, heated by nostalgia and joy, was burning hot.
Then came the bridge.
—A vivid sense of déjà vu
That tells me you’ve been waiting for me too
The Moon Rabbits ran out to the protruding stage as they sang that line, which carried a sweet sensuality. They held fans they had pulled from inside their durumagi.
“Aaaaah!”
“Ugh!”
The screams from the surrounding standing area were desperate.
At the end of the choreography where they swept the floor with their entire bodies and shed their durumagi, they were now in shirts. Glittering string ornaments hung delicately over the white shirts tied with sashes.
And finally, the end of the last chorus arrived.
As if waiting for someone with excitement again, the choreography continued joyfully with humming and footwork.
—Hum hu hu hum- huhu
DDu-ru Du-ru Du Du
The audience sang along to the humming, responding enthusiastically.
Ddu-ru-ddu-ru-ddu-ddu~
It was a massive sing-along with honest pronunciation, not missing a single syllable.
Faced with this unexpectedly cute situation, the Moon Rabbits ended the stage with smiles even wider than they had planned.
—Please wait for me
Even Keun Se-jin’s final line was met with a sing-along.
Keun Se-jin smirked and, with his arms crossed, leaned his head against the massive tree trunk that had emerged on the protruding stage.
Even after the stage went dark, the cheering didn't stop.
Waaaaaaaah!!
According to the flow, a VCR was supposed to follow, signaling the next stage. People waited for the next performance, still buzzing with the lingering excitement of the previous one.
However, even after several seconds, the stage remained dark.
A few people in the cheering crowd began to voice their confusion.
“Huh?”
“Uh??”
“What’s going on?”
Just before the crowd started to get restless, wondering if there had been a stage accident...
Suddenly, the lights returned to the stage.
Flick.
It was a single, massive spotlight. That beam of light was illuminating... the giant tree stump on the protruding stage!
“…!!”
It was the spot where the tree had originally been. But as if the trunk had been torn away, the top was completely gone, leaving only the stump behind.
And on that stump... two dark-haired figures sat perched with their heads bowed.
“…?!”
A slow string solo began to play. The two slowly lifted their heads.
Their faces were completely hidden by rabbit masks. However, the masks were partially damaged at the top, and paint was dripping from the cracks.
“…….”
Before the vast audience, who had fallen silent at the ominous atmosphere, the song began.
—Je te donne des fleurs que….
Over the accompaniment of a chanson, which had become somewhat eerie due to extreme pitch adjustment.
The third unit stage began without warning.
*
“Man, aren't Cheong-woo hyung and Rae-bin seriously amazing?”
Back under the stage.
Keun Se-jin struck up a conversation even as he hurriedly changed clothes with the help of the staff.
“Why all of a sudden?”
“What do you mean why? They’re going out there with no choreography, just their arrangement and their voices. Look at that guts. It’s totally cool~”
In the middle of being too busy to breathe, he was suddenly praising the guys who weren't even there.
What is he thinking?
But when I turned my head, I saw the camera for the concert's behind-the-scenes footage.
Of course.
I see. He really is consistent. I answered with admiration.
“Well, yeah.”
Ryu Cheong-woo probably considered the risks inherent to an "idol concert" as well. Though Kim Rae-bin probably didn't even feel the need to have "guts."
He probably just thought, ‘The arrangement turned out well and the live is going fine, so what’s the problem?’
And the arrangement really had turned out well. He had taken a classic chanson from decades ago, broken it down, and reassembled it into an indie style that would perform well on recent music charts. If a concert album were released, this would probably be the most successful track.
Keun Se-jin smirked at my agreement.
“Right? Ah, of course, Moon-dae’s guts were incredible too. That ribbon headband was something else~”
“……Uh, sure.”
There’s a camera next to us. Let’s not forget.
“Moon-dae, Moon-dae, don’t you have anything to say to me? Did you see the cowboy?”
“Yeah, it was cool.”
“Do it again, but with more feeling from the bottom of your heart~”
I ignored his nonsense and listened to the sound coming from the stage.
...A sharp, catchy riff melody layered over a gloomy beat.
—...A wound that never dries
Tears harden like scabs
Leaving traces down there...
Then came the rap.
This was because the song's progression, excluding the iconic intro and chorus, had been entrusted to the rap. Since it was a structure familiar to people, it would be easier on the ears.
However, I wondered if the magic of a song that pushed through solely with rap, vocals, and atmosphere would actually work at a concert.
I think the atmosphere will play a big part.
They had decided to give it a strong narrative by using the stage sets and lighting like a play. And on the screen, the meaning of the chanson lyrics would have appeared in black, like splattered ink.
—To you, whom I love
I give these flowers
Today is a special day
Laughter overflows in the streets
—Trivial moments
Pile up like dust
And shine like jewels
Even now, I feel your breath.
The lyrics, which would have been refreshing in the original song, took on a different feel when met with the gloomy beat and rap.
It’ll leave a strong impression.
And thanks to those lyrics, the next song had actually been decided unanimously in our first draft of the setlist. We had planned to follow it up with the new album's title track.
The context of the lyrics was similar.
I think it was a good setup for a build-up. But the company rejected it. It was a matter of stamina and time.
—Rae-bin and Cheong-woo look like they’re going to collapse?!
—If we do this back-to-back, they might make a mistake while changing clothes. It could be fatal for the reveal of the new song, so wouldn't it be better to avoid it as much as possible?
Every single word was painfully true, so I shut my mouth and agreed.
That’s why a short talk and audience interaction were added, but I wasn't sure if the mood would hold up if we did a talk right after that song.
A talk segment should really come after an exciting song or a lyrical one.
Since our song pool was small, there was nothing we could do about the structure, but it was a bit disappointing.
Clicking my tongue, I finished checking my outfit and hair and moved down the hallway according to the blocking. Not long after, the people who had finished the third unit stage joined us.
“Ooh….”
“Was it good?”
“Yeah. It was even better than I expected.”
“I believe everything we wanted to show was expressed well!”
The faces answering were bright. It seemed the reaction had been quite good.
The cheering lasted a long time.
Without any major red flags, the concert was proceeding smoothly.
“Going up! Be careful as you sit!”
“Yes!”
Sitting side-by-side in seven chairs, we were raised to the center stage via a lift. Before my eyes, countless lights filling the massive space sparkled and surged like waves.
Waaaaaaaaa
The cheering sounded almost like the noise light would make.
…This is no joke.
It was less intense when I had to perform, but sitting here like this in my right mind, my head felt dizzy. If I thought about the fact that over ten thousand people were sitting in every one of those spots, every one of those lights... No, let’s stop.
It’s hard enough just to get through the script.
I saw Ryu Cheong-woo, who was to start the first talk, lift his microphone.
[It’s good to see you all again! Are you enjoying the show? How were our unit stages?]
[Ooh~ Hyung, can you hear that? Everyone is enjoying themselves; they said they loved it!]
[I’m so happy!]
I also brought the mic to my mouth.
[Which stage did you like the best?]
From all over, all sorts of words rushed in like a tide.
Everything!
I love them all!
Rabbit!
The wires!!
Moon-dae stage~!
Those expressions, without a single sharp word among them, echoed in my ears.
“…….”
I unintentionally fell silent for a moment. ……The prepared answer came a beat late.
[…I liked them all, too.]
[Ah, Moon-dae is totally touched~]
[I’m touched too!]
[This is rarer than you might think, everyone.]
After being the target of light teasing for a moment, the segment continued.
[Now then… let’s begin the <Things We Want to Say to TeSTAR> corner!]
It was the moment we were about to dive into the full content with the prepared questions. Suddenly, the lights around the stage went dark.
“…?”
This wasn't in the plan. I locked eyes with the members, who were slightly flustered.
What?
Is it an accident?
At that moment, light suddenly poured in from behind. It was light coming from the screen.
Reflexively turning my head, I saw a video playing on the screen that wasn't part of the plan.
…It was TeSTAR’s debut showcase.
[My singer who came like magic]
[Thank you! I love you!]
Along with the captions, the video continued to play. Our activities over the past nine months appeared on the screen chronologically. From our first broadcast stage to the year-end performances, TeSTAR in all sorts of costumes passed by in cuts.
Then the screen turned to the audience.
Before I knew it, everyone was holding the same light-purple cloth in their hands. It was…… a slogan.
On the giant screen, the phrase appeared clearly.
[Paper airplanes from Loviewer]
[Flying toward TeSTAR]
And then, the accompaniment of a song I already knew suddenly began to play.
…“Magic is You.”
TeSTAR’s first fan song.
Today I feel so good, as if
Something wonderful is about to happen
In the blink of an eye, the concert hall was filled with countless sounds.
If it’s you, everything will be okay
It’s unfamiliar, but somehow it’ll be good
It was the singing of ten thousand people.
Countless voices formed a texture, pouring down from all directions like shooting stars along with the lights.
My breath caught in my throat.