Chapter 183
Chapter 183
TeSTAR’s concert began to the swell of a heavy, low-frequency backing track.
Fshhhhhh!
The venue plunged into darkness, and a dark video appeared on the massive screen at the front, accompanied by the sound of rushing wind.
It was a pine forest in the middle of the night.
[…….]
With an effect that looked like ink-wash brushstrokes, someone stepped out from between the pine trees.
It was Ryu Cheong-woo, dressed in a cheollik.
Just as the thought occurred that the composition seemed to connect directly to the final scene of the "Haengcha" music video, six others appeared behind him.
Then, the beat of drums and the sharp clang of a kkwaenggwari began to ring out.
It was the accompaniment for "Haengcha."
Waaaaah—!
Amidst the echoes of cheers from over twenty thousand people filling the dome, the actual members appeared on stage beneath the screen before the intro even finished.
As soon as they took their positions, an intense rap verse and choreography struck.
—So you cannot escape no matter how you struggle
Today he arrives, the procession begins
Even as the fans screamed, brief thoughts flashed through their minds in an instant.
‘They’re hitting us with Haengcha right from the start?!’
‘Wow, I thought they’d do all the solo songs first and save this for the end!’
Just like their first concert, the audience was electrified by the sheer audacity of the setlist.
Even the staff moving busily backstage felt the tension of the concert finally starting, while simultaneously getting swept up in the rising heat of the venue’s atmosphere.
Of course, not everyone felt that way.
“What’s with this song?”
A daily part-timer assigned to access control in the backstage hallway frowned as he heard the roar of the crowd. His ears ached from the sound of the speakers echoing alongside the voices of the audience and the staff inside.
“It’s so damn loud.”
Through the partially obscured screen, he could occasionally see glimpses of the members' faces.
“Hey, you can see a bit from here!”
“Oh, they’re handsome.”
He didn’t want to be amused or impressed like those other brainless part-timers.
‘Celebrities probably get all their treatments at clinics; I wonder how much money they blow on that?’
From his angle, he couldn't see the stage well, but he figured they were just doing some typical idol choreography.
However, even amidst all that noise, TeSTAR’s voices reached the hallway clearly.
‘It’s probably pre-recorded anyway.’
Thinking as cynically as possible, the part-timer surreptitiously touched his smartphone. He figured he’d check the real-time community posts about now…
“Excuse me, don’t look at your phone.”
“…….”
What a prick, we’re both just part-timers.
The worker grumbled and put his phone away.
‘I’ll see everything and post it later.’
With the intention of posting a full review with proof later, the part-timer stood in the hallway with a sullen scowl.
And regardless of what the daily worker was thinking, the performance was charging forward like a freight train both on and off the stage.
“VCR, 120 seconds!”
“Next costumes, hurry!”
Immediately following "Haengcha" was a portion of the collaboration song for the game 127 Section and their title track at the time, "Better Me," but it was a remixed version rather than the original.
To maintain the flow from "Haengcha," it had been rearranged with traditional instruments, and most of the chorus had been changed to Korean.
—In this very moment
You can never surpass me
Between a massive stage set resembling the maw of a beast and a swarm of dancers, the high-pitched chorus pierced through like an awl.
Then, a sharp dance break unfolded, utilizing long white ribbons reminiscent of sangmo streamers from traditional folk plays.
—Better me
As they sent the ribbons flying into the air along with dozens of dancers, the three-song opening medley came to a close.
It was a spectacular production befitting a concert.
Aaaaah—!!
While the lightsticks shook frantically, blinking in various colors via central control, another VCR began.
The members and dancers poured into the hallway.
“Costumes!”
“A-hyun, over here!”
“Yes…!”
Seon A-hyun moved hurriedly among the panting members. His solo stage was scheduled to follow immediately.
“A-hyun, huff, has great stamina.”
“Gasp, his lung capacity is… truly… what you’d expect from a dance major….”
It was the timing for the other members to catch their breath while mentally rehearsing their own solo stages.
“Moon-dae?”
“Moon-dae, are you okay?!”
“…Whew, yes.”
Park Moon-dae leaned against the hallway wall and slid down to sit, letting out a long breath.
“Should I get you a cold compress?”
“I’m fine.”
Moon-dae answered firmly and wiped away his sweat.
‘It’s more manageable than I thought.’
His ribs had fully fused a few days ago. He had been told "not to overdo it," but that was just standard medical advice.
‘Of course a hospital would say that.’
Who would tell a patient they’re all healed and should go live recklessly? Moon-dae justified it to himself with a stoic expression and placed a hand over where his lungs would be.
‘My wrist… there’s still a bit of pain.’
But it would be fine.
‘Because we structured the performance well.’
Moon-dae was confident.
From above, he could finally hear the sound of Seon A-hyun performing.
—Amidst those voices
In the swaying wake of words
I can hear your breath
Waaaaaaah!!
“Everyone loves it~”
“…I suppose so.”
Moon-dae knew it too. Seon A-hyun’s stage, moving as if splashing droplets of water on a surface, would undoubtedly be gorgeous. They had made excellent use of the lighting as well.
“Wow! I’m off!”
“Yes, yes! Moving out!”
Cha Yu-jin, the next performer, slapped a staff member on the back in excitement and ran off.
‘He changed fast.’
The progression was smooth. The solo stages, organized in the order they appeared in the music video teasers, might not have been a shocking surprise, but they created a solid structure. It meant there would be a lingering resonance once all the solo stages were finally finished.
“I’m after Cha Yu-jin…….”
“You’ll do great. Don’t worry, Se-jin.”
Beside Moon-dae, he heard Bae Se-jin’s voice, sharp with nerves, and Ryu Cheong-woo’s encouragement.
‘The stage equipment was cleverly designed, so there shouldn't be any problems on that end.’
Bae Se-jin’s stage involved a revolving platform and various magical elements. It was likely the most expensive stage production of the night. Moon-dae figured it would hold its own even following Cha Yu-jin.
‘The audience will find it fascinating.’
In fact, if they had put anyone else there, they might have suffered from the comparison in stage presence.
Moon-dae added a few words.
“He’s right, hyung. It looked good, so don’t worry.”
“…O-okay.”
“Ah~ how heartwarming!”
Keun Se-jin grinned. Beyond him, Moon-dae could see a camera for behind-the-scenes content following them.
‘…I’d better make sure I don’t end up looking like I’m about to puke.’
It wouldn't be aired, but it would be incredibly embarrassing just having the camera capture it.
Moon-dae brushed himself off and stood up, moving to prepare for his own stage. His solo was fifth. He had plenty of time.
*
‘Here he comes.’
Kim Rae-bin finished his solo stage—which had a rhythmic yet slightly cute, mismatched charm—under the flashing glow of the stage lights and headed backstage.
That was the thought the fansite master had amidst the piercing cheers.
‘Now it’s Park Moon-dae’s turn.’
She had taken a few photos of Kim Rae-bin as a warm-up, and they had turned out quite well, giving her more confidence.
‘All the kids’ stages are so good.’
From Seon A-hyun to Kim Rae-bin, and even Bae Se-jin’s stage, it had been entertaining.
‘Moon-dae is going to tear it up with his vocals alone…!’
Conscious of the twin fansite master for Park Moon-dae and Keun Se-jin sitting three seats away, she solemnly raised her camera.
Just then, she saw someone’s camera in the floor seating area ahead being confiscated by security. It was the person who had tried to rest a telephoto lens on the shoulder of the person in front of them during the previous stage.
‘Amateur.’
The fansite master thought reflexively as she watched the person unable to even make an excuse after getting caught.
And there was someone else watching this scene with a judgmental eye.
“That’s hilarious.”
It was the part-timer standing in the backstage hallway. He clicked his tongue as he watched the fan lose their camera to security.
‘Seriously, why take so many pictures? Aren’t they embarrassed?’
Thinking of them as pathetic fans who couldn't even enjoy the show, the worker maintained a condescending attitude. He already had a caption for his proof post ready in his head.
—They were just taking f*cking pictures the whole time. The concert must be so boring lol.
Chuckling to himself, the worker shrugged.
‘This job is actually a breeze once the concert starts.’
Since very few fans tried to approach the backstage hallway, he could easily slack off.
It was at that moment.
“We need people inside!! Follow me!”
A staff member ran out from the interior and started calling the part-timers. It sounded like something had spilled.
“What now?”
The worker grumbled and followed the urgent staff member.
Behind them, as a slow and beautiful VCR ended, Park Moon-dae was appearing on stage.
Waaaaaaah—
Due to the static atmosphere of the stage, the cheers died down relatively quickly.
Park Moon-dae, bathed in a single beam of light on the dark stage, was sitting in a chair, just as many had expected.
However, the colorful fabrics that had been seen swirling around the abandoned house in the music video teaser were now stretching out from all directions on stage, binding the chair and Park Moon-dae tightly.
And his outfit was not the wedding attire, but a light, white stage costume.
On the silent stage where even the accompaniment had yet to flow, Moon-dae began to sing first.
—On the last day of April
Not even the moon can be seen
My beloved does not come
And love rots away
The moment the first verse, echoing heavily with only his voice, ended—
The instruments rushed in like a storm.
Woo-woo-woo-woo!
The moment the minor-key traditional instruments subsided slightly, the next verse followed, and color flooded the lights. Red and blue lights flashed, heightening a strange sense of tension.
‘Ugh.’
The fansite master barely held onto her camera as she listened to Moon-dae’s voice.
‘He’s so damn good.’
There were truly no other words for it. Swallowing hard, she captured Moon-dae’s image in her camera.
‘The hair, makeup, and styling are all perfect.’
And with her ears, she drank in the emotional high notes that surged through the chorus.
—Still, I shall wait
‘Gaaah.’
The fansite master felt her heart tighten with catharsis the moment the chorus ended.
‘To do this with just his voice!’
It felt incredible.
However, the moment the second verse began, the situation changed.
—The end of the month passes
But the sun does not rise
Along with those lyrics, one of Moon-dae’s hands rose halfway into the air. It looked as if the fabric wrapped around his arm was pulling it up.
‘Huh?’
Just as she was hurriedly trying to convince herself that the slightly eerie movement was something Moon-dae was doing himself, his other arm rose at a different angle.
—My beloved does not come
And love rots away
Then, Moon-dae’s waist was lifted, and he rose into the air.
“…!!”
It was a movement that looked as if he were drifting through a zero-gravity void, led by the fabrics.
Rising above the chair in a reclining, limp posture, Moon-dae continued his song.
“……Oh.”
The fansite master let out a sound without realizing it. Similar expressions appeared all over the audience.
And this wasn't just happening in the audience.
The part-timer, who had been cleaning up the collapsed load inside, also saw the scene being broadcast on the stage screen through the front monitoring monitor.
“……Whoa.”
The worker stood there holding a box, his mouth agape as he stared at the screen.
And he finally understood why that fan who got caught had been so desperate to take a picture.