Chapter 311
Chapter 311
The second act of TeSTAR’s concert was a relentless onslaught of climaxes.
As the narrative of Kim Rae-bin and Seon A-hyun’s unit stage unfolded, the inner world of a boy ruled by impulse eventually spiraled in a dangerous, dark direction.
This was the stage that expressed that passion.
[The day that finally arrived
Haengcha]
In the place where traditional instruments once sat, fragmented electronic sounds now created an ominous noise.
[Finally here today
Never get away from me ya]
This version of Haengcha, much darker than the original, was intense and sexy to the point of being slightly eerie.
Standing at the center, Ryu Cheong-woo gave a stoic tilt of his head.
‘Joseon zombies….’
The Gamer thought that no concept could be more intense than this; she believed this was the part where the conflict reached its peak—the ultimate climax.
But she was wrong.
Every time she thought the performance had reached its zenith, a new build-up began, pushing the tension even higher.
‘Wait, what?’
Next came Better Me, depicting the wandering of a boy who had defeated his enemies but begun to doubt himself. It was an overwhelming shadow performance.
‘This has to be the climax!’
Wrong again.
The boy, having ended his wandering and gained enlightenment, returned to his true self with a magnificent homecoming ceremony.
“…??”
The stage that unfolded was Daybreak, a mashup of their two previous title tracks, Wheel and Drill.
Fireworks exploded like a festival, and the performance was so insanely flashy and exciting that it left the audience slack-jawed, drawing every eye in like a vacuum.
[Turn my ferris wheel around
Lights bursting like stars!]
Chills ran down her spine. It was a stage truly worthy of a concert climax… but by now, even the Gamer knew.
It wasn’t over.
‘What else is there?? Huh??’
At this point, she had begun to expect more. Deep down, she even wished this insane performance would never end. This level of stimulation and immersion was simply too delicious!
And as if answering that wish, the next stage began.
Thump—.
But this time, something was different.
‘It’s taking a while…?’
The preparation time was longer than the previous stages. Long after the VCR turned off, only the sound of drums echoed across the dark stage.
‘What is it?’
Then, everything returned to the stage at once, accompanied by a spirited whistle.
Fweet!
Before anyone realized it, water was flowing onto the stage.
‘Holy crap!’
She didn’t know how much money they had poured into this, but a stream of water—the kind you’d only see in a massive professional water show—pooled on the floor to create a reservoir.
Then, the lights flowed in.
Whish, whish—fweet!
The lights, timed to the water jets, pooled on the stage floor along with the water, creating a fantastical landscape.
And at that moment, the performer appeared.
Leaping from the darkness above the water jets at the front of the venue, the performer landed in the water.
“…!”
It was Cha Yu-jin.
Unlike the unit stages where they paired up, Cha Yu-jin was the only one to take the stage alone during this segment.
[Yeah, yeah, yeaaaaah]
Without a moment’s delay, he began a solo dance.
Like a fish in water, he performed a brilliant solo intro amidst the light and spray, standing in water that reached his calves.
The water and light curved in parabolas, flashing with diffuse reflections. Yet, all those effects were absorbed as part of the movements of the lone performer.
Cha Yu-jin’s trait seized control of the stage in an instant.
The Gamer marveled in spite of herself.
“Damn.”
Is he even human?
The moment Cha Yu-jin finished his intro performance, he tossed aside his goggles and flashed a grin at the audience.
“Waaaaaaaah!!!”
Even though the roar was loud enough to make her ears ring, the Gamer didn’t flinch. It was because a familiar intro had started to play.
‘Ah, this one!’
It was TeSTAR’s latest hit, the song currently holding its ground firmly on the music charts: Promise.
It was the hottest TeSTAR song at the moment. Even the Gamer was familiar with it, as she heard it every other time she went out.
So, she made a fairly logical guess.
‘Ah, so they’re going for a festival vibe here, leading a sing-along?’
Unfortunately, she was wrong again.
Instead, along with the intro, something from the very beginning of the show returned to the venue.
The lighting.
Vrrr—
Wavering blue lights covered the venue. And this time, instead of dry ice, soap bubbles poured toward the audience like bubbles in the sea.
“Oh…?”
The final stage, the one to wrap everything up.
The venue transformed back into the ocean.
However, this time, the boy did not sink.
[Umm]
Cha Yu-jin, who had his back turned, gave a shrug and looked toward the ceiling—toward the surface of the sea.
Right then, the stage floor opened up around him, and six figures rose.
TeSTAR.
[Take your STAR]
They were rising toward the surface.
“…!”
As soon as the first verse began, TeSTAR started kicking through the water with smiles on their faces.
[On the day the stars pour down]
The performance they had once shown in the pouring rain was now unfolding on a grand, brilliant scale befitting a concert, exactly as originally intended.
The anxiety that the heavy rain had once added was completely gone, replaced by the ease and joy born from countless hours of practice.
In the pool where the water level had dropped to their ankles, a refreshing and cheerful choreography poured out, matching the cool vocals.
[Kick the waves and run
To the sky, Run and Fly]
As the number of people increased, the movement of the water became even more spectacular.
“Wow.”
The familiarity of the ‘original song’ met with sheer power, translating into pure immersion.
The melody flew by in an instant.
While she was lost in the performance, waving her lightstick and soaking in the spray…
[A mood that twinkles like a star
Promise to go with me
Make you fly]
They reached the bridge toward the end of the song.
The members’ choreography became static, and the lights hitting the water turned off. Just when it felt a bit too dark—
Flash!
In an instant, the interior of the venue itself began to sparkle.
“Gasp.”
The Gamer was startled to see her own lightstick shining white at maximum output.
Every lightstick in the venue—no, countless tiny lights on the ceiling above the stage—shone out, creating a cluster of stars.
[To the farthest island beyond the horizon
Today will sparkle]
It was beautiful.
The boy, who had been depressed and submerged in the rituals of the past, returned to reality—to the starlit surface—with a newfound realization.
And now, the members left the stage, where almost no water remained, and began to run into the stars.
[Umm, Umm, Umm~]
The ending.
Emerging from the water’s edge, the members came all the way to the front of the protruding stage to perform the final highlight dance.
The lighting was no longer blue; the venue, fluttering with bright golden light and confetti, felt like a sandy beach in midsummer.
A true climax and finale. A final story that was purely joyful, without a single lingering worry.
[Thank you!]
And so, fully as idols, TeSTAR brought their story to a close.
“…….”
The Gamer watched the entire scene with a dazed mind.
It was because of the refreshing wave of emotion.
A moment later, the TeSTAR members came out one by one to give their bows like a curtain call.
The background music was their first fan song, Magic is You.
[I feel good today, as if
Something great is about to happen]
As their respective parts began, they bounded onto the stage, holding their headset mics and roaming around the venue to provide fan service.
“Moon-dae-yaaa!”
“Aaaah, over here!”
It was a time for fans who might have felt the distance was too far, and with the second fan song and Picnic, the segment lasted quite a while as everyone sang along together.
But instead of getting bored, the Gamer sat in her seat for a long time even after the curtain call ended, just like the other fans.
‘…….’
And after everything was over, she finally opened her smartphone.
[PM 10:31]
The show had started at 6:30 PM. Four hours had vanished in an instant.
“Crazy.”
She buried her face in her hands.
On the way back.
The two friends secretly smiled as they looked at their Gamer friend, who was clearly moved.
“So? Was it worth the ticket price?”
It was a question with an obvious intent, but the Gamer conceded.
“Yeah, it was fun…. Time flew by.”
This kind of cultural life was worth the money. Her affection for idols was growing rapidly in her heart.
Finally, she muttered like an exclamation.
“Hey, seriously… they were really good.”
“…!”
The two friends momentarily exchanged glances. Since she said they were good, if it was about vocals or fan service, there was a high chance it was Park Moon-dae!
“Who?”
“Who did you like the best??”
In that tense moment, the Gamer spoke with a serious face.
“I… liked them all.”
“…??”
“Performing as a group like that is the best. It’s totally… the real deal.”
That was it.
She had completed her viewing initiation with the "All-fan" mentality, which was said to be rarer than wild ginseng these days.
And while similar confessions were popping up on the internet, the performers themselves were rejoicing on a much more primal level.
11 PM.
We were still working overtime in the practice room, unable to go home yet due to feedback issues. But the atmosphere was good.
Because the concert was a success.
“A huge success~!”
“Ah, the best, the best!!”
“It was fun!”
Everyone still had smiles plastered on their faces, as if they still had energy left even after performing that insane setlist.
‘It was worth the money.’
The pleasure of succeeding at a new challenge was always special. Even more so if it was a large-scale project like a concert.
I gave a clean evaluation.
“Your idea was good.”
“…! Hey~ what are you talking about! I just, you know, put a spoon on a setlist that was already finished~ A lot of your ideas went into it too, Moon-dae!”
He was trying to act like it was nothing, even though his grin was reaching his ears.
Anyway, since we planned to do a long W Live like an after-party on the final day, today we just needed to celebrate the success and do a check-up.
However, I had a few more things to say.
“Um, Yu-jin, you looked a bit dangerous here.”
“I was cool!”
“Yeah, you were cool, but I’m saying let’s land a bit more safely.”
I passed by the guys exchanging feedback and found my conversation partner.
“Kim Rae-bin.”
“Yes!”
Kim Rae-bin was in the middle of a conversation with Seon A-hyun about their unit stage. After saying a few words to Seon A-hyun, I sat down in front of Rae-bin.
Then I got straight to the point.
“How was it?”
“Pardon?”
“How did it feel to perform the stage?”
“…….”
Kim Rae-bin looked a bit nervous, but he didn’t back down and answered.
“I was deeply concerned about whether I could properly interpret the results of someone else’s production and express the creator’s intent well enough to not be ashamed as a professional, but….”
After a long preamble, the answer came out.
“…I think I handled it quite well this time.”
Exactly.
“Of course, I am aware that I rode on the coattails of A-hyun hyung, who showed such outstanding ability while performing with me, but still….”
Kim Rae-bin’s eyes sparkled.
“I was able to do it…!”
It was a firm answer. I smiled and asked again.
“Can you keep doing it in the future?”
“Yes!!”
Good.
After hearing that resolute answer, I unhesitatingly pulled up his status window.
And I confirmed what I had been waiting for.
[!Status Effect: Repeat Mark (Inactive)]
His status effect had cleanly returned to an inactive state.
‘Right.’
Of course, it hadn’t disappeared entirely, so perhaps one day the "my producing is a failure" state might relapse.
But I wasn’t worried. Now, this guy would be able to escape a slump on his own.
Because he had done it once before.
And… because the option that it was okay to stop producing would be firmly planted in his head.
That was enough.
“Good job.”
“Not at all…. I am the one who is grateful! I will continue to devote myself further.”
Kim Rae-bin bowed his head deeply. Seon A-hyun, who was next to him, clapped with a flushed face.
It was a decent conclusion.
With this, my worries about the music for the next album were over.
‘Well, then is there only one thing left?’
Leaning my back against the practice room wall, I prepared for the opportunity to mention the final piece of business I had been thinking about for a few days.
“I have a suggestion.”
“Hmm?”
On the way home just before midnight, I raised my hand in the car.
“About that arrangement account.”
“Ah, that.”
I was talking about the official contact regarding the game theme song, which we had put on hold because the concert was urgent.
I said calmly.
“If it’s just something you want to try, I think it’s okay to accept the proposal.”
“…!”
“H-How…?”
To put it simply, it was this.
“We can just donate the proceeds.”
“…??”
We just had to give up the money.
“When we sign the contract, we’ll just direct the profits to a welfare foundation.”
There was no one here who was desperately hurting for that money anyway.
It would be a waste to just change the account, and we wanted to avoid unnecessary attention if possible.
So, we could just say okay once and keep using that account.
“If it’s an anonymous donation, there won’t be any tax issues, so even if we get caught later, it won’t be a problem. We can handle the name by setting up a business entity.”
“Aha….”
The person in charge wouldn’t go as far as illegally tracking a rookie business owner to dig up their detailed personal information.
“I see! I have no greed regarding profitability either, so I have no objections.”
Kim Rae-bin gave a bright, firm answer.
He didn’t seem to realize it himself, but since the guy with the biggest stake said this, even if someone had felt the money was a waste, they would have no choice but to keep their mouth shut.
Well, it didn’t matter since it didn’t seem like anyone would have brought up money in the first place.
However, Bae Se-jin asked with a confused face.
“Can’t we just sign a free contract?”
No.
“If we get caught doing that… they’ll say we have so much money that we’re mishandling intellectual property rights.”
“…….”
“It would go beyond an attitude controversy and lead to talk about having a negative impact on the industry.”
Public opinion was a tough opponent for idols. Everything had to be taken into consideration.
I looked past Bae Se-jin’s face, which seemed to be experiencing disillusionment and a reality check simultaneously, and asked.
“So, if we’re going to do it, I was wondering what you think about handling it as an anonymous donation… I’m curious about your thoughts.”
Cool affirmations soon returned. I knew they would.
“I like it~”
“Me too!”
Even Ryu Cheong-woo spoke up with a smile.
“Yeah, it looks like a good idea.”
It was unanimous.
I rubbed the back of my neck.
With this, we could continue to operate the composition camp account without any major issues.
“Yes. Then let’s do that.”
And so, TeSTAR’s arrangement account, in which Kim Rae-bin had an overwhelmingly high stake….
“So Starry Melody is getting a career too!”
…Yes, Starry Melody would send a reply to T1 Plays.
“…….”
For the record, I was against that account name.
I wondered why he had to give it a connection to TeSTAR… but I want to state that I yielded to the majority.
‘It’s not like every plan I make works out.’
The funny thing was that this time, too, my plan didn’t go exactly as I thought.
A few days after signing the official contract with T1 Plays, posts like this started appearing as popular posts on the internet.
[An arrangement WeTuber who flexes properly]
[The result of three visits to the thatched cottage.jpg]
[Who the hell is Starry Melody?]
“…?”
There was no need to track the cause.
It was simply because… the person in charge had gone out of their way to leave a public comment on the arrangement video.
Thanks to that, it became like this.
….
“Should we ignore it?”
“Yes.”
We stopped all feedback after sending one protest email to the person in charge.
While the sub-account’s recognition was unexpectedly skyrocketing like that, the weather grew colder and colder, beginning to race toward the scheduled date.
It was almost the end of the year.