Chapter 347
Chapter 347
That was a pop-up being displayed by Park Moon-dae—no, Keun-dal—who was currently using Ryu Gun-woo’s body…
[Hyung? Are you alright?]
“……Sigh.”
I accepted it. I relaxed my shoulders and let out a long breath.
I thought it was a ghost because human speech suddenly appeared out of nowhere… No.
“Since when could you do this?”
He definitely didn't have this kind of talent before.
[Uh, I’m not really sure. I just felt like I could do it, so I tried… and it worked?]
“…I see.”
It seemed his synchronization with the status window was reaching its final stages, seeing as he could use it so freely.
It wasn't exactly a positive sign, but since he seemed to be enjoying himself, I decided to keep my mouth shut instead of saying something unnecessary.
[Wow… It’s been so long since I felt this way, sharing a vision. It’s a bit like… the feeling when I used the body with you, Hyung?? Whoa!]
Actually, he might be enjoying it a bit too much….
I fell silent for a moment as the chat messages covered the status window, which usually only displayed static descriptions.
The sense of incongruity was enough to give me indigestion.
[Can I use emoticons too? Like this 〉_〈 Oh, it works!]
“Yes, truly amazing.”
He was performing a trick I never could have imagined.
I suppressed another sigh and stood up. It was a relief that Ryu Cheong-woo had stepped out to call the company. I almost ended up looking like a fool.
[I’m sorry if I was being reckless…. Gasp, it’s comeback season, did you trip or something—]
“No.”
I cut off the text that was beginning to spill out of the pop-up window. Who did he think he was calling a weakling?
“I’m perfectly fine, so don’t worry about that. I was just a bit startled because I was focusing on checking my stats for the first time in a while.”
[Okay….]
He seemed to have calmed down. I twitched an eyebrow at the pop-up window, which somehow managed to convey nuance skillfully despite being just text.
Still, since I didn't know where this might come in handy, I decided to do a quick check.
“Based on how you’re talking, it seems you can see my situation. How much can you see?”
[Just about as much as you can see, Hyung… Yes. It seems to be the same!]
“Anything other than vision?”
[I can hear sounds too, though they’re a bit faint. Other than that, I don’t really feel anything else!]
Finally, I was getting some prompt answers.
“Always?”
[No! I think it’s only when you access the status window like this. It’s like… when you turn on the status window, I feel something like an electronic signal!]
I see.
So, when I opened the status window, a call went out to him, and we synchronized.
‘I might be able to use this in an emergency.’
The probability was extremely low, but for instance, if we were to be stranded on a deserted island again within a few months. I nodded.
“Right. It’s good to have another way to get in touch, at least.”
As long as you weren't on a time limit, that is.
[Right??]
The pop-up window vibrated slightly. Was he… excited?
Then, it even shrank slightly before new letters were written slowly, as if he were hesitating.
[Um… can I contact you occasionally when you look at the status window?]
I let out a short laugh.
“Of course.”
[Thank you!]
The window grew large again. It seemed to reflect his emotions quite well.
Then, he began to pour out his thoughts in earnest.
[Ah, Hyung, my heart was racing so fast watching you invest your stat points! I really wanted to see the first live performance in person, so I’m sad I couldn't go!]
“Do you think it looks usable?”
[Yes! I’m so excited my heart is about to leap out of my chest!]
He had made watching TeSTAR the joy of his life as a student preparing for exams, and now fan slang was even sticking to his tongue.
I opened my mouth to reply, but a message that shot up quickly beat me to it.
[Good luck, seriously! Ah, I have to go back to work now! Lunch break is overrr-aaagh!]
“…….”
With that, the pop-up window vanished instantly with a glitch.
‘He’s really using it like KakaoTalk.’
…It seemed it would take some time to get used to. I massaged my shoulders and turned off the rest of the status window.
Anyway, back to reality.
What mattered now was the first stage.
‘Preparations are complete.’
Practice, real-world experience, and even my trump card—I had filled them all.
…It sounded a bit like I was entering the World’s Greatest Martial Arts Tournament rather than a performance, though.
I felt a bit awkward but then smirked.
‘Well, it’s not much different.’
Even if we weren't holding swords, wasn't it the same in that we had to produce results we wouldn't be ashamed of?
‘Let’s go for a real showdown.’
Since we were a last-minute fill-in, we couldn't even add proper special effects or devices. All we were given was a single firework already installed on the stage.
But that was better. If people were impressed by this stage, they wouldn't be able to point to any reason other than the performers themselves—TeSTAR.
“Moon-dae. We have to go… to the practice room!”
“Right.”
I left the room.
The first reveal of the stage was just around the corner.
The internet was hit with the news that TeSTAR’s first performance would be pre-released on the famous American survival audition show, You Got a Chance.
People buzzed, saying it was a very good thing, as the show was famous for inviting only trendy or hot performers.
Of course, posts worrying about their live vocals still popped up as if they were intentional.
The Twin Home-master for Lee Se-jin and Park Moon-dae, Office Worker, scrolled through those reactions.
‘In a little while, they’ll be praising them excessively, saying TeSTAR was obviously going to be good.’
Just so they could make a fuss if they failed even a little.
“Tsk.”
She clicked her tongue.
But even so, she didn't bother to stop the corners of her mouth from twitching.
Because she was the very person who had seen that pre-recording.
It was truly unlike her. To think she had personally gone to a music show pre-recording, which was famous for treating fans like trash, let alone an event or a concert.
‘Was it worth the price of being mistreated by another broadcasting station in the early morning and waiting in a crowd of people?’
It was more than worth it.
In fact, she felt that seeing it for free was a steal.
‘It’s even better because it’s a live broadcast.’
It was better because they couldn't use pitch correction. Because if it were the guys she knew, they would never have neglected to take care of their throats or their ankles in this situation.
Office Worker nodded and calmly finished the editing she was doing.
However, a certain rhythm born of anticipation could be felt in her hands.
And then, the day of TeSTAR’s appearance as performers on the American broadcast arrived.
[Next is a celebratory performance. It’s the global K-pop singers and ‘that’ crazy band from Cosmic Gunner, TeSTAR!]
In the middle of the program, a brief introduction flowed by without much expectation or grand announcement.
In the first place, there wasn't enough time to prepare, and it was just a celebratory performance in the first half that they had scouted as an experiment.
Then, as always, a mid-roll commercial played, and the screen returned.
[……]
A group of people stood on the massive stage where the audition participants had been just moments ago.
Dancers in red outfits.
And among them, seven people wearing black jumpers and masks.
‘The outfits are nice.’
They weren't too conceptual; they had a modern coolness and fit that suited the occasion.
While Office Worker nodded.
The black-clad TeSTAR came forward at the end of a group dance that seemed to split and push away the red dancers.
As the masked dancers turned their heads to glare, the beat began with an intense trombone sound.
The song.
Park Moon-dae casually tossed aside his black mask and let out a gritty vocal rasp.
[That sound calling out anxiously
Hear it, the sound of my feet jumping in]
Then, the choreography went into slow motion.
And then, a sprint.
[The one who appeared first
The vanguard!]
The ultra-high note of the first line of the intro.
A sharp, clear sound without a single disturbed pitch firmly sliced through the air.
Thump!
The sense of presence was so real that one could even hear the sound of feet hitting the floor and jumping back up.
It was a single, clean sound, without even the AR usually put in to help catch the scale.
‘It is!’
That insane stability she had heard at the pre-recording rang in Office Worker’s ears again.
‘I wonder if he’s even human.’
Once that feat, which was almost like a circus act, left a strong impression, Kim Rae-bin’s low and refined rap part followed with ominous slow-motion choreography.
His eyes, covered by black bangs, flashed.
[Appearance!]
Then, the choreography continued with powerful, explosive movements.
[A rain shower raging in April
An untimely visitor (Hi)
Knocking on a hardened heart, stepping
Inside]
Ending with Ryu Cheong-woo’s solid mid-high notes in a choreography that used the feet, the song dropped again.
[Now the rain fell]
A drop before the chorus that went in with the dancers to the playful sound of a fiddle.
Even in the intense group dance where they seemed buried by the dancers, they still stood out through the composition and gestures.
And the tenacity to sing even the narration and the chorus.
[Whoa uh]
TeSTAR didn't lose their energy even once until the end of the first verse.
There wasn't a single moment where they slacked off or rested. It was a performance that flowed and exploded, with every bit of strength and weakness exquisitely controlled without a single limb getting a break.
A momentum that suited the hero movie concept.
[That's ma Savior!]
Before the start of the second verse, a slow-motion choreography where they turned around and moved both arms.
The black jumpers had a blue Haetae with its mouth open like a tiger on the back, like a custom university jacket.
The comments, filled with admiration and devoid of any mockery, were updated at a frantic pace.
A density so packed that there wasn't even a gap for cheers to enter the organic composition.
However, because of the wow points that caught the eye and the sense of immersion, no unnecessary burden that might come from that packed feeling was conveyed.
Thanks to that, Office Worker felt a chill every time she noticed.
‘They were like this at the pre-recording too.’
They were always good, but just when she thought it was about time for them to slack off, they would bring something even stronger like a ghost.
Even the massive bombardment choreography in the final chorus made even Office Worker’s heart tingle.
Click.
Lee Se-jin, at the center, gave a smirk.
Thump!
Light scattered as the choreography connected as if flying, and the accompaniment exploded again.
“…!”
They had made the fireworks of the stage equipment burst in time with the bombardment-like beat and movements.
An exquisite connection to the stage.
And then, a light and flashy choreography with many small beats followed.
It was a festival-like ending.
Among the fallen dancers, TeSTAR took their formation, repeatedly raising and folding their arms.
And so, TeSTAR’s first stage ended.
And the comments and the scene exploded.
Office Worker let out a breath before she could even look at the comments.
‘They’re persistent, truly persistent.’
They were as cool and charming as they were persistent.
Starting from something completely raw without any proper special devices, hadn't they ended the stage with raw power?
Her jaw was practically dropping.
‘Are their cartilages… no, their vocal cords and lungs okay?’
The question popped up for a moment, but if they were to hold back on domestic broadcast stages or events just to take care of their bodies, she wouldn't have liked that either.
‘They make a lot of money, so they’ll take care of themselves.’
This stage was truly worth spending money to see.
Moreover, this wasn't the end.
‘In the pre-recording, they even did an intro glow-in-the-dark performance on top of that.’
She was already looking forward to how public opinion would shift once that came out.
Thinking of the comeback show that would air on Tnet two days later, she cracked her knuckles.
Seeing the reaction, she thought it would be harder to see them in person now… but well, what could she do? They were successful!
She smiled without realizing it.
‘Still, since it’s the season, do a couple of university festivals. Let’s get some more upload material.’
And surprisingly, just as she wished, TeSTAR had indeed booked a university festival.
Of course, what was important for their career wasn't the festival, but the official broadcast schedule that followed.
At the same time.
“Haa, haa.”
“Wa, water, please.”
Most of the TeSTAR members who had come down from the stage were sitting down, nearly exhausted.
They could hear the cheers, but their vision was spinning more than that.
‘I think this was the most physically demanding one we’ve ever done.’
‘My lungs… I feel like my lungs are going to pop out!’
It couldn't be helped.
Of course, there were more than enough difficult performances among TeSTAR’s title and b-side tracks so far.
However, there had never been a single-song performance at such a reckless level where they had to squeeze out every ounce of their soul just to match the energy.
‘That’s why it’s meaningful.’
Because it was intense.
Park Moon-dae, who was also sitting on the floor, pressing his ribs and gasping for breath, had a glint in his eyes.
If the gut feeling he had on stage earlier—that it had landed perfectly—wasn't wrong, then the appearance was a success.
‘Of course, I’ll have to do a proper monitoring….’
Still, after years of experience, his stage sense had become quite accurate.
After checking the planned program sequence in his head, he smirked.
“Cha Yu-jin.”
“Yes!”
“You’re ready for the next stage too, right?”
Cha Yu-jin, who was stretching alone thanks to the adrenaline effect, grinned and shrugged.
[Always.]
Park Moon-dae nodded.
‘Good.’
Next was Phase 2 of the market entry.
The so-called ‘Closing the Distance’ operation.