Chapter 391
Chapter 391
The day of the LeTi Survival’s ambitious performance stage, themed "Art," had arrived.
Backstage.
"Shall we do our chant before we go out?"
"Yes!"
Following the teammate who shouted enthusiastically and reached out his hand, Ryu Cheong-woo extended his own.
"Team D, the masters of everything! Let’s do this!"
The one who had requested the chant with a smile was the participant Shin Jae-hyun. As far as Cheong-woo knew, he was Cheong-ryeo.
He was the leader of VTIC, but currently, he was also someone trapped in this bizarre situation alongside them.
I never imagined we’d be performing on the same stage.
For Ryu Cheong-woo, it was an unexpected turn of events. Then again, the entire situation—returning to the past and attending university with Ryu Gun-woo—was already beyond belief.
It’s a fantasy, like a daydream.
He had never dreamed he would face such a surreal situation. However, he was managing to accept it, treating it like a "day in the life" experience of a different existence.
Besides, the preparations for this stage with the VTIC leader had been exceptionally smooth.
He’s incredibly... efficient at putting everything in the right place.
From the participants to the trainers.
It was startling. The process of piecing together the vision already established in his head was so precise it was almost chilling.
It felt a bit mechanical... but he was certainly a leader more capable of commanding a stage than Cheong-woo himself.
I should focus on honing my own strengths.
Instead of letting a sense of rivalry turn into a bitter smile, Ryu Cheong-woo chose that path.
"You can go on standby now."
"Understood!"
The manned camera that had captured their chant moved on to the next group, leaving only the fixed cameras backstage.
Since their performance was the very last, Ryu Cheong-woo had been watching the other stages from the waiting room below.
Everyone did so well.
Cha Yu-jin and Kim Rae-bin had been split into different groups, and each had shown an incredible level of contribution.
—Yeah!
He recalled Cha Yu-jin, who had been the center of an action-painting performance, and Kim Rae-bin, who had practically carried the arrangement himself while excitedly discussing things with an orchestral conductor.
Especially Rae-bin; he’s truly amazing.
His growth was visible to the naked eye.
Even without his memories, he was like this. Cheong-woo had felt it during Idol Inc. as well, but the boy was undoubtedly a genius.
"Hmm."
And now, right before their turn, the third stage was about to unfold before his eyes.
The performance by Park Moon-dae and the VTIC members.
In reality, it was a combination that would have made people faint, but that wasn't the issue right now.
...It’ll be okay.
He recalled what Cha Yu-jin had whispered the moment he saw that team’s first choreography in the practice room.
—That’s that stage! "October 31"!
It was a performance from the first team in Idol Inc., one so impressive that Cha Yu-jin even remembered the team name.
I was utterly crushed back then.
It was the team that had gone up against Ryu Cheong-woo’s group—a team he might have joined if luck had been on his side, but they were split by a single button press.
I pretended otherwise at the time, but I actually felt quite a bit of regret.
Ryu Cheong-woo almost smiled at the memory, which now felt like a distant nostalgia, but his expression froze.
He remembered Park Moon-dae’s condition while practicing for this stage, which so closely resembled that past performance.
To put it bluntly, he had looked completely drained, as if he were sinking into a void.
—Are you okay?
—Yeah. I’m fine.
—Hyung, are you sick? Where does it hurt?
—No. I’m not sick.
His complexion had been practically non-existent.
It was so bad that even though they were on different teams, he and the other TeSTAR members had hovered around him several times.
However, since everyone (except Kim Rae-bin) could guess the reason, it was difficult to say anything.
One couldn't recklessly tell someone what to do or not do regarding a stage that wasn't their own.
Especially not to someone who was participating in a survival program with the grim determination that they "must win the Grand Prize to get out of here."
If it had continued for a few more days, I would have tried to talk to him somehow, but...
Things had changed after the mid-term evaluation.
Park Moon-dae had completely overhauled the stage composition.
—There won't be much time...
—Even so, I believe it’s worth the challenge.
When he said that, the light had returned to Park Moon-dae’s eyes, and he seemed to have recovered his usual steadfastness.
He didn't waver.
Cha Yu-jin had summed up his stance cleanly.
—Moon-dae hyung thinks too much. This time, he needs to practice doing a bit less. We just have to watch.
Cha Yu-jin was one of the youngest members, but he was also someone who could unexpectedly pierce through to the core of a matter.
So, Ryu Cheong-woo decided not to interfere with Park Moon-dae this time.
And the result of that was about to unfold on that stage.
He intended to lean out slightly and get a closer look at the stage where the set had been fully installed, but...
"Hyung always does well on stage."
"...! Yes. That’s true."
The leader of VTIC spoke to him from beside him.
Though he was currently younger than Cheong-woo, the man—whom Cheong-woo couldn't bring himself to speak informally to—was watching the stage with quite an amused look in his eyes.
"So, this is what he prepared."
"......"
Ryu Cheong-woo turned his head.
The performance had begun, and the stage was now projecting a birch forest covered in falling snow.
—......
As the stage slowly dimmed, a bell tolled, and a yellow moon rose.
Then, a female chorus rang out.
—Ah-ha ha, Ah-ha ha...
A beautiful harmony in a minor key.
And in time with those unsettling chords, silhouettes began to emerge from between the trees.
Three tall silhouettes wearing black hoods.
Limbs emerged from between them. A short, intense intro performance where white arms draped in linen fabric overlapped.
—Woo! oooo oo, oo...
And on the final note of the chorus, the three stood tall once more. Maintaining their formation, they pulled back their hoods one by one.
As their pale faces were revealed, their harmonized vocals echoed across the stage like a stream of water.
—It's cold outside
come here, come in!
Let's drink with us, tonight
"...!"
It was a carol.
The English title track from LeTi’s joint Winter Special album last year.
That retro carol, reminiscent of the 19th century, hadn't achieved massive mainstream success, but it had developed a cult following on the internet.
That classic, warm melody had met an exaggerated orchestral accompaniment, transforming into something elegant and secretive.
The reason that was possible was...
The accompaniment is "Into the New World."
That was it.
There was no rule saying they could only choose one song.
Instead of completely twisting and radically rearranging "Into the New World" as he had during Idol Inc., Park Moon-dae had instead borrowed the original song's accompaniment.
The dark melody, shifted to a minor key, met the elegant orchestral strains that evoked flower fairies, heightening the atmosphere.
Then, the song shifted into a rhythm suitable for dancing.
—This night
The sound of bells outside the window
Ding-dong, Ding-dong
The first verse felt like a ballad.
Two members performed a move where they held Chae-yul by the waist, laying him back and lifting him up. It was a large, eye-catching movement.
Ryu Gun-woo’s low-register harmony, supporting Chae-yul’s vocals, was as solid and round as a water droplet.
—Ding-dong, Ding-dong
The first verse, starting like that, appropriately blended storytelling with idol-like choreography.
As they were portraying vampires, the participants didn't smile for the sake of the atmosphere, but they executed all other facial expressions perfectly alongside their gestures.
Instead of screaming "I am a vampire" with fangs or blood makeup, they used an indirect method, letting the audience infer it through the style of their costumes, the choreography, and their gestures.
Their hooded robes fluttered like capes, revealing the ornate, chain-adorned outfits underneath.
—The beautiful sound of winter
Ding-dong, Ding-dong
The voice of winter
The red lining inside the robes rippled.
Following the pre-chorus choreography, where they grabbed their own necks with both hands and turned their upper bodies, came the chorus, where a perfectly timed group dance unfolded with exquisite control of power.
The dark, intricate orchestration became grand once more as it passed through the chorus.
—Tonight!
In the middle of winter
Lal lalalalala!
The moment the first verse ended, with the three members striking an impressive pose by arching their bodies back and simultaneously dispersing in different directions. Above the subsiding accompaniment.
A piano melody slid into the center of the empty stage.
—♬♩ ♪♪♩ - ♬♬♪- ♩
And what began was... the verse melody of "Into the New World."
At this point, a new figure appeared on stage.
A white hand emerged from behind a tree in time with the music.
And soon, stretching out an arm, his entire body was revealed on stage.
—♩♫
It was the black-haired ballerino mentor, dressed in a white outfit that emphasized his silhouette.
A light turn. Then, a grand jeté.
His leaps through the air were controlled and not excessive, achieving a sense of balance with the background like a doll inside a snow globe.
And then, a voice like a music box.
—Can't you feel me.
On the left side of the stage, a hooded figure turned around again.
"...!"
Ryu Gun-woo.
Holding the head mic with both hands, he sang the lyrics softly and gently.
—Your warm touch
Lifts me up, so beautiful
The garden of spring
The lighting turned warm with a beige hue, and for a moment, the wintry atmosphere vanished.
The perfect movements of the ballerino, appearing beautiful in their strength, continued.
An arabesque.
—Umuum, Umuum....
But it was only for a moment.
At the end of the bridge, the moment the orchestra surged back into the song.
The ballerino departed the stage as if fleeing.
And in an instant, the three figures snatched back that space.
Performers in flamboyant attire surged forward, casting aside their hoods.
Cold lighting filled the stage once more, as if exploding.
—Woo! oooo oo, oo
The chorus choreography began again. However, this time, new movements were mixed into the formation.
Turns and jumps, just like the ones the ballerino had performed moments ago.
But it was a clever composition.
The feeling is different.
It looked as though they were imitating it, but the movements were clearly in the genre of dance-pop, distinct from ballet.
Without allowing for a direct comparison of quality, it ensured the audience could only feel the overwhelming quality of the stage as a single entity.
—In the snowy garden
In a teacup, in a sugar bowl
The intense idol group dance and gestures designed for close-ups filled the space.
And then, a powerful ending.
—The bell rings
Ring ri-ring
Ring-ring-ring
The end of a static composition where they fluidly turned their heads in different directions.
Mixing with the piercing arrangement and high-pitched ad-lib vocals, all the sounds converged into one.
And finally, the figures, looking forward with smiles, raised their arms.
—The winter is... in!!
The music ended.
And on the stage where all movement had ceased.
Waaaaaaaah!!!
Applause and cheers poured out without restraint. There were even screams of support.
"You did great!"
The figures draped in robes adjusted their postures, bowed repeatedly, and composed their smiles.
A dizzying, intense, and dark stage.
It was somewhat abstruse, seemingly by design.
On any other stage, it would have run the risk of being criticized as too experimental and ignoring public appeal.
But this time, the keyword was "Art."
The audience and the judges likely had different expectations.
"Hmm."
Ryu Cheong-woo turned his head slightly to look at the area right in front of the audience seats.
Sure enough, he could see the CEO’s lips twitching as he subtly gave a thumbs-up.
As if he found it excellent.
Wow.
This is interesting!
Even though he knew his turn was next, Ryu Cheong-woo couldn't help but smile and offer a loud round of applause.
*
The stage was over.
"Phew."
I pulled off the hood and gripped it in my hand.
It felt damn refreshing.
What is this?
The sense of liberation was immense. Someone watching might think I’d already won the Grand Prize.
I folded the hood and handed it to a staff member.
I pulled it off.
I didn't even need to see the scores to know. This worked. My head, which had been sluggish and mired as if stuck in a swamp, was now spinning with incredible clarity.
It’s a direct hit.
When it comes to stage adrenaline, there’s nothing like it once it kicks in.
I brushed the hair back from my forehead.
"Hyung!"
Just then, the guy who had stripped off his paint-smeared outfit ran over and threw an arm around my neck.
Cha Yu-jin.
"Hyung, you were wonderful! You were totally cool!"
"Ack."
Wait, hold on... Is this punk putting his full weight into an armlock on someone else's neck?
Is this crazy former football player trying to pop my head off? I managed to steady my nearly broken neck and barely escaped his grip.
Then, I heard a quiet voice.
"Hyung, I’m telling you this in advance."
Telling me what?
"You can use the stages you did with me however you want. Don't worry about it!"
"...!"
Then, the punk used the same arm that had almost broken my neck to point alternately at his head and his chest.
"Our stage is right here. And it’s in reality. It won't disappear even if you use it in a multiverse!"
"......"
"We shouldn't forget that. Got it?"
If I had heard this a few days ago, I would have interpreted it as "So do it properly," and I would have been gritting my teeth and banging my head against a wall.
But hearing it now, after it was over and my head was clear... there couldn't be a more correct statement.
Was I the one who was buried in it?
To think I would be the first one to lose my mind in this bizarre situation. I let out a short laugh and patted his shoulder.
"I got it."
"Then that’s all that matters!"
The punk grinned.
"And I’ll use them however I want, too. Get ready to watch!"
"Yeah, you do that."
I watched as he was caught for an interview, and I finished changing my costume.
A moment later, the guy who had finished his own stage and come down arrived at the waiting room and spoke to me immediately.
Ryu Cheong-woo.