Chapter 504
Chapter 504
Immediately after Steer Ryu Cheong-woo woke up...
Stage practice proceeded... with absolute smoothness.
"Then shall we start with this song? Is that alright?"
"We’d be grateful..."
Without a word of complaint, Ryu Cheong-woo quickly mastered TeSTAR’s latest hits and signature songs, which the members had carefully selected after much deliberation.
He was so proactive in learning—going beyond just following the songs and choreography—that even Keun Se-jin felt flustered.
"Ayy, hyung-nim. It’s fine if you take a break and slow down the tempo! We’re on a break from the tour anyway since we just got back to the country!"
"I see."
However, Ryu Cheong-woo maintained his pace.
He didn't show any unnecessary wariness or pride. He asked exactly what he needed to know and pushed through practice with a steady yet rapid momentum.
Hmm.
It didn't even stop there.
He even began monitoring stage videos of the original TeSTAR Ryu Cheong-woo, along with various other TeSTAR content.
"I-If you need, I can... explain in more detail...!"
"Ah. It’s alright."
Despite Seon A-hyun’s anxious offer, the man simply continued his monitoring with a composed expression.
The reason was simple.
"Since these are songs I’m performing for the first time in my memory, I have to fill the gap in stage experience somehow."
"..."
"If I need help, I’ll set aside my pride and ask."
"Ah, n-no...! Please, feel free to ask anytime...!"
And so, Steer Ryu Cheong-woo eventually began to replicate the exact vibe the original Ryu Cheong-woo brought to the latest songs...
"...He’s almost identical, right?"
"Yeah."
It had only taken exactly three days to get to this point. It was like watching an extreme form of rehabilitation.
Because of that, I couldn't help but say it.
That evening.
[Just roll the dice—]
Through the open door, I saw Ryu Cheong-woo watching stage videos again on a large monitor in his room.
I turned my head and asked Cha Yu-jin, who was currently raiding the kitchen.
"Do you have any idea why he’s acting like that?"
Is it good because he’s cooperative?
Of course, it’s great for work. I could just feel relieved that what I thought would be a disaster turned out to be a godsend.
But whether this was normal was a different story.
He woke up to find the world has changed, yet he accepts it that quickly?
When I woke up in Park Moon-dae’s body, I literally fell out of bed. It was only after the status window appeared that I accepted reality, thinking I’d die if I didn't get my act together.
But for a person to be that calm just because the people around him explained the situation?
He even treated the original Steer members and Bae Se-jin—who would have been a former member to him—without any visible agitation.
Is it even possible for a human to be like that?
Even for an Olympic archery gold medalist, this is a bit much.
Isn't this strange? If I were in his shoes, I might have taken someone hostage just to dig out the unvarnished truth.
At this point, Cha Yu-jin’s reaction of running away from home feels more like a normal human response.
That was why I was asking the person who had experienced it first.
And this was the answer I got.
"Umm... yeah. It’s weird. But I can’t be sure."
"..."
Since Cha Yu-jin himself only remembered the Steer era in broad strokes and major events rather than fine details, a concrete analysis of behavioral patterns was impossible.
However, he shrugged and spoke with a surprisingly serious face.
"One thing is for sure: I don't feel like that mysterious hyung is just 'pretending' to cooperate with this team."
Hmm.
I... agree with that part, but still.
If someone is only pretending to cooperate while planning to stab you in the back, it usually shows when they’re practicing to the point of exhaustion.
After all, a person’s composure usually stems from their physical stamina.
If your priorities are different, it eventually leaks out.
But this Steer Ryu Cheong-woo was consistent. He was truly preparing his stage parts with 'sincerity.'
I didn't doubt that part either.
In that case.
I might as well ask him directly.
He wasn't in a state where communication was impossible like Steer Cha Yu-jin had been. Moreover, since he seemed to be observing his surroundings, he would likely sense that I didn't harbor any ill will.
"Give me one."
"Uuu."
I snatched a piece of popcorn Cha Yu-jin had bought and headed toward the room.
It was convenient that his roommate was the target.
"Hyung."
"Ah."
Ryu Cheong-woo took his eyes off the monitor and turned around, wearing his habitual, easygoing smile.
"Is there something you need to tell me?"
"No. It’s nothing like that."
I sat down beside him and offered the popcorn. He looked a bit surprised but took some without a word.
I tossed a piece of popcorn into my mouth and chose my words carefully.
I’d keep it from getting too serious.
"I was just wondering if we were putting too much pressure on you. Even if we take a break from group activities, it won't cause any immediate problems, so you can take it easy until you’ve adjusted."
"..."
"Though if things get desperate, I might end up begging you."
"Hmm."
Ryu Cheong-woo let out a short, airy chuckle. Right, I said it to be funny.
Though I meant it.
Now, open up.
Fortunately, he massaged the back of his neck as if loosening up and spoke with a faint smile.
"Yes, I don't feel pressured. It seems like a successful group, so I just felt that each member needs to do their part well."
"..."
"For now, I am one of those members."
I felt a strange sentiment in his tone.
...Is he overlapping this with his own group?
The Steer that this version of him belonged to had disintegrated.
But here, the current TeSTAR was thriving, even having renewed their contracts.
In Cha Yu-jin’s case, he felt a sense of alienation from this difference, but this guy seemed to feel a sort of... responsibility even in this situation.
A responsibility to maintain the status quo.
Hmm.
Well, it was all speculation, but at the very least, I could tell his actions weren't born out of malice toward the team.
I nodded inwardly.
But he could still have motives other than what he’s said.
Since I still didn't know exactly what he was thinking, I decided to steer the conversation toward lowering his guard.
"Thank you. And you can speak casually to me. You’re older, after all."
"Hmm... Haha, should I?"
Steer Ryu Cheong-woo seemed to deliberate for a moment but soon switched to casual speech quite naturally. This part of him hadn't changed.
Right.
Just as I was about to bring up other topics to check his remaining wariness...
"Moon-dae hyung is actually older."
I almost dropped my popcorn.
When did you get here?
I looked back to see Cha Yu-jin staring blankly at my popcorn.
Go pop your own.
Why is he so fixated on the one I took when he has a whole box?
But seeing him happily stuffing his face once I held it out, I couldn't really scold him.
While my attention was momentarily on Cha Yu-jin, I heard Ryu Cheong-woo ask back in a puzzled voice.
"He’s older?"
"Moon-dae hyung was originally an adult."
"You’re an adult too."
"You know what I mean! Moon-dae hyung’s mental? age is older than Cheong-woo hyung’s. Yep!"
"..."
Fine.
Since I had already given him a summary of my eventful supernatural experiences, Ryu Cheong-woo didn't look horrified.
That didn't mean he was laughing and accepting it, though. He was definitely flustered.
Why did Cha Yu-jin have to bring this up... well, whatever.
I might as well take this as an opportunity.
"Strictly speaking, that’s true."
An opportunity to completely lower his guard. I rubbed the back of my neck and spoke.
"Well, since the topic came up... I think the fact that I was originally your relative is more important."
"Huh?"
Isn't the world built on school, regional, and blood ties?
Let’s go with the blood relation tactic.
"Um, my name used to be Ryu Gun-woo. As you can tell, we’re from the same generation of the Pungsan Ryu clan."
Steer Ryu Cheong-woo looked dazed, as if he’d been hit over the head.
"We only went on a few family trips together when we were kids, so you probably won't remember. You didn't remember before either... I only found out because of the family trip videos."
"..."
No response. Was it a bust?
If he thinks I’m lying, I’m screwed.
It was then.
Ryu Cheong-woo slowly opened his mouth.
"If you’re older than me... were you the one who wore glasses and read a lot of books?"
"...!"
No way.
"You remember?"
Steer Ryu Cheong-woo furrowed his brows slightly.
"Um... honestly, I don't know what you looked like, and I didn't know your name. But when I try to recall, I have a vague memory that there was a relative hyung like that."
His face brightened slightly.
"Seeing your reaction, my description must be right."
"Oh!"
Cha Yu-jin marveled instead, and I... was a bit stunned.
I hadn't expected this.
He remembers me?
Come to think of it, the original TeSTAR Ryu Cheong-woo had never tried to recall who 'Ryu Gun-woo' was by listening to specific situational details like this.
Because I had just blurted it out and played the family trip video right away.
Anyway, pulling myself together, I answered.
"Yes. I think that was me."
You’re right.
"Ohhh!"
You can stop being impressed now.
Regardless, a faint smile spread across Ryu Cheong-woo’s face.
"That’s amazing. I didn't expect to meet a relative like this."
"Me neither."
"Haha."
And I realized anew that Steer Ryu Cheong-woo had been quite tense until now.
His attitude has changed.
He was still gentle, but his gestures seemed much more relaxed.
As expected, he had been on guard.
He had to be.
Now he finally seemed a bit more human.
In this situation where strangers—or people he knew—had changed into something unfamiliar, meeting a simple relative seemed to have put him at ease.
It was a straightforward, uncomplicated relationship.
"Then, from now on, um, should I use formal language? How did we do it before?"
"We just mixed it casually."
"Ahaha! Good, I’ll do that."
And so, I considered the blood relation tactic a success.
"Let’s try from here."
"Yes!"
After that, Ryu Cheong-woo treated the members with a softer demeanor, and before long, he seemed to be speaking casually with everyone.
And then.
"I don't think we need to delay the schedule for this program. I can definitely do it."
According to his firm resolve, their participation in the survival program proceeded as scheduled without delay.
Thus, the first stage filming began.
Fortunately, the first stage wasn't the survival round itself.
It was a pre-release for program promotion.
The self-introduction stage.
*
The renewal of True Competition.
True Competition Final—despite its almost childishly solemn name—generated quite a bit of buzz on the internet.
It was thanks to the lineup.
[The Reborn True Competition, Spectacular Cast Revealed... From Daesang Idols to Legendary Vocalists.]
The lineup included so many big names that it was hard to believe it was a reboot of a fading program. The production team’s casting ability, fueled by their desperate grip on TeSTAR’s name, had exploded.
-The singer lineup is great for a highly anticipated public broadcast variety show. They’re all talented. Looking forward to it!
-Malang Dalkom reunion? Must watch!
-Goddess Mudie with the honey vocals~ Can’t wait to see the stage ^^♡
-MBS must be betting everything on this. Amazing!
Even though these typical bot-like comments flooded the articles and promotional videos early on, they were soon pushed aside by genuinely surprised reactions.
Of course, one name received the most attention in this lineup.
'TeSTAR!'
-Was TeSTAR really coming out? This is for real.
Usually, a group big enough to win a Daesang only appears on a survival show long after their prime has passed.
Even then, they only barely manage to appear after much deliberation.
For a group whose status has already peaked, no matter how good the program’s prospects are, it’s a poisoned chalice since it’s more likely to tarnish their reputation.
They are prone to becoming fodder for buzz or a sacrifice for a new name—the 'rookie who beat that famous group.'
It’s the same from the producer’s perspective.
It’s less surprising and less fun if an already famous group wins.
Moreover, TeSTAR was a group that debuted through a survival show on a different network!
If there were contestants who could pull off a stage comparable to—no, better than—TeSTAR, the show would favor them!
-If TeSTAR wins here, the formula 'T-Net > Public Broadcast' becomes official, so they’ll never let them win lol.
-Seeing TeSTAR fans already making excuses in case they fail is so pathetic... I feel bad for them.
-Why did they even go on the show?
Expectations were rising on the internet, where people were unaware of the secret agreement between the PD and TeSTAR.
Even if half of that expectation was the hope of seeing TeSTAR fail.
However, a few days later.
The moment the opening stage of True Competition was released on WeTube.
[Dream a dream as blue as the day]
People felt a sensation that snapped them awake.
-Ah lol.
-They rose to fame through their stages, after all.
-They’re going to dominate again. Okay, okay, I see they’re confident.
The structure consisted of each contestant performing for one minute and passing the baton.
There, appearing just before the end, TeSTAR’s self-introduction stage—an exquisite remix of their debut and latest songs—was as intense as it was short.
[Yeah!]
Fitting for a one-minute limit, it was a powerful stage that cut out the intro and edited the core highlights together!
Just as any movie feels interesting when watched as a summary video, the stage, which left only the fast pace and 'wow' points, was perfectly suited to modern tastes.
-This is it.
-Knew it, they’re a survival group.
-I’m seriously looking forward to TeSTAR; this is crazy.
Of course, it wasn't all good.
TeSTAR was already a group with such high recognition and popularity that 'doing well was the baseline' in this program.
By delivering such an impressive opening stage, they had inflated the already high expectations even further.
The twin fansite master filming Park Moon-dae and Lee Se-jin gave a cold assessment.
It might have been better if they were just moderately, ambiguously good.
But the dice had been cast, and TeSTAR had to start the first survival round under these conditions.
And it wasn't as if there was no way out.
If they just do so well that they satisfy those sky-high expectations by the next round...
An irrefutable image would be completed.
The most important thing in a survival show: an impactful first impression.
TeSTAR could start by firmly planting a positive prejudice in everyone’s minds.
And TeSTAR themselves knew this.
*
Immediately after the opening stage ended.
"Whew."
"Great job, everyone~"
Backstage at the True Competition filming site, I had a gut feeling.
We did well.
I was sure of it even without looking at the reactions.
Actually, I hadn't even been worried. The only variable was Steer Ryu Cheong-woo, but the amount of practice and the rehearsal stages over the past few days had already shown the outcome.
He’s not the type to ever make a mistake.
And indeed, he pulled off a perfectly synchronized stage. For a moment, I almost mistook him for the original Ryu Cheong-woo.
However...
He looks dazed.
The problem was that immediately after coming off stage, his condition was a bit strange.
"..."
Steer Ryu Cheong-woo stood there blankly, catching his breath in silence.
He looked so shocked that even the staff were staring.
Was it because it’s been too long?
It must have been his first stage since Steer disbanded. I think Cha Yu-jin had similar symptoms.
"Are you alright?"
I approached him and held out the water I was carrying.
Ryu Cheong-woo took it blankly, then snapped his head up as if coming to his senses.
He opened the bottle and drank deeply.
Gulp, gulp.
Haa.
After nearly emptying the bottle.
"Thanks. ...It’s been a long time since I felt like this."
Ryu Cheong-woo smiled quite brightly and joined the members behind them to focus on monitoring.
He seems fine.
I let out a small chuckle.
It felt like everything was going to go well.
Until then.