Chapter 536
Chapter 536
True Competition kicked off the second half of the show with a massive audience, almost like an opening ceremony.
The production team didn't mind if these spectators leaked spoilers; in fact, they were counting on it, hoping for a stage with a narrative so grand that the audience wouldn't be able to stop talking about it.
‘There are so many TeSTAR fans.’
The office worker, who was the twin fansite master for Park Moon-dae and Lee Se-jin, sat down in her seat, thinking that even though she was a TeSTAR fan herself.
As Ryu Seo-rin’s younger sister and a senior from Ryu Gun-woo’s college club, she naturally had no idea that Ryu Gun-woo had become Park Moon-dae. However, she still occasionally kept in touch with the "Keun-dal" version of Ryu Gun-woo.
In fact, she had asked him earlier today if he wanted to come...
That was the reply she received.
‘I wanted to get some photos from a different angle... Tsk.’
She clicked her tongue, thinking he was as blunt as ever.
The fact that Keun-dal had panicked, paced around in a cold sweat, and finally shouted, "I... am Gun-woo hyung!" before typing that reply would remain a secret forever.
Regardless, she carefully set up her camera to avoid detection, sat back, and scanned her surroundings with sharp eyes.
‘TeSTAR fans seem to make up almost half the crowd.’
At this rate, as long as TeSTAR didn't completely mess up their performance, a top-two spot was practically guaranteed.
However, that didn't necessarily mean it was a good thing.
‘The way they’re trying to push Iter is way too blatant.’
If things continued like this and Iter placed third or lower...
They could easily spin a narrative of a "tragic rising star undervalued by the powerful."
Just thinking about hearing such things regarding Iter made even this twin fansite master feel uncomfortable.
‘I’d like to think they’re just kids who don't know any better, but considering how much money they’re going to make...’
Her philosophy was that as long as you were getting paid, you needed to have professionalism and a sense of responsibility.
Besides, wasn't Iter also benefiting from what Wonder Hall had done?
[...And now, welcome, everyone!]
While the fansite master was busy with these thoughts, her hands were discreetly adjusting the camera out of sight just as the MC finished the opening remarks.
‘It’s starting.’
She adjusted her posture, planning to take a few test shots of the other groups besides TeSTAR.
[The first stage... Ah, they were the winners of the final stage in the first half. Malang Dalkom!]
As soon as she heard the name of the first performer, she made a prediction.
‘Iter will be next, or the one after.’
The production team likely gave Iter an early slot on purpose. It fit the image of a "challenger" perfectly.
‘And they probably wanted to keep some distance between them and TeSTAR in the lineup.’
For the sake of viewership ratings, TeSTAR would inevitably be last or second to last. It was obvious.
And since performing right before them would lead to a direct comparison, her analysis was that the producers would sandwich at least two or three teams in between.
[The next performers are... Iter!]
‘I knew it.’
After Malang Dalkom finished their stage, she narrowed her eyes as Iter made their entrance.
Waaaaah!
Against the backdrop of the audience's cheers—prompted by the staff—Iter took their positions on stage and adjusted their formation.
After a brief silence, the stage exploded into life with an intense, powerful accompaniment.
[Feel the sunrise!]
The song she had seen in the pre-release video began to unfold, accompanied by heavy sound effects.
It was a perfectly synchronized performance of T-Holic’s third album title track, Gear Up.
It was an intense, brash social critique song that T-Holic had released as a title track only once—a song designed to appeal to teenagers, performed in classic black school uniforms.
[Break free from the pain, once again Gear up
Fill this space with the sound of applause]
The lyrics fit Iter’s current situation perfectly.
Even when considering the stage theme "Who am I," it was a performance that left a lot of interesting food for thought, but...
‘As expected.’
To the eyes of someone who had consistently watched TeSTAR and found detailed enjoyment in their performances, it was immediately apparent.
The gestures and expressions were similar to TeSTAR’s.
“…….”
It was clear they had used them as a reference. The twin fansite master crossed her arms.
‘That agency really doesn't know when to stop.’
People tended to lose their reason when they reached their limit.
And it wasn't like this was the first or second time.
Until now, everyone had held back because they thought it might cause a backlash against TeSTAR. But once this was properly broadcast, backlash or not, there was no telling what the exploded TeSTAR fans would do.
‘...Wait. Is that actually what they want?’
The moment she questioned it, she realized it was the truth.
Wonder Hall had deliberately allowed Iter to reference TeSTAR.
—Because if TeSTAR fans pick a fight, it becomes noise marketing.
As long as Iter performed well, the general public would empathize with them and fight on their behalf.
- Seeing a rookie struggle like that and still hating on them;;
└ TeSTAR fans are being so toxic, no wonder the staff got frustrated and cursed at them lol
└ A perfectly logical suspicion ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
- TeSTAR probably hates you guys more than they hate Iter, you Loviewers.
And right now, Iter was definitely performing well.
It was a desperate performance, as if they were pouring every ounce of their energy into it.
They filled their lack of technique and star quality with sheer practice and a life-or-death momentum.
Against a backdrop of red and yellow lighting effects that looked like a rising sun, Iter held their ending pose with everything they had.
[Feel the sun, rise!]
Waaaaah!
The stage ended amidst thunderous cheers.
The reactions of a few audience members with subtle, complicated expressions were barely visible among those cheering as if deeply moved.
“Ha.”
The office worker looked at Iter on stage with mixed emotions.
With tears welling in their eyes and gasping for breath, they bowed deeply to the audience before heading down.
‘People who love rookies are going to lose their minds over this.’
There were quite a few people who were only moved by that specific type of rising star—the kind filled with spite and desperation.
‘The value... is going to go up.’
Then, the twin fansite master realized that despite everything, she hadn't taken a single photo of Iter.
Normally, she would have taken them since the value was going to rise, and having the data was always better than not.
‘Is this my version of loyalty?’
She suppressed a hollow laugh and watched the remaining stages.
The slight agitation she had felt, which was unlike her, calmed down in the meantime.
And then.
[The next stage is TeSTAR!]
Finally, the reason she had come to this recording arrived.
WAAAAAAAGH!!
The air filled with screams of joy. Amidst the chaos, the fansite master calmly organized her thoughts.
‘During the mid-term evaluation...’
During the mid-term evaluation, TeSTAR had performed a masterpiece by a 2000s band, rearranged in a way that suited K-pop idols—a pleasant and feel-good stage.
It was a performance that transformed a national favorite into something trendy, fitting their identity as idols.
It had a relaxed, skillful charm.
However, seeing as they were barely given any screen time in the pre-release video, it didn't seem like the production team would edit it very favorably...
‘No, actually, that’s fine.’
It was a stage with attributes completely opposite to the desperate performance Iter had just given.
If they stuck with that, there was a high chance the public opinion would shift smoothly to "they both did well" without unnecessary comparisons.
Then, even if TeSTAR fans were angry at Iter, they might hold back one more time after assessing the situation.
This was indeed the wise path.
‘Since there are people in the team who know how to use their heads politically, they wouldn't have rushed to change it just because of the mid-term evaluation.’
She trusted the quick wits and cold judgment of the two members she followed.
[…….]
Meanwhile, a deep darkness settled over the stage.
Then, a light flickered to life.
It wasn't just one; countless lights, like a shimmering field of stars, filled the stage.
And over that, a voice soared upward.
[Wait, because you’ll stand up again
Even if the ground is cold
Your life is So br-ight!]
“…!!”
The smooth dance-pop from the mid-term evaluation was nowhere to be found.
Instead, it was a powerful rock sound—glamorous and sexual, yet maximizing its mainstream appeal.
[Yeeees
Ride the clouds, and
Shoot out into the skyyyy-!]
Glam Metal echoed through the hall.
‘Ah.’
Riding the thumping sound, a perfectly synchronized choreography with terrifying control over pace and intensity surged forward.
Their blonde-toned hair, black rider jackets, and white printed T-shirts stood out exquisitely.
The performers shot toward the front of the stage like beams of light, aggressive and brilliant.
[Pour down like a comet
The pain of last night
Shines upon the asphalt
City of lights]
Perhaps the theme "Who am I" was easier to understand in the version from the mid-term evaluation.
Because that had shown their identity as "Grand Prize-winning K-pop idols."
The statement "TeSTAR is a group that always takes on conceptual challenges, so we thought this was like us" was less direct.
However.
[Twinkle like a star
Your running tears
Shining like the nightscape]
The stage hit much more directly.
The moment she saw Park Moon-dae shaking his hair with his hand raised at the end of a high note, flipping his jacket back...
‘This is insane.’
The office worker knew.
This was a stage they had changed after the mid-term evaluation, specifically to win with everything they had.
Just as the brief thought of 'What on earth are they planning?' flashed through her mind...
‘Wait.’
[Now come to me
Across the sky
Beyond the sea]
TeSTAR was using flamboyant gestures, just as metal bands often do.
And those gestures...
‘They’re doing exactly what Iter just did!’
That was it.
Almost every gesture Iter had used appeared as the parts transitioned.
Raising a hand, resting a chin on a hand, lightly closing eyes before opening them as if realizing something and tilting the head.
Even though these were attitudes that matched this Glam Metal style perfectly...
‘These crazy guys!’
[Now come to me
Forget the tears
Leave the pain behind]
TeSTAR had come out swinging openly, just like they did when they went up against Onyx for the Rookie of the Year award.
And this was a mistake the fansite master thought TeSTAR would never make.
‘If they slip up even a little, it’s over.’
A powerful group trying to win by being conscious of a weaker one could invite animosity.
It was easy for their image to be ruined by comments like "they’re trying to pick a fight with their juniors" or "they’re just greedy."
That was why she thought TeSTAR, who had never made a foolish choice until now, would never choose this path here...
[The world is yours
I want to give it all to you
This must be love]
But they had chosen it.
A thrilling chill that felt like pleasant goosebumps rose from her chest, making her head feel hot.
‘Ah, fck…….’*
The fansite master let out a sigh.
There was something about that momentum—of going all-in like mad without calculating—that strangely made the viewer feel choked up.
With his piercings glinting on stage, a frowning Cha Yu-jin performed with a handheld mic while Park Moon-dae layered in harmonies with desperate intensity from behind.
[Wait, because you’ll stand up again
Even if there are no streetlights
Your life is So br-ight!]
It was a whirlwind of performance and vocals, pouring down like a bombardment to the point of being "too much."
Amidst it all, the office worker barely managed to hold onto her realistic reason.
‘Realistically... speaking.’
For the strategy of inviting a blatant comparison with a junior to work, the expression had to be overwhelmingly superior.
To the point where anyone could feel the originality coming from TeSTAR’s side.
[Yeeees
Ride the clouds, and
Shoot out into the skyyyy-!]
And Lee Se-jin knew that too.
—I’m really sorry, but can we please do this?
He was the one who insisted they pull this off in just three days, the one who pushed to finalize the choreography and distribute the gestures. He had barely slept.
Even then, he hadn't skipped a single thing he needed to do to maintain himself.
He knew.
He wasn't a rookie who had just debuted, and acting like this wasn't exactly the behavior of a wise human being.
You should let go of what you need to let go of and think about what you already have.
‘A person should live while adjusting their tempo.’
Otherwise, they say your balance collapses.
It was a profession that was already prone to being swayed by the public. It meant not being able to live with an ego as an individual, as a person, rather than an idol.
So, people said one needs rest.
‘Forget it.’
He didn't want to live like that.
Succeeding and living like a "human."
If that meant he could no longer grow by stepping over pain...
Then he wanted to continue living desperately, feeling anxious and impatient.
He wanted to break through his limits.
As far as he could go.
[Now come to me
Across the sky
Beyond the sea]
He only wanted to live as an idol.
[Be Quiet (B)]
- Momentum +100%
More.
[Be Quiet (A)]
- Momentum +120%
More.
[Be Quiet (S)]
- Momentum +150%
…More!
[Be Quiet (EX) Activated!]
- Momentum +180%
- While active, limit stats are ignored.
He moved to the center.
[Name: Lee Se-jin]
Vocal: B (B+)
Dance: S- (S)
Appearance: A (A+)
Star Quality: A+ (A+)
Trait: Be Quiet (EX)
This man.
[Star Quality: A+ (A+)]
He wanted to live as an idol.
[Star Quality: S- (A+)]