Chapter 567
Chapter 567
The music video unfolded seamlessly, as if shot in a single take, drawing the viewer in completely.
It followed a simple storyline: Ryu Cheong-woo of Haengcha steps out of a tent to survey a base camp in a newly discovered land, and the camera follows him excitedly, introducing the various camp members along the way.
A camp of adventurers exploring a new world!
‘Indiana J...?’
The outfits and props, reminiscent of a classic adventure film, set the mood perfectly.
—My grandfather used to show them to me all the time when I was little! If commercial success isn't the priority, there are elements I’d love to try using at least once.
This had been Kim Rae-bin’s wish.
He had cataloged all sorts of classic adventure genre tropes: gas lamps, old maps, pocket watches, fountain pens, and more.
Thanks to that, elements of classic adventure were incorporated into their outfits at an exquisite, non-excessive level.
The camera caught the members one after another, dressed in well-worn leather boots, linen shirts, bomber jackets, and metal insignias.
Park Moon-dae, sitting idly with binoculars before giving a slight smile to the camera; Kim Rae-bin, drawing a map with a fountain pen only to crumple it up and toss it away; Ryu Cheong-woo, inspecting a firearm...
And even Seon A-hyun, playing the role of a pigeon keeper with a white bird perched on his hand.
—How about a bright, cheerful atmosphere...?
Just as Seon A-hyun had hoped, the video was set against the backdrop of a beautiful, clear day.
On screen, it overflowed with vitality, hope, ambition, and a fresh sense of adventure.
As the song progressed, the members became even more dynamic.
Take the chorus, for example.
Bae Se-jin, who had been sitting on a tree stump peering at a journal through vintage glasses, slowly walked forward and naturally joined the dancers to perform the choreography in time with the music.
[I turn the page
Moving to the next chapter
The guide shines bright
Pain becomes my compass]
However, the elements he had contributed were delivered through the ears rather than the eyes.
Specifically, these lyrics.
—I want the lyrics to feel like we’re moving toward the future, but not overly optimistic—something that feels realistic...
—So, instead of just saying life is wonderful, I want it to feel like, "It’s hard, but I’m going to keep going." ...I’ll try writing it like that.
Because of this, the song looked back deeply at the past while still speaking of hope.
But it also acknowledged the pain.
[Let me tempt fate
Beyond the milestones and crossroads
Struggling through
Moving just one inch further]
As a result, a certain sense of sturdiness permeated the overall sentiment.
[Toward the limit]
As the pages of the journal Bae Se-jin tossed into the sky fluttered down, the camera raced forward again, passing between hands held out as if for a high-five.
Then the field of vision widened, and nature—wilderness, mountains, fields, forests, and a blue sky with drifting clouds—began to appear as the background.
Within the narrow aspect ratio, the members performed their parts to the fullest.
Perched on a giant rock, or emerging from between colorful hammocks strung between trees...
"Huh?"
A fansite master frowned, feeling a strange sense of déjà vu. She soon realized why.
It was because the members appeared in compositions that homaged their own famous stages or close-up shots.
“…….”
Come to think of it, the lyrics were about looking back at the past.
‘They did this on purpose.’
The fansite master felt a lump in her throat for some reason.
Then came the chorus again.
This time, the camera captured a tent filled with an array of flashy items.
A tall silhouette sat loosely among them.
[I turn the page
Moving to the next chapter
The goal shines bright
Pain becomes the proof]
He casually set down a golden artifact-like object he was holding and smoothly stepped out of the tent.
It was Lee Se-jin.
—Well, there are so many good ideas already. It’s not that I have something specific I want to include... but rather, let’s not just settle for "good enough" and aim to make the final result truly spectacular!
True to his word, the most flamboyant movement yet unfolded, involving a large number of people to catch the eye.
[Let me tempt fate
Beyond the milestones and crossroads
Struggling through
Moving just one inch further]
As the climax of the choreography passed, Lee Se-jin gave a playful, polite bow amidst a shower of confetti.
Following that gesture, the camera moved again as if to naturally show the next member’s part, but...
There was no one where it pointed.
“...?”
What it zoomed in on was someone’s citizenship certificate.
Just as the smiley face and the boldly scribbled phrase "MAKE IT HAPPEN!" became visible.
Suddenly, for the first time, the video cut.
And as the accompaniment faded, a voice rang out clearly once more.
[Let me tempt fate
Yes,
Beyond the milestones and crossroads
Until the end of today]
The video returned.
At the edge of a vast field, Cha Yu-jin himself stood facing the wind.
Along with a horse.
He took hold of the reins.
[Beyond the limit]
At that moment, the screen opened up.
The field of vision expanded from a 4:3 retro ratio to a 21:9 widescreen, providing a sense of liberation as if one could finally breathe.
“Ah...”
And as the colors and resolution both became vivid and sharp.
[I can't stop, toward tomorrow]
Cha Yu-jin, mounted on the horse, sprinted across the meadow as if charging out of the screen.
His request had been simple and clear.
—I want to ride a horse!
Thanks to that, he shot forward like something out of the old West, his breathing audible amidst an intense silence.
Then, the drums returned like a storm.
[Yeaaaaaaahhhhhhh!]
Against the backdrop of a stomping accompaniment, the perspective shifted to the sky for a moment.
A bird's-eye view looking down at the galloping horses.
Then, as if being sucked back in, the camera zoomed in on the rider.
It was Cha Yu-jin, grinning with his teeth bared.
[Running breathlessly
Leaving the city beneath my feet
Reaching higher toward the sky]
Over the classic band accompaniment, Park Moon-dae’s high notes rang out refreshingly, as if racing along.
[(Over and over)
Even if I can't reach the stars
I want to live for today]
[Woo—]
As the chorus rang out, the horse kicked up dust, galloping powerfully across the earth.
Then, the moment Cha Yu-jin pulled the reins, it came to a halt.
In his line of sight, the sun was setting.
A vast, sunset-lit sky.
[Don't sleep
Just—dream]
With a thrilling final note held for a long breath, Cha Yu-jin dismounted and tossed his hat to the side.
The moment the hat lightly disappeared past the screen, Cha Yu-jin looked back at the camera and smirked.
As he turned his head back and walked away, the ending credits appeared behind his back.
[Production / TeSTAR
Directors / Lee Se-jin, Kim Rae-bin
Cinematography / Park Moon-dae, Ryu Cheong-woo
Lighting / Ryu Cheong-woo, Lee Se-jin, Seon A-hyun
Script / Bae Se-jin, Seon A-hyun
Costumes / Kim Rae-bin
Music / TeSTAR
…….]
White sentences, entirely covered with the names of TeSTAR.
The sight of them scrolling up over the sunset landscape somehow tugged at the heartstrings.
‘Ah...’
In the distance, Cha Yu-jin was seen in a small shot meeting six black silhouettes backlit by the sunset.
The sight of them high-fiving or putting their arms around each other’s shoulders flowed across the screen without interruption.
Until the ending credits finished scrolling, leaving only this phrase.
—Loviewer
“…….”
That phrase occupied the entire screen alone until everything disappeared, right until the very end of the video...
And so, the fansite master realized instinctively.
‘It was a fan song.’
This wasn't a collaboration, an advertisement, or a bridge video for their lore.
It was definitely a new fan song!
“Everyone thinks it’s a fan song.”
“I know. It’s become the established theory.”
“…….”
“…….”
“Should we just go with it being a fan song?”
“Yep.”
The motion passed without any opposition.
And the monitoring continued.
-Guys, an article called it "Epic"
"A story of looking back on their footsteps since debut amidst various emotions and vowing to move forward again"... apparently...
└Holy shit, that's so cool.
-Crazy, I think they filmed the music video themselves too. Why are the members' names in the filming and editing? (Ending credit screenshot)
-The director who consulted for the MV shoot showed up on social media. It’s the person who filmed the Roll the Die game! TTTT
Fans were excitedly posting their thoughts or looking for behind-the-scenes details, but things like this also appeared quite frequently.
-Listening to this right as the New Year starts is so damn overwhelming. I recommended it to a Muggle friend, but they already knew it(?) What's going on?
└Muggles know when something is good too lol.
-TeSTAR’s new song is perfect for the New Year. I’m using it as a labor song to exorcise my "three-day resolution" habit.
-Are they really not promoting? The reaction is so good.
“…….”
Bae Se-jin spoke with an expression that looked like he was about to break into a cold sweat.
“Why... is this doing so well?”
It was true.
The reaction from fans had been quite good from the start of the release.
Since there were many reactions like "The song is so good, it's a shame they aren't promoting it," they had even envisioned a scenario where they would pull this out at the climax of a concert.
‘And it’s not like calling it a fan song is technically wrong.’
Until then, everyone was just happy.
-Our TeSTAR is saying they’ll cherish the time we’ve spent together and run hard in the New Year too!
-(Just pass by, I’m an over-invested otaku)
-It felt like an epilogue to a grand finale...
However, this story, which had been distorted in a positive way, started going viral on Inheart and other social media...
[How many of these scenes do you recognize? (Comparison of TeSTAR’s legend cuts and music video cuts)]
It had come... this far.
“They say it’s predicted to hit #1 on the music sites in the next hour.”
“……??”
-Wow, congrats to TeSTAR on the predicted #1!
A daily #1 on the music charts, which is hard to achieve even when gritting your teeth and releasing a full-scale album, was right before their eyes.
“Really?”
“Really.”
[The boy group song that seems to have been chosen for New Year's resolutions]
‘Is this for real?’
Without even trying, luck and timing had aligned perfectly, and they had hit the music chart jackpot.
The funny thing was that this was a digital single with no physical album.
Even the low-budget video they self-produced and released in just two weeks... had to turn out like this?
“...Should we have saved it as the title track for a regular album and prepared more?”
“What about the title track we already have?”
“We could have just made it a double title.”
I see.
But it was already in the past. The song was already out.
They should just be satisfied and happy about hitting an unexpected, accidental jackpot...
“Oh, as expected~ It doesn't seem like a coincidence, does it? I think people recognized it because all the members of our group have such good sense. Right?”
“Uh-huh...!”
“…….”
“Of course, the timing was good too! But since we don't know when timing like this will come again, let's work even harder in the future~!”
“Yes, I will take that to heart!”
“…….”
He’s using this as doping.
Watching Keun Se-jin efficiently use the achievement to boost the team's morale, I nodded, thinking he was the same as ever.
For the record, Ryu Cheong-woo was looking at his smartphone next to us.
“I got a call from the company, and it seems like there are a lot of appearance requests coming in from broadcasts. They’re asking if we’d like to go on the good ones.”
“Wow...”
Actually, it made sense.
‘Releasing a fan song without promotion and it going viral naturally to hit #1’? For starters, the story was great.
It would have had more impact if they were unknown singers, but being a top-tier idol group probably helped draw more attention.
‘I’d call them too.’
I toyed with the back of my neck.
It had been quite a while since a song itself became a hot topic with the general public, rather than relying on the group's name value and the recognition supported by fans.
It was certainly a situation to be excited and happy about, but...
“But this is all we have.”
“That’s... true.”
This was it.
There was no... other content.
‘We crammed it together in two weeks, what do you expect?’
We hadn't even made a choreography. It was all freestyle we did on the spot.
But in this situation where everyone naturally expected there to be additional content.
Even people who firmly believed there was a big picture.
-This is definitely a build-up. Look, Scheming-dae’s tastes are very clear lol.
└Agreed lol.
‘There isn't one.’
However, in this team... there was no one who could ignore an opportunity that had rolled their way.
“…….”
“…….”
“Should we... do something?”
Overtime confirmed.
It was the moment Kim Rae-bin’s energy drinks became a group-distributed item.