Chapter 581
Chapter 581
A few minutes later.
“A-hyun, you were awesome today too!”
“Th-thank you...!”
Backstage, Seon A-hyun, who had just finished his solo stage, hurriedly joined the group after a quick costume change. A staff member hovered over him, using wet wipes to quickly clean the red paint stains off his neck.
I nodded inwardly as I watched Keun Se-jin give him a thumbs-up.
‘Seon A-hyun’s stage was certainly impressive.’
It was the final part leading up to the climax of the eerie hotel story.
A choice between two paths: descend into the dark basement or leave the hotel.
‘And the audience chose the former during the first performance...’
They chose the former again this time. It was because that stage during the first performance had been so shockingly memorable.
Seon A-hyun’s ‘RED’ option, where he was drenched in paint.
—I told you, it’s all a monologue
So don’t you listen
Thump.
Amidst the stage equipment designed to look like a complex web of basement pipes, an intense performance unfolded as he moved skillfully between the levels, almost as if he were suspended.
Improving.
It was a slow-tempo B-side track about an inescapable, predestined love. Kim Rae-bin had used a theremin to create a more experimental arrangement, heightening the sense of dissonance.
In line with that, Seon A-hyun’s performance became more destructive and aggressive as the song progressed.
And when elegant choreography, closer to ballet than modern dance, created a jarring sense of unease in between—
“Waaaaaaaah!”
I smirked, thinking of the cheers that had erupted from the audience just moments ago.
‘It must be fun for them.’
There was a reason we had unanimously decided to save Seon A-hyun’s solo for the final slot.
Ryu Cheong-woo, who had been watching their conversation with a satisfied expression, spoke up.
“The segments where the stage changes based on the choices are over now, so it’ll be smoother from here. Let’s stay fully immersed and give it our all.”
“Yes!”
That was right. The voting for choices was over. In the first place, not every stage had a choice attached to it.
‘If we did that, we wouldn’t be able to maintain the quality.’
It would mean doubling the setlist.
Choices were only given for about half of the stages, and since solo songs made up a large portion of those, the burden was minimized.
The same went for me.
...My solo stage, that is.
“……”
I recalled my stage from just a moment ago.
That moment when I poured all my energy and strength into the song, thinking of nothing else.
‘...Phew.’
Just reminiscing about it made me feel overwhelmed.
It felt strange that it had happened only a few minutes ago.
Truly.
“……”
“...Park Moon-dae.”
“Yes?”
When I looked up, Bae Se-jin was wearing a peculiar expression.
I wondered if I looked like I’d lost my mind.
“You... you really sang well. Your solo stage, I mean.”
Fortunately, that wasn’t it.
“...Thank you?”
“Ahem. Well, I’m sure hearing this from me is nothing new to you, but...”
Bae Se-jin seemed like he wanted to offer more words of praise, but he was cut off by someone else whispering loudly enough for everyone to hear.
“Hyung, you don’t even need to say it. The camera already did!”
“...? What do you mean...”
“The way Bae Se-jin-hyung closed his eyes like this while listening to Moon-dae-hyung’s song. The camera caught it. That’s the face of someone who’s deeply moved. Right?”
“……!”
Cha Yu-jin perfectly mimicked the movements of the behind-the-scenes camera director, followed by Bae Se-jin’s solemn, moved expression, and then he winked.
“Everyone will find out soon.”
Bae Se-jin’s face turned as red as a demon’s.
“Hahahaha!”
Led by Keun Se-jin, the members burst into laughter, and the backstage area became rowdy for a moment.
Knowing that Cha Yu-jin had no ill intent and was just joking, Bae Se-jin soon relaxed his expression and let out a sigh.
If this had been a few years ago, I would have been watching them closely in case they started a fight, but I don’t do that anymore.
The atmosphere was good.
‘I guess we’ve all grown used to each other.’
And the fact that everyone had the energy to laugh and talk even while panting from exhaustion was only possible because they were satisfied with this concert.
I was certain that the atmosphere backstage at yesterday’s concert hadn’t been like this.
Even though these guys weren’t even mentioning it.
……I was grateful.
I looked around at them and spoke.
“...They say there are two minutes left on the VCR.”
“Ohhh!”
I nodded to the staff member giving the signal and straightened my posture along with the others.
Above our heads, the narration from the VCR echoed.
It was Ryu Cheong-woo’s voice.
[Look back.]
On the VCR right now, Ryu Cheong-woo would be appearing in pitch-black darkness, holding out a ticket.
It was the same whether the audience had chosen to go to the basement or leave the hotel during Seon A-hyun’s stage earlier.
[Hurry.]
And the video ends with the camera slowly turning around.
Rumble—
And so, we were to emerge from the darkness.
Stages that were focused on and poured into completely, without any choices.
As the climax of this concert.
Hiss.
The stage equipment in front of us opened. Dry ice leaked through the gaps, and a wave of light from the lightsticks spread out before my eyes.
It wasn’t my first time, but my heart fluttered.
‘I have to show them the best.’
I truly wanted to.
Matching the click track in my in-ear, I dashed out to the front of the stage.
The space revealed as the hotel lobby set opened was... a circus tent.
[Welcome to the HUNTHOUSE!]
And true to the circus theme, a flashy stage began, hitting them relentlessly without a moment’s rest.
Cha Yu-jin smirked and raised his hand in the center of the formation.
“You, have my dice!”
“Waaaaaaaah!!”
From Dice to Haengcha.
It was a sequence where three or four recent hits and previous title tracks were performed back-to-back.
The most exciting segment!
Both the performers and the audience were swept up in the relentless pace, heating up the venue.
“Woooo—”
I belted out the climax part into my handheld mic. I let it out as much as I wanted, and the ultra-high notes exploded without a hitch, hitting exactly the right spot.
My throat was in surprisingly good condition. It was to the point where I could see Kim Rae-bin’s expression shift slightly when our eyes met during the choreography.
‘What is it?’
No, there was no need to question it. I should just use it to my heart’s content.
I used my voice as much as I wanted until the final song, Haengcha.
There were no limits on my throat.
“Aaaaaaaah!!”
The moment the last song ended, an immense wave of applause and cheers poured in.
All the way to the back of the audience.
My ears and eyes were filled with the reaction to the stage.
“Huff, huff.”
Even though I was panting, it wasn’t painful.
I matched the formation with the other guys and ran back from the protruding stage.
To the same position as the electronic screen.
[THANK YOU]
The moment we held hands and bowed, the screen flashed.
The stage equipment descended like a tent closing, and we disappeared behind the stage.
Silence.
“……”
“...Huff, huff.”
After a brief silence.
“Great job, everyone!”
“The costumes are ready!”
Backstage became noisy again.
However, I stood still, recalling the sight of the audience I had just seen.
That heat and reaction.
‘I satisfied them.’
That was one thing I could guarantee.
I had shown a flawless performance in today’s concert.
“……”
Even as I put down the handheld mic, I continued to stare at it intently.
It was thrilling, but I couldn’t let myself be overwhelmed.
Because it wasn’t over yet.
“Waaaaah!”
Keun-dal clenched both her hands.
‘That was incredible!’
The sheer density of the 15-minute medley-like performance just now was enough to steal one’s soul.
Moreover, they didn’t leave any room for lingering.
The moment the song ended, TeSTAR cleanly disappeared from the stage.
The equipment closed again like a circus tent snapping shut, and the stage went completely dark. As if to say it was all over.
And conversely, the lights in the audience seating came on. As if telling them to get up because the show was over.
But no one got up from their seats, and no one felt disappointed.
The same went for those watching via VR.
Because.
‘Encore!’
It was a tacit agreement. Keun-dal moved her hands excitedly. The light from her lightstick swayed.
For reference, while waiting for this encore, they usually sang fan songs or songs that held great implicit meaning between the singer and the fans.
Or sometimes they held events.
But.
‘Yesterday... they probably couldn’t do it properly.’
Due to Park Moon-dae’s sudden absence, the event had fizzled out.
‘I heard they were originally supposed to sing the first verse of the latest fan song, "Improving," together a cappella.’
And since the situation had been resolved so suddenly today, it seemed they hadn’t planned any special events, perhaps out of caution.
There were only sporadic shouts for an encore, applause, and chants of the members’ names.
‘...I’m sorry.’
She felt like it was because of her.
“……”
With a slightly heavy heart, Keun-dal waited quietly, listening to the sounds echoing through the audience.
And when several minutes had passed.
Thump.
An old hotel lobby appeared on the VCR.
“Waaaaaaaaah!!”
The lightsticks in the audience were remotely controlled again, filling the space with vivid colors.
Yellow, pink, blue.
They were TeSTAR’s group colors.
And then.
[Wait, you’re here again?]
Lee Se-jin’s playful voice echoed from the VCR.
[What should we do? Our circus doesn’t have anything else prepared...]
“Boooooo!”
Playful jeers and bursts of laughter covered the audience.
Then, right on cue, a bright, laughter-filled voice came from the VCR.
[Ah, well, the circus is over, but... shall we watch something fun together instead?]
“Yes!”
[Great!]
[We’ll get ready now... Presto!]
The VCR screen spun rapidly.
As if watching the hotel’s history in fast-forward, time flowed until only the skeleton of the old hotel remained.
And then, broad daylight arrived.
[It took a little time, but we’re ready!]
It was the moment the building that used to be a hotel was revealed in its skeletal form under the blue sky.
[We’re coming now!]
The lights returned to the stage.
“...!”
The stage was revealed once more.
The flashy background set that had realized the hotel was gone. Only the bone-like structures, like stage scaffolding, remained.
“Whoa!”
And soon, the members popped up from the center, not the set.
“Waaaaaaaah!”
Amidst the powerful accompaniment, the members boldly ran out to the protruding stage, took their positions, and began the choreography.
A melody familiar to everyone.
An easy-listening song that had topped the music charts, and at the same time, a song that had brought agonizing concerns to TeSTAR.
Their very last promotional track and fan song.
Improving.
[The heavy yesterday
Felt like it would never end
The perfect today
Never did arrive]
Ryu Cheong-woo sang with a smile.
The members moved as they formed their positions.
[That’s right
Even without perfection, now
The end of yesterday, the beginning of today]
The resonant live vocals echoed through the speakers.
As if it were a lie that they had been performing to the point of exhaustion just moments ago, the members ran around the protruding stage, using the space widely and smiling.
The original song, without a single change to the arrangement, rang pleasantly in people’s ears even more than the digital track, thanks to the live performance.
And the fansite master sitting right in front of the protruding stage realized it.
“Ah...!!”
The choreography had changed.
No, the movements hadn’t changed.
But the formation had.
[I turn the page
Moving to the next chapter
The guide shines
Pain becomes the compass]
In Bae Se-jin’s part, which was originally supposed to be supported by dancers on both sides, Lee Se-jin and Cha Yu-jin were standing in those spots.
And when they turned during Seon A-hyun’s next part, Ryu Cheong-woo took over that turn instead of a dancer to match the formation.
‘There are no dancers...’
That was it.
Every segment where dancers had been used to fill out the stage had been changed to include only TeSTAR.
The stage was completely filled by TeSTAR alone.
As if this was how they had wanted to do it all along.
Instead of saying that the previous promotions were a hastily added fan service and not formally planned, they chose to show it directly.
What a formal promotion looks like.
That stage.
[Let me tempt fate
Beyond the milestones and crossroads
Struggling
I move forward just one more inch]
The choreography meshed seamlessly, and the chorus soared refreshingly.
“……”
Keun-dal realized that a sing-along was happening all around her.
As if they were now singing the fan song they couldn’t sing earlier, together and more happily, those around her let go of their emotions with moved hearts and relief.
She clenched her fists.
And that connected to a sense of euphoria.
[Until the end of today,
Beyond the limits!]
The moment Cha Yu-jin’s final chorus ended, Park Moon-dae’s high note rang through the ceiling.
As if pouring everything out.
[Running out of breath
With the city under my feet
Reaching my hands further toward the sky]
The choreography snapped into place perfectly as the formation expanded explosively before settling into a powerful stance.
[Even if I can’t reach the stars
I want to live today]
Panting for breath, Park Moon-dae smiled instead of crying.
[Don’t sleep
Just—dream!]
Amidst the exploding fireworks and cheers.
TeSTAR’s concert thus came to a successful end.
No one yet knew what kind of repercussions this concert would bring.