Chapter 600
Chapter 600
VTIC’s teaser.
The impact of the mere 20-second video swept across the internet like a natural disaster.
People who hurriedly clicked the video after the sudden notification were first met with a familiar melody.
It was Chae-yul’s voice… and his face.
[Every child should go to bed early—]
Languid lyrics flowed from a pale face in a tight close-up.
As Chae-yul turned his gaze, the camera moved as if it had its own eyes, panning across a vast, empty ancient castle.
Whoosh—
A chilling bass, contrasting with the voice, gradually rose from the depths. The perspective, which had been drifting through the castle corridors, began to accelerate.
[If you don’t want it, just leave it---]
The voice deepened, dragging out the pronunciation.
[to me]
Thump.
Giant doors swung open, revealing a vast, ruined hall inside.
Dilapidated wall decorations, frayed tapestries, faded banners. Stone statues kneeling on the floor.
The space was reminiscent of a desolate royal castle.
And then…
An overwhelming, pitch-black, massive arched gate pressed down on the center of the screen, as if it were about to devour all those relics of the past.
Dooo—.
Dark marble pillars, engraved with scenes from Dante’s Inferno, coiled upward from all sides as if alive, anchoring the scene with their weight.
In the center stood a decadent throne.
Atop the seat, where tarnished gold was peeling away…
A well-built man stood with his back turned, one booted foot resting on the throne.
Shin-o.
Woooooo!
The moment the camera caught a close-up of the man turning his head and opening his eyes—
Zip.
The screen zoomed out back to the entire hall as if being sucked away.
Suddenly, the hall was filled with grand, modern stage lighting.
“…!!”
Amidst the blaring of brass instruments, the camera captured dancers in black military uniforms filling the hall.
Thump.
Thump.
Their red flags, filming lights, military caps, and masks of weeping and laughing faces.
As every static cut passed by, the tension reached a fever pitch.
[Look]
The camera was sucked toward the man on the throne, Shin-o, as he beckoned with his hand.
“…!!”
As he stared directly into the camera, the accompaniment shifted into a more modern sound.
The camera circled the throne to the rhythm, and in a series of cuts, Shin-o vanished, replaced by the other VTIC members standing on the throne one by one.
Each wore a different style of formal stage suit.
Shin-o.
Chae-yul.
Ju-dan.
And… Cheong-ryeo.
The accompaniment raced, building up and reaching its peak…
[Look at…….]
Cheong-ryeo stared quietly at the screen.
From behind him, the maw of a giant serpent lunged forward.
[The Serpent]
Haaaaaaaaaaaaak!
The screen was swallowed whole.
All that remained were the subtitles.
[VTIC]
[Serpent]
“…….”
It was overwhelming.
There was no room for disagreement.
It was a sophisticated, provocative teaser of an incredible scale.
Comments from people already trembling with anticipation were multiplying by the thousands in real-time.
But that wasn't all.
There was another point of stimulation.
Nostalgia.
The melody that had been murmured like BGM at the start of the teaser.
It was the pre-chorus of VTIC’s debut song.
Everyone who had liked them back then remembered it. Those lyrics sung by Ju-dan in his clear, teenage vocals.
Good Night Sweety.
VTIC’s debut song, whose music video featured a strange and fantastic story of a boy who stepped under his bed at midnight and fell into a palace.
The small twist at the end—waking up in a hospital, revealing that what the boys saw was the afterlife—had even become a minor hit in reaction content.
The song was affectionately nicknamed Dan-bam (Sweet Night).
Everything from their preppy looks with sweaters to their stage outfits modified from various brand pajamas had been a hot topic.
It was the group’s powerful opening track, maintaining a sense of weight with a slightly mysterious flavor while capturing freshness and boyish charm.
Thus, Good Night Sweety had achieved every effect a boy group debut from a major agency could hope for at the time.
World-building introduction.
Member characterization.
Fandom building.
It was a high-quality masterpiece that clearly appealed to the team’s color and each member’s individual charm.
Naturally, it had been a massive hit among their peers, from teenagers to those in their twenties.
Even for non-fans, anyone who remembered VTIC’s songs from that era couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion at this composition.
People still remembered the relaxed yet intense performance of those handsome boys who had practiced only this song for over half a year, coming out with gritted teeth.
But what about the fans, the TICA?
The story of the boys who once explored the afterlife now becoming its masters.
It was a more than impressive way to announce the prelude to an ambitious restart!
Of course, the moment that paralyzing excitement passed…
Everyone interested, whether fans or the general public, had the same thought.
Wait a minute.
If it’s this timing…
Seon A-hyun’s intro, which had been breathtakingly impressive and artistic.
The moment it had covered related communities and sent expectations skyrocketing was just moments ago.
But then, as if pouring cold water—or conversely, setting a counter-fire—VTIC had slammed down their teaser out of nowhere.
The moment they realized it.
All social media and communities ignited several times over, as if they were about to burst.
Is this reality? What’s going on? People began talking so much that even the trolls were buried under the weight of everyone speculating on the cause of this situation.
But no matter what speculations ran wild, the hearts of the onlookers were as one.
This is fun!
And not long after, the news that would truly drive people wild finally dropped.
[VTIC: “Preparing for May promotions… You won’t be disappointed.”]
[TeSTAR Comeback Schedule Officially Announced. Will they hit the May music scene?]
Official reports were out.
VTIC and TeSTAR.
Both had declared they would proceed with their original schedules.
Thinking about it, it seemed like a rational decision.
An 18-month hiatus. VTIC needed a powerful declaration of their return after military service.
And TeSTAR, who needed to truly explode during this period as they rose to become a global trend six years after their debut.
To anyone’s eyes, this comeback was the optimal timing for both.
But to avoid it now that the teasers were already out?
Since it was obvious they overlapped, the moment one slunk away, their image would likely be ruined.
It would be losing without even fighting.
They couldn't let that happen!
Who on earth would win??
Entertainment communities and every social media platform overflowed with the news. Shorts comparing TeSTAR’s intro and VTIC’s teaser were also trending.
It was a big match!
“…….”
However, at the same time, the fans were…
“I saw the Loviewers’ reactions!”
“…Hmm.”
Cha Yu-jin shook his smartphone and read slowly.
“Ohoooho… ‘Buy the album until you die’? ‘Orbit, go get more fansigns,’ and… ‘Set the discipline’? Mmm, and…”
“…….”
“And?”
The bright voice spoke again.
“‘P-TIC? Those unethical bastards—’”
“Stop.”
That was enough.
I turned off the internet browser on Cha Yu-jin’s smartphone screen.
“Nooo!”
Yes, kid.
‘No need to see more.’
Just look at how they’ve taken over all the real-time trends and WeTube trending videos as if a war had broken out.
“Right now, half of the trending videos on WeTube are about us or VTIC sunbaenims.”
“Sigh….”
We’ve certainly grabbed everyone’s attention.
As they say, watching a fire or a fight is the most fun.
Thanks to that, there seemed to be more people excited by the crowd, but beneath the surface, a hellish battle was likely taking place between the fans.
‘Still, if there’s a positive point… there’s no mockery.’
Interest is being reproduced and growing this much, yet there’s no ridicule toward either group?
It means neither side is seen as falling behind.
‘It means they can’t easily predict who will win.’
And what made this possible was…
“Wait! There was this too! ‘A-hyun’s intro performance is the real deal’?”
“Oh!”
“It’s about A-hyun hyung! Right?”
I couldn't argue with that.
It was true. Seon A-hyun’s intro played a huge role.
‘It wasn't swallowed by the VTIC teaser.’
Usually, the one who releases first is more likely to be buried.
Seon A-hyun’s terrifyingly artistic video appealed to all sorts of demographics. Analysis videos were even being uploaded on channels that had nothing to do with idols.
It was still firmly holding its place in the domestic trending videos, competing for rank with the VTIC teaser.
I chuckled.
‘He was so horrified when I said he’d be doing it solo.’
As expected, he’s the type who delivers when given a task.
“Seriously! I feel so reassured because A-hyun did such a great job.”
“That is correct. A-hyun hyung’s song and choreography made for a wonderful video that harmoniously moved both sight and sound!”
“T-Thank you…!”
Seon A-hyun nodded vigorously while blushing.
He seemed quite pleased with the result himself; his complexion had been great since the release.
To the point where he was meticulously caring for the torso that appeared in the music video, even putting a sweater he knitted on it and keeping it in the practice room.
‘Well, if it makes him feel proud, that’s a good thing.’
Everything was going smoothly as planned.
‘……Until those VTIC bastards dropped their teaser.’
“…….”
I caught my breath.
The plan I had been crafting for six months for the best-case scenario was now just a scrap of paper.
‘We have to rely solely on the content now.’
Now it was a true dogfight, a free-for-all.
It might be different if we could play mind games… but well, there was no reason to contact each other in this situation.
Have you ever seen gladiators chatting in the Colosseum?
‘We’re going in as is.’
I nodded, seeing that the group chat the VTIC members had invited us to on a whim had been silent for over a month.
It would be a loss for me to speak first here.
Words weren't necessary.
‘Let’s have a real fight.’
That was my conclusion.
However, that night.
“…….”
Is he… in his right mind?
I almost rubbed my eyes at the text that had arrived a few hours ago.
Of course, my hands sent back a normal reply.
Yeah. Provocations won't work anymore. Let’s see who takes first place at the music shows.
But another message came immediately.
“…….”
Is he… crazy?
I sent a message that was basically a socially acceptable version of "Go practice."
But this guy didn't know when to quit.
“…….”
Yeah. I’m about to get pissed off because of this Shit, you bastard.
‘What is wrong with this guy?’
After a short pause, another reply came.
Again!
Sigh….
I just didn't reply.
But this guy didn't know when to quit.
“…….”
I finally replied while holding back a sigh.
Look at him.
‘Listen to him talk.’
Certainly, the number of people showing an absurd amount of interest was far greater than during a normal comeback.
‘This is almost at the level of a hit variety show releasing a song.’
And I knew why.
It was just… fun to watch this play out.
Why are audition survivals that become massive public hits so fun?
It’s a situation where success is guaranteed as long as you win.
So, seeing people put everything on the line in a true competition to win and climb up is exciting and thrilling.
A battle where a single evaluation can change a life.
Even more so when it’s between two 1st-tier idol groups.
But still.
‘VTIC is in a much better position to farm achievements based on the schedule, so what is he even saying?’
I wasn't about to be convinced by someone who was in a perfect position to bite my tail and devour me.
Besides.
Cheong-ryeo isn't the type to contact me just to say some nonsense like, "We all did a good thing together, haha."
‘He has a purpose.’
And sure enough.
Yeah. I knew it.
Would I?
But I sent a reply while grinning so wide my teeth showed.
Information is always welcome.
But at that moment.
Instead of replying, Cheong-ryeo invited someone else to the room.
“…?”
And as for who that was.
“…!!”
T-Holic.
The grand sunbaes of the boy group line, a variety-focused group that had kicked their agency to the curb and gone independent.
And LeTi had invested in that company.
Just like our company.
After greeting Cheong-ryeo and me once more, he continued the message nonchalantly.
Ha Jin-tae wrote the next words without hesitation.
“…!!”
“…….”