Chapter 614
Chapter 614
The expression "surging forward" fit VTIC perfectly.
It was aggressive.
Park Moon-dae recalled the most striking cut from their music video.
They were still clad in the same imposing black uniforms from the teaser, fitting their bodies like a second skin.
He had expected them to carry over the melody from their debut song to complete a thrilling narrative arc—one that claimed the throne of the afterlife.
However, there was one unexpected detail.
A worn-out aesthetic.
[...]
A dark hall. As a silhouette walked through the dust and into the edge of the spotlight, it became clear that their outfits and accessories no longer gleamed.
Frayed leather and rusted jewelry covered in countless scratches created an atmosphere that was desolate yet noble.
And in contrast to the background and the costumes...
A blazing dance climax.
[Now I’m calling you
An uncontrollably spreading maze
Into its depths]
The drone camera dynamically captured the idols as they stretched their limbs, using dancers in grey uniforms—faces completely covered—as a crowd, as objects, and as pedestals.
Every time the angle dipped to the floor and soared back up, or zoomed out into the sky before snapping into a sharp close-up, their outfits shifted through clever editing.
The filming lights and equipment, intentionally left exposed as if raw, deepened their identity.
The identity of a performer.
[Reach out, getting closer
Umm]
An intense flight amidst the silence.
[You'd better hold your breath]
VTIC made excellent use of negative space.
Set against the backdrop of a fallen yet still grand and overwhelming palace, they opted for choreography with prominent dynamics, intentionally slowing the tempo during the dance break.
Naturally, it was a high-difficulty routine that required several times more power and technique than simply dancing to a fast beat.
But the intended effect was worth several times the effort.
[Bitten and dragged away]
Impact.
An image of holding one's breath, waiting, and then seizing control.
It also fit their current narrative exquisitely.
VTIC was at the point in their career where it would have been easy for their domestic results to fall short of their reputation.
People love an underdog story.
And now, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, VTIC had intentionally adopted the image of a challenger taking on the current trend, TeSTAR, rather than leaning on their past glory.
They had flipped the traditional roles.
‘Talk about co-opting the underdog narrative.’
Park Moon-dae snorted, but he didn't let it rattle him, knowing it was all just a battle of images anyway.
He simply guessed his opponent's state of mind.
‘...He’ll be satisfied that everything is going according to plan.’
No, he might not even be "satisfied"—he probably took it for granted.
Park Moon-dae didn't underestimate his rival's intellect and accepted the situation coldly.
Just like that, VTIC’s new song, the MV for <STIGMA>, firmly planted itself at #1 on the real-time trending videos.
No matter how entertaining TeSTAR’s self-produced content was, a five-minute comeback title track was much less of a burden to click on than a forty-minute idol variety show.
‘In terms of absolute numbers, TeSTAR probably still won the first-day domestic views.’
However, what was immediately visible was the real-time ranking, where VTIC sat above TeSTAR.
While articles like "VTIC Crushes TeSTAR? The Dignity of the K-POP Throne" poured out, and TeSTAR fans put up a sensible defense saying, "It's only because they're the ones who just released," the members were calm.
"I'll just give a short briefing."
TeSTAR, who had been banned from monitoring articles during the early stages of this promotion, remained unfazed.
They already knew what the reaction would be.
And they knew the next development as well.
"VTIC will take first place on music shows next week."
The members, sprawled out on chairs and sofas gasping for breath, nodded silently at Moon-dae’s calm words.
However, a question arose at his next statement.
"In terms of album sales... we'll definitely lose in the first week."
"I have a question. Why are you so sure?"
"Because their fans haven't bought an album in over a year."
It meant they would have both the willingness and the financial leeway to spend more on this album.
"Oh..."
Of course, that wasn't the end.
Park Moon-dae declared calmly.
"But we will reclaim the digital charts soon."
"...!"
Keun Se-jin, who was lying next to him, smirked and turned his body, muttering nonchalantly.
"Mmm~ The seniors' song is quite heavy. Intense."
Exactly.
VTIC’s song was high quality, sufficiently addictive, and incredibly grand and intense.
But that was also its biggest drawback.
"Being heavy isn't necessarily an advantage for digital streaming."
"Right?"
A "heavy" boy group song.
No matter how top-tier they were or how well they did overseas, many people in Korea tended to "skip" such songs.
They found them tiring to listen to and couldn't feel the appeal.
‘It’s too much and hurts the ears to listen to frequently on the way to work or school.’
No matter how well Cheong-ryeo used his head, he couldn't remodel the tastes of the general public in such a short time.
Therefore, digital longevity was their weakness.
‘That’s where the balance is struck.’
They could have kept this rivalry neck-and-neck, but...
"The problem is the Billboard Hot 100."
"Mhm."
Even if they compared the first weeks, TeSTAR was objectively likely to lose in terms of immediate overseas performance.
"It's fine. We avoided a Friday release specifically because we took that into account."
They just had to keep delaying VTIC’s declaration of a decision victory.
"Don't get shaken, and let's just keep doing what we planned."
"Got it."
"...Of course."
Following Bae Se-jin’s serious voice, Keun Se-jin added casually.
"Still, all sorts of things happen in this world, so let's all stay sharp~"
"We should."
"I will give my all to these promotions!"
"Yeah!"
TeSTAR reaffirmed their resolve to focus on their busy schedule.
It was exactly the effect Moon-dae had wanted from the briefing, but he still had one lingering concern.
"......"
So, he tried again.
"Cheong-woo Hyung."
In the small nap room attached to the waiting room.
Ryu Cheong-woo found himself alone with him once more.
Ryu Cheong-woo didn't ignore me. He lightly turned his head to look at me.
But he had been like this since morning.
If I brought up work-related issues or casual conversation, he would respond kindly.
The problem was that he shut his mouth the moment his arm was mentioned.
Like this.
"Your arm... never mind."
"......"
The funny thing was that he didn't avoid me anymore. Perhaps he felt bad for running away last night, so he just sat there silently and listened.
Though his lack of reaction was the same.
I eventually suppressed a sigh.
"I don't know either. What you're thinking, or why you're keeping your mouth shut."
To be honest, I originally thought Ryu Cheong-woo was an easy type to understand.
It was obvious just by looking at him.
He didn't have unnecessary idle thoughts, he was healthy, and even if he hit rock bottom, he knew how to pull himself back up in a healthy way... He was a guy with great resilience.
People would say he was unblemished, showing signs of being raised with plenty of love.
‘At the very least, I thought he had zero avoidant tendencies.’
A guy like this is calm in the face of a problem.
Because if it's a problem that can't be solved, he doesn't bother worrying about it, and if it's a problem that can be solved, he takes action immediately.
He might get pissed off or angry, but he doesn't run away.
‘I thought he was that kind of guy.’
...No, actually, I still think so. I've received a lot of help because Ryu Cheong-woo is that kind of person.
— Moon-dae. You can... feel comfortable talking about things like this.
— It's okay for a person to get angry and blame others when faced with fear and pain.
That's why this situation was even more incomprehensible.
I could understand him not wanting to share his problems. But if that were the case, he was the type of guy who would at least add something like, "I'll handle it myself. Don't worry."
A Ryu Cheong-woo who was just blindly silent. It couldn't be more awkward or strange.
I looked at him.
"......"
At the very least, if I considered the possibilities.
"If you don't want to tell me, fine. But I'm asking if you shouldn't get help from someone else, even if it's not me."
I hesitated for a moment before adding.
Wouldn't it be different if it were family?
"...I think it would be okay to discuss it with your parents. What do you think?"
Another long silence followed.
I felt my mood sink, unsure if I was anxious or just pissed off.
‘Damn it.’
I stood still, suppressing the urge to frown.
And Ryu Cheong-woo...
"Okay."
He answered.
"Okay..."
But that was it.
In his voice as he answered, there seemed to be a thick layer of fatigue.
Not just in his voice, but in his posture and his whole body, a sense of weary exhaustion seemed to be dripping off him.
"......"
I was speechless.
Ryu Cheong-woo stayed like that for a moment, then without any warning, he picked up a book lying next to him and started reading.
Flip.
The sound of pages turning echoed a few times.
That was the end of it.
After the conversation.
‘What the hell am I supposed to do?’
I lowered my head to make it easier for the stylist to work, but my mind was a mess.
"Just a moment~"
"Yes."
I felt like I was going to go crazy from the frustration.
I never thought I was particularly talented at comforting others, but this was the first time I felt so completely clueless about what someone was thinking.
‘Should I just force him to go to the hospital... No, would that actually tank morale?’
He was doing his job well enough. Was the right answer to just trust him and wait?
Damn it, I couldn't tell what was a landmine and what wasn't.
"All done!"
"Thank you."
It was just as I finished my final hair touch-up while brooding.
"Moon-dae, Moon-dae~ Over here for a sec!"
"......"
When I turned my head, Keun Se-jin, who had finished his styling first, smirked and tried to put his arm around my shoulder.
You'll wrinkle the clothes.
"What is it?"
"Hey, come here."
As I followed him, Bae Se-jin was sitting on the sofa.
"...?"
What was with this combination?
"Moon-dae, Moon-dae, apple juice?"
"No..."
"No ice? We're going on stage soon~"
As I looked at him with an absurd expression while he poured freshly squeezed apple juice into a tumbler like he was some kind of bartender, he urged me to take a sip.
Good grief.
I took a sip out of sheer disbelief, and only then did Bae Se-jin speak up first.
"I'm asking just in case."
"......"
"Did you... have a fight with Ryu Cheong-woo?"
Ah.
"I mean, no. It's just that when you were talking to him earlier... his reaction seemed a bit strange."
That... would be noticeable. Since this morning, Ryu Cheong-woo had started ignoring my words.
Someone as sensitive as Bae Se-jin or as quick-witted as Keun Se-jin was bound to notice.
‘They do have this in common.’
Maybe that's why they fought like cats and dogs in the beginning, because they both noticed each other's mutual dislike.
"And you seemed a bit frozen after seeing his reaction."
"I did?"
"Ah, Moon-dae was a bit like that too, right? Should I say he looked... wronged?"
"...! Yes, that's the feeling!"
"......"
But since their opinions matched, the nonsense had doubled.
Anyway, the question itself had suddenly pierced the core of the issue.
‘What happened with Ryu Cheong-woo?’
I put down the apple juice.
"......"
"Ahem, so... we were wondering if something happened."
Should I tell them?
That Ryu Cheong-woo doesn't seem to be using his left arm.
That he might be injured, but he doesn't complain of pain in daily life and there are no visible external injuries...
‘Normally, sharing this quickly would be the right answer.’
The problem was that Ryu Cheong-woo actually didn't have any symptoms.
In a situation where he was uncomfortable even when asked directly, wouldn't blabbing speculative remarks to the others just be asking for trouble?
A situation where everyone is talking about his problem when he hasn't even mentioned it himself? I didn't think that would help a guy who was already acting strange.
‘Would it be better as a precaution to just report it directly to the company?’
Having reached a conclusion, I opened my mouth.
"It's not that we fought, but I asked Hyung about some personal matters."
"Personal matters?"
"......Mhm. But I'm not sure myself. I'm going to wait and see a bit longer."
"Ah."
Realizing it was a more private matter, the two didn't ask further.
Still, this should be enough for them to notice if they observe Ryu Cheong-woo for a bit.
‘Let's lay the groundwork.’
It would be better if the members all noticed naturally like this.
That was the conclusion I reached.
"Let's get up and get ready."
"Mhm. We should."
We all stood up from the sofa together.
The first stage recording after the comeback week of <Bad feelings>.
It was a pre-recording showing only the title track, stripping away sub-tracks and B-sides.
"VTIC isn't coming here, right?"
"Yeah. I heard they signed a contract to do their first reveal on an American talk show."
"Okay."
We passed the company staff who were sharing short bits of gossip and headed toward the stage.
It would have looked no different from any other music show.
Except for one thing.
Don't be surprised.
"It's been a while, Tnet~"
This was MusicBOMB, the music program of Tnet, T1’s broadcasting station.
The place that had a very close relationship with TeSTAR, starting from the first reveal stage of <Idol Inc.> to TeSTAR’s comeback show.
Of course, that relationship had been shattered when we went independent as Orbit Ent.
"I didn't think they'd ever call us back."
"I know, right?"
But isn't the most important thing in a capitalist world the person who makes money?
"...Our comeback became such a hot topic that they couldn't afford to miss out?"
"Probably."
If VTIC had appeared, things might have been different, but those guys cut ties with cable music shows the moment they hit it big.
Tnet’s greed to catch at least one viable contender in this comeback battle eventually led to TeSTAR’s appearance.
"I'm feeling sentimental."
After feeling a sudden wave of emotion in front of the stage, we soon rushed up.
I could see the waving sea of lights ahead.
— Waaaaaaaah!!
"Hello~!"
"You guys couldn't even sleep, right! Ugh, I'm so sorry and so thankful. Really."
Whether we were up against VTIC, whatever the results were, or whatever the hell the situation was.
You don't say useless crap to fans. Kind words, greetings, jokes, and pleasant Q&A sessions were exchanged.
‘Save the venting for a counselor.’
"Ooh~ The checkered suit looks great today!"
"I think this is the first time we've worn such a bright color during this promotion!"
"Right. Rae-bin's fans are going to love it."
Cheers, laughter, and applause erupted.
"Then, let's go!"
It was fun.
— Bad feelings!
Cheers.
The new fanchant.
And the choreography and song that stretched out, the voices echoing through the microphones and speakers.
Everything was enjoyable.
"One more time? OK!"
— Waaaaaaah!
Four pre-recordings. It was actually a good time to stop, but thanks to the momentum, we treated the last one like fan service.
In front of the camera director who was winking, the members, led by Cha Yu-jin, gave greetings and finger hearts before taking their positions.
‘My stamina is fine.’
I cleared my throat. Looking to the side, Cha Yu-jin was in the center, looking excited as if he were about to burst into flames.
‘I can't let myself be pushed back.’
I smirked and looked forward again.
And as befitting the final cut, a stage that poured out all remaining stamina and energy exploded.
— These bad feelings!
Don't you escape either
Think of me every morning
The chorus after Cha Yu-jin. While brushing back my hair, the member next to me pushed me toward the center as if throwing me.
And the high note.
— These bad feelings!
Take them with you too
Take them out every day like I do
The sound vibrated thrillingly from my stomach to my head. I couldn't hear the cheers because of my in-ears. But I knew they were definitely there in front of me.
Adrenaline surged.
And as I threw my body to move the formation to the side, the next member appearing in the center...
—
"......"
I couldn't hear anything.
I immediately turned my head while performing the choreography.
The person who was supposed to produce a clean, low voice to match the rhythmical bass and guitar modulation...
Was just standing still in the middle.
—
"Hyung?"
"No."
Ryu Cheong-woo looked like he was trying to say something, but then he looked down at his hand again and muttered.
"No..."
"......"
In an instant, silence fell over the stage.
While only the MR flowed cheerfully, the members who noticed the situation stopped their choreography one by one.
"Just a moment!"
"We'll take a break and go again."
But it didn't resume.
The pre-recording ended right there.