Chapter 622
Chapter 622
How does it feel to secure a spot on the main stage of a prestigious global music festival, only to have your rival show up at the same event?
And as a headliner, no less.
"Haha..."
"Sigh."
Naturally, it felt like absolute bullshit.
When the media reports on it, if one group is the headliner, they’re obviously going to hog all the spotlight. It felt like a blatant attempt to show off the gap in our status abroad.
I was sick to death of hearing that.
Sure, we were getting a better reaction here right now, but seeing them ranked higher just because of the global stats they’d built up over the years was getting old. Even with the albums... if you only looked at domestic sales, we’d clearly sold more. But looking at the total volume, it made us look like we were lagging behind.
"..."
This time, it was actually a bit draining.
I silently chewed over the news from the company. A heavy silence settled over the living room.
Then, a question suddenly occurred to me.
VTIC as a Glastonbury headliner.
And we were on the main stage...
Fine, let’s say VTIC has more global appeal than us. Even so.
Are these guys even at the level to be headliners?
I wasn't dismissing everything VTIC had built up. In that part of the world, whether it’s the military or whatever, releasing an album every one or two years is common, so their hiatus would have just been treated as a standard gap between albums. If anything, the unique reason for their break might have even generated more buzz.
But still.
They aren't the kind of artists that make everyone gasp in awe.
That was always the weakness of K-Pop.
General public recognition.
Sure enough, as soon as the rumors started circulating, people in the English-speaking world started talking. Of course, they were locked in a dogfight with VTIC fans, but the point was that compared to the rest of the lineup, they lacked general appeal.
Simply put... there was blatant noise, and no one was shouting "Wow" in unison.
Even stripping away all prejudice, it meant they were the weakest link in the lineup.
Well, it wasn't so strange that I’d suspect foul play. K-Pop might have weak general appeal, but it’s always been a powerhouse for ticket sales.
The festival runs for three days, so they might throw in an experimental headliner for one of them.
But honestly, if they wanted to play it safe, a main stage slot like ours would have been more appropriate. Even many famous pop stars start by getting their names on the main stage lineup...
Were they getting desperate?
Besides, those guys don't have a main vocalist.
I knew Ju-dan and Shin-o had decent vocal colors, but no matter how I looked at it, you need at least one power vocalist to get a good crowd response at a show like this. I wasn't sure if forcing a headliner spot beyond their weight class was a wise move on a global scale.
Hmm.
I felt my irritation subside, realizing that my composure had returned.
The others seemed to be calming down as well, as they started discussing rational plans. First, we needed to grasp the situation.
[6 / 21 / FRI - TeSTAR]
"We're Friday. VTIC is Saturday."
The two groups were performing on different days.
"The dates are different~ Hmm, is that better?"
I crossed my arms. "It might actually be worse."
"Why?"
"Because people who are friendly toward K-Pop, or just like it in general, will likely focus on the day VTIC is headlining."
"...Ah."
If we were the only ones invited, people interested in K-Pop would have come specifically to see us. But since there was a K-Pop headliner on a different day...
"Does that mean there's a high chance we'll be performing in front of a crowd that isn't very favorable toward us?"
Exactly.
It was an unavoidable issue of proportions.
Plus, they’re hogging all the 'first-ever' buzz.
In terms of generating hype, that was actually a huge advantage.
...It was even more infuriating to conclude that their reckless move was actually a smart choice because it pitted them against us. Fuck.
Just as my anger was about to boil over again...
"I-I still don't think... we need to worry...!"
Seon A-hyun spoke up, his face slightly flushed.
"I believe a good performance... um, transcends language and borders.... As long as we can show it to them, that is."
"Sure."
Cha Yu-jin shrugged, snatched the paper from in front of us, and tossed it behind him.
"Cha Yu-jin!"
"Stop caring about who comes out when. If we do better than the headliner, that’s the answer."
"..."
"I always give the right answer. You know that, right?"
A small burst of laughter broke out in the living room at his words.
"Huh? I like the laughing. But what’s the reason?"
"No, it’s just, ahem, it’s familiar."
Keun Se-jin grinned. "Right. Even if we aren't the headliners, all we have to do is kill it~"
Of course, he wasn't trying to be idealistic like Seon A-hyun.
"The fancams are going to go viral anyway, right?"
Bingo.
The 'simultaneous release' type of buzz with VTIC is going to continue.
All sorts of comparison videos would be floating around WeTube, and if we looked for it, there would be plenty of opportunities to flip the script. And isn't that what we do best?
Live performances.
"Let's go for it."
"Sounds good~"
The conversation ended with our morale burning bright. However, one person had a somewhat complicated expression. Who else? It was Ryu Cheong-woo.
"..."
I quietly nudged him. "What's on your mind?"
"Ah." He replied with a faint, bitter smile. "I want to practice with you guys. But... if I drop out of the formation on the final day, it’ll be chaotic."
He was suggesting that for the sake of the performance's quality, it might be better if he stepped out now.
Good grief. I smacked him on the back.
"...!"
"Hey. Knock it off."
Ryu Cheong-woo’s eyes widened.
"It’s not like we’re rookies in our first or second year. You think we’d get confused by something like that?"
I leaned back against the sofa.
"Even if you say you can't do it right before the stage, adjusting the formation is no problem. Stop talking nonsense and just practice. If you want to."
"...Yeah."
I ignored Keun Se-jin mouthing "Ooh~" at me.
And so, Ryu Cheong-woo continued to participate in practice. He worked incredibly hard.
"Let's do it one more time."
"Got it."
He naturally sacrificed his own break time, and even when he couldn't make it to live broadcast schedules, he seemed to be practicing for this stage.
"Hyung looks like he's having fun, doesn't he?"
"Yeah. Let him be."
He gritted his teeth and pushed the quality of the performance higher than ever, but...
Right before we were set to fly out, he finally made his final decision.
"It’s better if I don't go up."
"..."
"If I go up and freeze, it’ll be really hard to recover this time."
What kind of impact would it have on the group's reputation if one member completely missed their parts and choreography in front of a strange, unfavorable audience?
"I think... it’s better for the group if I sit this one out."
It seemed like a decision made after repeatedly considering the potential fallout of that worst-case scenario.
If I convinced him he could definitely do it and then it failed, he’d have to shoulder all that mental burden himself.
That would be truly cruel, so we eventually nodded solemnly at Ryu Cheong-woo’s words.
"...But you're still coming with us, right?"
"Of course."
And so, TeSTAR departed.
And during the wait and rehearsal preparations, we ran into them. The K-Pop headliners performing a day after us.
"Take all our energy! Good luck with your stage, sunbaenims!"
"Thank you so much!"
Fitting for a festival, VTIC was wearing denim outfits that felt lighter and more free-spirited than their usual suits. In the past, I would have just said they were wearing something like jeans, but I guess I’ve grown too. I could say these lines without a second thought now.
"Congratulations on being the first K-Pop headliners at Glastonbury."
"Well, if we're talking about the first to perform, that would be you, junior. We're Saturday, and TeSTAR is Friday."
It must be hard to specifically pick only the words that grate on someone's nerves like that, you bastard.
But instead of raising an eyebrow, I just gave a slight nod. There were too many eyes on us; I had to maintain professional courtesy.
However, Cheong-ryeo made sure to speak to me again after the others had stepped away.
"It must be quite upsetting to have our schedules overlap like this again."
"..."
What... are you expecting me to say? I looked at him with an incredulous expression.
"Well, everyone makes the best choice for themselves."
"Right. The best choice..."
Cheong-ryeo fell silent for a moment.
Should I get going?
Just as I was briefly debating it, he spoke up.
"I wonder if you know. About the future if I hadn't made this choice."
"This choice?"
"The overall meaning of the current situation. But specifically... let's say I'm talking about the comeback timing."
VTIC’s comeback timing. I realized he was referring to releasing their album at the same time as TeSTAR.
"I told you. Thanks to that, even people who wouldn't have been interested are showing interest."
But... if they hadn't done that.
"I mean, I think we still would have sold more albums than you, junior."
"..."
"But that would have been it."
Fleeting interest.
It was the limit of a senior idol group that had already done everything, no matter how much they tried to preserve their image. Especially if they had focused primarily on overseas activities.
"Our digital sales might not have even made it onto the charts."
Cheong-ryeo calmly stated the reality.
"You know where the end is for a boy group with no domestic buzz."
Even fans have a limit to how many albums they can force themselves to buy to maintain a group's status. Glory in name only. Prestige that only exists in the past. VTIC would have slowly sunk like that.
They say a giant merchant takes three years to go bankrupt even after failing. While the public is going "Huh?", they quietly disappear as a group of the past.
"So, we're taking one last shot."
I realized it then. VTIC’s appearance as a festival headliner was also a choice made with the domestic market in mind.
This time, they sold a lot of albums, and their digital rankings were decent, even if not as good as their prime. But as he said, that was the result of the fans' purchasing power being available and the buzz from the simultaneous release with us.
So, to make that as real and substantial as possible...
They have to make a proper mark with this album, no matter what.
That’s why they pushed for the headliner spot. They wanted to send a signal to Korea that 'VTIC will remain an eternal legend.'
"That's why we took this spot."
"..."
"Though it might have been a bit harsh on you, junior."
I held my breath for a moment.
"Whatever. Says the guy who lost on the digital charts."
"...!"
"And..." I cracked my neck, a series of pops echoing. "Nothing is over yet."
"..."
Cheong-ryeo’s eyes seemed to ask in response: The first-week sales period is over, and domestic music show promotions are finished. What exactly isn't over?
Just watch.
Instead of giving a long explanation, I walked away.
"Good luck with your stage, sunbaenim."
Our promotion period wasn't over yet.
[Glastonbury Festival of Surprises... Will K-Pop Idols Show Their Skills?]
I heard through the grapevine that VTIC finished their festival rehearsal quite well that day.
Doesn't matter.
We just had to do our job properly. I silently prepared for the stage. Of course, it wasn't just me; the others were likely doing the same.
"..."
However, another thread came loose right at the start.
"Our... headliner dropped out."
Oh, for fuck's sake.
The morning of the performance.
"What?"
"Look at this."
The members with the same name huddled together, staring at a smartphone.
"Red Summer cancels performance due to vocalist's injury..."
Bae Se-jin looked up, his face pale. Kim Rae-bin was horrified.
"Then... are we performing without a headliner?"
"That’s impossible."
If a headliner completely vanished from a festival of this scale, the lawsuits and controversy would be insane.
"They’ll fill it somehow."
Whether they move up a sub-headliner or find a replacement. Of course, there were still limits.
"...The audience is going to be lethargic."
"..."
The people who came to see the headliner. They would make up the majority, and it was obvious how deflated they’d be after missing the artist they were looking forward to. Some might sell their tickets or just leave after a bit, and even if they didn't, we’d have to hype up a crowd whose excitement had already cooled.
In a language they didn't understand.
"..."
They say bad things and good things usually come all at once.
Why the hell were all these misfortunes being shoved down our throats one after another? I twitched an eyebrow and suppressed a sigh.
Well... it wasn't like this was completely unheard of, but at this rate, all the buzz was going to be sucked away by the headliner's absence. Our general appeal was already weak, and now the audience wasn't even in a good or comfortable mood.
It’s the perfect situation to hit rock bottom.
"..."
Right. At this rate, we were likely to hit a low point.
In that case...
"Cheong-woo hyung."
I stood up abruptly.
"...!"
Ryu Cheong-woo, who had been sitting on the sofa checking on the members, looked back with a startled expression.
"Hmm?"
"Hyung. At this rate, we don't know how much appeal this stage will have anyway."
I sat down directly in front of him.
"So let's aim for the highest peak instead."
"..."
"Hyung, you should go on stage for this one too."
I spoke without hesitation.
"The effect we were hoping for isn't going to happen like this anyway, but if you participate, we can at least show our absolute best side."
Ryu Cheong-woo looked at me as if he were momentarily speechless. But he soon regained his composure and spoke.
"Moon-dae. I know what you mean. But it might still be better to play it safe."
However, his voice was slightly low and cracked.
"First of all, no one can be sure if my presence will make that much of a difference—"
"O-Of course it will!"
"Obviously!"
"...!"
Strong responses came from all directions. It seemed they had been eavesdropping and couldn't help but jump in. Looking at the guys my age, I almost let out a chuckle.
Because you've always been someone who's good at what you do.
Right. If those words didn't hit home back then, it wasn't hard to be more specific now.
"Rae-bin."
"Yes!"
Kim Rae-bin, who had just finished putting on his piercings, raised his hand high.
"What is Cheong-woo hyung's role in our songs?"
"...First of all, all of TeSTAR's songs are created with every member as a core component, based on each individual's personality and strengths."
"..."
"Therefore, in all of our songs, Cheong-woo hyung's personality is unique, and his strengths are undeniable."
Kim Rae-bin spoke without hesitation. A solid mid-to-low range that led the song. A stable vocal that felt like a bass but could also strike out like a piano. His vocal color was so good he could be placed anywhere, and his stage acting didn't care about the genre, making him perfect for both verses and pre-choruses.
"His strengths especially shine when transitioning between soft and intense parts."
Kim Rae-bin declared firmly.
"Hyung can never be completely replaced by another member on stage!"
Ryu Cheong-woo’s shoulders flinched.
"..."
The members in the waiting room watched the scene in silence.
And then.
"Okay."
"...!"
Ryu Cheong-woo looked up. Inside those steady eyes, something—whether fire or water, I couldn't tell—was burning.
"Let's do it."
"Yes!!"
At the very last moment, Ryu Cheong-woo joined the live performance.
And on a Friday filled with slightly damp clouds and mist...
The massive music festival began.