Chapter 623
Chapter 623
The festival grounds.
Glastonbury in England during June is chillier than one might expect. One shouldn't call to mind the clear, scorching brightness of Los Angeles or San Diego.
Under a gloomy sky that looks ready to pour at any moment, brief showers stop and start in a relentless cycle. The sun is nothing more than a rare, fleeting guest.
It was a damp, somber outdoor landscape.
However.
"This is insane!"
There was a heat that overcame the weather.
A burning joy.
Woooooooaaaaaaah—!
The roars of anticipation, laughter, and the low hum of the crowd gathered from every direction, merging into a single mass that vibrated against the eardrums.
Colorful tents, a variety of festive decorations and sculptures, and all sorts of vibrant outfits filled the green fields, shining even under the overcast sky.
A festival! A true festival!
And… the music!
Faced with a sight that bordered on the majestic, an American traveler stood frozen for a moment, her mouth agape.
"Hannah!"
"Oh."
She snapped out of it at her friend’s call.
The other American traveler, who had nudged her dazed friend back to reality, simply shrugged. She understood the feeling to some extent.
People.
More people than she had ever seen in her entire life—actual, living human beings—packed the horizon alongside endless rows of tents and blankets.
It was more intense than the beaches of LA.
I probably looked just like her.
Nodding to herself, the traveler moved along with her friend, Hannah.
Sitting in front of their tent, they opened the pamphlet. They wanted to check the lineup for the performances that would take place over the three days following the two-day pre-festival.
"Is there anyone you absolutely have to see?"
"Definitely!"
Her friend excitedly listed a few artists before hesitating slightly and pointing to one more name.
"And… this band, too."
[TeSTAR]
The traveler blinked at the unfamiliar name. What kind of artist were they?
She was slightly surprised by her friend’s answer.
"K-pop?"
"Oh, um. Yeah."
Seeing her friend look a bit embarrassed, she let out an exclamation.
"Hannah, don't tell me you're a K-pop fan?"
"Well, to some extent."
"Hey, it happens! I know a few songs too..."
Recalling a few Korean phrases she’d heard on TickTackTok, she shrugged, then suddenly remembered something.
[Saturday Headliner – VTIC]
"Come to think of it, isn't the headliner for Saturday a K-pop act too?"
Given the nature of this festival—open-minded, progressive, and detached from pure commercialism—the choice of a niche genre for a headliner wasn't unheard of and was understandable.
After all, people bought tickets before the lineup was even revealed!
Occasionally, some would snidely ask if they were meeting a "diversity quota" out of political correctness, but such comments were usually ignored.
And even she vaguely knew that the K-pop band called VTIC was world-renowned, but…
"I'm not interested in them."
Hannah was firm. Why?
Don't all K-pop acts share the same traits anyway?
The traveler didn't think she looked down on K-pop specifically. However, wasn't it true that unique genres tended to have striking similarities among their artists?
When she thought of K-pop, certain characteristics immediately came to mind.
Flashy colors, synchronized dancing, flawless skin, teenagers, a frantic cheerfulness that felt like a mix of various genres, and unpredictable song structures…
And, of course, lyrics that mixed English and Korean.
Sure enough, her friend hesitated before confessing the truth.
"It's just, um… an old friend of mine is in that band on Friday. TeSTAR."
"Really?!"
In a mix of confusion and excitement, she pulled out her smartphone, which she had tucked away while pitching the tent, and began searching for the band's name.
Hannah hurriedly added, trying to stop her.
"No, we just went to the same middle school and did homework together a few times..."
"Oh… so it's a guy."
The traveler felt like Hannah’s face had turned a deep shade of red.
The two of them chatted quietly while looking at a photo of a member named 'Cha Yu-jin,' a blonde guy who was surprisingly well-built and hot.
"Then he must be Korean."
"Probably. Actually, I thought he was half-Spanish, but I'm not sure..."
The topic naturally shifted after that.
The American traveler didn't feel much beyond a bit of curiosity at that point.
Even though her friend was currently adamant about not being interested, she figured if Hannah showed interest on Saturday, she could watch the K-pop headliner's performance with her.
It's only human nature to want to see the more famous act.
Even if she herself had zero interest.
And so, the festival time flowed on.
"Look at that!"
From yoga to the circus field.
After enjoying the pre-festival festivities through all sorts of experiences and sights in the countless concept zones, it finally arrived.
The main event.
The day of the performances.
"Further forward! Further forward!"
"Waaaaaaaah!"
Friday.
Behind the excited crowd, she and her friend—now fully hyped after two days of experiencing all kinds of art and concept zones—willingly threw themselves into the throng.
The massive main stage.
From broad daylight, cheers and colors erupted from the famous Pyramid Stage.
Pop! Pop-pop!
Just how many people were there? Fifty thousand? Eighty thousand?
…One hundred and twenty thousand?
"My god..."
Amidst the waving sea of people, she stood in the mud, gripping her friend’s arm as she looked up at the Pyramid Stage.
The largest, central stage of this sprawling festival.
What must it feel like to stand before hundreds of thousands of people on that enormous structure?
To face a crowd looking up at you with such intense anticipation!
[Say, Good—]
Woooooooaaaaah!!!
The first set concluded amidst wild enthusiasm.
The crowd, having sung along to the acoustic guitar live of a veteran artist with a long career, sent up fervent applause and cheers.
The singer exited with an overwhelmed expression.
This is what a real performance is!
The traveler blinked, caught up in the warm, heart-swelling atmosphere.
It felt as though the true music festival had finally begun.
It was then.
"No way!"
A sharp scream and a shout suddenly erupted from beside her.
The smartphone in the person's hand shook violently.
"Red Summer's vocalist got injured!"
"What?!"
It was the news that today's headliner would be absent.
"Oh my god, so there's no headliner for Friday?!"
"What the f*ck!"
Several people who heard the news late let out harsh curses and groans, and the atmosphere soured instantly.
[Please lend us your attention!]
Although it was announced that the stage would proceed as scheduled following the emergency notice, people could already be seen drifting away toward the Other Stage and elsewhere.
The selection of the replacement artist was too predictable.
People who had been here waiting for today's headliner while catching other acts were now leaving to find something else of interest.
"I heard Timmy's at the Other Stage."
"Let's just go there."
Amidst the exodus, the American traveler felt her excitement cooling as reality set in.
"Oh..."
She felt the sticky ache of her feet inside her mud-caked boots. It was the result of countless people trampling over the soggy, wet grass.
The issues of stamina and discomfort she had forgotten suddenly rushed back as the adrenaline faded.
The fatigue of camping emerged, fueled by disappointment and a lingering sense of unpleasantness.
"...Should we go take a break too?"
"Um..."
But seeing that her friend Hannah was reluctant, she decided to stay.
There were still many other good artists on the lineup.
No matter how others feel, we just need to have fun and enjoy ourselves.
However, quite a few people at the very back had left, and thanks to that—whether by luck or misfortune—they ended up drifting considerably closer to the stage than before.
"I think I can actually see their faces from here!"
"That's crazy!"
They tried to revive their excitement, but the atmosphere around them remained somewhat restless.
It'll be fine once a good performance starts.
Once they heard a masterpiece performed passionately live.
And then...
Zzzzzzzzt—!
Accompanied by the noisy sound of a band tuning their instruments, the next artist was introduced in black and white on the center screen.
[TeSTAR]
"Oh!"
She nudged her friend’s shoulder.
It was the K-pop group her friend had been waiting for!
However, there wasn't a particularly enthusiastic reaction from the surroundings. Only a few people holding flags waved them vigorously, trying to intentionally drum up some hype.
There were surely people cheering at the very front, but because there were so many people behind them, they couldn't be seen clearly.
Most either didn't know who they were or had no interest.
Oh.
She had a gut feeling.
This wasn't it.
This wasn't the 'stage that would change the atmosphere.'
She even felt a bit sorry for them.
No matter what they did in this lukewarm atmosphere, it would be difficult for the artists not to be nervous or to feel satisfied.
The traveler thought that if it were her, she might have run away.
And then.
Plop.
"Huh?"
From the gloomy sky, droplets finally began to pour down.
"Ah...!"
It was rain.
*
[Five minutes to standby.]
It felt like it was five minutes just a moment ago, and it's still five minutes.
Ryu Cheong-woo thought quietly as he listened to the English announcement.
In these types of multi-act live shows, it was common for the schedule to be delayed by encores and such.
But this time was a little different.
It was right after the headliner's absence had been announced.
"How's the atmosphere?"
"Ah, it's fine."
Cha Yu-jin nodded at the manager's response, but his face showed he knew perfectly well it was a lie.
Yet, none of TeSTAR wavered.
Is it because this isn't our first or second time?
Watching them, Ryu Cheong-woo almost forgot his worries and let out a light laugh.
For some reason, he felt immensely reassured.
Of course, once that moment passed, his thoughts tried to cloud his mind again.
It was good that he had made up his mind to go up.
But calculating the repercussions of this act, the situation he might find himself in if things went wrong, and the damage it might cause the group...
"Hey."
His train of thought was broken.
The one who spoke was… Bae Se-jin.
"There's something I want to apologize for."
"Hmm?"
Ryu Cheong-woo was caught off guard.
"Se-jin, what do you mean?"
"I feel like… I've been treating you with too much unnecessary caution."
"……."
Bae Se-jin continued cautiously but without hesitation, as if he had thought about this many times.
"I felt like I shouldn't recklessly tell you not to worry. I… used to hate it when people would blindly say things would work out when they weren't going to take any responsibility."
"……."
He seemed to be talking about his days as a child actor.
"But I think I was wrong."
Bae Se-jin looked up.
"You're not me."
"…!"
"You weren't worrying like that. You're not the type to waste time agonizing over every little thing until the bitter end like I do. You're just… someone who does what needs to be done."
Was I?
Ryu Cheong-woo listened to Bae Se-jin's description of him with a strangely unfamiliar feeling.
It was already the third time. Hearing someone else describe him.
Someone who is naturally good.
Someone who is irreplaceable.
And…
"Someone who does what needs to be done?"
"Yeah. Without overthinking it."
Bae Se-jin nodded and muttered again.
"So, rather than giving you time to worry, I think these words are more appropriate."
Ryu Cheong-woo listened quietly.
"You can do anything. That's why, ever since Idol Inc.… I've thought you were amazing."
"……."
"Because you're good. I'm jealous."
Ryu Cheong-woo was speechless as he looked at Bae Se-jin. Bae Se-jin didn't look away and met his gaze.
"……."
Finally, it was time.
"Let's go up."
Ryu Cheong-woo stepped onto the stage.
None of the members said things like, 'It's okay if you make a mistake. It'll work out somehow.'
They simply handed him a handheld microphone.
"Here."
He gripped the mic.
His heart was racing, but his mind was still. The chaos of his thoughts had calmed down as if it had all been a lie.
Because there was no need for it.
I see.
That was it.
Amidst the rain, the artists appeared.
[TeSTAR]
Waaaaaaaah!!
The cheers were polite.
But they were directed more toward the start of a new stage and the general atmosphere rather than the artists themselves.
Furthermore, the rain that had begun to fall seeped between people's hair and made their eyes sting.
Ryu Cheong-woo could feel the gravity of the droplets falling onto his own head.
He looked out from the stage.
At the sea of countless spectators.
Because it was still light out, he could see far into the distance.
And… even the scattered crowds turning away at the very back.
"……."
Park Moon-dae’s voice from practice last week echoed in his mind.
—People will definitely leave.
The performances went on all day. For three days in a row.
Naturally, if a lineup appeared that the audience didn't like or wasn't interested in, they would leave to enjoy other stages or activities and come back later.
It was especially true for those at the back.
—So once the mood is set, they'll leave in a heartbeat without any regrets.
An audience was a creature highly susceptible to the atmosphere of a crowd.
However.
To put it the other way around…
It meant the method to make them watch was the same.
Ryu Cheong-woo gripped the microphone.
—We start with a song they know.
The rainy sky.
As if cutting through the dim atmosphere despite it being daytime, the numerous lights of the stage flashed.
And a flashing voice.
Black- hole!
The main OST track from a sci-fi hero movie by Limestone, the giant comics company, resonated through the venue without accompaniment.
Let me swallow iiiiii-t!
And following right behind, the band's ensemble exploded.
"…!"
A familiar song.
And a familiar European band-style accompaniment and progression.
Above all…
[Exploding far-- away!]
The vocals!
Layering a high harmony over Ryu Cheong-woo’s solid voice, Park Moon-dae belted out a piercing high note.
Cheers, groans, and unexpected exclamations rippled through the venue, and reflexively, footsteps halted.
A song they’d heard, lyrics they could understand, and vocal prowess that vibrated in their very skulls.
[Hit it like a comet,]
Over a slightly lonely band accompaniment, Kim Rae-bin’s low, husky vocals harmonized with Seon A-hyun’s smooth mid-low tones before fading away.
And the climax.
[Shatter like a shooting star!!]
Between the racing drum beats, TeSTAR’s vocalists sprinted forward with standing mics.
Fireworks exploded in every direction.
Woooooooah!
In response to the reflexive cheers, Hannah and her friend screamed like crazy.
Wow!
The song flowing through the singers' vocal cords was incredibly pleasant to hear.
Because the movie had been a hit, people who had heard the song somewhere before began to hum and excitedly sing along while looking at the lyrics on the screen.
The band members didn't just stand at their mics either; they grabbed them and moved around freely, singing and adding ad-libs as they pleased.
[Black- hole!]
Waaaaaaaah!!
By the time the song ended, a roar finally erupted.
The polite, well-mannered response they’d given out of courtesy for the performance when the group first appeared had transformed into joyful shouting.
"Haaaaaaaah!!"
Hannah’s friend also watched the stage, shouting from the depths of her lungs.
The screen caught their faces.
What, they weren't all just kids!
Rather than immature teenagers, they possessed the ease and strength of seniors or college students, visible in their frames and builds.
However, true to K-pop, their tops, worn over various tones of denim pants, were adorned with flashy jewelry and leather chokers.
And only then did the first comment come…
[You don't know us, do you?]
"Pfft!"
The opening line made people choke on their own spit.
The largest member, looking delighted, smiled broadly and stretched out his hand to point at the screen where the 'Black Hole' lyrics had been.
[We're the ones who appeared as that crazy alien band in that movie.]
The person next to her chuckled.
[We actually do make music like that.]
Hahaha!
It was natural.
They possessed the confidence unique to those who create their own music.
Once you capture the audience's attention, they listen to the next song with a slightly more open mind.
The barrier to entry had been lowered.
[So next… is a song to introduce what kind of music we do. It's from our new album.]
Light cheering.
The member with the best physique and a cool, masculine impression took the mic again.
English flowed clearly and smoothly from his lips.
[We haven't even toured with this album yet, but this is Glastonbury.]
He smiled warmly.
[Aren't love, peace, tolerance, and dreams the spirit of Glastonbury? You can try anything here.]
[So we've prepared something as well.]
It was at that moment.
For a brief second, the stage lights went out.
…….
In that instant, the audience's reaction also quieted.
Because they knew from the atmosphere that a new stage was about to begin.
And… the person standing on stage also became quiet.
The one who had been holding the mic just now.
Ryu Cheong-woo.
"……."
He remembered.
—Hyung, if you're going up on stage.
—You have to stand in the center for the chorus of this song.
Ryu Cheong-woo took a deep breath.
Below the stage, the audience whispered in voices that wouldn't reach the top.
"Hannah! Do you know this song?"
"I do! It's probably a song called 'Bad Feeling'..."
The American traveler tried to show some sincerity by listening to her friend’s explanation of the song.
"So, it's like pop music with a bit of a Broadway feel..."
Just as Hannah was moving her lips to describe suits, offices, rhythmic choreography, trumpets, and cheerful electronic instruments.
"It's starting!"
"Ah!!"
The lights returned.
And what echoed as if chasing from the very back was…
A heavy, old-school accompaniment.
Thump.
"…!?"
Light fell upon the singers who had walked out to the front of the stage.
But there were no tops with jewelry to reflect the light. Instead, they were replaced by black and red hoodies or monotone jumpers.
Soon, a face with sharp, piercing eyes wearing a black bucket hat filled the screen.
Everyone except him bowed their heads.
Static, crackle—
Against the backdrop of a gritty band ensemble, a low, rough rap erupted.
[Get this feeling
Then I'll fall and fall]
Thump.
Bad Feeling.
Their title track, completely remixed into old-school hip-hop, began to burst like fireworks along with the explosive band sound.