Chapter 626
Chapter 626
After returning home from the festival in the UK.
I heard Keun Se-jin’s voice from behind my seat—he sounded a bit tired, but happy.
“They’re saying we did really well.”
“…That’s good.”
It was another one of those spare moments in the busy life of TeSTAR during a promotion period: the ‘Recharge by Monitoring Praise’ session.
And today’s topic was…
“Glastonbury was fun. I want to go again.”
“Yeah, let’s definitely do that.”
It was the Glastonbury Festival, which had ended in a resounding success.
Inside the moving van, the first round of monitoring had already finished, and a pleasant lull had settled over the group.
…Well, to be honest, I hadn't actually seen any of it myself.
—Moon-dae, you monitored by yourself during the comeback… so we’ll do it this time…!
—…Fine, go ahead.
It didn't matter, though, since I could get the gist of the atmosphere. I wasn't that anxious about things like this anymore. Besides…
‘It really blew up.’
I could tell clearly just by hearing about it.
The reaction was great.
“This is the first time I’ve seen so many posts about us in English.”
“Cha Yu-jin! Did anyone mention the new arrangement?!”
“Yeapp. Everyone loves it. Kim Rae-bin, you did good.”
“Oh~ let’s see. There’s even an analysis post on an English site comparing it to the original song?”
“Oh my goodness…!”
TeSTAR’s English name reportedly saw its buzz index on search engines jump more than fifteen times overnight.
Considering we were already in the middle of a promotion period and our search volume wasn't low to begin with, this was an insane return on investment for our time and effort. It was a crazy achievement.
The company was practically screaming with joy.
‘I didn't think we’d be able to milk it this much.’
…To be honest, I had a hunch when I was standing on that stage.
I leaned back against the headrest again.
The heat, the growing cheers, the reactions shifting from bewilderment to awe, and finally to ecstasy.
That feeling when you have a firm grip on the goal of a performance.
—Hardly anyone there will know us anyway. So, instead of aiming for empathy or touching their hearts…
—We have to go for pure impact.
The thrill of seeing every single one of those calculated moves pay off.
What Cha Yu-jin just said was exactly right.
‘…It was fun.’
As expected, when you’re working with a bunch of talented and cooperative guys, even a high-stakes gamble for a peak performance is worth a shot.
‘No, looking back, I don’t think it was even a gamble.’
I turned to look at the face of the MVP sitting next to me—the one I’d thought was a gamble, but who had hit the peak perfectly.
Ryu Cheong-woo.
“How do you feel?”
“Good.”
His answer was simple.
“Ooh!!”
But cheers erupted as if we were in a baseball stadium.
Just like when we stepped off the stage at Glastonbury.
—Hyung!
Backstage, Ryu Cheong-woo must have heard that jubilant call even as sweat dripped off him.
But instead of answering, he had muttered this while looking at his own arm:
—So this is what it felt like.
—Pardon?
—Nothing.
He had clenched and unclenched his fist, then smiled.
—I get it now.
It was a refreshing smile.
And those words were still holding true in the present.
“Oh, that’s right~ Hyung, you’re going to keep killing it on stage now!”
“Yeah, tell me how you feel!”
Ryu Cheong-woo gave a slight smile and spoke easily.
“Well, I guess the important thing was not losing the sensation.”
It sounded like a simple tip for exercising.
That was the entirety of the impression shared by the guy who had suddenly recovered from the yips and torn up the stage.
But no one jeered.
“…….”
“Good.”
Ryu Cheong-woo didn't try to act heavy as if he’d finally gained enlightenment after agonizing over it, nor did he launch into a long-winded solo speech.
Probably because there was no need.
We had all experienced together the process through which Ryu Cheong-woo recovered that ‘sensation’ on stage.
From the conversations we had multiple times off-stage to the performance on-stage.
So there was no reason to start the story all over again.
‘Self-assurance was the keyword.’
That was why, within this group of ‘his people,’ Ryu Cheong-woo had simply returned to his natural, confident, and gentle self.
Back to his rightful place.
“…Right. You’re someone who lives in reality.”
“Ohhhhh.”
“Ooh~ What a quote!”
Thanks to that, the target of the others’ reactions… no, the target of their admiration, shifted to someone else.
Bae Se-jin’s face turned bright red, and Ryu Cheong-woo burst out laughing at the sight.
“Haha, thanks!”
His laughter was refreshing.
And his words as he moved on to the next topic were just as crisp.
“The next schedule is… hmm, a summer festival. A broadcast station event.”
“Yes.”
“Let’s get our outfits first. I’ll let the manager know.”
Watching him start the briefing meticulously, I just let out a short laugh.
For us, that was enough.
However, there wasn't a total lack of exceptions.
It seemed he also had someone he wanted to express his feelings to in a long message.
—It really seems like Cheong-woo is okay now, right? No, no, let’s not jump to conclusions, it might be a burden ㅠㅠ
—Ah ㅠㅠ I’m worried he might be overdoing it for nothing… but I’m so happy
—Cheong-woo, I love you
Toward the fans who were still wavering between worry and joy after seeing Ryu Cheong-woo’s performance this time.
That night, a long post was uploaded.
“…….”
Late at night, after all the schedules were finished.
Ryu Cheong-woo sat in front of the laptop that Park Moon-dae had returned to him after much deliberation.
Well, it felt a bit like getting back a game console that had been confiscated by his parents.
‘It was actually mine to begin with, though.’
It wasn't a bad feeling, but it was a little embarrassing.
However, he soon regained his composure and calmly began to type, one word at a time.
His calm face was reflected in the monitor.
=====================
[This is Ryu Cheong-woo.]
Hello. This is my first time writing to you since the announcement of my hiatus.
First of all, I want to say I’m sorry for making you worry.
While worrying and agonizing over what I should say, I don't think I could bring myself to write a long post.
=====================
Pausing for a moment at the end of that paragraph, Ryu Cheong-woo soon added more sentences as if his previous hesitation had been a lie.
=====================
It wasn't a very happy time.
=====================
The blunt words flowed from his fingertips.
The bewilderment he felt when he faced sudden physical difficulties on stage.
And the sense of frustration when he couldn't control his own body as he wished.
Stories that the usual Ryu Cheong-woo wouldn't have bothered to write were poured out calmly, focusing on emotions without excessive or unnecessary details.
Because there was a conclusion he wanted to reach.
=====================
I felt sorry that my emotions and state caused you worry, and while I was grateful, my heart also ached.
So, rather than worrying…
=====================
Actually.
Ryu Cheong-woo took a breath in and let it out.
=====================
I found myself wishing you would push me instead.
=====================
The typing continued steadily.
=====================
I am not weak.
Please push me, telling me there’s no reason I can’t recover and to hurry back because I can do it.
I want you to wonder when Ryu Cheong-woo will return, how much he practiced while resting, and how much his skills have improved.
I want you to expect that I will naturally be able to do those things.
Just like you always have.
=====================
So that I can realize for myself what kind of person I am.
=====================
Looking at it now, it sounds like something a child would say, but I won’t take it back.
Please believe in me.
=====================
After uploading the post, Ryu Cheong-woo fell into a deep sleep.
He woke up at dawn as scheduled, did some light exercise, and woke the members after finishing his shower.
Then, after a brief briefing, he got into the car and checked today’s schedule.
“There’s a live audience today, right?”
“Ah, yes!”
He carried out his schedule diligently.
At the same time, whenever he had a short break, he checked his movements and vocals, finding strengths and weaknesses in his performance and gradually supplementing them.
The joy of everyday growth.
“Ah, Cheong-woo-ssi. I heard your mental state wasn't great, but isn't that actually a physical problem? You know, who was it? That person who had a panic attack was like that too. Maybe….”
“Ah, I’m fine.”
It was okay even if stress built up occasionally. He skillfully managed his own condition, relieving frustration through hand grippers, stress balls, or short conversations with the members.
That didn't mean he let his guard down; he still made counseling appointments. He had to maintain consistent management just in case.
However, he would no longer worry about ‘What if the symptoms appear again?’ It was an unnecessary concern.
And even if he was frustrated by his environment once more, he could stand up again.
‘That’s right.’
Even when his career in archery was ruined, he stood up again and challenged himself to become an idol, and even when he was held captive by memories of a past that no longer existed, he recovered his sense of reality.
He had overcome all difficulties to reach this place.
Just like always.
Without ever postponing the path he had to take now, and without hesitation, he took one step at a time.
He wouldn't stop.
“Hyung, standby!”
“Okay!”
That was enough for Ryu Cheong-woo.
And there were members who naturally blended in with that appearance.
“Did you see the post Cheong-woo uploaded?”
“I did.”
Park Moon-dae thought of Ryu Cheong-woo’s letter that had been on his smartphone screen until just a moment ago.
Specifically, the ending.
=====================
I will do well.
I want to see you again on stage as soon as possible so that you can believe those words without any more anxiety.
On the day we meet in person, I want to show you a performance with skills beyond anything I’ve shown before.
Please look forward to it. Loviewer.
=====================
“…….”
It was a sufficient letter.
Park Moon-dae witnessed Bae Se-jin and Seon A-hyun wanting to leave comments on that post but eventually stopping each other, and he decided to keep it a secret.
“Right, let’s hold back!”
“Yes…! Because Cheong-woo hyung wrote his heart out…!”
He also saw Keun Se-jin passing by with a whistle, looking at the scene with an expression similar to his own.
“…….”
Man, the atmosphere of the group was better than ever.
‘It’s running well.’
I wasn't being sarcastic; I meant it sincerely.
Park Moon-dae let out a short laugh.
Ryu Cheong-woo had recovered.
The group’s activities were going well, and they had finally suppressed their rival—who had been a festival headliner—in terms of buzz through a head-to-head confrontation.
However, looking at it objectively, it didn't seem like all of this would lead directly to album results.
They hadn't performed the original song, and the vibe of the performance remix that became a hot topic was so different from the original.
In fact, among the title tracks they had released so far, there wasn't a single song similar to the old-school hip-hop of this performance.
There was no connection.
If so, the buzz would just float away into thin air.
‘The buzz is only focused on the group’s image.’
At this rate, it seemed like they would end up promising the next album again, saying things like TeSTAR would absorb this buzz well and achieve results next time.
However.
‘That’s only if you look at the present… though.’
Park Moon-dae was neither shaken nor disappointed.
In the first place, he hadn't expected the Glastonbury appearance to go this well.
If that was the case, he wasn't an optimist who would plan based on such uncertain factors.
‘Still, I can use it more.’
He began to calmly deliberate on a way to use this buzz as a stepping stone to create an even greater effect.
“Moon-dae hyung! Cha Yu-jin is strongly insisting that he wants to eat rabokki tomorrow morning.”
“Tell him no.”
“Yes!”
And that night. Before going to bed, Park Moon-dae picked up his smartphone with a smirk.
Is it about time?
A few days later.
“Huh?”
An unusual activity was detected from TeSTAR’s album USB.
The group had released USB-type albums a few times due to environmental protection and concept issues, but this album didn't have the volume to make people shout, ‘They’re doing something this crazy?’ like a game.
—I just downloaded the program and an app came up where you can see album B-cuts and stuff.
└Ah, okay okay.
But suddenly, after midnight today, a unique pop-up appeared for people who ran the USB app.
[Would you like to download the Hidden Code?]
It was an update.
When they clicked it in a hurry, the title track audio was downloaded once more.
It was the old-school hip-hop arrangement version they had become familiar with over the past few days!
[Bad Feelings (ver.G)]
—Crazy, it’s the Glastonbury version!!!
—Uwaaaaaa
—Ah, crazy ㅠㅠ Guys, I think the audio is being released too. What do I do? I’m so excited I’m going to lose it.
—I’m going to go announce this joyful news to the Western fans.
Excited fans busily carried this surprise news and enjoyed the fan service.
Some people even enjoyed a bit of a calculated joy, wondering if this could increase album sales a little.
But some people stayed on the download page longer…
—Wait a second.
—???
—Why?
They discovered a new pop-up appearing.
[D-7 until the next Hidden Code]
—What is this?
“…!”
Another notice had arrived.