Chapter 640
Chapter 640
As is often the case with the first concert of a weekday run, by the time the show began in the evening, the red sunset had already faded into a deep twilight over the venue.
However, beneath that sky, the stadium was heating up, burning brighter and hotter than ever.
"Waaaaaaaah!!"
The fervor was just as intense for those who weren't physically sitting in the audience.
These were the online viewers.
There was a time when TeSTAR belonged to a company that rarely provided high-quality live streams, forcing fans to survive on grainy, low-resolution videos or secret audio recordings smuggled out by audience members. But those days were ancient history.
Since moving platforms, TeSTAR had made it a point to provide live broadcasts for every concert—even VR streaming.
Today was no exception.
In fact, for this concert, the very first day was designated as Streaming Day.
All sorts of people—netizens with varying degrees of interest and affection for TeSTAR—were huddled together in their respective online communities and social media feeds, watching the performance in real-time.
As if rewarding that anticipation, TeSTAR opened the show with a relentless barrage of their latest hits and lore-heavy performance tracks.
Every time a high note hit or a powerful move exploded, the crowd went wild.
And while the atmosphere was still simmering with admiration and cheers, the moment TeSTAR mentioned their "jam-packed setlist" during the talk segment, the excitement flared up once again.
However, the people laughing and chatting fell silent in the next moment.
As TeSTAR finished their talk and waved before abruptly disappearing backstage, the backlighting flared to life.
Silhouettes were cast against a white fabric screen.
The shadows of the TeSTAR members flickered as they stood or sat leaning against something.
And the props were... chairs and desks.
A warm light flickered on as the gears on the stage ceiling began to mesh and turn.
The sound of a film reel spinning filled the air.
Chiriririk, click.
[When I was a child.]
It was Cha Yu-jin’s narration.
It was a voice recorded back in their early debut days, when Cha Yu-jin had been directed to sound more emotional.
Instead of his usual bouncy, free-spirited intonation, it felt somewhat static.
That voice—at once childishly reckless yet strangely calm—spoke the nostalgic English narration.
[When I was a child, I always went home before the sun went down.]
[In that daily life, there were no nights where the moon rose.]
[And now,]
[I look out the window from inside the classroom.]
All the silhouettes looked up at the sky.
Up toward the darkened expanse above the outdoor stadium.
[The sun was setting.]
A clear, refreshing sound, like a music box, echoed through the stadium speakers.
It was a sound that seemed to roll through the air like water droplets.
A familiar melody that everyone knew.
♬♪♩♪- ♬♪♬♪- ♪♩-
Against the backdrop of an indigo sky where the last traces of the sunset lingered, lights erupted in every direction like a burst of pink, red, and yellow twilight.
From the perspective of the streaming cam capturing the center of the stage, people watched, mesmerized.
The white fabric on stage dropped, revealing the figures that had been hidden as shadows.
Boys perched on classroom desks.
[The "you" I'll meet tomorrow,
I think of you all day today.
I dream a dream as blue as the day.]
Despite the long time that had passed, they were still dressed in summer school uniforms.
As they sang with smiles, walking out onto the stage in formation and performing the choreography, their hair colors and styles had suddenly reverted to those of their debut era.
The faces from the time they first met the public.
A strange sensation washed over the viewers.
Usually, when idols performed songs that were several years old, they used remixes or new arrangements.
As time passed, their singing styles and ways of dancing naturally changed through the process of growth.
It was impossible to be exactly the same as they were back then; such stages were usually meant for reminiscing over shared memories.
But the TeSTAR on stage right now... was exactly the same.
[All that time,
Maybe I needed it.
The magic to go to the future.
That’s why I...]
They were perfectly recreating the vocal style and movements of that time.
Exactly as they were, vividly.
The feeling and gestures—lacking in technical flourishes but filled with honest power instead of relaxation—reappeared on stage.
TeSTAR’s matured skills were being used to bring the "ideal" version of the Magical Boy stage—the one that lived in people's hearts as the best possible version—into reality.
A strange sentiment arose.
As if they had traveled back to that time, people thought of themselves back then while watching the stage.
Even after the Magical Boy stage ended, the sentiment didn't break. The next stage followed immediately.
Cha Yu-jin, who had been sitting at a desk, grinned and leaped up from his seat.
[High five~]
The bright, cheerful song raced forward with an emotional edge.
Even the slightly childish and strange lyrics that were no longer seen in their current work remained unchanged.
This naturally transitioned into Airplane, which shared the same high school concept. A stage filled with colors like bright, transparent fireworks embroidered the dark sky.
Then, for a brief moment, the members disappeared as if chasing paper airplanes backstage, and a red cloth rose.
Dancers emerged behind it, performing a silhouette piece using shadows.
After those shadows clashed, merged, and fell as if fighting a war, the red cloth dropped to reveal a half-destroyed classroom.
In the darkened atmosphere, TeSTAR burst out as if breaking through a window, spreading across the stage like an advancing army over intense, smooth band music.
[Ashes to ashes, dust to dust
But NOT for me, not me.
I’m alive, that’s right, like
Legends never die]
The momentum was fanatical.
There were almost no cover songs, solos, or unit stages that usually filled out a concert.
The seven of them were filling every second, showing the trajectory they had traveled until now right there on the stage.
[The day that has finally come,
Haengcha!]
A moment later.
Against the backdrop of a red full moon with the silhouette of a howling wolf, a silhouette firing a long bow cut through the shadow of the moon. With the sound of exploding fireworks, the arrow seemed to pierce the side stage.
With VCRs kept to a minimum, the relentless chronicle of TeSTAR’s history kept even the online viewers glued to their seats, immersed in the performance as if they were actually there.
The pace was so fast that people could only pour out breathless, one-word reactions, unable to contain their overwhelming emotions!
The feeling of enjoying familiar stages and familiar songs with so many people. The joy of seeing another beloved song appear immediately after the last one ended kept everyone in a state of high excitement.
However, there was someone thinking that for a slightly different reason.
"Whoa, that’s suicide."
"Huh?"
At the Orbit Stars Entertainment building.
Kwon Hee-seung, who had been dozing off in the artist lounge, suddenly snapped to his senses. He saw the members of his group, Spacer, focused on the smart TV as if they were being sucked into it.
A concert was playing on the TV...
"Ack, TeSTAR’s concert!"
"Hee-seung, you’re awake?"
Kwon Hee-seung felt his sleepiness vanish instantly.
"Hey, you should’ve called me when it started! How much did I miss?"
The members, still staring at the screen as if possessed, waved him off. It was as if they didn't even have time to answer.
In the end, Kwon Hee-seung swatted his teammates' backs and looked up the concert setlist himself. Soon, his eyes widened.
What was this?
"Wow, the lineup is insane."
As if determined to show every title track, promotional B-side, and every song of theirs that had ever hit the annual charts, TeSTAR was pouring their souls into it.
As a junior in the same industry, it was understandable why his members were watching with such awe at their career and sheer audacity.
Kwon Hee-seung looked over the previous stages, licking his lips in regret.
They had missed everything up to Haengcha.
'That must have been really fun.'
He nodded to himself, thinking that since he couldn't go today due to his schedule, he should use the company pass to go and enjoy the concert tomorrow.
Ambition also stirred within him.
'...We want to put on a show like this someday, too.'
But as he compared the setlist to the screen while thinking about his own future concerts, Kwon Hee-seung suddenly noticed something strange.
"......?"
Wait a minute.
"...There are no breaks?"
"Exactly!"
Only then did the members turn their heads, nodding vigorously and shouting.
"They’ve only played one VCR so far and have been doing stages non-stop!"
"It’s literally insane. No, how are they even doing this?"
Their reactions were so intense they even forgot to use formal titles for their seniors.
And Kwon Hee-seung was falling into confusion as well!
'Wait...!?'
The VCRs and unit stages placed between concert performances weren't just for composition and direction.
Didn't the singers need time to change outfits and catch their breath? It was a necessary distribution for minimum stamina management and pacing.
Especially for a performance like TeSTAR’s, where the choreography was intense and the live vocals were relentless?
Normally, he would need at least ten minutes of rest for every thirty minutes of performing to function properly...
But right now, TeSTAR was only taking enough time to barely change their clothes.
And even then, only once every four or five songs.
"...? ...!!"
While Kwon Hee-seung was looking back and forth between the screen and the setlist, one of the group's composers clicked his tongue and muttered quietly.
"If it were me, I would’ve collapsed. Seriously."
"Haa... haa..."
I leaned both arms against the wall and lowered my head.
It felt like my lungs were going to tear apart.
Someone managed to pat my back. They seemed to be asking if I was okay, but they looked like they couldn't even open their own mouth to speak.
I just nodded and lifted my upper body.
"Oxygen!"
An oxygen mask. Honestly, it doesn't help that much. But it's better than nothing.
I felt someone strip off my sweat-soaked durumagi coat, followed by hands wiping my face and helping me change into my next outfit.
'I'm not a baby.'
But this had all been agreed upon in advance. It wasn't like we didn't know it would be like this.
I wondered if someone might ask how we planned to tour with this setlist. What if something went wrong?
'It won't.'
We had practiced it countless times.
Even if our condition is poor, we endure. No one here is incapable of enduring.
"......."
To save their strength, even the most talkative members of the group didn't say a word.
Our shoulders and arms, heated to the point of steaming from the grueling exertion, bumped into each other, but no one cracked a joke.
That actually gave me more confidence.
'Let's go.'
We stood on the stage lift again.
We hadn't even reached the climax yet.
'This is crazy. This is insane...'
The TeSTAR all-fan gripped their lightstick so hard it felt like it might break.
The light from the stage seemed to blur before their eyes.
Because they had been screaming and chanting non-stop, their voice had gone hoarse in a short amount of time.
Every song the members performed was so familiar, a stage they had desperately wanted to see in person, and because it was a relentless onslaught, they had been in a state of constant dopamine overdose.
'My head is spinning...'
As the fan took a deep breath, something was suddenly thrust toward them from the next seat.
"...?"
It was a small, unopened bottle of mineral water.
It had a label that said something like "Drink deep-sea water while watching TeSTAR's concert," likely distributed by some company as a pre-entry event.
"Th-thank you."
The person in the hat next to them gave a small, quick nod and turned their gaze back to the front.
Reflexively opening and drinking the water, the fan realized they had been incredibly thirsty and their vision cleared up.
They were grateful...
'Oh, my snacks!'
The fan tried to offer some snacks they had brought in return, but the VCR on the stage screen had already ended.
"Haaah!"
The fan almost shook the water bottle instead of their lightstick before quickly switching them back, steadying their trembling hands as they stared at TeSTAR appearing on stage.
The smiling TeSTAR members were dressed in their lightest outfits yet, and they looked like they were having a great time.
[Hello everyone.]
"Waaaaaaaah!!"
With a cleanliness, friendliness, and pleasant vibe that made it seem like a lie that they had been running around and performing like madmen until now, the fan cheered with everything they had.
It was the first time in over an hour that TeSTAR had picked up their microphones. It seemed like it was finally time for a relaxed talk segment to fill the time.
[You all know this song, right?]
"YES!!"
[Good.]
I like it too...
Watching Ryu Cheong-woo brush his hair back, the fan shook their lightstick gently.
Since a similar scene was unfolding across the entire audience, TeSTAR, who had been enjoying the cute sight, waved their hands.
Then, Park Moon-dae looked around at the members and picked up his mic with a smile.
[But, actually, we included just one song that you might not know...]
"Huh? What?"
[It’s the song we’re about to play for you now.]
[It’s a new song.]
"Ack!?"
Before the fans could even form a proper reaction.
The members on stage lowered their mics, scattered, and took their respective positions.
'What is it...?'
The doubt was short-lived.
From the stage floor, devices that looked like transparent packaging popped up, surrounding the members.
They formed a protective, hemispherical dome.
"......!"
[We’re coming to you now.]
A soft melody began to flow.
Inside, the transparent hemispheres carrying each TeSTAR member began to lift off the stage floor like drones or hot air balloons, moving through the air.
Beyond the standing section, toward us.
"...!"
They were coming toward the audience!