Chapter 111: What Explodes Will Explode (11)
111. What Explodes Will Explode (11)
The final stage that everyone was holding their breath for.
Like the previous performances, Blue Flare Team's stage began in complete darkness.
<Catch, Pull>
When the final team's keyword was revealed, thunderous cheers erupted from the audience.
Just as eyes adjusted enough to barely make out the trainees standing on stage—
Biiiiiiii—
A siren-like warning sound blared as crimson laser effects flooded the stage.
Like a prison—
No, like chains.
Between the cascading red beams, the trainees could be seen forming their positions, their formations intertwining like knots.
Dililing—
With the mesmerizing piano melody, the figure at center who had been bowing his head slowly raised it.
It was Yu-geon, his body wrapped in thick leather choker chains that shimmered under the lights. The skintight black leather outfit clung to him, silver chains catching the light as they draped over his frame.
"...Insane."
Dung, dudung— With the rapidly descending beat, Yu-geon jerked forward as if propelled by the music. At his gesture, the other trainees moved in perfect unison to reform their positions.
The movement lines shifted in an instant.
Jung Si-woo, who had cut his long hair and dyed it silver, pulled out one in-ear monitor with a slightly tense expression as he began singing:
Easy to play
Everything comes so naturally to you
The audience roared again at the first verse.
The original song was "Set Me Free"—a Latin-inspired sensual track by SPEAR, a male idol group under Rene Entertainment.
Blue Flare Team kept the foundational piano melody intact but infused pop elements into the rhythm and mood, slightly dialing back the song's primal stickiness.
Si-woo's wrist, adorned with a band matching Yu-geon's choker, covered Yu-geon's eyes. Si-woo's slightly oversized white shirt contrasted with the black cummerbund and leather pants that accentuated his naturally slender waistline.
Yu-geon, moving in sync with Si-woo while blindfolded, naturally grabbed Si-woo's wrist and pulled it away. At the same time, Won-ho swiftly joined in.
Locked away in Moonlight
Blurred senses,
Fading—maybe already forgotten
Won-ho's low, heavy tone clashed against the high-octave piano melody, creating deliberate dissonance. His clean, textbook-perfect dance lines stood out as he sharply cut his movements before smoothly transitioning into a light wave.
As the three moved aside to reposition, the next formation revealed Do-ha and Hajin kneeling opposite each other with their arms intertwined, Eun-chan sitting atop their legs like a chair.
'Is this the rap part?'
As if mocking that thought, Eun-chan—the only member with his shirt buttoned all the way up—let out his voice:
Easy, Easy on me
Please be easy on me
You say again
Come and Easy, My one
His husky yet boyishly emotive tone sent the audience into a frenzy. Fans clutching Eun-chan's placards barely stifled their screams at hearing his singing for the first time.
Eun-chan slipped fluidly from between Hajin and Do-ha's arms and moved to the side. All six members aligned for the first full-group choreography, executing it with precision.
In your love deeper than breath
Look at me, suffocating
The beat accelerated, the sound surging forward to heighten the tension.
At the peak of that intensity, a piercing high note tore through the venue, cutting through all other sounds and stabbing straight into the ears.
Set, me, free—!
Hajin shoved Won-ho aside in the choreography and stepped forward, flawlessly hitting the high note without a single waver. His hands came together as if cuffed, slowly turning his head as red lights and lasers flooded the stage.
Quench this endless thirst with you
Swallow you whole, now I can't even escape
The body chains around Hajin's neck peeked through his open leather shirt. The belt wrapped around one thigh and the dangling ear cuffs were provocative enough, but what really made the audience scream was something else.
Eternal thirst
Only you can save me
As the trainees turned for the next move, the back of Hajin's leather shirt was revealed—sheer fabric tied together with multiple leather straps. And as if anticipating the reaction, Hajin smirked at the audience mid-high note!
The gesture was calculated, yet it didn't feel forced. Credit went to Yu-geon and Won-ho's revamped choreography.
They had scrapped most of the original hip-and-waist-focused moves, centering instead on themes like "knots," "shackles," and "restraint."
"None of us—me, Won-ho, or Eun-chan—are minors, but we'd just look ridiculous trying to pull off hip rolls like Do-ha hyung, who can't control himself anyway."
Yu-geon's idea. Hajin agreed, suggesting they compensate with bolder styling.
The simpler the choreography, the more the outfits' sex appeal would stand out.
And their gamble paid off perfectly.
Praying, wishing
Set me free
Easy Come, Easy Go
Yu-geon, revealing his sanpaku eyes as he sharply bent his body, reclaimed center stage. But what came out of his mouth wasn't the usual "just getting through my part" singing.
Trapped in this illusion called you
Maybe this is a dream
His blue hair swayed relentlessly as he spat out confident rap verses with unwavering breath control despite the intense movements. His voice, which had seemed thin and unremarkable when singing, now gripped ears with its unique tone.
See what you do
Waves deeper than darkness
Crashing over me
Kill me slowly,
With the final lyric, Hajin roughly yanked the chain connected to Yu-geon's choker. Yu-geon recoiled as if struck, knees buckling as he closed his eyes like a man dying.
Then, from the side, Do-ha's low, heavy voice shifted the mood again like a drum bass.
"Lee Do-ha, you coward—THANK YOU!!!!!"
Do-ha wore the most revealing outfit among the trainees—black ripped jeans and a sleeveless black top. The hanbok-inspired collar and slightly exposed side revealed toned abs.
Take it easy,
Take it easy, Bae
You always say
Don't be serious, Bae
As Do-ha slowly moved center, the remaining trainees executed dance breaks that could've stood alone as performances. Only possible because, aside from Si-woo, they were all top-tier dancers in Miro Maze.
'Lee Do-ha is a god.'
Finally free from worrying about dance, Do-ha poured everything into his rap like a madman. Pushing and pulling the rhythm, he delivered his verse with a mix of slow drawls and rapid-fire bars. Si-woo added ad-libs and reactions between choreography.
The beat surged before abruptly easing into a beautiful piano melody.
Easy, Easy on me
Please be easy on me
You say again
Come and Easy, My one
Won-ho and Eun-chan harmonized, followed by paired choreography where they held each other like whispering lovers. Joo Eun-chan's deep, decadent gaze and Kim Won-ho's powerful, energy-packed movements created another kind of chemistry. Hajin lightly swept back his hair and turned—his ear cuff, eyebrow scratch, burgundy eyeshadow, and teardrop mole perfectly angled for the cameras.
Your love, deeper than darkness
Can you see me wearing thin?
Sexy? Who cared about sexy when the vocals were this good.
Hajin held the last note of "Can you see me?" before the final climax hit.
Set, me, free!
Si-woo took Hajin's ad-lib up an octave, reshaping the melody with steadier breath control and skill.
Praying, wishing
Set me free!
Before anyone realized, the song was racing toward its end. After Won-ho and Eun-chan's bridge cemented their presence, a short dance break followed.
"Yu—Yu-geon, what the hell, what is this?"
"Did he come to kill today?"
True to his "Wait for it" warning, Yu-geon's stage presence was overwhelming. He'd always been a good dancer, but today was different.
"Stop smiling, you lunatic!"
As if feeling every moment of this stage with his entire being—
As if there wasn't a single calculation in anything happening right now—
He gripped the audience, bending the atmosphere to his will.
With the performance's core solidified, the other members naturally gained room to breathe.
Do-ha's slightly clumsy dancing went unnoticed. In the midst of precise, powerful movements, instinctive gestures burst forth freely. As if refusing to be outdone by Yu-geon's unrestrained energy, the others lost themselves in the stage.
Hajin locked eyes with Yu-geon mid-air after effortlessly landing an acrobatic move. He flashed a smirk at Yu-geon, fully immersed, and got a similar expression in return as they passed each other for the next sequence.
Hajin and Si-woo moved to the sides as the remaining four leaped up for the final explosion.
Set, me, free!
Hajin and Si-woo's ad-libs surged. Won-ho and Eun-chan supported the climax with backing vocals like a group chant.
Quench this endless thirst with you
Swallow you whole, now I can't even escape
(Easy Come, Easy Go)
(In your suffocating obsession)
(Finally, I feel my freedom)
Won-ho took the final chorus center. His long limbs powered through the choreography, driving the song's momentum to the end. Amid the storm of dance and ad-libs, Yu-geon and Do-ha's raps blended into harmony.
A gamble that could've been just noisy chaos if their teamwork faltered even slightly.
"Wow..."
But everything was perfect.
If even one person had been missing—
If even one part had been changed—
If even one element had been different—
It was so complete, the thought didn't even cross the mind.
The storm passed.
As if everything had ended, only the slow piano melody echoed again.
Praying, wishing
The only one at the end of your gaze.
Let me be.
Eun-chan whispered the final lines, stepping back slowly.
Oh, baby
Set me free
Just like the opening formation, the members intertwined as Eun-chan placed himself between them. As he stepped into their embrace, their arms coiled around each other like snakes.
A paradoxical ending—imprisoning themselves to be free.
The six trainees slowly closed their eyes and bowed their heads.
"......."
The song was over.
The audience was in chaos.
'WHO ARE WE EVEN SUPPOSED TO PICK!?'
The mentors definitely couldn't decide either—that's why they dumped the choice on us...!